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First Presidential Vote Just Hours Away; Chaos in Kenya
Aired January 03, 2008 - 10:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: The road to the White House, the first way station, Iowa. The first presidential vote now just hours away. This morning single-digit temperatures and double-fisted gladhanding. Candidates are scrambling to get votes in hand, voters out to tonight's caucuses. Campaign workers are offering to shovel your sidewalk or even babysit your kids, whatever you need. And we're doing what it takes to bring it all to you. Both races are too close to call.
Joe Johns and Candy Crowley are covering the Democrats. Dana Bash and Mary Snow are following the Republicans. And Tom Foreman has a closer look at the caucuses themselves. After all, what Iowans decide may ultimately shape who you can elect later. A statistical dead heat. It's anyone's guess right now who will win their party's contest tonight. Let's breakdown the races for just a moment.
CNN's Mary Snow begins with the Republicans. Good morning to you, Mary.
What are the issues Republican voters are most concerned about tonight?
MARY SNOW, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, good morning, Heidi.
And illegal immigration is certainly one of the key issues for Republicans here. You know, one of the major themes that has come up time and again on the campaign trail, when Mike Huckabee was governor of Arkansas, he had supported tuition benefits for children of illegal immigrants, saying it would be better to have them as taxpayers. Mitt Romney has taken aim at him for that position. Republicans really trying to position themselves strong on crackdown for illegal immigration.
The economy is also another big issue you hear out on the campaign trail. Mike Huckabee has been advocating a fair-tax system. He wants to abolish the IRS, and here in Iowa what you hear among Republicans not so much on the Democratic side, the issue of abortion. This is where Mitt Romney has come under criticism from his chief rival, Mike Huckabee. Romney has said that he had an evolution on the issue. Mike Huckabee has been appealing to social conservatives, saying he has always been firmly pro-life. Time and time again on the last couple of days on the campaign trial, despite the venue, you hear those three issues discussed pretty much at every stop -- Heidi.
COLLINS: Well, Mary, we haven't heard a whole lot, it doesn't seem, from Fred Thompson in Iowa. What is he saying about his chances there? SNOW: Well, you know, when he had gotten into the race, as you remember, there was so much enthusiasm and excitement, and that certainly has waned a bit, and you know, he was on AMERICAN MORNING this morning. John Roberts had talked to him about reports and buzz that he may be thinking of dropping out. Here is what he had to say.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
FRED THOMPSON (R), PRES. CANDIDATE: Nobody is talking about, you know, any kind of scenario past tonight. I mean, you look and see and the whole world changes. You know, some people have the wind at their back and some don't, then you have to analyze the results and go from there, but I'm not playing into any pessimistic scenario. I think that we've got a great opportunity. It's going to be better than a lot of the so-called experts think.
As I look back at 1980, and '88 and 2004, they were all wrong, some pretty important outcomes, and you know, we've been getting good crowds.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SNOW: So Fred Thompson in his own words shooting down any kind of suggestion about dropping out of the race, and as he put it, we'll have to see what happens tonight. No one wants to guess what's going to happen tonight because nobody knows, so the caucusgoers will decide what happens here in Iowa -- Heidi.
COLLINS: Boy, that's for sure. All right, CNN's Mary Snow. Thanks so much, Mary.
Calling all Iowans. If you will be caucusing tonight, we want to know what it's like. Bring your camera and send us photos and videos from inside, if you will. We're going to be airing some of the best i-Reports during our special coverage tonight. Just go to cnnpolitics.com. And if you are not in Iowa, go to the Web site anyway for the freshest polls, the latest fights, the political ticker, blog, and more, CNNpolitics.com.
Now we want to move on the Democrats. CNN's Joe Johns is covering those campaigns for us this morning.
Good morning to you once again, Joe.
JOE JOHNS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning once again to you, Heidi. Well, this is it. After all the talking, it's time to get down to caucusing here in Iowa. What are the issues that are going to bring Democrats out tonight? It's no surprise, the war in Iraq probably the No. 1 issue on the minds of Democrats. Also, the economy.
Not a huge difference between the top three candidates at least, but what we're looking at here is sort of that dichotomy you probably already heard so much about between experience versus change. Hillary Clinton, of course, being the candidate of experience. The two guys competing for the moniker of change candidate, of course, would be John Edwards and Barack Obama. We heard a little bit this morning from John Edwards talking on AMERICAN MORNING.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOHN EDWARDS (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: We had 36 hours nonstop campaigning culminated last night with a 3,000, 4,000-person rally here in Des Moines. And it had a lot of energy and excitement, a lot of movement. It's all encouraging.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
JOHNS: So, again, the issue of experience versus change here in Iowa on the minds of Democrats. Also heard from Barack Obama as well today. He, too, is competing to be the candidate for change.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. BARACK OBAMA (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: The American people are just hungry and ready for change. We've been seeing it throughout this campaign. They want Republicans, Democrats, independents to come together to solve problems.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
JOHNS: So not a lot of huge differences between these Democrats. Again, this issue of change being repeated over and over again. I got a chance to see both Barack Obama and John Edwards at competing rallies last night here in Des Moines. It was really pretty remarkable for me.
When you look at John Edwards, he is pushing the buttons of voters on the issues of anger. What's wrong in America, the corruption in America, the greed in America. When you look at Barack Obama, he's pushing a much softer message, but it's very appealing to people and brought out huge crowds. Actually both of them brought out huge crowds. Be very interesting to see who turns out tonight and who actually caucuses. That, of course, is always the issue in the first contest in the nation -- Heidi.
COLLINS: Yes, it seems like it's also an issue, Joe, of who can hang onto their voice better than the next guy. Everybody seems to...
JOHNS: There's no question. yes, I thought when I was listening to Barack Obama last night, I really thought at the end of his speech, big crowd inside a high school here, Hoover High School, I really thought he was starting to lose his voice, but the minute it started trailing off a bit it seemed to come right back. So the other problem, though, for them is that as soon as they get through here, it's off to New Hampshire, and you start it all over again with almost no time left to do it.
COLLINS: Yes.
JOHNS: Going to be exciting.
COLLINS: Yes, yes, very true.
All right, CNN's Joe Johns watching all the action for us on the Democratic side of things from Des Moines, Iowa. Joe, thank you.
Party people. The chairman of the Republican and Democrat National Committees weigh in on the Iowa caucuses. I'm talk to them both at the top of the hour.
It is bone chilling cold up and down the he's coast, even into Florida with frigid conditions putting citrus crops at risk. But so far it does look like they dodged a bullet. It didn't get cold enough overnight to do any damage. Even so, some farmers tried to protect their fruit by harvesting them or spraying them with water in order to insulate them from freezing temperatures.
(WEATHER REPORT)
(BUSINESS HEADLINES)
COLLINS: Kenya on the brink. Police shutdown an election protest before it can start. Live to Nairobi, next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COLLINS: We should tell you a search is under way right now in the Georgia mountains for a woman described as an experienced hiker. Meredith Emerson and her dog have been missing since Tuesday. Her car and the dog's leash were found yesterday. A police baton and sunglasses were found near the car. A hiker told officials he saw a man with a baton on the same trail that Emerson took. Rescue teams have been hampered by bitter cold, snow and high winds.
A news conference happening right now as well. We are monitoring that and we'll keep you updated should any new information come out of that. You can also watch it live right now on CNN.com.
A planned million man march in Kenya. It ends, though, before it begins. Riot police firing water and tear gas on protesters. Want to go live to CNN international security correspondent Paula Newton who is in Nairobi this morning.
Paula, have things seemed to calm down a bit?
PAULA NEWTON, CNN INTL. SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: They have calmed down now. The opposition party telling supporters to go home. That was not before several hours, Heidi, of some very tense moments on the streets here. What happened is the opposition protesters came out of their homes, gathered in several locations en masse. And as the pictures that we're seeing show you, is that repeatedly as they tried to approach the armed officers, in some cases, the police officers, in some cases, the army, hands up saying peace, peace. They were then greeted with tear gas, water canons and sometimes firing live rounds into the air.
So far today we have not heard of any injuries, but this was a very tense day. People expected it to go a lot worse in the sense that they expected more violence. Having said that, there have been sporadic incidents of arson reported, and in other areas of the country, Heidi, they haven't been so lucky. We are hearing that towards the West, especially, the ethnic tension continues, and that there are armed groups seeking and trying to target people from other tribes.
Heidi, in the meantime, the political deadlock continues. We heard from Archbishop Desmond Tutu who came here from South Africa to try and lend a hand in all of this. He doesn't have any new ideas. He said he is willing to sit down with both sides, but right now the government says they want the international community to butt out. They don't think it's time for this. They believe that the opposition doesn't want peace, that they want power, and that they'll stop at nothing to get it -- Heidi.
COLLINS: All right, as the struggle continues, we know you'll be watching it closely. Thank you, Paula Newton live today from Nairobi, Kenya. Thanks, Paula.
A new witness now raising some disturbing questions about that deadly tiger mauling at the San Francisco Zoo. A woman told "The San Francisco Chronicle" she saw three teens taunting the tiger shortly before it escaped Christmas Day. The zoo reopens this morning with tighter security and without the big cats on display. We'll have a live report from the zoo coming up next hour right here in the CNN NEWSROOM.
Well, Santa can't help you now. Digging out from post-holiday bills. CNN's Gerri Willis with some tips on paying off those credit cards.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COLLINS: Want to take a moment to take a look at some numbers now because we are awaiting an inventory report that will come out in about 10 minutes or so regarding oil prices. That seems to be what everyone is looking at today.
First, I want to take a look at the Dow Jones Industrial averages as well. Looks like things are up about 45 points or so right now, and I understand that NASDAQ is down about a half of a point, but pretty interesting to look at those numbers because just yesterday -- or Friday's close I should say, down 220 points, so we will be watching the Dow Jones Industrial averages closely today as well as -- let's head on over now to the New York Mercantile Exchange.
Looking at that red number there, that is the number for the light sweet crude, which we have been reporting all morning could go above $100 a barrel. Right now, resting at $99.53. So again, that report coming out of the Energy Department in about eight minutes or so. And it could really have an impact on trading today.
So, we will watch all of those stories for you very closely.
Meanwhile, it is that time of year. The gifts are open, the bills are stacking up. So, how do you pay off all those credit cards? Well, here with her tips is CNN personal finance editor Gerri Willis.
Gerri, good morning to you. What advice do you have ...
GERRI WILLIS, CNN PERSONAL FINANCE EDITOR: Hi there, Heidi.
COLLINS: ...for people who are kind of already in trouble with their credit card bills?
WILLIS: Well, hey, don't wait for those bills to start rolling in to figure out how big of a hole you're in. Set up an online account so you can see what the numbers are right now. Now, if you have to borrow money to pay off your credit card bills, your credit card spending is out of control. Look at your overall debt, too. If your monthly debt is between 15 to 20 percent of your income, well, you have to start paring down expenses.
COLLINS: All right, well, why should people tackle credit card debt first? Because I think some people seem to get overwhelmed. They have a lot of different types of debt and they try to prioritize, but don't really realize maybe how to do that.
WILLIS: Well, it's the most expense debt you have. It carries a high rate of interest. So, you want to pay it of first. It can take you up to 30 years to pay off that debt if you make only minimum payments.
If you have a balance of $9,900, which is about the average amount of credit card debt that folks have with an interest rate of 15 percent, also common, and you make the minimum payments consistently, it would cost you almost $3,000 in interest payments alone and you wouldn't be debt-free for 3.5 years. So, to calculate out how long it'll take to payoff your balance, go to mastercard.com and click on Debt Know How. There's a great calculator there.
COLLINS: OK, great. What do people need to know about these reward cards that we keep hearing so much about?
WILLIS: Well, people love them. They can be a beautiful thing. But if you carry a balance, what you pay in interest will likely eat up any benefit you get from the reward card, and you have to make sure the reward is worth it. Airline miles aren't always a great deal. The bottom line here is that reward cards can be good if you pay off balances in full and they're for people who use the card for business purposes. Those are the best uses.
COLLINS: Yes, well, what if you want to rollover your credit card debt? Is that a very smart idea?
WILLIS: Well look, taking out a home equity line of credit to pay off your credit card debt can be smart. A HELOC has a lower rate of interest and the interest is usually tax deductible. But there are down sides.
When you roll your debt into a home equity line of credit, you put your home in danger if you don't pay off that balance. Plus, in order to get a HELOC, you may need to have your home appraised and given where prices are going right now for housing, the value of your home may be set lower than you expect. The take away here is that throwing your money at your credit card debt won't necessarily solve the underlying problem, which is your spending. It's far better to get control over your budget, use your credit card sparingly.
COLLINS: How can we change our thinking then, sort of overall about credit cards?
WILLIS: Well, you know, credit cards are 30-day loans. It should be paid back in full.
COLLINS: Right.
WILLIS: It's a convenience really, and although more and more people are doing this, hey, listen to this, you shouldn't put your mortgage payments on your credit card. Look, this is just compounding the trouble that you'll have down the road. This is some of the stuff that's going on out there that's really, to me surprising, people putting their mortgage payments on a credit card.
COLLINS: Yes, very surprising.
WILLIS: But you can get it under control and just focus on it exclusively, you can get the problem behind you.
COLLINS: Hey, what about this weekend? Want to tell us about "OPEN HOUSE?"
WILLIS: "OPEN HOUSE" 9:30 a.m. Saturday morning right here on CNN. More on how to stay debt-free this year.
COLLINS: Good.
WILLIS: What the housing market has in store for us, and how to dress for success without breaking the bank.
COLLINS: Oh, I like that very much.
All right, CNN's Gerri Willis. You can watch "OPEN HOUSE" coming up this Saturday. Gerri, always nice to see you.
WILLIS: Great to see you, Heidi.
COLLINS: Want to get directly now to this news that we are getting here in the CNN NEWSROOM out of Turkey. You are looking at pictures of the aftermath of a car bomb that exploded in a Diyarbakir. This is a Kurdish-dominated southeastern city.
Apparently, according to CNN Turk there, you see this video coming in, new video to us. According to CNN Turk, apparently a military vehicle passed by, and this is when the car bomb exploded. All we know at this point is that several people were injured. We do not know the extent of their injuries, but we also believe that some of those injuries were to military personnel.
Also learning that police are searching two suspected Kurdish militants who apparently escaped. So a lot of questions, and a lot of chaos as you can see in these pictures.
Once again, this video coming out of Diyarbakir, the Kurdish- dominated southeastern city in Turkey. So, we will keep our eye on this and bring you more information just as soon as we get it here.
Meanwhile, back to the Iowa caucuses now, party people, the chairman of the Republican and Democratic National Committees weigh in on the Iowa caucuses, minutes away, right here in the CNN NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COLLINS: You are in the CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Heidi Collins. Tony Harris is off today.
I want to get back to the story we were just telling you about out of Turkey this morning. Apparently according to CNN Turk, there has been a car bomb explosion. You're looking at some of the video now that we have just gotten in here to the CNN NEWSROOM.
This is all happening in a Kurdish-dominated southeastern city in Turkey known as Diyarbakir. What we understand is that a military vehicle passed by and this bomb went off, injuring several people. Don't have much more information than that, so an attempt to get more, we want to bring in Begum Donmez. She is with CNN Turk and can tell us a little bit more about this situation there.
Tell us what you know.
VOICE OF BEGUM DONMEZ, CNN TURK FOREIGN WORLD NEWS DESK: An explosion struck a military vehicle in the center of the Turkish city of Diyarbakir, and the eyewitnesses say that there were many people that got injured by the explosion, and we have reports coming in that almost 20 people were injured and some soldiers were also among the injured people, and the explosion was caused by a bomb.
So -- and, in fact, the explosion occurred at 16:55, so this means that the explosion occurred like almost half an hour ago or so. I'm sorry, was also some damage to the houses and buildings around the vehicle, and the security forces, the police, have also arrived at the scene. So, that's what we know up until now about the explosion.
COLLINS: Any idea, Begum, why this is all happening?
DONMEZ: Inside, it's the Kurdish-dominated city in the southeastern part of Turkey, but we don't have any further details as to what caused the explosion or who did it and who might have done that, so I think it is a little bit early to say -- to jump to a conclusion on that.
COLLINS: Sure, all right. Well, we know that you will be following it very closely and hopefully can bring us some more information just as soon as it may be available to you.
Begum Donmez, thanks so much, from CNN Turk, the foreign world news desk. Once again, Begum, thanks so much. Want to get you back to the story that we have also been following about oil because it is trading just pennies below the $100 mark this morning. And a report just released a couple of minutes ago now could push it back over that record milestone.
So, Ali Velshi is watching it closely from the New York Mercantile Exchange. Ali, where is the number at now?
ALI VELSHI, CNN SR. BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: We're at 98 -- $99.90, as you can see in that shot on the board, but the trading is very active right now while traders are trying to make sense of this.
What we were looking at is an inventory report that said sort of where oil stocks are in the United States. We were expecting -- we've been seeing it drop for seven weeks in a row. We were expecting a drop of two million barrels. The report came in with a drop of four million barrels, double the amount that it was expected to lose.
Now, we were sort of anticipating that if that drawdown on oil inventories in the U.S. was bigger than the two million, you'd see oil move up to that $100 a barrel mark for futures. We're not seeing that at the moment. We're seeing very -- as I say, very active trading while people are making sense of this right now, but we're definitely in the $99ish range. So, we're not hitting $100 at the moment.
Again, for most people, Heidi, what difference does it make because you're paying -- whether you're paying $97 for oil or $103 ...
COLLINS: Yes.
VELSHI: ...it's translating into gasoline prices of about $3 a gallon or heating oil prices that people are paying more to. But this $100 is a psychological barrier which it hit yesterday just briefly and doesn't look like it's back at just now.
COLLINS: All right, Ali. We know you're watching it closely. Thanks so much, Ali Velshi from the New York Mercantile Exchange. Thanks, Ali.
Well, today is the day, the Iowa caucuses could make or break some campaigns. Here now is CNN's senior political correspondent Candy Crowley.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you! Thank you!
CANDY CROWLEY, CNN SR. POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Know how you can tell it's close to being over? They're screaming.
SEN. BARACK OBAMA (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: If you believe, let's go change the world, and stand with me!
CROWLEY: And they're careening around the state. John Edwards is on a 36-hour non-stop road show.
JOHN EDWARDS (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: You know, we have important work still left to do.
CROWLEY: And they're getting all chummy and cheery with the press corps.
SEN. HILLARY CLINTON (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Oh, how are you all?
CROWLEY: Armed with a coffee pot, Hillary Clinton helpfully reminded reporters to wear a coat in the cold and then look down the road.
CLINTON: You know, I'm going to go all the way from the caucuses tomorrow through February 5th and expect to be the nominee, so.
CROWLEY: And that's the thing about Iowa, despite the year-long campaign, it's not close to being over. It's close to starting.
GOV. BILL RICHARDSON (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: All I want to do is have a strong showing in the top three, move on to New Hampshire, move on to Nevada, and then to New Mexico and some of the western primaries.
CROWLEY: That's the other thing about Iowa. Unless you're a prohibitive front-runner who implodes ...
HOWARD DEAN, DNC CHAIRMAN: And then we're going to Washington, D.C. to take back the White House!
CROWLEY: Think Howard Dean, you don't have to win to survive.
SEN. JOE BIDEN (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I think anybody comes out of here who exceeds expectations is going to get a ticket to go to New Hampshire, and I expect to get one of those tickets.
CROWLEY: Iowa does not decide the race to the nomination, but it shapes it.
MITT ROMNEY (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: People are going to be listening to what Iowa has to say.
CROWLEY: A few for instances.
MIKE HUCKABEE (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I mean, if there ever was a definition underdog, look in the dictionary, there's a photo of me right there, underdog.
CROWLEY: If Huckabee beats Romney, he becomes more than an interesting blip in campaign history, although still under-financed. It would not be fatal for Romney, but it would weaken him and ensure a really interesting Romney/McCain dogfight in New Hampshire.
ROMNEY: And with regards to Senator McCain, I think he was just wrong to vote against the Bush tax cuts twice.
CROWLEY: And there are endless down the road permutations for Democrats. OBAMA: We need to turn the page, we need to write a new chapter.
CROWLEY: If Obama wins, Clinton loses the patena of inevitability and New Hampshire polls showing a tie with Barack Obama grow more troublesome., unless, of course Clinton loses to John Edwards, producing an Edwards/Obama showdown for the not-Hillary slot.
CLINTON: Come out to caucus tomorrow night and together, we will make history. Thank you all so much ...
CROWLEY: And if she wins Iowa in the rear-view mirror may turn out to be the beginning of the end for everyone else.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We're ready.
CLINTON: We're ready.
CROWLEY: And if she places third, whole new ball game, baby.
Candy Crowley, CNN, Des Moines.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COLLINS: Perspective on the Iowa caucuses now from someone who's been there, done that. In fact, you saw him in Candy Crowley's report. Former Vermont governor and presidential candidate Howard Dean.
Governor, I saw your reaction when you heard your voice there. It was interesting to watch you chuckle a bit at yourself. You are now the chairman of the Democratic National Committee and joining us from Washington this morning.
So listen, back in 2004 as we heard in Candy's report, you were the Democratic front-runner, but then John Kerry went on to win the caucus in Iowa and went on to win the New Hampshire primary. Basically, anything can happen. What do you have to say on this day about your party in particular?
DEAN: Well, actually, first of all, I'm very happy with our field. This is the day the voters -- this is the voters' day. You know, people have been analyzing and polling and punditing and talking, heading for two years. And now, the voters get their say, which is actually where it all comes down to in American democracy.
So, it's a -- it is a great day. I feel pretty good. You know, what the voters want is change. All the Republicans are talking about essentially, a third term for George W. Bush. You'd think that they were all basically running on his record, and they are, and that's a big problem for them. They've got huge problems on the Republican side. We've got great candidates, and I think we're going to win the presidency.
COLLINS: Some people would say, though, that one of the problems for the Democrats is that not only is there no one front-runner, but that it seems like they feel the same way about a lot of the issues, the candidates.
DEAN: I think there's a big -- yes, that's right. The big difference is between the Republicans and the Democrats, not among the Democrats.
COLLINS: Well then, who gets the nomination, Governor?
DEAN: They're all for the war, we're against the war. They all believe that the Bush economy is great. We think that, as your previous story was talking about $100 gas prices a barrel, oil prices are outrageous, and we have plans to do something about it. They all support the president's veto of the healthcare for children bill. The Democrats are clearly going to put that in if we get a Democratic president. And that stuff matters to people.
So, you know, I'm neutral in the race, of course, as the chairman of the party, but I'm pretty happy with our field, and I think any of them will be preferable to any one of the Republicans that are running.
COLLINS: OK, but somebody does have to get the nomination when this is all said and done.
DEAN: Yes.
COLLINS: Come on, tell us who it's going to be.
DEAN: Who knows? That's the -- luckily, it doesn't depend on me, it depends on the voters in Iowa and New Hampshire, Nevada, South Carolina, and then onto the other states, as you showed me a listing them all previously.
COLLINS: Yes, it was a little loud, wasn't it?
DEAN: Well, it wasn't if you were there, it wasn't very loud, you know, but they -- your clip never shows the audience reaction.
COLLINS: Yes, yes, yes. Well, it was interesting in Candy's report when she mentioned that basically you know, Iowa, as you said, is just the beginning. What is it going to take for the Democratic party to win back the White House?
DEAN: It takes us talking about our values and we're doing it. I'm delighted -- I think it's a different kind of campaign than we've seen for quite a while. Our folks are talking about their character and not just the issues. People mostly have agreed with Democrats on the issues for a long time. Most people even in conservative places believe we ought to have a healthcare system that works for everybody. They think gas prices are outrageous. They think we shouldn't be at war.
The difference is though that now, our candidates are talking about who they are and what their core values are. That's how you get elected president.
COLLINS: But you know, maybe I can go at it from a different angle: electability. When we're looking at some of the front-runners, Hillary Clinton, John Edwards, Barack Obama, who is best suited then to run against whoever the Republican nomination is going to be?
DEAN: I think whoever we nominate is going to be the next president of the United States, I really do. Our candidates are far more qualified than their candidates are. In the aggregate, all of our candidates have long periods of service in the public. They all have leadership qualities. They have all been experienced in foreign affairs or most of them have.
Some really extensive resumes in foreign affairs. The Republicans, you can't match that with the Republicans. There's one or two candidates on the Republican side, but these guys are basically running to be the third term for George Bush. And that's not what the American voters want. So I do think we're going to win this one.
COLLINS: There are some people who would also say that Democrats have sort of lost a lot of the leadership edge, if you will, and some of the approval rating, when we're looking at Congress and all of this. As the DNC chairman, how do you sort of reshape that and get the party back on track to where --
DEAN: That's not -- people aren't -- when they vote for president, they're not voting for Congress, first of all. Second of all, as you know, the congressional poll showed the Democrats have about a 30-point edge on would you rather have a Democrat or Republican representing you to in Congress. But, people are voting for president of the United States. And as we now see, as of tonight, we're now going to see our candidate emerge.
There's no guarantee, as you pointed out in the story, that the person who wins Iowa is going to win the nomination. But we're now going to see really intense focus by voters on our future nominee, and whoever that may be. And when that happens, the emphasis is going to shift from what's going on in Congress and shift to comparisons between the Republican candidate and the Democratic candidate, I think we win that match.
COLLINS: And we will all be watching very closely, certainly. Governor, we appreciate your time here today.
DEAN: Thanks for having me on.
COLLINS: The chairman of the Democratic National Committee. Appreciate that very much.
Want to get to the Republican side now in that race in Iowa as well. Up for grabs and going down to the wire. Mitt Romney and Mike Huckabee running neck and neck. Mike Duncan is the chairman of the Republican National Committee. He is joining us now from Washington.
Good morning to you, and thanks for being with us. What is the issue tonight that you think may stand out and really may separate some of the Republican candidates?
MIKE DUNCAN, RNC CHAIRMAN: Well good morning, Heidi, and happy election day. It's finally here, and we're pleased that it's here today. All of us that follow politics, this is a red letter day for us. We're going to have a lot of participation tonight. This is one of the great thing about the caucuses, on both the Republican and Democrat side. I won't predict the Democrat outcome, their voters will take care of that.
Nor will I predict the Republican outcome, but I can tell you the difference between the two parties. It comes down to less government, lower taxes, less government, individual responsibility and a strong national defense on the Republican side. And do we trust the Democrat? Do they have enough experience and is there hypocrisy built in on the Democrat side? So I think that's a pretty stark contrast between the two fields, Heidi.
COLLINS: Well but, let's talk for a minute about just the Republicans and the candidates on the Republican side. What is that issue, if there is just one issue, that really does separate them?
DUNCAN: Well, I don't think there's one issue that separates all the Republicans. Look, when I compare the Republican candidates, I hear them all talking about the things that the American people are interested in, lower taxes. The fact that the Democrat candidates have come out for billions and billions of dollars in new taxes. Hillary Clinton alone has proposed over $777 billion in new taxes. The Democrats want bigger government. They all have health care plans that mandate people spending their own money on government in a way that we'd have a national department of wellness.
Plus, they don't fund the troops. They don't prepare enough for our national security. So I think the issues are on the Democrat side. The Republicans are all talking about the fact that we need lower taxes to keep our economy strong. The fact that we need good judges, judges who don't legislate from the bench. The fact that we need a strong national defense and that we have to support that strong national defense through proper funding.
COLLINS: How important do you think -- because we always hear a lot of talk about this it seems like every Iowa caucus, quite frankly, the conservative religious vote. How important is that vote tonight?
DUNCAN: All the components of the Republican party are important to us, and you're going to see tonight that they will express their views, and we want all the different parts of the Republican party to show up. And we think they will tonight.
COLLINS: What if there's a dead heat? Have you guys thought about that? What if there's a dead heat between Huckabee and Romney? What will that mean as you move forward into New Hampshire?
DUNCAN: This is very exciting, Heidi. I have been involved in this since 1972, I have been involved in the campaigns and presidential elections for a long period of time. And, we have seen elections like this before. In 1980, a lot of people were saying the Republicans are split. You have someone on the religious right who is running. You have an economic conservative who is running and you have a mainstream Republican who is running. We all came together after that. I don't buy into this idea that one segment of the party is going to outweigh another segment of the party.
In the end, we look at the difference between our nominee and the Democrat nominee, and I can tell you that if Hillary Clinton is the Democrat nominee, we're going to be talking about her tax and spend policies, her liberal policies. The fact that the American people can't trust her because she says one thing and then she acts another way. If Obama is the nominee, we're going to talk about experience. We're going to talk about his record in the legislature. And if Edwards is the nominee, we're going to look at the two Americas that John Edwards is trying to create and the hypocrisy that he's creating there.
COLLINS: First up, though, is getting the people to come to these Iowa caucuses and really sort of trying to analyze what all of those results will mean. How much do the Iowa results actually influence the turnout?
DUNCAN: The Iowa -- Iowa is an important part in this whole process, just as New Hampshire and just as all the states are. Iowa happens to be first. Iowa does -- in the outcome, the number of delegates actually on the Republican side, we're not selecting delegates tonight. So this is just an expression of how people view the candidates at this moment in time.
COLLINS: So how important is it really, maybe to people who are not quite so familiar with the process? Again, it seems like we sort of ask the same questions every time Iowa caucus rolls around. It's very interesting to watch and fun to talk about. What does it really mean when we're talking about getting closer to that general election?
DUNCAN: Well, it means that a candidate has to go out and meet with people, which is always good. The retail politics, they have to show up at the town hall meetings. They have to be available. They have to make the speeches. They have to get to know people. They have to put together an organization, this is a good test of organization.
Part of organization is raising money. People have to raise and spend money wisely. Part of it is getting people to do turnout. And that's what the caucuses are about tonight. It's seeing who is going to really be there to turn their people out to vote in the caucuses.
COLLINS: Mike Duncan, chairman of the Republican National Committee, we appreciate your time here. Thanks so much.
DUNCAN: Heidi, thank you.
COLLINS: The Iowa caucuses, live coverage all day right here on CNN. And for the freshest polls, the latest fights, the political ticker blog, and more, check out cnnpolitics.com. We'll have it all for you.
Iowa could, in fact, determine who goes forward and who goes home. Our political insiders on what's at stake for the candidates at the caucuses.
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COLLINS: Want to get back to that breaking news out of Turkey this morning. A car bomb has exploded in the southeastern city of Diyarbakir. Our sister network, CNN Turk, is reporting the bomb detonated as a military vehicle went by. At least 20 people are said to be injured and troops are reportedly among those casualties. There are also reports Turkish police are now searching for two suspected Kurdish militants. We are going to continue to follow this story as it develops.
Oil prices hit $100 per barrel for the first time yesterday, and we may have to get used to sky high prices like that. Susan Lisovicz is on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange now with the very latest.
Not the news we wanted to hear, Susan.
SUSAN LISOVICZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: No, it's not the news that we wanted to hear, and I'm back in the booth because we had some technical problems. The better for me to hear you, Heidi. Yes, we did get this inventory report, I heard Ali talking to you about it. We did expect a decline in crude stockpiles and that is exactly what we got. In fact, double the deficit that we were expecting. We were expecting a decline of two million barrels for the week, and we got four million.
And there is that very difficult to read screen, Heidi. Let me go over it with you. The LS stands for light sweet crude and $99.50 is where crude is trading at. That is the February contract that's being traded, and then below it shows the highs and lows of the session today. So, I know a lot of folks have stared at that screen in bewilderment, but oil prices, obviously, are driven by supply and demand. And that's why these inventory reports have taken on added credence along with all of the other things going on the world.
Anything from tensions in Nigeria, a major oil-producer, as well as a blast of arctic weather, which is blanketing much of the United States. That's been really driving oil prices. Happy to report that oil did not hit $100 a barrel today. It did that yesterday. It had a big rise yesterday of more than $3.60 on the day. That's big, even for oil. So we haven't seen that happen today, despite the fact that crude stockpiles came in worse than expected -- Heidi.
COLLINS: Boy, ten years ago, if you look back, wasn't oil like 10 bucks a barrel?
LISOVICZ: I don't remember those days, Heidi, but it is true. And, you know, in fact only about a year ago, oil was at about $51 a barrel. So, again, we have seen this huge jump and part of the reason is simply our own lifestyle. We are huge consumers in the U.S. About 25 percent of the energy consumed in the world, is consumed right here in the United States. What's been compounding that is that we've had these other enormous countries like India and China that also have ravenous appetites for oil, and that's also been driving up oil -- Heidi? COLLINS: No question about that. All right. We will continue to watch that number as well as all the other numbers, New York Stock Exchange and so forth, and check back in with you a little later on.
Susan Lisovicz, thanks, Susan.
LISOVICZ: You're welcome.
COLLINS: Benazir Bhutto's final moments from yet another angle. Amateur video just seconds before the gunshots. That story ahead.
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COLLINS: A new videotape out today. It shows former Pakistani Prime Minister, Benazir Bhutto, seconds before her assassination. The amateur tape shows Bhutto standing through the sunroof of her vehicle after the rally, and then a bright yellow flash. It is believed a gunman fired at Bhutto and then detonated a suicide bomb. Just a short time ago now, Pakistan's president denied accusations the military or intelligence agencies were involved in the assassination. He also denies a security lapse. Pakistan has invited British experts to help investigate.
We are gathering details on breaking news this hour. A thunderous explosion in southeast Turkey. Who is the target?
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COLLINS: You're with CNN. You're informed. Hi there, everybody. I'm Heidi Collins. Developments keep coming in the CNN NEWSROOM on Thursday, the 3rd of January. Here is what's on the run down.
Breaking news, a massive car bomb explodes. Kurdish militants apparently targeting Turkish troops.
The first votes of the 2008 presidential election. Iowans caucus tonight. The nuts and bolts of how it all works.
Plus, get ready to pay at the pump.
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