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Ballot Bowl '08

Aired January 28, 2008 - 12:00   ET

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

DANA BASH, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hello and welcome to a special edition of CNN's Ballot Bowl '08.
I'm Dana Bash in Orlando, Florida.

In Ballot Bowl, what we try to do is bring you the presidential candidates live from the campaign trail, let you listen to what they're saying in an unscripted way, in a raw way, really from the campaign trail in their own words.

And we're going to have a lot of that today in the next hour. A very busy hour.

Joining me throughout the hour, we're going to have our Jim Acosta. He is reporting from Springfield, Massachusetts.

We're also going to hear from Mary Snow. She is here in Florida. She's in Clearwater, Florida.

And we're also going to hear in a little bit from Suzanne Malveaux. She will be reporting from Washington, D.C.

And we do have a very, very busy hour on the campaign trail here.

First of all, we're going to be hearing in just a short while from Rudy Giuliani, the Republican presidential hopeful. He'll be in Clearwater, Florida.

And we are going to go to Barack Obama. He is going to be live at a rally picking up a major endorsement in Washington, D.C.

And right here where I am -- I am in Orlando, Florida -- John McCain is going to have his third rally of the day already. It's only about noon. Third rally of the day here in Orlando, Florida.

And also, we are going to hear from Hillary Clinton. She is up in this Super Tuesday state of Massachusetts. She will be in Springfield, Massachusetts.

But as we wait for all of those live events that will be coming to you throughout the hour, we're going to talk about what has been going on already today in this intense, intense battle -- the Republican primary that is just one day away here in Florida. The battle right now, it seems to be between John McCain and Mitt Romney.

They are trying to vie for the top slot in this very key state of Florida. Fifty-seven delegates are at stake right now. And what they're going after each other on is -- really, it's sort of the heart and soul, perhaps, of what the voters here want.

Mitt Romney insisting that he is somebody who is outside of Washington, and that is the kind of experience that he has in the private sector to fix the economy. John McCain, who you there, he says, well, I think that the voters should really be focusing on national security and the war in Iraq. And they have really been going at it already today.

Let's listen to, first of all, what Mitt Romney said earlier today to reporters in West Palm, Florida.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MITT ROMNEY (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Senator McCain is noted for three major pieces of legislation. I think all of them were badly flawed. And if somebody wants to know where he would lead the country, you simply need to look at the three pieces of legislation with his name at the top.

McCain-Feingold has not reduced the impact of money in politics. It's made it worse. McCain-Kennedy is viewed by virtually all as an amnesty bill. And McCain-Lieberman would cost the families of America as much as $1,000 a piece.

All three are bills which evidence a lack of understanding of our economy, the very lack of understanding which Senator McCain has admitted on numerous occasions.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BASH: It doesn't get much more pointed than that. That's Mitt Romney earlier today here in Florida, even using perhaps one of the dirtiest words in the Republican vocabulary, and that is "liberal". That is the word that he used to describe John McCain.

Well, John McCain shot right back at Mitt Romney, also using that "L" word, liberal. But also going at the heart of what John McCain thinks is Mitt Romney's biggest weakness, and that is perhaps having different views on the same issue through his career.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. JOHN MCCAIN (R-AZ), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: He has consistently flip-flopped on every issue. Campaign finance reform, he supported it, he wanted to -- he wanted tax people to pay for public financing. On immigration, he said our proposal was reasonable and not amnesty.

On -- let's see -- there's three or four other. Oh, on cap and trade, he supported it. He supported it. So, he's consistent in that he's flip-flopped on every single major issue.

As governor, as the liberal governor of the state of Massachusetts, he raised taxes by $730 million. We now have -- the state of Massachusetts is now saddled with a quarter-billion-dollar debt over his government-mandated health care system. When he was governor, they had the third or fourth worst economy of any state in America. The manufacturing jobs left this country at 7 percent. They left Massachusetts at 14 percent.

So I think people just take a look at his record as governor. And again, as the head of his "investment" company, he presided over the acquisition of companies that immediately laid off thousands of workers.

So I appreciate the fact that Governor Romney has been entirely consistent. He has consistently taken at least two sides of every issue. Sometimes more than two.

Congratulations.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BASH: There you hear a little bit of a sarcastic comment there at the end from John McCain. But certainly, that is quite indicative of what Florida Republican voters have been hearing this morning as they make their final decision as to who to vote for in tomorrow's Republican primary, a very important primary that very well could determine who the next Republican nominee will be for president of the United States.

So speaking of Republicans here in Florida, of course, we are focusing mostly on Republicans here in the Sunshine State, but there is a big Democratic race going on. And I want to go up north to Massachusetts, to Jim Acosta, where he is actually covering Hillary Clinton, who is campaigning there for Democratic votes in a very important Super Tuesday state.

Jim, I know we're waiting for Hillary Clinton. What are you expecting to hear from Senator Clinton that may be a bit different from what we've heard over the past couple of days, particularly in light of her big loss over the weekend in South Carolina?

JIM ACOSTA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Dana, while Hillary Clinton is campaigning up here in Massachusetts, the irony will not be lost on her campaign that, while she is in this state, Massachusetts' most powerful leader, the patriarch of a storied political dynasty, is down in Washington endorsing her rival, Barack Obama. Of course, I'm talking about Senator Ted Kennedy.

Also appearing on that stage down in Washington, the daughter of the late president John Kennedy, Caroline Kennedy, also endorsing Barack Obama. But Hillary Clinton's campaign is quick to say, wait a minute, Barack Obama hasn't exactly won the Kennedy primary. There are other members of the Kennedy family supporting her campaign.

But earlier this morning, Hillary Clinton was campaigning in the other important Super Tuesday state of Connecticut, where she talked about another big event happening in Washington today, the State of the Union Address. Hillary Clinton telling the crowd there in Hartford that President Bush, after being in office almost eight years, still doesn't get it. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON (D-NY), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I have been in and out of the homes and workplaces and community centers of Americans across our country. And what they want to talk to me about is the insecurity they feel, the fears that they are confronting. So I'm sure that the president tonight will, as he has for the previous seven years, say that the state of our union is strong.

But with all due respect, Mr. President, come out on the road with me. Come and meet the people that I meet. Listen to the stories I listen to. Sit at tables in diners and hear what's on America's minds.

I have very different beliefs than the current administration. See, I believe that everybody in America who's willing to work hard for a living should bring home an income above the poverty line. I think that should be part of what we hold out for people and make sure that they have.

(APPLAUSE)

I believe health care is a moral right, not a privilege for the few and the wealthy.

(APPLAUSE)

I believe people have the right to organize and bargain collectively and have better wages and working conditions.

(APPLAUSE)

I believe that our education system is not just about our children taking tests, but about unlocking their imaginations and their potential.

(APPLAUSE)

I believe our tax code should be fair to the middle class. It's the middle class that built America. It's the middle class that creates most of the wealth and the jobs in America. And it's time that we had a tax code that reflects that again.

I believe that an investment manager on Wall Street making $50 million a year should not pay a lower percentage in taxes than a teacher in Hartford making $50,000 a year.

(APPLAUSE)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ACOSTA: So there is Hillary Clinton campaigning in Connecticut. She will be here in Massachusetts shortly. Her campaign is running a bit behind schedule today. But as for those endorsements, the Clinton campaign is essentially saying that endorsements don't matter as much as delegates. They know that this is going to be a long, drawn out battle for the nomination, and they feel if you look across the Super Tuesday states, they are doing quite well in those states, if not well ahead, at least in a tight race with Barack Obama in most, if not all, of those states.

And speaking of delegates, she's going to be down in Florida watching the results come in in the Sunshine State tomorrow night, even those delegates don't count down there. She is looking for a headline to say that she did at least win the Florida primary, if not for delegates, but perhaps in what many people are calling a popularity contest or a beauty contest, but at least as a short-term boost for her campaign, perhaps (INAUDIBLE) some of that momentum coming out of the Barack Obama campaign right now -- Dana.

BASH: Well, Jim, thank you very much. Florida certainly has been a Democrat-free zone until, I guess, tomorrow. So it will be interesting to see how much that changes the dynamic, if any, here in Florida.

Jim, thank you very much for that.

And here on Ballot Bowl, what we are going to do all hour is try to give you as much of the candidates live from the campaign trail as possible. We get to show you what we as political reporters see all day long as we cover this incredible campaign.

And in just a moment we are going to hear from Hillary Clinton live, where Jim Acosta is, in Springfield, Massachusetts.

We'll also take you to Washington, D.C. Barack Obama, as Jim was just talking about, is expecting a big endorsement from Ted Kennedy.

And we'll bring you back down here to Florida. Rudy Giuliani is fighting for his political life here, hoping to do better than expected in tomorrow's election -- tomorrow's primary. We're going to go to Clearwater, Florida, to hear from him.

Stay with us. This is Ballot Bowl.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BASH: Welcome back to CNN's special edition of Ballot Bowl.

I'm Dana Bash in Orlando, Florida.

And what we are doing is we are waiting for three live events from the campaign trail. First, we're waiting for Hillary Clinton, who we expect to be speaking very shortly in Springfield, Massachusetts. Massachusetts one of the two dozen or so very important Super Tuesday states.

We're also waiting for Barack Obama. He's back in D.C. He is expecting and will get a very important endorsement from Senator Ted Kennedy. That will happen very shortly.

And back here where I am, in Florida, not far from where I am, in Clearwater, Florida, Rudy Giuliani is going to take the stage. You see he's got a warm-up act there. That will happen momentarily.

And while we wait for former mayor Rudy Giuliani, we want to go to my colleague, Mary Snow, who is also covering the Giuliani campaign. And I want to talk about his campaign and the Republican campaign here in general.

But, Mary, before we talk about it, I want to show our viewers a snapshot of where we are right now in the race, just a day before this important primary here.

Take a look at what we call our poll of polls. First of all, John McCain, he's at 29 percent. Mitt Romney is virtually tied for first place, it looks like, at 28 percent.

Rudy Giuliani is at 15 percent, and he looks like he's in the race for third place with former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee. Ron Paul is at three percent, and a very small portion of the electorate here is not sure, is undecided. That's only 11 percent.

But take a look at the 15 percent number for Rudy Giuliani. And that will be a jumping off point for our discussion where you are, Mary -- 15 percent in the polls, I think it's his 56th or 57th day campaigning here in Florida, Mary.

What is the Giuliani campaign saying about his plummet in the polls here?

MARY SNOW, CNN CORRESPONDENT: You know, they are remaining defiant. And Rudy Giuliani himself is saying that he plans to win tomorrow.

But you know, talking to some of his supporters before this event -- Rudy Giuliani is expected any moment here -- they're saying that perhaps he was hurt by not being more aggressive in the early states. Saying that -- some of the voters saying that, you know, look, if he had even lost, he would have been visible.

But there are a lot of fears that because he was not a player, that he was out of the spotlight. And that is one of the big concerns. And he was once the national frontrunner.

And Dana, they're about to go right now to Rudy Giuliani, taking the stage here in Clearwater, Florida. He's been flying around the state. We're in an airport hangar right now, where he is about to speak to some of his supporters gathered here along the way.

RUDY GIULIANI (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Thank you very, very much.

My wife Judith wants to thank you.

(APPLAUSE) JUDITH GIULIANI, RUDY GIULIANI'S WIFE: Thank you all so much for being here. Thank you.

R. GIULIANI: Thank you, dear.

And I want to thank -- and thank you for wearing the "I love Rudy" shirt and the "Florida is Rudy Country," "Rudy 2008."

Thank you very much for your support and all your hard work here. I know you've been working for a long time getting out the vote, getting out the early vote.

Let me thank Jon Voight.

Wasn't it nice seeing Jon?

(APPLAUSE)

And your great attorney general, Bill McCollum.

(APPLAUSE)

And a really terrific governor, a great supporter of mine, done really wonderful things in Texas, Governor Rick Perry.

(APPLAUSE)

I also want to thank here Leslie Waters (ph) and commissioner John Maroney (ph).

Thank you very much for your help and all the good work that you're doing for us.

(APPLAUSE)

Well, the election's tomorrow. Did you know that? And I'm running for president.

And I believe I have your vote, right? OK.

So what I'm here to do -- what I'm here to do is to get you to go out and get more people to vote for me. To spend today and tomorrow trying to get more people to the polls. Make sure they understand there's an election. Make sure they understand how important it is.

And our message is a positive message. Our message is not name calling. Our message is not negative campaigning.

This is too important. This is about who will be best to be president of the United States, who can lead this country most effectively. Who can lead it, keep it safe, keep it secure, keep it prosperous. And I believe I'm the candidate who can do that.

(APPLAUSE)

Why? Because I've been tested. I've done it before. The kinds of challenges that we face are challenges that are bigger than the ones that I faced before, but they're like them.

We need a president -- when you look at my 12 commitments to the American people, you can see the program that we need and the future that we need. We need a president who can keep us on offense in the terrorist war against us. Never again should we go back on defense like we used to be before September 11th.

(APPLAUSE)

We need to make sure that we increase our Army, we increase our Navy, we increase our Air Force, our Marines, we increase our Coast Guard, we increase our intelligence services. We've got to have the Patriot Act.

We have got to be in a position to do everything we can to prevent an attack on America. And we need homeland security as part of that.

And you know that here in Florida, you know that all over the country. And I would be the best to provide that.

(APPLAUSE)

As I've traveled throughout Florida over the course of the last couple weeks, and going back to last year, I've heard from a lot of Floridians that you're having trouble being able to either afford or to get property insurance. And your attorney general has talked to me about it, others have. That's why I favor and will fight for a national catastrophe fund so that your insurance rates will be reasonable and you'll be able to have insurance.

(APPLAUSE)

I'm the only candidate who supports -- I'm the only Republican candidate who supports that fund, and it is vital for the people of Florida. It's vital for the people all over the country. But the need is here, at least has been expressed here. But this is something that is needed all over the country.

We need to become energy independent. We can no longer...

(APPLAUSE)

And I'm the candidate, I'm the person who can lead that effort the most effectively, because it's what I've done in the past in reducing crime, dealing with welfare, things that people said couldn't be done, it was impossible to do it. I've been hearing that all the time during my career as U.S. attorney, associate attorney general, mayor of New York -- it's impossible to do this, it's impossible to do that.

For 30 years we've been talking about energy independence. Energy independence is now a matter of national security. And I will get it done, if you elect me.

BASH: That's former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani making his closing arguments to the voters here in Florida after spending more than $30 million and participating in six contests. He's 0 for 6, so he has been hoping that this state of Florida would have given him his first win. But now he appears to be trying at least to get third place here in Florida.

And before we go, I just want to point out, you see it sort of is dressed up a bit. But you heard Mary Snow talking earlier about the fact that Rudy Giuliani is in an airport hangar.

Well, I'm waiting for John McCain, also in Florida, and I'm also in an airport hangar, as you can see behind me. And this sort of shows you how these candidates are trying to get to as many places as they possibly can in this very large state of Florida on the last day of campaigning.

They're campaigning in airport hangars because they're flying from media market to media market to try to reach as many voters as they can before they actually go to the polls in the primary tomorrow. So it's an interesting way that they're all campaigning today.

And you see there Rudy Giuliani is going to continue speaking. We are going to go also to the Democratic side, to the intense race on the Democratic side.

We're going to hear in just a bit from Hillary Clinton, and we're also going to go up to Washington, D.C. Barack Obama, as we said earlier, is going to get a very big endorsement very shortly from Senator Ted Kennedy there in D.C.

We're going to talk to our Suzanne Malveaux about that endorsement and what it means to the Democratic race.

Don't go away. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BASH: Welcome back to Ballot Bowl '08. I'm Dana Bash in Orlando, Florida.

As you see there, we are monitoring Rudy Giuliani, speaking live in Clearwater, Florida, trying to convince Republican voters in this state to vote for him, to help him try to get back on his feet in his quest to get the Republican nomination.

And as we follow the big Republican race here in Florida, we are not losing sight of the big Democratic race. In particular, what is about to happen up in Washington, D.C., with Barack Obama, waiting for a very big endorsement up there.

And as we wait for Senator Obama to start his rally, we want to bring in Suzanne Malveaux and a little bit more on what we expect to hear from Senator Obama and his fellow senator, the senior senator from Massachusetts.

Hi, Suzanne.

SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Dana.

I just want to first set the scene here for you because it is absolutely incredible. It was so difficult just to get in here, into this gymnasium at American University.

There are thousands of people that are waiting outside. The traffic is jam-packed. And even security at the door, there's a lot of confusion. About half of the national press corps is still outside the building, they have it on lockdown now. So, clearly, there's high security.

There's also a great sense of anticipation as thousands of people are waiting not only for Senator Barack Obama, but also for Senator Ted Kennedy and Caroline Kennedy, two major endorsements. Ted Kennedy, it just doesn't get any bigger than that, Dana.

We are talking about a Democratic giant, one within the party that has a lot of power, a lot of pull. He is also important because he essentially does carry a lot of weight in the Latino community. And that is something specifically that Barack Obama needs.

He needs to improve those numbers. He's going to be heading off to California, to New York. Those are going to be some key states when he's looking at the Latino community.

He didn't do as well as he needed to in Nevada to actually get that state. So that is huge for him.

But also just historic significance, as well as the fact that Ted Kennedy, as much as he represents the liberal wing of the party, he really is a giant within the party, the party establishment. He offers a sense of automatic gravitas to Senator Obama.

This is something they've been working hard for behind the scenes. And obviously, a clear, clear, big win for Barack Obama today -- Dana.

BASH: It sure will be, Suzanne.

As you know, Senator Kennedy obviously is known as the liberal lion. Perhaps that's a cliche to describe him at this point. But he also -- covering him in the Senate, is also somebody who likes to reach across the party lines and to try to get things done. Perhaps -- perhaps that's one of the reasons he will give to today in describing and explaining why he decided to endorse Senator Obama, much to the dismay of Senator Clinton and her campaign.

So we're going to get back to you, Suzanne, and also await Senator Obama's speech and Senator Kennedy's speech up there in Washington, D.C., as we get back to Ballot Bowl.

Don't go away. We've got a lot more this hour. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

DANA BASH, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome back to CNN's "Ballot Bowl '08." I'm Dana Bash in Orlando, Florida.

We are just one day away from the incredibly crucial primary here, especially, and most importantly, on the Republican side. Fifty-seven delegates at stake here in Florida where it is absolutely neck and neck between John McCain and Mitt Romney. And they have been going at it already all day long today and it's only about 12:30 here in Florida.

And as we monitor this state of Florida, what we want to describe to you and explain to you what we try to do here on "Ballot Bowl" is bring you the candidates on both sides of the aisle as they try to convince voters to vote for them and also as they try to secure their party's nomination. So, here in Florida, in Clearwater, Florida, we just heard Rudy Giuliani wrap up his event. He is still shaking hands, trying to get every last vote.

And on the Democratic side up north, we have two events we're waiting for live. One is Hillary Clinton. She's going to be speaking in the Super Tuesday state of Massachusetts. She's in Springfield, Massachusetts.

And, of course, as we were just talking about before the break, Barack Obama. He is in Washington, D.C. at American University. He is going to have a couple of people with a very, very famous name in politics. And that name is Kennedy. They're going to be there with them momentarily. And I want to bring back our Suzanne Malveaux who is there covering this endorsement.

And, Suzanne, I know we've been talking about the Kennedy endorsement and about what that means for the Obama campaign, but there was another endorsement that Senator Obama got this morning. Somebody not necessarily directly in politics, but somebody with perhaps a lot of influence.

SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN CORRESPONDENT: You're absolutely right, Dana. It's the renowned author Toni Morrison who is going to endorse Barack Obama. She actually sent him a letter, very poetic, explaining her reasons why, saying it wasn't about race, it wasn't about gender but what she sees as genius in Barack Obama. Someone who has creativity, as well as intelligence. She said it all comes together to bring together a character. Someone who has wisdom beyond age, beyond experience, beyond years.

A really big win for Barack Obama. She's very influential. But the irony of all of this is that she is the one who coined the phrase in her essay in "The New York" about 10 years ago calling President Clinton the first black president. Now a lot of people have embraced that notion, that idea, because of the Clinton's policies have been largely good to the African-American community, because of his affinity, his relationships, very warm within the black community.

But Morrison's quote, even though it has been embraced by many people, somewhat taken kind of out of context because when she actually wrote that she was also comparing the parallels with some of the bad behavior and some of the poor conditions that she describes that some African-American men face. So, nevertheless, it is ironic, if you will, that she is endorsing Barack Obama as the real -- perhaps the real first black president.

Dana.

BASH: Well, Suzanne, as we wait for Barack Obama to start there and what is already, as we can hear, a very boisterous setting there for Barack Obama and Senator Kennedy, we want to talk about another -- a very important player in the Democratic race for president, and that is former North Carolina Senator John Edwards. Barack Obama, obviously, had a very, very big win over the weekend when he basically had a rout in South Carolina where he came in a very resounding first place in that important primary in South Carolina.

John Edwards, to his disappointment came in third. A distant third. He only got about two out of 10 Democratic votes in that state. The state where he was born in, South Carolina.

Now, after he left South Carolina, he is continuing to press on. He insists he is not giving up on the issue that he has been talking about, first and foremost, the issue of poverty. And he actually continued yesterday in Georgia. We want to bring you a little bit of what he was telling voters at that rally there.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOHN EDWARDS, (D) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I'm about doing the things that need to be done to improve your lives, dealing with health care, jobs, the local economy, the things that need to be done to improve your lives and your children's lives and your grandchildren's lives. And one of the things that I've been watching from the other two candidates, Senator Clinton and Senator Obama, is a lot of time being spent tearing each other down. I'm not about tearing any politician down, I'm about building you up.

What about our schools? You know? We got that mess called No Child Left Behind. It's leaving millions of children behind every single day. I can tell you no child has ever learned anything from filling out a bubble on a cheap, standardized test.

It is time we treat our teachers with the dignity and respect that they're entitled to. Our teachers should be central to the evaluation of how kids are doing. We shouldn't be measuring just one class against another. Each individual student ought to be measured from the beginning of the year to the end of the year with the teacher integral to that process.

And when we find a school that's struggling, the last thing we should do is take their money away from them. Instead, we ought to give them the expertise and the help that they desperately need.

We ought to have universal Pre-k for every four-year-old in America. Every four-year-old ought to be in a Pre-k program. We ought to get bonus pay, up to $15,000 a year, on top of base pay, to teachers who are teaching in rural areas, in more difficult places to teach. And I want to say this. I know this is not politically correct, but I say it everywhere because I believe it. We got to stop believing that it's OK for parents to just drop their kids off at school and assumes the school is going to take care of everything. We have a responsibility as parents to teach our children, to support them. You can't just count on the school system taking care of everything.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BASH: That's former North Carolina Senator John Edwards speaking over the weekend in Dublin, Georgia. As you can hear, he is still pressing on with his campaign, pushing through to February 5th where about two dozen states will vote. That despite his disappointing finish over the weekend in South Carolina's primary.

Now, what we do here on "Ballot Bowl," as we said, is try to let you experience what we as political reporters experience on the campaign trail. The first priority here is to show you these candidates in their own words, live. But another thing that we experience is sometimes candidates running late. So you, the viewers, are getting to experience that along with us today as we wait for two of the key players in the Democratic race who are going to speak momentarily.

Hillary Clinton, we are still waiting for her in Springfield, Massachusetts. And, of course, Barack Obama, his rally in Washington, D.C., where he is going to pick up an endorsement, a couple of endorsements from members of Congress with the name Kennedy.

Stay with us. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BASH: Welcome back to CNN's "Ballot Bowl '08." I'm Dana Bash in Orlando, Florida.

I am at the site of a John McCain rally. We are expecting to hear from him in just a few minutes. You can probably hear behind me, some of his supporters are warming up the crowd here in an airport hangar.

As I mentioned before, most of these candidates here in Florida, because the state is so big and they're trying to reach as many voters as they can on this last day of campaigning before tomorrow's primary, they're just flying around from media market to media market in order to get in the local news and, as I said, to reach as many voters as possible. I am here in Orlando. And we expect Senator McCain to be here momentarily.

Now another Republican candidate, who is on the ballot, who is running -- has been running for the nomination here in the state of Florida is former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee. He is actually not spending most of the day here in Florida. He is in the state of Tennessee. One of the reasons is because he understands that he probably is not likely to do very well here in Florida, so he's already looking ahead to the Super Tuesday states, the southern states that he thinks that he can do well in. That is why he is in Tennessee as we speak.

But he was here over the weekend. You see him playing the guitar, as he is want to do at some of his events to try to show that he's a different kind of Republican. Another thing that makes him unique from the rest of the pack on the Republican side is his support for what is called a fair tax. A plan to completely abolish the IRS. And that was what he was talking to voters about yesterday in Jacksonville, Florida.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MIKE HUCKABEE, (R) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: All across the country, when people hear about the fair tax, they're smart enough to understand that there's a reason why Congress is reluctant to pass the fair tax. Because it would empower ordinary Americans, rather than empower Congress. It would give you a chance to direct where your money goes, rather than having somebody in Washington, D.C. figure that out for you.

But what would happen, just think about and imagine the incredible consequences of seeing $12 trillion of U.S. capital that's currently parked off shore, not doing one thing to help the American economy, imagine what would happen if that $12 trillion came back to the United States and helped to bring jobs to America that we've lost to China. One way to do that is to make the fair tax a reality in the United States of America. And I pledge to help make that happen.

My involvement in the fair tax started when I was first launching my campaign. And as I was going through Iowa, I kept running into people and they'd say, are you for the fair tax? And I'd say, well I don't think taxes ought to be fair, sure. And I'd say, I like a flat tax. I thing that would be a much better proposal than what we have.

And they said, well, what about the fair tax? And I kept saying -- well, I mean I thing a flat tax would be more fair than what we have. And finally somebody put the book by Congressman John Linder and Neal Boortz in my hand and they said, no, this is the fair tax.

And I read it. And it made so much sense, I said nobody from Washington could have had anything to do with this. This is really common sense. And I read the book a second time. And by then I said, this is not only the flat tax, but this tax -- this approach to the economy is fair, it's flat, it's finite and it's family friendly. It does not penalize people for getting married and raising their own kids and believing that mothers and fathers raise better kids than governments do.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BASH: That's Mike Huckabee speaking yesterday here in Florida, in Jacksonville, Florida, as you heard about his plan to abolish the IRS if he were to become president.

Now as we watch the very intense campaign and race here, the Republican race in the state of Florida, again one day ahead of this primary in the sunshine state, we want to bring you just a little bit of flavor from the campaign trail as we've been getting it on our Blackberries and we've been listening to our embedded producers who are with these campaigns.

Mitt Romney and John McCain, as we reported earlier in the hour, have already been at it on a host of issues, trying to make the case in this neck and neck race between the two of them, to Florida Republicans that they should be the nominee. Well, Mitt Romney just made clear on the campaign trail to reporters that he would not be John McCain's -- he didn't want to be John McCain's vice presidential running mate or vice versa. Something that you don't normally hear men talk about when they're trying to run for the top slot, of course, of president.

But here's what Mitt Romney said. He said, I understand the economy and I'm not going to be any vice president to John McCain either. He said, that's not going to happen. He indicated that he wants a vice president who understands the economy. So that has really been one of Mitt Romney's from his perspective, one of his harshest attacks on John McCain. One that he thinks is going to help him get the nomination at a time where the dynamic is such that the economy is really a dominant issue. Mitt Romney, of course, saying over and over that he has private sector experience and that he is the best to deal with the economy, really impugning John McCain's experience on the economy.

On the other side, John McCain says that he has plenty of experience on the economy from his time as chairman on the Senate Commerce Committee and he says he was part of the Reagan Revolution. So that is part of the back and forth between these two here in the Republican race in Florida.

We are still monitoring big news in the Democratic race up north in Washington, D.C. Barack Obama is, I believe, getting on the stage. And we are going to hear from him. Don't go away. You don't want to miss this. We're going to give it to you right after the break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BASH: Welcome back to CNN's "Ballot Bowl '08." I'm Dana Bash in Orlando, Florida. Florida is the site of a big primary tomorrow. Fifty-seven delegates at stake for the Republicans.

But what you are seeing on the stage right now is going on in Washington, D.C. on the Democratic side. You see there, Senator Barack Obama next to Caroline Kennedy and her uncle, Senator Ted Kennedy -- Edward, Ed, Kennedy. And his son, Patrick Kennedy, the congressman from Rhode Island, is speaking. This is a very Kennedy event. And this is the whole point of what Senator Obama is obviously trying to do to prove that he has an icon of a family now behind him in his presidential race.

And there also covering this event is our own Suzanne Malveaux. And as we wait for Senator Kennedy to take the stage or to take the microphone, I want to bring in Suzanne.

Suzanne, the fact that they have this trifecta, if you will, of Kennedys here is certainly impressive. But the big question with all of these endorsements, whether the name is Kennedy or anything else is, how much it really, really matters to voters.

MALVEAUX: Well, certainly. And, Dana, this is really all about influence and momentum here. How can they really build this going into Super Tuesday. The big question, absolutely, whether or not these endorsements will really change people's minds.

But what you're seeing here is really kind of a groundswell of attention, a groundswell of enthusiasm and really a different kind of coalition that is being formed. Here are the reasons people are endorsing him. It's because, as Senator Ted Kennedy said earlier today when he released his statement. He said, he simply inspires me. We hear from Caroline Kennedy, as well as Patrick Kennedy, and they talk about all the young people that he is bringing into the fold. New voters. And that is what you're hearing from people.

And that is what Barack Obama is counting on, bringing in those young voters, those new voters and raising those numbers. That is what we saw out of South Carolina, record-breaking, people showing out for these contests, for these votes. And that is what he's hoping for.

And it's a coalition of different kinds of people. We are seeing overwhelming majority of African-Americans who are participating in the process. We are seeing women. We are seeing young voters. There's no mistake that we are here on a college campus, American University. That is what they are trying to do, is to really get that groundswell of support from this different kind of coalition. A coalition that they hope will be the winning combination to win over the southern states, as well as those states on Super Tuesday.

Dana, let's listen in.

REP. PATRICK KENNEDY, (D) RHODE ISLAND: How great an honor it is for me to introduce my cousin, Caroline Kennedy. Whether it's her written works or her own service, there's no one who's understood more the power a leader can wield when they have the courage enough and are audacious enough to inspire change. It's now my honor to introduce a proven patriot, an inspiration in her own right, Caroline Kennedy.

CAROLINE KENNEDY, DAUGHTER OF PRESIDENT JOHN F. KENNEDY: Hello, everyone. Thank you. Thank you, Patrick, for such a nice introduction. Thank you, Patrick. And thank you all. And thank you for continuing our family's proud tradition of public service.

It's a special privilege for me to come to American University where President Kennedy made his immortal call for a world at peace. A world made safe for diversity. A world that cherishes our children's future.

Over the years, I've been deeply moved by the people who've told me that they wish they could feel inspired and hopeful about America the way they did when my father was president. This longing is even more profound today. Fortunately, there is one candidate who offers that same sense of hope and inspiration. And I am proud to endorse Senator Barack Obama for president of the United States.

I'm happy that my three children are here with me because they were the first people who made me realize that Barack Obama is the president we need. He is already inspiring all Americans, young and old, to believe in ourselves, tying that belief to our highest ideals. Ideals of hope, justice, opportunity and peace. And urging us to imagine that together we can do great things. Yes, we can.

My uncle, Teddy, feels the same way, and I am proud to stand with him today. For more than four decades in the Senate, Teddy has led the fight on the most important issues of our time, civil rights, social justice and economic opportunity. Workers, families, the elderly, the disabled, immigrants, men and women in uniform all have no stronger champion. He has stood with teachers, students and parents to improve our public schools and help with the high price of a college education.

And when it comes to fighting for quality, affordable health care, Teddy is in a league of his own. I know his brothers would be so proud of him. He is an inspiration to all the members of our family, always looking to the future, never the past, always hopeful, always believing that each of us is capable of our very, very best. You know him well, but I'm proud to introduce him now, Senator Edward Kennedy.

SEN. EDWARD KENNEDY, (D) MASSACHUSETTS: Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you, Caroline, for that wonderful introduction and for your courage and bold vision, for your insight and understanding and for the power and reach of your words.

Like you, we too want a president who appeals to the hopes of those who still believe in the American dream and those around the world who still believe in the American ideal and who can lift our spirits and make us believe again. Thank you, Caroline. Thank you, Caroline. Your mother and father would be so proud of you today.

Thank you, Patrick, for your leadership in Congress and for being here to celebrate and support a leader who truly has the power to inspire and make America good again from sea to shining sea.

Thank you, American University. Thank you, American University. I feel change in the air! What about you?

Every time I've been asked over the past year who I would support in the Democratic primary, my answer has always been the same, I'll support the candidate who inspires me, who inspires all of us, who can lift our vision and summon our hopes and renew our belief that our country's best days are still to come. I found that candidate and I think you have too.

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