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Iowa Caucus Winners Surge into New Hampshire Today; Celebrity Custody Dispute Boils Over

Aired January 04, 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: Good morning, everybody. I'm Heidi Collins. Stay informed all day right here in the CNN NEWSROOM.
Here's what's on the rundown. The Iowa caucus winners surge into New Hampshire today. Can the Obama and Huckabee campaigns capitalize on midwestern momentum?

Three storms in three days. The Pacific Coast about to get hammered by wind, rain, snow, and maybe even mudslides.

A celebrity custody dispute boils over. Britney Spears hospitalized for mental tests. Today, Friday, January 4th, you are in the CNN NEWSROOM.

Iowa in the rear-view mirror. New Hampshire, in the crosshairs. The road to the White House winds through New England today. Before the sun came up, candidates' planes began touching down. New Hampshire holds its primary on Tuesday. Here's a look now at the new front-runners. Barack Obama finished first among the democrats in Iowa. He finished well ahead of John Edwards. Hillary Clinton was a close third. In the republican race, Mike Huckabee won big over the big budget campaign of Mitt Romney. Fred Thompson, John McCain tied for a distant third. Iowa can be a springboard or it can be a graveyard. Democrat Christopher Dodd calling it quits as is fellow Senator Joe Biden. Both campaigns pulled the plug after dismal showings in Iowa.

For the other candidates though, next stop, New Hampshire. The clock counts down to Tuesday's primary. The leading candidates are already there, in fact, and so is our Dana Bash. She's in Manchester covering the republicans. Good morning to you, Dana.

DANA BASH, CNN, CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Heidi. Well, you know, we're covering the republicans, but we actually have been with Mike Huckabee. Mike Huckabee is doing what probably a lot of people should be doing right now, and he is sleeping. But we actually caught up with him after he did a slew of morning television interviews this morning, and he went and got a little breakfast at a hotel nearby here before he went to get a couple of hours of sleep. You know, this is something that is going to be really fascinating to watch. We flew in last night, actually probably this morning, Heidi, with Mike Huckabee from Iowa to New Hampshire.

As you can imagine, he was absolutely floating. He was elated about the fact that he won Iowa. This is obviously a surprise for the entire political establishment. Look at that photo there. This is something that's really interesting that he told us. That is the moment - those are the moments that Mike Huckabee and his wife found out that he actually won the Iowa caucuses. They were not there. They were not - they weren't around to see CNN and other news organizations calling him the winner. They were on a plane. They were at a caucus in Waterloo, Iowa. They were making their way back to Des Moines.

These are photos provided to us by Mike Huckabee's press secretary taken as they were landing and they were looking at their blackberries and Mike Huckabee told us they were lighting up saying congratulations, and he said wow I was the last person in America and the world to know that I actually won the Iowa caucuses. So, it was an interesting moment there. You see something that sort of a private moment that we got.

But obviously the question now, Heidi, is what next? He doesn't have a lot of time to savor that victory because now the question is can he harness that. And this is the next stop for him, New Hampshire, obviously. He is here and he's going to be spending the next five days here. The question is whether or not the message that really sold in Iowa, the message, a socially conservative message that really appealed to evangelicals that propelled his victory, whether that can sell here. It's unclear if that's the case, but what he is doing already in these interviews this morning is pushing more of his economic message, more of his populist message, which is a big part of his platform. Listen to what he said this morning.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MIKE HUCKABEE (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Well, I think I continue to connect with the same message. I talk about changing our tax system. 80% of Americans hate the current tax system. So why don't we change it? Why do we always let Washington just tinker with it instead of really doing something to empower people to keep more of the income they have worked so hard to have? Why is it we are never been energy independent? That connects with voters.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BASH: That connects with voters. You know, certainly he is hoping that really does sell here. Much like Pat Buchanan's message of populism sold, Heidi, back in 1996. That was a long time ago so it's unclear how the electorate has changed. One dicey thing for Mike Huckabee, you know, he supports abolishing the IRS and instead putting in a consumption tax. That would be about a 23% tax on everything people buy. Here in New Hampshire you talk about the idea of any tax, and they basically shudder. So that is not something that necessarily will work for him here. We'll see.

COLLINS: We know he probably saw that video we saw of breakfast. We know what probably did work for him was the wheaties this morning likely. We got to wonder too, Dana, what is Huckabee's chief rival, Mitt Romney, now, going to be up to today?

BASH: Well, obviously he is stinging from what happened last night in Iowa. He is a man, as we have talked about many times, who spent a lot of time, a lot of resources in the state of Iowa, and he was the front-runner there for months and months and months, and he not only lost, but he lost pretty big, by nine points. So what is he doing today? He's already coming to the state of New Hampshire, another state that is really a must win for him, and he's on a dime really changed the theme of his message. What we're told by his advisers that he learned immediately from the results last night is that voters want change. Change, change, change, change. You are going to hear that over and over again from everybody, and especially Mitt Romney now. Listen to what he said when he arrived last night.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MITT ROMNEY (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: On our side, the top two contenders here, the top two finishers, both people from outside Washington. You're going to see change in Washington because America recognizes that we're not going to change the nation and have a bright future if we just send the same old people back to Washington in just different chairs. That's not going to work. We need new faces in Washington, and I intend to be one of them.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BASH: Now, in case you didn't get it, the person he was talking about there is his chief rival here in the state of New Hampshire, and that is John McCain. John McCain has much like Mike Huckabee in Iowa, sort of come from nowhere, come from behind to be doing very well here, and many polls he's actually beating Mitt Romney. Obviously John McCain is a senator from Arizona. He has been in Washington for a long time. So the lesson that Mitt Romney is trying to take from Iowa, this sort of idea that voters want change, he's trying to turn that against John McCain, a senator who has been in Washington for a very long time. Mitt Romney obviously a former governor from the neighboring state of Massachusetts. He's trying to make it clear that he will be an agent of change, and he's a republican governor who worked in a democratic state, and he can end gridlock. So, it's really amazing how you see somebody take a lesson from a loss in really kind of a nanosecond and that's what we've seen from Mitt Romney.

COLLINS: All right. Well, we know you'll be watching closely for us there in Manchester, New Hampshire. Certainly coming up on Tuesday, Dana Bash, thanks for that.

BASH: Thank you.

COLLINS: Now, to the democrats this morning. CNN's Dan Lothian is also in Manchester, and Dan, we have already seen on stage this morning Barack Obama, John Edwards, and Hillary Clinton speaking with their supporters there.

DAN LOTHIAN, CNN, CORRESPONDENT: That's right. They all started very early, just a few minutes ago we saw Hillary Clinton holding a rally, rallying her supporters and pointing out the fact that yes indeed, it is a short period of time between now and the primary next Tuesday, but that it's enough time for her to get the work done that she needs to get done. She will be campaigning along with the former president, her husband, Bill Clinton.

He remains a very popular figure here in the state of New Hampshire. As for Obama, he will try to capitalize on that momentum coming in here after that big win in Iowa and trying to reach the independent voters here who there are a large number of independent voters here. That is something that would be able to move him up to really challenge Hillary Clinton who has been leading in the polls here in New Hampshire, but her lead has been shrinking over the past few weeks. You also mention John Edwards, after he touched down, he wasted no time after touching down here in New Hampshire this morning. He held a rally, beaming from his second place finish in Iowa, and telling his supporters that he is the candidate of change.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOHN EDWARDS (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I ask you to join us. We are sea biscuit. I ask you to join us in this cause. I ask you to join us in this movement. I am not the candidate of money. I am not the candidate of glitz. I am not the candidate of glamour, nor do I claim to be, but what I am, I am the candidate for president of the United States that is the people's candidate.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LOTHIAN: Of course, Hillary Clinton, one of the things that she will have to do in order to make up ground is continue to focus on this whole issue of experience. While everyone is talking about change, change, change, Dana was talking about that on the republican side. On the democratic side, you're hearing change. That is what propelled Obama in Iowa, but she will be talking about experience, that she has the experience. She is the one who can really lead this country, not Obama, not Edwards.

COLLINS: All right. CNN's Dan Lothian covering things for us in Manchester, New Hampshire. Dan, thank you.

I want to take a moment now to get to Jessica Yellin. She's been at Portsmouth, New Hampshire at the Barack Obama event that just wrapped up a couple of minutes ago. Good morning to you, Jessica.

JESSICA YELLIN, CNN, CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Heidi. Clearly, Barack Obama and his campaign are feeling good this morning. At this event he told a packed audience, I believe that if you give me the chance in four days that Iowa gave me last night, that I will become president of the United States. Now, his campaign aides say part of that is some hyperbole in an effort to stir up enthusiasm, and get folks out to vote but also a real sense of optimism and confidence here because so much of the hurdle for Barack Obama was proving to the voters that like him that he's actually electable. So many people say they wish that they could support him, but they're not sure he could beat a candidate of the republican in November of 2008. A lot of the members of the campaign staff feel last night went a long way to convincing voters that he is in fact viable and very electable.

Let's take a listen to what he has to say to this crowd this morning.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: At this defining moment you can come together as democrats and republicans and independents and stand up and say that we are one nation, we are one people, and that our time for change has come. You can do that in four days.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

YELLIN: Now, as we reported, so much of Obama's victory came from a coalition of support from not just democrats but also independents and some republicans, and he's really looking to woo those independents here in New Hampshire as well. A good chunk of the voting block here are these undecided independents who can go either way. And I'll tell you, you know, before this event started, Heidi, I did sort of a casual sampling of the room. I walked around and talked to folks who were waiting, some for hours. Of the ten people I talked to, all ten were independents. They said they're attracted to his message of change. They said he feels - some words they used, he feels authentic. Someone said I feel we've been stuck in a perpetual downhill motion and I believe he'll change that. So, a lot of optimism here, but also an awareness that the Hillary Clinton campaign, as his chief aide said, is very formidable, very strong, and there's certainly a struggle and battle ahead, Heidi.

COLLINS: All right. CNN's Jessica Yellin for us there in New Hampshire. Jessica, thank you for that. And if you would like to see more of the Iowa results for yourself, you can go to cnnpolitics.com. It is your one-stop shop for the New Hampshire primary as well.

A powerful winter storm hammering the west coast with heavy rain, blistering winds, and paralyzing snowfall. We want to go live now to Truckee, California, in the Sierra Nevada Mountains where CNN meteorologist Reynolds Wolf is getting ready for this possible record- breaking snowfall, Reynolds?

REYNOLDS WOLF, CNN, METEOROLOGIST: That's right. Some places before this is all done, you could see 1 to 3 feet of snowfall here in Truckee, but in the higher elevations, there's a chance you can see 6 to 8, maybe even more than that on some of the highest peaks. But that's only part of the story, Heidi. What we're going to be seeing with this a full-fledged blizzard. A combination of not just precipitation, but some incredible winds.

In fact in Truckee, throughout the Tahoe basin they could see winds anywhere from 35 to even 40 miles an hour with some gusts approaching 60. But in the highest elevations, anywhere from say 80 to 100 miles an hour with some gusts up to 145 miles now. It's going to be the storm system coming in from the Pacific. You got the jet stream that's going to be playing a big part. A lot of components coming together to bring a treacherous weather situation to the High Sierra. Take a look at this video that we have from yesterday in Truckee which shows people making their way around town, and you see the snow falling. We had a lot of wind yesterday, no question about that. And we also had quite a bit of snowfall in the (inaudible) that people are clearing off because they know more snow is on the way. What we're going to be seeing with that snowfall is not just the wind, but we're going to see it really intensify.

A lot of what we have right now as you can see, Heidi, is mainly just rain drops. We have had a few occasional snowflakes here and there. But it's going to be later this afternoon the snow will really begin in earnest. Overnight into tomorrow morning is where it's going to be really, really important to keep an eye on this situation. CalTrans has been advising people that if you don't have to get out and about and take any of the mountain passes, even drive on i-80, by all means, don't do so. With the snow coming down at a rate of anywhere from 2 to 6 inches of snowfall an hour, it doesn't matter how many plows they have on the road. That's a lot of snow to deal with and that's going to cause some major issues. Reporting from Truckee, let's send it back to you. Back to you, Heidi.

COLLINS: All right. Reynolds, we'll check in a little bit later to see what those snowfall looks like. Thanks so much, Reynolds.

What can the west coast expect exactly? Well, meteorologist Jacqui Jeras is tracking all of it with some of those computer models over at the severe weather center. How do things look, Jacqui?

JACQUI JERAS, CNN, METEOROLOGIST: Really ugly, actually, Heidi. In fact, this will likely be the worst storm that they have seen in three years, if you beating that one if you remember January 2005. So, this one is really packing a punch and it's actually a series of storms. First one hit us yesterday. This is the second one and strongest storm, and the third one then comes in tomorrow night and into Sunday morning.

Right now, the biggest problem we're dealing with is the heavy rain across northern and central parts of California, and that snow that Reynolds was talking about there is really above 7,000 feet. You can see it trying to do that changeover here. We've been seeing some of that around Lake Tahoe. Here is Truckee where Reynolds is. It just rained there. The snow levels are going to be dropping down behind that cold front. So, we got to wait for temperatures to drop, for the snow levels to drop. And we can see as much as 1 to 3 feet of snow even at lake level there. 3 to 5 feet expected into the higher elevations, and that's just today, and when you combine the next storm coming on in, we could see total accumulations on the range of 8 to 10 feet at the highest levels, and there you can see our forecast snowfall even up into the (inaudible) and also into the coastal range where they're going to be seeing some of that heavy snowfall.

This is an extreme weather even event. Not only are we going to see heavy snow but incredible amounts of rainfall over the burn areas in southern California. High surf. We could see waves offshore up to 18 feet. So, some coastal flooding is also going to be a concern. Basically, plan on staying home this weekend and wait this one out because this is one of the worst storms we've seen in a very, very long time. If you do attempt to travel into the mountains, it's very likely you're going to get stuck, and it's very likely you're not have any help for a very long time. Heidi. COLLINS: Well, we certainly don't want that. So appreciate the warning very much. Jacqui Jeras, we will check in later with you as well.

More drama now for Britney Spears. The pop singer is in a hospital this morning. She was wheeled out of her home on a stretcher last night. Police say they were called to her home to mediate a custody dispute involving her two young boys. Spears was taken to Cedar Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. Police say she will undergo testing to see if he was under the influence of alcohol or drugs as well as a psychological evaluation. The children were returned to their father, Kevin Federline. He has primary legal custody of the two boys.

Desperate hunt, a hiker missing in the mountains. A strange man seen with her. Where is Meredith Emerson?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COLLINS: Hiker Meredith Emerson vanishes in the Georgia mountains on New Year's day. The nights are cold. The search now desperate. Moments ago the sheriff's office held a news conference. Our Rusty Dornin is following the search in Blairsville, Georgia for us this morning. Rusty, did we learn anything new in the news conference?

RUSTY DORNIN, CNN, CORRESPONDENT: No, we still do not know the fate of Meredith Emerson. We're here at the command center at Boville (ph) State Park. You can see a few of Meredith Emerson's friends here. The woman in the white jacket is her roommate. She's the one who actually found the note on the blackboard saying I went hiking with my dog. She helped figure out exactly where Emerson had gone hiking and that's of course how they ended up finding the car. Now, police are searching for this person of interest, Gary Michael Hilton. He is 61 years old. He was seen by several witnesses on the trail apparently talking to Emerson. Their dogs playing that day. Now, they are not saying he is a suspect, and at this point they say they are not suspecting foul play was involved. But her godmother, Emerson's godmother, Peggy Bailey, was at the news conference, and she pleaded with Hilton to come forward.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PEGGY BAILEY, FAMILY SPOKESPERSON: I hope that if he realized this would be helpful that his heart would be softened and turned to come in with information for Meredith, for those of us that love her. We need him to come forward. We need him so much to do that, to give us that missing link of information that we need. He could be so helpful in that. He could - that would be so helpful for Dave and Susan. So, please, please, if you could, and I speak to him and to anyone who could contact him, if you've been hesitant, please don't be hesitant. If you've been worried that you didn't want to share some information, please set that aside and have the courage to come forward. We need you.

(END VIDEO CLIP) DORNIN: Apparently authorities have not yet been able to locate Mr. Hilton. Now, the temperature has got down to about 9 degrees last night. Just to give you an idea what the terrain around here looks like, very heavily wooded, mountainous terrain. You don't see any snow over there because it is on a sort of southwest-facing slope. But there is a lot of snow still in this area. Search teams are going out, the helicopter is going up with infrared equipment. There's going to be more dog teams going out. They just stress it's still a search and rescue. They are still hoping that perhaps maybe she is lost somewhere on this mountain and her dog is staying with her trying to keep her warm. Heidi.

COLLINS: Oh, boy, I hope that's the case. All right. CNN's Rusty Dornin. Rusty, let us know if you learn anything new out there. Thank you.

Your money, her expertise. CNN's Gerri Willis will answer your questions about money matters. She's going to join us in the NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COLLINS: Want to get back to the big board, sort of. Look at that. Boy, Dow Jones industrial averages are down about 159 points right now. That number resting at 12,897. Of course, the big story today, oil, the price of a barrel of oil hovering around $100. We've been talking about that for about three days. Nasdaq, I'm told, also down about 50 points. We'll be talking with Susan Lisovicz about all of these things coming up in just a few moments.

Bankruptcy, debt, and college loans. The issues you're asking about this week. CNN personal finance editor Gerri Willis is here to answer some of your e-mails. Happy Friday to you, Gerri.

GERRI WILLIS, CNN, PERSONAL FINANCE EDITOR: Happy Friday, Heidi. I guess I'll read this first question for you. It's from Tom and he says, I have a $16,000 loan for a failed business. The interest is 10%, and there's a lien on my car for not making full payments. What are the options? The payments and the interest are killing me.

Well, I got to tell you, Heidi, that sounds like some pretty heavy debt. Now, if you were in a situation where you can't make payments, the best thing you can do is call your creditors and try to negotiate. Figure out a workable plan, something that works for your creditor but also something that you can live with. Be honest about your situation. Remember, the best time to deal with creditors is before you miss that first payment. It's best to call in the morning, be polite, and get everything in writing. You may also want to investigate debt counseling firms like the National Foundation for Credit Counseling. Their web site is nfcc.org, Heidi.

COLLINS: You always have to be nice. That's sometimes the hard part. So frustrated. Hey, there's another one here from John in Maryland. He says this, does requesting a credit limit increase hurt or help your credit? WILLIS: Now, here is some surprising news, John. You know, it's possible you can boost your score by increasing your credit limit, but the increase has to be significant, not a couple of hundred of dollars. Much more. Now, having a higher credit limit could tempt you to spend more money. Now, if you do that, you don't really help yourself. And your score could hurt for a while since just pulling your credit means your score goes down just a little bit but it is a way to boost your score temporarily.

COLLINS: Yes, all right. That is interesting. Want to get to Jax's now. Wants to know, I wanted to know if it's possible to file bankruptcy on student loans and whether it's a good idea or not.

WILLIS: Well, Jax, not only is it unlikely you can get your student loan discharged through bankruptcy, it's just not a smart move since your student loan probably has the lowest interest rate on any debt you carry. OK, let's get the details first. The bankruptcy court has to find that repayment of your student loans would cause you undue hardship for you or your family. You will have to show that you wouldn't be able to maintain a minimal standard of living. You also have to have been in repayment for at least five years, but there is an option. You can investigate economic hardship deferments or income contingent repayment plans. That could give you the payment flexibility you need to get back on solid financial ground again. For more information go to finaid.org.

And I have to say some of you our there have been asking about how to get rid of those credit card offers, other junk mails. Now, if you miss the, here are the web sites to go to. Optoutprescreen.com or you can call 1-888-5-optout. Now, if you have other questions about your money, your wallet, send them to us at toptips@cnn.com. We love to hear from you.

COLLINS: All right. CNN's personal finance editor Gerri Willis. So very nice to see you. Have a super weekend.

WILLIS: You too, Heidi.

COLLINS: Good morning once again, everybody. 10:30 Eastern time now. We want to talk about what happened last night in Iowa. Mike Huckabee hoping his Iowa win is just the beginning before hitting the campaign trail in New Hampshire. He celebrated with his supporters in Iowa. In case you missed it, here is a part of what he had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MIKE HUCKABEE (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Tonight it's a celebration for everybody on our team, so many of you who have traveled from all across America to be here. I'm amazed, but I'm encouraged because tonight what we have seen is a new day in American politics. A new day is needed in American politics, just like a new day is needed in American government, and tonight it starts here in Iowa, but it doesn't end here. It goes all the way through the other states and ends at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue one year from now. I think we've learned three very important things through this victory tonight. The first thing we've learned is that people really are more important than the purse, and what a great lesson for America to learn. Most of the pundits believe that when you're outspent at least 15 to 1, it's simply impossible to overcome that mountain of money, and somehow garner the level of support that's necessary to win an election.

Well, tonight we proved that American politics still is in the hands of ordinary folks like you and across this country, who believe that it wasn't about who raised the most money, but who raised the greatest hopes, dreams, and aspirations for our children and their future, and tonight I hope we will forever change the way Americans look at their political system and how we elect president and elected officials.

Tonight the people of Iowa made a choice, and their choice was clear. Their choice was for a change, but that choice for a change doesn't end just saying let's change things. Change can be for the better.

It can be for the worse. Americans are looking for a change, but what they want is a change that starts with a challenge to those of us who were given this sacred trust of office so that we recognize that what our challenge is is to bring this country back together, to make Americans once again more proud to be Americans than just to be Democrats or Republicans.

To be more concerned about being -- going up instead of just going to the left or to the right, and while we have deep convictions that we'll stand by and not waver on or compromise, those convictions are what brought us to this room tonight.

But we carry those convictions not so that we can somehow push back the others, but so we can bring along the others and bring this country to its greatest days ever because I'm still one who believes that the greatest generation doesn't have to be the ones behind us. The greatest generation can be those who have yet to even be born, and that's what we're going to see.

And, ladies and gentlemen, we have learned something else tonight, and that is that this election is not about me, it's about we. And I don't say that lightly. I'm the person whose name gets on the signs, who occasionally gets the attention in some of the few ads that came out here and there, but the election is not about me, and the country is not just about me.

What is happening tonight in Iowa is going to start really a prairie fire of new hope and zeal, and it's already happening across this nation because it is about we; we, the people. We saw it tonight.

We've seen it in other states, and we're going to continue to see it because this country yearns and is hungry for leadership that recognizes when one is elected to public office, one is not elected to be part of the ruling class. He's elected to be part of a serving class because we the people are the ruling class in America.

(END VIDEOTAPE) COLLINS: The story behind the Iowa numbers, we'll take a look at how the winners did it.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COLLINS: A closer look now at what drove the vote in Iowa and what it means for New Hampshire and beyond. Senior political analyst Bill Schneider talked about the top issues and the challenges facing the winner. Here's his take from earlier on CNN's AMERICAN MORNING.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KIRAN CHETRY, ANCHOR AMERICAN MORNING: Some of the things that brought the Iowa voters out and made the Iowa voters choose who they chose are not going to be the same that carry over into New Hampshire.

BILL SCHNEIDER, SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: No, they're not. The top issues in Iowa were -- in the case of the Democrats the war in Iraq and economy were tied. A few months ago, everyone said it's all going to be about Iraq, it's the driving issue for Democrats.

But we see here is the economy was the tie with Iraq as the issue that was on their minds. And Barack Obama beat Hillary Clinton on all three issues, including health care, which is supposed to be Hillary Clinton's signature issue.

CHETRY: Right. And then the other interesting thing is as you look at the Republicans and why Huckabee came out on top, illegal immigration -- the top issue, but it seemed as though that was not a huge issue that Huckabee spoke about.

SCHNEIDER: He didn't, and he had to defend his record on it. It was the issue on the minds of Iowa voters, and the fact is he won the voters who were concerned about illegal immigration and about the economy, which was Romney's signature issue.

What's interesting about Republicans is terrorism, the war in Iraq, those two big foreign policy issues lower in the scheme of concerns of Iowa Republicans. Those are the issues John McCain is running on in New Hampshire and we'll see how he does.

CHETRY: Those might have been the top issues, but when you look at who came out in vote, you saw a big jump in evangelical voters. Typically you see about a 40 percent for the turn out in Iowa among GOP, and it was up to 60 percent.

SCHNEIDER: It was a heavily evangelical vote. They drove the Huckabee vote. Take a look at how they voted actually. Huckabee, 46 percent. Thompson, just 11. He beat Romney as you see at the bottom there, 19 percent. He beat Mitt Romney better than 2 to 1 among those evangelical voters.

Now, the non-evangelical voters were a minority, but they're going to be more and more important, particularly New Hampshire where there aren't many evangelical voters. You know how Mike Huckabee did among nonevangelical voters? 14 percent. He's going to have to broaden his base beyond the evangelicals if he's going to win New Hampshire and other states.

CHETRY: You mentioned a couple interesting things about New Hampshire. Like Iowa it's also the majority white -- 96 percent, I believe in New Hampshire, and Barack Obama winning Iowa. What type of message does that send to others like African-American voters in South Carolina?

SCHNEIDER: African-American voters in South Carolina have been inclined to vote for Hillary Clinton. Clinton is a magic name with black voters. But here is Barack Obama, he won Iowa 93 percent white. He could win New Hampshire, which is 96 percent white.

Then we comes to South Carolina. Are African-American voters, are they going to block him, the man who could become the first black president of the United States? I don't think so. So, he could be in position now to win three important states in a row.

CHETRY: Boy, the momentum from that would be priceless.

SCHNEIDER: It would be very dramatic.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COLLINS: And John Edwards, a second place finisher in Iowa. He was on the campaign trail bright and early this morning in New Hampshire. He urged the crowd to pick a candidate who can take on the corporate power structure.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOHN EDWARDS (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I got a suggestion. How about a guy who ran against two celebrity candidates, who's raised between them over $200 million? But with a message of change and a message of fighting corporate greed and corporate power on behalf of the American people showed last night that message and what you stand for matters more than money, and then here in New Hampshire, we're not going to have -- here in New Hampshire, we're not going to -- in New Hampshire, we are not going to have an auction. We're going to have an election in four days.

You know, the one thing I've learned from all the time I've spent in New Hampshire is the people here are a little independent minded, a little ornery, and they don't like to be told what to do. And they are not going to be told, either by money or the national media, what they're supposed to do. Instead, they're going to look for somebody who speaks from here, who truly believes in this cause, who will stand up and fight for the middle class, who will fight against money, entrenched interests in Washington, D.C.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COLLINS: Want to get back to that severe weather situation now. The west coast isn't just gearing up for snow, but also a lot of rain and possibly mudslides. Meteorologist Jacqui Jeras is tracking it all in the severe weather center.

Boy, this is a potentially dangerous situation there.

(WEATHER REPORT)

COLLINS: A judge frees a man after 27 years and tells him, call your family.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: When I gave the cell phone to Mr. Chapman, he didn't know what it was. He didn't know what to do with it.

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COLLINS: Wow, catching up after he's been cleared.

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COLLINS: Will oil hit triple digits for a third day? We are watching this morning. Oil futures briefly hit $100 a barrel the past two days before retreating just ever so slightly. Crude oil soared almost 60 percent in 2007 and prices at the gas pump haven't risen quite as fast, but they are beginning to catch up. So, get ready to empty your wallet next time you fill up your tank.

December jobs report has come in far weaker than expected, and stocks are beginning to sell off. Susan Lisovicz is on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange this morning with more details on this report, and what it means for the market.

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Meanwhile, we want to get to this story that we're learning more about here in the CNN newsroom. Some new video to show you as well. There have been two Gwinnett County police officers shot in a standoff that happened as they tried to serve an arrest warrant last night to a suspect inside a home who then barricaded himself inside the home.

SWAT team came, quite a big deal. As a result of that, classes are now canceled at a very nearby Riverside Elementary School. They are saying at least on the recorded message that people are hearing that there's a safety concern in the neighborhood.

Gwinnett County now one of the largest counties in the state. So due to this standoff and the fact that two Gwinnett County police officers have been shot, that is the situation. We do know the officers were taken to a nearby medical center, are believed to be in stable condition. But of course, we want to watch this story for you very closely. And as soon as we learn any more, we will bring you an update.

Meanwhile, demanding a new vote. Surrounded by destruction and violence, no end in sight. To Kenya's political crisis.

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COLLINS: Hoping to pull Kenya back from the brink. A top U.S. diplomat due to arrive today in Nairobi. Opposition leaders, meanwhile, are demanding a new presidential election. CNN's Paula Newton reports on the crisis.

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PAULA NEWTON, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Just a week ago, they put their faith in the ballot box. But now, in the distance, they took to the streets. Armed with white scarfs and branches, opposition protesters gave voice to a political deadlock that has this country by the throat. By the hundreds, by the thousands, they tried to piece together a million man march.

UNIDENTIFIED GROUP: We want piece. We want peace.

NEWTON: Chanting everywhere the word, peace. But the government says the opposition doesn't want peace, they want power. And so it took them on.

(on-camera): What orders have you been given? What are you going to do?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Block them.

NEWTON: Just block them?

(voice-over): At every turn, armed troops and police confronted the crowds, choking them off with tear gas.

(on-camera): These are the kind of flare-ups that have been happening all day. Government troops have been given orders to show as much restraint as they can, but they have been told to disperse the crowds.

(voice-over): Protesters had no choice. They got out of the way. As live rounds filled the air and water canons pursued them. There were theatrical displays.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Why? Why? Why?

NEWTON: And defiance towards the president.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Kibaki is going to kill us. We are not going to let him win.

NEWTON: But in the end, the government got its way. The rally never happened. Protesters were chased back to their homes in slums and bluntly warned by the president.

MWAI KIBAKI, PRESIDENT OF KENYA: Those who continue to violate the law will face its full force. I urge the public to remain calm.

NEWTON: Archbishop Desmond Tutu came from South Africa to talk with both sides. But even with a Nobel Peace Prize winner offering to mediate, there seems no obvious way out.

The government continues to reject the demands of protesters of a power sharing government and then a recount. Moves that are now backed by the country's own attorney general. Still, the government says no way.

ALFRED MUTUA, KENYAN GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN: You do not share power with losers.

NEWTON: And they're not about to surrender to any international mediation.

(on-camera): You're telling the international community to butt out.

MUTUA: Yes, we are telling the international community that this is not the time to come and interfere.

NEWTON (voice-over): But how can it not? This graphic video shows gang violence motivated by tribal warfare, the kind this election has reignited. This man is brutally murdered. Another casualty of a place that more and more, inches towards anarchy.

Paula Newton, CNN, Nairobi.

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COLLINS: We, of course, will stay on top of that situation in Kenya.

Meanwhile, on the road to recovery now after falling 47 stories. Doctors declaring the case a medical miracle.

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