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Bringing the presidential candidates unfiltered, up close and in their own words. Obama making his feelings known about the comments of Hillary Clinton on civil rights leader, Martin Luther King Jr. Hillary tried to recover from her ill-advised comment. Speech by Republican Fred Thompson.

Aired January 13, 2008 - 17:00   ET

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

MARY SNOW, CNN CORRESPONDENT: So, it's really at the forefront of campaign appearances here. The two leading contenders here in Michigan, Republican former Massachusetts governor, Mitt Romney and Senator John McCain are really making their case to voters and try to tell voters what they'll do to help the economy here. We're going to go to a taped excerpt from Senator John McCain earlier today. He spoke to a crowd in Howell, Michigan and here's Senator John McCain in his own words.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. JOHN MCCAIN, (R) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: We had a great election in New Hampshire the other night as I'm sure you noticed. And it was a great event and we're very proud and very happy and -- some started saying the comeback kid. Well, you know, associating me with kid is a bit of a stretch. But we sure showed them what a comeback looks like. And I'm very proud of our victory there. And I have to just tell you about my famous and beloved friend who ran for president years ago, he's name is Morris Udall. He's famous joke he said: He walked into a barbershop in Manchester, New Hampshire and said, hi, I'm Morris Udall from Arizona and I'm running for president of the United States. And the barber said, we were just laughing about that this morning. So, anyway, I had similar experiences at one time.

In our campaign I was reminded of the quote from Chairman Mao (ph) who said, it's always darkest before it's totally black. But let's just say we're back and I am happy to be here and I'm grateful you're here and what I'd like to do is talk to you - just talk to you about just very as quickly as I can about several issues that I think are important. Then, I'd love to hear from you for your questions or comments or insults and I want again, thank for being here. I'm grateful for the opportunity being with you. This is a great manifestation of what democracy should be all about. And obviously, I want to start by talking about the economy. My friends, first of all, I want to tell you, Michigan's best days are ahead of us. Michigan's best days are ahead of us. And it's been tough and it's been hard. It's been tough and it's been hard and I know how difficult it's been. I don't know it as well as some of the people here. But I do know that we've been through very tough times. But I believe that Michigan can lead this nation in this new green technology economy. Now, my dear friends, I believe that climate change is real. And I'd be glad to argue that with you and discuss it and debate it more. But let me just put to this - put it to you this way about climate change. Suppose that we are wrong and there's no such thing as climate change that - but we go ahead and develop these green technologies.

And by the way, so much of that talent and expertise resides in this state of Michigan, and our educational institutions and our automotive industries, and the entrepreneurs and the innovators. But let's suppose that I am wrong and all we do is move forward with these green technologies. And by the way, one of them is nuclear power. I believe we have to go back to nuclear power. And my friends, it's safe. We have sailed navy ships around the world for 60 years with nuclear power plants on them and we never had an accident. And by the way, my friends, in case you missed it, the French, I realize why not imitate the French, 80 percent of their electricity is generated by nuclear power.

And by the way, in case you missed it, we now have a pro-American president of France which shows if you live long enough, anything can happen in this world. And he's a great guy and a smart guy. So, we move forward with these green technologies and all we've done is given our young people, here's right here a cleaner planet. But suppose we are right and do nothing. Suppose we are right and do nothing about it. And what kind of a planet are we going to hand these young people? My friends, I think the answer is pretty obvious and we can do it right here in Michigan.

What is one of the greatest greenhouse gas emitters in all of the world? Obviously, we know it's automobiles. I'm telling you, there's an auto show that's opening in Detroit, and you'll see the technology there. You'll see there are hybrid cars, you'll see that there's battery-driven cars, you'll see that we can develop ethanol-driven automobiles. It can begin here in Michigan and it can begin with green technologies. And I want to show as president of United States, I'm going to see that no state is left behind. I'm going to see that Michigan reasserts its rightful place in the world. Michigan saved the world in World War II and it can do that again and I'm committed to it.

I love Arizona and I'm grateful for all the Michiganders who have come there. But I also want to point out that I don't want you to feel you have to come there, OK? Just come in vacation. We take all plastic. Speaking of all plastic, Cindy's (ph) and my credit card got stolen about three years ago. And now, those that stole it are residing as guests of the state of Arizona. But I was reminded at the time, of the story of the guy who had his credit card stolen and decided not to report it because the guy that stole it was spending less money than his wife was. I'm not saying that had any connection to my family but - anyway. So, my friends, we can restore this nation's economy, I mean, the state's economy. And I'm committed to you that I will do that as I said before.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SNOW: That's Arizona senator, John McCain speaking earlier this afternoon in Howell, Michigan, making he's case to voters here. He's been jostling with his chief rival here, Mitt Romney over who can best help Michigan and its ailing economy, so hard-hit by tens of thousands of jobs lost in recent year in the auto industry. John McCain did win here in 2000. He is hoping that his momentum from his New Hampshire victory will help him here in Michigan. We have lots more coming up on CNN's BALLOT BOWL including, we'll be hearing on the Democratic side from former Senator John Edwards. He is campaigning in South Carolina today. You're watching CNN's BALLOT BOWL. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

JIM ACOSTA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Welcome back to BALLOT BOWL '08. I'm Jim Acosta in Las Vegas. And just a few moments ago, we heard from Barack Obama out here. But now, we want to switch gears and head to South Carolina where there's also a very hotly contested race going on down there. Former North Carolina senator, John Edwards spoke to supporters earlier today. Let's hear from John Edwards.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOHN EDWARDS, (D) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: This is going to sound real odd coming from a presidential candidate about another presidential candidate but as somebody who grew up in the segregated south. I do have to tell you, I take great pride in the way that Senator Barack Obama has been received in this presidential campaign. I think he says good things, good things about America, good things about the progress that we've made and I do have to say, both of us I think have great hopes for the future of this country. And those hopes are not false hopes. They're very real. I believe deeply in what we can do for American and what we can do to make America what its capable of and I don't believe that all change originates in Washington, DC. For example, the civil rights movement with people in this room know about personally and I know about it personally. The civil rights movement did not begin in Washington, DC. And it did not with politicians.

It began with the reverend Dr. Martin Luther King and many others who had the strength and courage to march and speak out and put their lives on the line. They'd put blood, sweat and tears in the effort for equality in this country and towards civil rights. And anybody who thinks that change began in Washington, DC is living a fairy tale because it did not. That change began out here where people of conviction, and honesty and courage and passion had the willingness to stand up, speak up and do what's right. You know, we saw and hear all over the state of South Carolina including in Orangeburg. I saw it in Greensboro, North Carolina for four young men willing to sit down (INAUDIBLE) lunch encounter. Rosa Parks demonstrated great courage in helping the movement. But that's where this movement started. It didn't start with politicians. And as true in a lot of things that happened in this country, change in America begins out here across this country where people have a little courage, have a little strength.

And if we actually want to see real change in this country, that's what it's going take to get it. Because I look across America and I still see, as I have talked about in the past, two different Americas. I see one for the affluent and that they are doing great, you know. They are going to making more and more money. They're doing great. But then there's the other America, most of America that's struggling every day. We still have two public school systems in this country, one for the more affluent areas and there is one for anybody else, right? And we got two healthcare systems. You know, if you got the money, you can get the best healthcare money can buy in the United States of America. But if you don't and if you happened to be one of the 47 million who don't have healthcare coverage, you just out of luck, you're left out there on your own.

I met this family a couple of weeks ago, you know (ph), and some of you will know the story because it was all over the news. There was a family of a young woman named Nataline Sarkisyan, 17 years old, needed a liver transplant operation. It happened just a few weeks ago. And she had health insurance. Her insurance company would not pay for the liver transplant. Her parents keep begging, pleading with the insurance company, finally, after awhile, they started marching, literally marching in front of the insurance company's offices. And the insurance company finally gave in. The problem: When they finally notified the family that they would pay for the liver transplant operation, it was too late. The little girl died a few hours later. That's what I'm talking about. When I talked about people not getting what they deserved, and two different healthcare systems in this country.

I met a guy a few months ago, 51-years old, reminded me of a lot of people that I grew up with in South Carolina and North Carolina. He is 51-years old, he worked in the mines of Virginia and he had been born with a severe cleft palate. And because he had that cleft palate, he couldn't speak and (INAUDIBLE) health insurance couldn't pay to get an operation to fix it. Simple operation would have fixed it. But somebody finally came along and fixed it for him voluntarily without being paid. The problem is they did it when he was 50 years old. James Law (ph), that was his name, lived for 50 years in America not able to speak because he had no healthcare coverage. We are a better country than this. We are. You know, to have middle class families struggling the way they are, to have millions of Americans who have no healthcare coverage, we have 37 million of our own people who wake up every single day living in poverty.

You know, we got to do better than this. We can't stand quietly by and let this continue. I think about watching my grandparents who worked in that same mill that the pastor did this morning. I think about watching my grandmother who I love dearly, help take care of me, leave her house in a mill village when we were there, make her way over to the mill with her apron on, work her shift and come back home. My grandfather did the same thing. My father worked for 36 years in the mill. Think about why they did it? And I'm going to ask all of you (ph), why did your parents do it? Because we're no different than anybody else, my parents did it, my grandparents did it, your parents did it, your grandparents did it. They worked, they'd struggled and sacrificed. They did it so that you can have a better life. That's why they did it. And they have now passed that torch to us. They have left to us the moral responsibility of making certain that our children have a better life than we had. And we have work to do. And we can do it, but we have work to do.

(END VIDEO CLIP) ACOSTA: And that is John Edwards talking to his supporters in Florence, South Carolina. John Edwards in a make-or-break situation. A political reporter who's named I won't mention once said about a candidate in a similar position. His back against the wall and his shirt tails is on fire. But John Edwards said, he desperately needs to win South Carolina. I want to bring in Dugald McConnell, CNN producer who is embedded with the Edwards campaign and Dugald, I want to ask you about John Edwards and how he's doing down there in South Carolina. How's he's handling the pressure these days knowing that this is a state he probably has to win?

DUGALD MCCONNELL, CNN POLITICAL PRODUCER: Well, he gets a lot of questions about that. He laughs them off saying that because he's born in the South that he's likely to do well here. He laughs off the polls as well saying four years ago, they showed pretty mixed results but when elections came in on primary night that he won by double digits. He's still trying to distinguish himself from the other candidates pointing out his southern accent. Talking about economic issues primarily but also talking about how he grow up there, how he knows what it's like to live there, how his priorities are similar. And that's why he talks so much about those economic issues. You heard him in that (INAUDIBLE) there talking about jobs, talking about minimum wage, talking about unemployment and about health insurance. And that's what he focuses on, especially when it comes to a neighborhood like here in Florence, a working class neighborhood. He spent about 28 days here in the past year coming to South Carolina. That could be more than Obama and Clinton put together. So, he's focusing on that as well. This is a make or break state. He says he's in it for a long hold (ph), but you can imagine that South Carolina is the only state that he's ever won. The stakes are high for him here.

ACOSTA: That's right. He won on '04 and he was hoping that that would happen again, that history would repeat itself in '08. And that remains to be seen if that will happen. But Dugald, we hear so much about Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama trying to make that appeal to African-American voters in South Carolina. What is John Edwards saying about that? How is he trying to weigh in (ph) on that very important voting block there in the Palmetto State?

MCCONNELL: Right, so many faces especially with Barack Obama is such a well-qualified African-American candidate. But no criticism from Edwards on Obama today. Instead, he said that as a southerner he grew up seeing segregation himself that it makes him very proud to see a well-qualified candidate like Senator Obama gets such a nice reception down here. He had a knock for Senator Clinton on how she treated the question about Martin Luther King earlier this week. But mostly, Edwards focuses on his own message talking in particular about poverty, he visited a food bank the other day and talking about the kind of kitchen table economic issues that could be of particular interest to African-American voters.

ACOSTA: Dugald McConnell, thank you very much down in South Carolina. Stay safe, appreciate it very much. And Dugald mentioned that MLK issue which will be coming up later on in BALLOT BOWL. But in a moment after this break, coming up: We'll be hearing about another Southern politician, he's doing a little bit better than John Edwards right now, Mike Huckabee. You'll be hearing from him after this break. This is BALLOT BOWL on CNN.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SNOW: Welcome back to CNN's BALLOT BOWL: A chance for you to hear directly from candidates out on the campaign trail. We have been airing excerpts from candidates' speeches both live and some taped excerpts. We just heard from former North Carolina senator, John Edwards campaigning in South Carolina in the Democratic side. On the Republican side, Mike Huckabee was also campaigning in South Carolina. But he was there last night in Columbia. We want to take a listen in on what he had to say as he spoke to supporters in South Carolina. Here's Mike Huckabee last night.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MIKE HUCKABEE, (R) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: This is no longer just a campaign. It is a cause. It's a cause to reclaim the heart and soul not just of the Republican Party but of this country. This can't be a campaign just about Republicans although I'm unashamedly a Republican. It's about America. It's about the fact that this country is going be in trouble if we don't remember that what makes us a great country is not our government, it's the extraordinary things that our people are willing to do to give the next generation of young Americans a better future. That kind of sacrifices that most of our parents made for us. My parents did it for me and may of your parents made those sacrifices for you. My parents lived through the Great Depression and World War II. They knew hardship. Like so many of your parents, who live in the deep south of South Carolina like mine did in Arkansas during that period of time. It was a time of intense poverty in this part of the world. And often, people were struggling just literally to have food. My dad was of those guys like probably some of yours, he worked two jobs. Not one. One wouldn't pay the bills. It took two. All he ever knew in his life was hard work, heavy lifting. Grime on his hands and he never got off as long as he lived no matter how hard he tried. He was a firefighter and on his days off, he worked as a mechanic, rebuilding car generators. I tell people that only soap we had in our house was lava soap. I was in college before I found, it's not supposed to hurt when you take a shower. My mother grew up the oldest of seven kids. When she was a little girl they had dirt floors, outdoor toilets. She had to go to work early to help with her brothers and sisters. She never complained about it. It just the way people lived then.

We often call them the greatest generation. Recently call them that is because they were willing to do things that we're just now are finding out in many ways but they did it not for themselves, they did it for us. They wanted their kids to have a better life. And boy, were they ever successful. Most of us, we look at our lives and we have to say, we're living better than we imagined we would be. But when I ask the question - how many of you believe your grandkids or even your kids will be living better than you, a lot of people can't answer and say yes because they're not sure that's the case. And the reason this election is important is because we need to once again revive the spirit and soul of this nation so that you will be able to look at your kids and grandkids and say, you will have a better life. And the only way that's going to happen is when some leadership in Washington not to folks who have been there, because they have the chance. They'd been there, and if they could have fixed it, they should have fixed it. If they haven't fixed it, they're not going to fix it. And it's time to bring some fresh faces to Washington with the experience of getting it done.

I like you, too. We know we got borders that have been left untouched. And as a result of that it's harder for you to get on an airplane in your hometown than it is for somebody to cross the border who has not a scrap of paper on them and we have no idea who they are. And here's what's really amazing. Half the people who are now illegals here on this country came here legally but they're living here with expired visas. It's not bad enough that our government can't secure the border, that's the first thing I'll do, we'll secure the border with American labor and American fences in 18 months. But the really crazy thing is that our government who issued people a permit to get here lost track of half of the people who are here who never ever got their visa renew or went back home. Now, how incompetent is it? How dysfunctional is it? When our government says there are millions of people here and we have no idea who they are and we have no idea where they are? Look, if you order something today on Amazon.com, they'll give you a tracking number. And you know what? You can find out exactly where UPS has that book you ordered. You'll know whether it's in the warehouse, whether it's in the truck, in transit or whether its at your door. You can log in on the Internet and you can know exactly where that book is. If Amazon.com and UPS can keep with $5 book, are you telling me that our federal government can't keep up with 10 million people? So, this I pledge to you. We will either fix it ourselves as a federal government or we will give that job over to UPS and they'll be able the find those folks.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SNOW: That was Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee in Columbia, South Carolina last night. It was taped excerpt. This is of course, ahead of Saturday's Republican primary in South Carolina. Mike Huckabee there, talking about cracking down on illegal immigration, very important issue among Republicans. Also, he's been striking a populist message not only in South Carolina but here in Michigan. Mike Huckabee has returned to Michigan. His campaign believes it's striking a chord with blue collar workers here. So many of them have bee laid off in the auto industry. And he set to campaign ahead of Tuesday's primary here in Michigan. We have lots more ahead including: We're going take a closer look at a controversy brewing between the Obama and Clinton camps on the Democratic side. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

JIM ACOSTA, CNN NEWS ANCHOR: Welcome back to "BALLOT BOWL." I'm Jim Acosta in Las Vegas.

We have some fresh sound. Some comments made by Illinois Senator Barack Obama, making his feelings known about the comments of Hillary Clinton about the civil rights leader, Martin Luther King Jr. Here is the Senator from Illionis, some comments he made a few moments ago.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA, (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I am baffled by the statement by the Senator. She made an ill-advised statement about Dr. King in suggesting that Lyndon Johnson had more to do with civil rights. I did not make the statement. I haven't commented on the statement. And them to somehow suggest that we're interjecting race about as a consequence of a statement she made that we have not commented on, is pretty hard to figure out.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ACOSTA: That's Barack Obama making his feelings known on the comments made by Hillary Clinton and about how she felt it took a forceful president to bring about the civil rights act during Lyndon Johnson's presidency. She conceded later that was an ill-advised comment.

Here's how she's framing the comment now.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HILLARY CLINTON, (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Today, Senator Obama used President John F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King Jr., to criticize me, basically compared himself to two of our greatest heroes, saying they gave great speeches.

President Kennedy was in Congress for 14 years. He was a war hero. He was a man of great accomplishments and readiness to the president.

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. led a movement. He was gassed, beaten, jailed. He gave a speech that was one of the most beautifully, profoundly important speeches ever delivered in America, the "I have a dream" speech. Then he worked with President Johnson to get the laws passed because the dream couldn't be realized until finally it was legally permissible for people of all backgrounds and ethnicities to be accepted as citizens.

I'm running for president because I believe that there is not a contradiction between experience and change. I don't know since when experience became a liability in running for the highest office in our land.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ACOSTA: There's Senator Hillary Clinton revising and extending her remarks on Martin Luther King, revising and extending those remarks that she made last week about the civil rights leader and how the civil rights came to fruition with civil rights legislation passed during the presidency of Lyndon Johnson.

We want to bring in Political Analyst Kelly Goff to talk about all of this.

This has been a flare-up in the campaign. I want to ask how, Kelly, what she thinks the comments might affect Hillary Clinton's support in South Carolina. Kelly's joining us live from New York.

Kelly, what do you think about that? Could it hurt Hillary down in South Carolina?

KELLY GOFF, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: I think that if Hillary Clinton loses there and loses the nomination, this moment will go down in the "what was she thinking" hall of fame.

ACOSTA: Really? Let me ask you about that. She made the comment and one could, if you were to give her break or the benefit of the doubt, concede that perhaps what she meant to say was, yes, while Martin Luther King fought very hard, if a willing and able president had not been in office to sign the legislation, we would not have had the civil rights act during the 1960s. She later admitted it was an ill conceived remark. What do you make about that?

GOFF: If any white American is going to get the benefit of the doubt, it's going be Bill Clinton and his wife. People are more than willing to give them the benefit of the doubt. But it's not that I'm trying to be evasive to your question. The reality is what she meant in an election means a lot less than what people hear and what people are going see over and over again on YouTube and what people are going to have their friends e-mailing to them.

The problem is, even if she wins in South Carolina, it's not going to go away. As she continues to work to shore-up the black vote, if she's the nominee, this moment is going to consistently come back the haunt her because it's incredibly divisive.

While I understand she and the president are attempting to turn it around and say the people are trying to capitalize on this remark are being divisive, the problem is, she said it. People are only using her own words and her own statement to force her to talk about what she could have possibly been thinking to remotely try to diminish the role of Dr. Martin Luther King.

I agree with you, in all fairness. I hear where she's coming from. There really isn't a lot to say to defend someone that's so sacred in the eyes of Americans, particularly African-Americans.

ACOSTA: All of this is very critical because down in South Carolina, the member of Congress who is almost all-powerful in South Carolina...

GOFF: Jim Clyburn.

ACOSTA: ... Jim Clyburn, has said he was going stay neutral in South Carolina. Now he's deciding whether or not to stick to that. If he falls into the Obama camp because of all this, that would very bad for Hillary, wouldn't it?

GOFF: Certainly. Actually, Clyburn's endorsement -- two things can actually tip this and really turn this from simply a mere blip into a defining moment, which is either Clyburn's endorsement -- if he is to endorse, it's incredibly significant, not just in South Carolina, but nationally.

Typically, the African-American vote, particularly among the African-American leadership, has been divided between Clinton and Obama. The majority runs along generational lines, where a lot of younger African-American elected officials, the Cory Bookers, Arthur Davises, even the governor of Massachusetts, Duvall Patrick, lining up to support Obama, the post-civil rights generation of leaders. Then you have the older African-American leaders, Congressman Charles Rangel, Congressman John Louis supporting the Clintons.

If Clyburn, because of his age and because of his significance in the civil rights movement, were to support Obama, that signals that he believes that he's able to be elected and the country is ready for a black president. That's been a lingering issue for many older African-Americans, not believing our country's there.

ACOSTA: Very good.

GOFF: And also because it's South Carolina.

ACOSTA: Kelly Goff, thank you very much for weighing in on this with us. This is a critical issue. You're right, if Jim Clyburn comes down on Obama's side, that would be a difficult hurdle for Hillary Clinton to get over. We'll see how things play out there. Thanks very much, Kelly Goff, standing by live in New York. Have a good one. Take care.

GOFF: Thanks for having me.

ACOSTA: Stick around. "BALLOT BOWL" is still with us for the next few moments. We still have some politics to get to before we're all said and done here.

And Fred Thompson will be coming up next. We'll see him campaigning in South Carolina. The former senator from Tennessee trying to get some momentum down there. So Fred Thompson after the break on "BALLOT BOWL." This is "BALLOT BOWL" on CNN.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MARY SNOW, CNN NEWS ANCHOR: Welcome back to CNN's "BALLOT BOWL," a chance to hear directly from the presidential candidates.

Next up, we're going to South Carolina. Former Tennessee Senator Fred Thompson addressed a group of supporters there yesterday on Lady's Island. Here is Fred Thompson in his own words.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

FRED THOMPSON, (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I got a chance some years ago to put my beliefs into action. I decided to run for Senate. I do not consider myself a professional politician. I put term limits on myself. I lived up to them. I always thought it would free me up to do what is right. I was coming home any way. As a matter of fact, they didn't decide to bring me home early. They re-elected me by the largest number of votes a political had ever gotten. Doing the right thing winds up being the good political thing, too. People could take note of that. I would have a 99-1 vote. I would be the one based usually on these federalism grounds. That's a great idea, maybe. Why should the federal government do it when it can't do the things it's supposed to be doing correctly?

So we went to Washington, found out that a lot of other people got elected based on the same principles. The American people were receptive to them like they had been back in the '80s. We were able to cut taxes five major times. We passed welfare reform, something that had been kicking for many, many years up until that point. We balanced the budget four years in a row. We stood tall for the Second Amendment when it wasn't always an easy thing to do. We won that political fight. You don't hear much coming out of Washington because of that. We fought for good, solid conservative judges that follow the constitution instead of making it up as they go along, which is I think -- (APPLAUSE).

I compiled a 100 percent pro-life voting record. That is why the National Right to Life votes and the Citizens for Life here have endorsed me. I'm proud of that. (APPLAUSE).

When I was in the Senate, I spent quite a bit of time on matters of national security. I felt that that was the one single most important thing to my country. If you can't secure the safety of a country's people, you can't do anything else really.

I served on the intelligence committee. I traveled the world. I met with leaders like the President Musharraf in Pakistan. I've seen that part of the world. I understand the nature of the world we live in and the global nature of the world we're dealing with, with radical Islam having declared war on us. Iraq is a front in that war, so is Afghanistan. We're going win, be able to start being able to bring troops home as part of a successful scenario. Because of that, America is going to be safer. (APPLAUSE).

When they brought up the Homeland Security bill, I managed it for the Republicans on the floor of the United States Senate. We passed the bill, organized the government in a way that has hopefully helped us be safer. We haven't had another attack since September 11th.

I've been there and it makes me think as we go down the presidential road here, all the issues we have before us, all the things that we talk about, when you get right down to it, people ought to consider when our worst enemy is sitting at the negotiating table or bargaining table, do take this literally or figuratively? When he's at the table thinking about what he might can get away with in terms of the United States of America and what he might can do to the United States, who do we want at the table sitting there representing us? When you come up with the answer to that, you're probably coming up with the answer of who you should support for president of the United States. (APPLAUSE).

When I left the United States Senate, I didn't leave public service. I had an opportunity to develop a little avocation. I took on a corrupt governor and state administration and made a move about it. I wound up playing myself in the movie they made about it. That's how I got into the movie business. Every time they wanted somebody that was talk and would work cheap, they would call me. I did a little show when I left the Senate called "Law and Order." (APPLAUSE AND CHEERING). Still kind of like the sound of that, don't you?

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SNOW: Republican presidential candidate Fred Thompson, the former Senator from Tennessee, speaking yesterday in South Carolina, making his case there, joking about his acting career, vying for conservative voters. He's been in direct competition with Mike Huckabee ahead of next Saturday's primary in South Carolina.

We'll take a quick break. When we come back, we'll check in on the latest headlines, including the latest on the manhunt for a fugitive Marine. You're watching CNN. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN NEWS ANCHOR: Hello, I'm Fredricka Whitfield in Atlanta. A bit more of the "BALLOT BOWL" in a moment. First, the top headlines.

The dragnet tightens for the man accused of killing a pregnant Marine in North Carolina. Police confirmed that 21-year-old Marine Corporal Cesar Armando Laurean, was spotted in Shreveport, Louisiana, around midnight local time.

CNN's Rusty Dornin is live with the latest from Jacksonville, North Carolina, where this investigation began.

RUSTY DORNIN, CNN NEWS CORRESPONDENT: Fredricka, they are optimizing that they will soon apprehend Corporal Laurean. Witnesses say they saw Laurean -- it's confusing now -- getting on or off a bus in Louisiana. Unclear on where he was headed. There has been some word he was headed toward Texas. Police here will not confirm that. They will only say they believe he will be having a very short vacation. Earlier, they said maybe two hours ahead of him. Sheriff Ed Brown of Onslow County said, no, I'm not putting a time line on it. He said they are getting close, though, and he does believe he will the apprehended soon -- Fred?

WHITFIELD: Rusty Dornin, thanks very much.

A frigid and messy forecast for the northeast tonight and tomorrow. Meteorologist Jacqui Jeras is tracking one pretty monstrous storm in the Severe Weather Center -- Jacqui?

JACQUI JERAS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Hey, Fred. It's going be a monster storm. We're looking at two systems, one area of low pressure off the coast of the Carolinas, then an upper level disturbance comes out of the Great Lakes. They're going to come together and turn into a nasty storm. Go out, go to dinner, make sure you're home by maybe say 11:00, 12:00 tonight. The worst of this storm system is going to coming in overnight. The low is going to be intensifying tonight as it moves towards Cape Cod, pulling in those strong winds.

A few locations will start out as rain. Probably see some in New York City, maybe across Long Island, maybe in Providence. Boston could start as a mix. We think this will be more of a snow event for you.

The warnings are in place in the dark red that's where we expect to see the heaviest accumulation. A few big cities to mention. Boston will likely see 6 to 12 inches of snow fall. More like 4 to 8 inches in New York City. This is a fast moving storm system. This thing will be out of here, we think, by Monday evening. A lot of people looking for a long weekend will likely get it, Fredricka. It's going to be tough to go around it tomorrow morning.

WHITFIELD: Fast but furious with that kind of accumulation. Jacqui, thanks so much.

On the West Coast, the Golden Globes without the glitz or red carpet. Tonight's awards ceremony has been canceled. The winners will be announced instead at a news conference later on tonight.

More now from CNN's Kareen Wynter.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KAREEN WYNTER, CNN NEWS CORRESPONDENT: We're inside the Beverly Hilton International Ballroom where they're putting the finishing touches on the Golden Globe awards.

On any given year, this place would be decked out from top to bottom with an elaborate display. Not this year with the Writers Guild on strike. Instead of the traditional awards show, that has been replaced by a news conference where they will be simply announcing the winners. No actors are expected to attend.

And we're also told there won't be any picketing because the Hollywood foreign press is running the event. It will be a big evening, an exciting one, because they're still working on changes right down to the wire.

CNN's Brooke Anderson will be one of those on stage. She'll be making some of the announcements. Our own Larry King will be live during the show. You won't want the miss a minute of it.

I'm Kareen Wynter, in Beverly Hills.

WHITFIELD: We'll be watching through the evening. You'll want to do so as well. Watch it all unfold on CNN. The results as they happen tonight on "Larry King Live." Plus, the surprise guests you don't want the miss. That's tonight, 9:00 eastern.

Let's go back to Jim Acosta in Las Vegas, and Mary Snow in Southfield, Michigan, for much more of the "BALLOT BOWL '08."

You've been very busy, as have been the candidates on all sides.

ACOSTA: Absolutely, Fredricka. Thanks very much.

That's all for this edition of "BALLOT BOWL." I'm Jim Acosta in Las Vegas.

And with apologies to Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton. I should point out that I believe there are a few other things going on here besides politics.

Mary, if you don't mind, I'm going go check into those things right now. We're going see how the cards are faring, not just for the candidates. I'll say good-bye to my colleague, Mary Snow. This was a lot fun.

I understand you're in fun-filled Southfield, Michigan, is that right? What are the local haunts like there, if you don't mind me asking?

SNOW: We are. A lot colder here. We're not going to be going to casinos tonight. You enjoy them for us. A lot of fun spending this day with you, Jim.

Coming up tonight at 10:00 eastern, we'll have the full wrap of today's political events, also the latest on the northeast storm that's bearing down that we just heard about. "Lou Dobbs This Weekend" is coming up next, right after this break. Good night.

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