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Florida's Presidential Primary; Vicious Snow and Ice Storm Paralyzes Much of Southern China

Aired January 29, 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: Will it end the campaign? A vicious snow and ice storm paralyzes much of southern China. Millions of people traveling for the Chinese New Year, now stranded.
And they're brimming with chemicals. Did the government downplay health risk to Katrina victims. Your questions about Fema trailers today, Tuesday, January 29th. You are in the CNN NEWSROOM.

First up this hour, sun, sand, surf and a potential springboard to the Republican nomination. Polling places are open in Florida for today's presidential primary. The state that decided the presidency in 2000 could have a big say in choosing the republican nominee today. John McCain, Mitt Romney are fighting to become the party's clear front-runner. They are facing a strong challenge from Mike Huckabee.

And this will be a critical day for Rudy Giuliani. He bet big on Florida. Even hinting he could drop out in he doesn't win. The democrats don't have any delegates at stake so they are focusing on the battleground states for super Tuesday, one week from today.

Let's get on the front lines today now of the GOP's fight for Florida. CNN's Dan Lothian, at a polling place in Orlando for us this morning. So Dan, are republican voters turning out?

DAN LOTHIAN, CNN, CORRESPONDENT: They really are. We moved up the road from where we were last hour. At this location just a lot of people pulling in here, jamming this parking lot as they go in to cast their votes. The polls here in Florida has been open for about three hours. And as you mentioned, it's really a competitive race that's driving a lot of people to the polls. Record voter turnout expected on this day here, on the republican primary certainly.

And the top of the ticket that contentious race between Governor Mitt Romney and Senator John McCain is what's been getting so much attention. Senator McCain going after Romney, saying that he's a flip-flopper on a lot of key issues. Governor Romney going after McCain on issues such as immigration and also comparing some of his policies to those of what he called liberal democrats.

Now, in St. Pete, Florida today on the campaign trail, Senator McCain was asked about this contentious fighting between the two top tier republican candidates. And he described it this way. He said, "it looks like it's just Sunday school picnic compared to the democrats."

Now, watching all of this is Rudy Giuliani. Of course, you know, Heidi, this was supposed to be his big day here in Florida. He's been spending so much time here. Passed up some of the early contests. He was hoping to do well here in Florida, to use this as the springboard to super Tuesday and beyond to gain the nomination. He pointed out that in order to get the nomination you have to win here in Florida. But now he is running in third place, at least according to the polls. But out on the campaign trail today on Miami Beach, he is still insisting that he's confident that he can pull off a win that he can win. He's been asked whether or not he will drop out if he doesn't do well, but he still thinks that he can win. He's planning to be out in California for the republican debate. But certainly all of that may change depending on what happens here today. Heidi.

COLLINS: Yes. Lots of questions I'm sure. I heard something about him sending something like $1 million a week in advertising there in Florida. We'll find out soon if that is going to be working for him. Dan Lothian from Orlando this morning. Thank you, Dan.

And in just a few minutes we are going to be hearing from Rudy Giuliani's campaign. Could a dismal showing today in Florida mean the end to his presidential bid? We're going to hear the answer coming up in just a few moments.

Meanwhile, democrats looking to super Tuesday. CNN's Jim Acosta is in Blackwood, New Jersey, this morning. He's at a Bill Clinton event schedule for this hour at Camden Community College. So, what are the Clintons focusing on as we head towards super Tuesday, Jim?

JIM ACOSTA, CNN, CORRESPONDENT: Heidi, they are focusing on the future if you can believe that. After what has happened in the last few days, you really can't blame them. Bill Clinton is coming to New Jersey because this is one of these big states on super Tuesday. Very important for Hillary Clinton. You know, it's only a week away now. And she needs a victory, a string of victories is what she's hoping for after what happened down in South Carolina.

The former president is coming here, as I mentioned, after a tough couple of days for her campaign. First came that loss in South Carolina. Some democrats have privately grumbled that a few of Mr. Clinton's negative attacks against Barack Obama actually backfired and damaged her campaign, prompting the likes of Senator Ted Kennedy to endorse her rival, Barack Obama yesterday, up in Massachusetts. So she telegraphed what may be a changing campaign tactic, taking her name off of Obama and putting it on the Bush administration, which is always a popular applause line for these revved up democratic crowds.

But as for those questions, where we see a little more Hill and a little less Bill that does not appear to be the case. If you just take a look at his schedule right now, he is heading next to, of all places, Barack Obama's home stayed of Illinois. After that he will head to Colorado, Oklahoma, New Mexico, all of these states, figuring very heavily on super Tuesday, which is essentially a national primary.

So, what we're going to see over the coming days is Bill and Hillary Clinton in separate planes, heading in separate directions to see how much ground they can cover between now and next Tuesday. Heidi.

COLLINS: It is fascinating. All right, CNN's Jim Acosta for us in New Jersey this morning. Thank you, Jim.

And all this week CNN is bringing you special coverage of the presidential candidates as they crisscross the country ahead of super Tuesday. Watch the CNN "Ballot Bowl" today at noon Eastern.

Well, the House is set to vote today on a $150 billion plan, to give the economy a shot in the arm. It includes rebates for many of you and tax breaks to businesses. Last night, in his state of the union address, President Bush called on Congress to take quick action.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PRES. GEORGE W. BUSH, UNITED STATES: The temptation will be to load up the bill. That will delay it or derail it, and either option is unacceptable. This is a good agreement that will keep our economy growing and our people working and this Congress must pass it as soon as possible.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COLLINS: The Senate that takes up its own version of the stimulus package tomorrow with changes and add-ons. And that could put senator on a collision course with the President.

Developing overseas this hour, more killing in Kenya. An angry response to the deaths of an opposition party lawmaker. Men taking to the streets with machetes, burning at least one body in the middle of the road. Police are trying to restore order. Army helicopters firing rubber bullets into the crowds. This is just the latest escalation of violence in Kenya. The Red Cross says more than 800 people have been killed since the disputed election in late December. More than 200,000 people forced from their homes in the tribal fighting.

Former U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan is in Kenya right now trying to get government and opposition leaders to reconcile their differences. Our CNN international correspondent Nic Robertson is on the ground watching these developments. We will hear from him coming up live this morning right here in the NEWSROOM

Digging out from ice and snow. The scene playing out much of the west this morning. Parts of Colorado got as much as two feet of snow. Several mountain passes and parts of interstate 70 shut down last night. Drivers were warned of blizzard-like conditions. In Utah, hundreds of wrecks and at least one death. Parts of interstate 84 shut down near the Idaho line. Heavy snow in northern Idaho damaged the roof of several businesses. More snow expected there and Washington state. Many roads still unpassable. Saw a record 13.7 inches of snow.

California getting ready for more wet weather Wednesday. Flooding and minor mudslides call it a week of rain and snowfall. The Midwest is feeling the freeze. Meteorologist Rob Marciano is live in the severe weather center. Boy, seriously this time I don't know of any weather you don't have to talk about.

ROB MARCIANO, CNN, METEOROLOGIST: I think you're right. We have just about everything, including rain in the desert. We want to show you that, Heidi. Arizona, rain enough to make it flood in places near the Phoenix area, but around a little -- the little Colorado River, we had some flooding there. We also had some issues around the Blue river and around the Santa Catalina mountain.

Across the state, it doesn't take much. You see how sunny it is there. You know, they got half an inch of rain in a few hours and that's where it all just comes crawling apart. But today, they should be OK. I think south, L.A. south should be all right. San Francisco north, another punch of pacific moisture is coming your way turning the snow to higher elevations. We had a rare snow across Portland and south towards Eugene. Still snow advisory out today. You could see snow mixing in all the way to the valley of Florida. But I think most of the snow will be up in over 1,000 feet.

All right. Here's your storm that came through California. The Rocky mountains pretty much shut down i-70. Much of the Rockies with two or three feet of snow falling at not even the highest elevations. Now, we're going to have extreme fire danger. Behind this front is dry. Fast winds come across Texas, Oklahoma. Could see some tornadoes pop. If not that, just damaging straight line winds with some hail. And at the back side of this system, we will see blizzard conditions.

Now, there's not a tremendous amount of moisture, at least snow with this but there's a tremendous amount of cold there. Currently it's 46 in Chicago. Meanwhile, 6 in Minneapolis, minus 10 in Fargo. So, you've got, what, 50 plus degree swing from those two cities. That doesn't include the wind chill. You get the wind chill in there, I mean, it's just frightening. Minus 25 is what it feels like in Sioux Falls and minus 50 plus in Regina.

Here's your little sliver of moisture that's heading across the plains. So, maybe a couple inches of snow but it will be the blowing snow and that deadly wind-chill that will be the main concern. Now, these storms across the Tennessee Valley are beginning to get active. You can see some severe thunderstorm watches posted for the south. So, you're right, Heidi, I can't think of anything we haven't mentioned, besides a hurricane, which we can wait a few months for that.

COLLINS: Yes. let's not talk about it. All right, Rob, thank you.

MARCIANO: See you.

COLLINS: A cashier, one's up is a robber. He walks out during a stick-up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COLLINS: The last hour we heard from Mitt Romney's campaign. Right now the presidential bid of Rudy Giuliani. Susan Molinari is a senior adviser for the Giuliani campaign. She is also a former congresswoman. Thanks for being on the NEWSROOM today. Susan, we appreciate it.

SUSAN MOLINARI, SENIOR ADVISER, GIULIANI CAMPAIGN: Delighted to be here.

COLLINS: I'm sure you are taking questions about the intentions of Rudy Giuliani at this point. We know that Florida has been a place where he has pretty much put all his marbles, if you will. I mean, he has skipped Iowa, Wyoming, New Hampshire, Michigan, Nevada, South Carolina. What do you say to the people who says, geez, does he really want to be president?

MOLINARI: You know what he was a guy that looked and you know, we're not a self-funded campaign like Mitt Romney's. We had to look at all 50 states. Super Tuesday states coming up which you know are very expensive to campaign in. New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Illinois, California, Missouri -- all states that we've been working. But Rudy really believes that Florida was the place where his message of low taxes, cutting taxes, the largest tax increase in American history to turn our economy around, going on the war, going on the offense on the war on terror, the national catastrophe fund, the only candidate to support it. Rudy really believes that who he is, his leadership will be in thorough sync with the voters of Florida. And we already had a million people who voted before the polls opened today. We think the overwhelming majority of those people are ours. And we believe tat the rest of the voters are going to prove the pundits wrong and they're going to support Rudy Giuliani today.

COLLINS: If you had to work at this strategy all over again, would things be done differently?

MOLINARI: You know, I don't see how it could be. You know, I'm such - I believe so strongly in this man that I would have put it him in play in many more of these states because I believe his message of leadership and integrity and courage and you know taking America to where it needs to be, like he did New York City when everyone said it couldn't be done. I think resonates in so many states.

But again, there's, for all candidates, there's a limited amount of resources that we have in order to spread the message and get the message across. So, you know, Florida is the place where we are banking that we're going to win today. And then we have a week to go into super Tuesday states where we feel very confident that we will rack up the delegate count.

COLLINS: Well, you know what we're going to ask next. We have heard him say many times and most recently I believe it was over the weekend, possibly even yesterday. He said himself, Rudy Giuliani, saying that whoever wins Florida is going to get the nomination. If he does not win Florida, what happens next?

MOLINARI: You know what, when you're running a campaign of this intensity you just look at the state that's in front of you. I've been traveling with the mayor for the last several days. My husband was traveling with him the week before. The crowds were in the thousands. The people are very psyched. There's an intensity there that belies it.

Florida is very important to all three republican front-runners right now. Cindy McCain said ostensibly saying the same thing, they needed to win Florida to stay in the game. So, it is just that Florida is such an important state, giving whomever wins the momentum, sort of the wind at their back going into super-duper Tuesday. And I believe that's going to be us.

COLLINS: How do we know that Rudy Giuliani has spent about a million dollars in advertising dollars a week in Florida. Are you surprised or do you see it as a problem that those polling numbers are a little bit higher because of all that money spent?

MOLINARI: You know what, I think the polling numbers are very much a reflection of, you know, what the headlines are in the newspapers, what the pundits are saying so that when people get the call, we see these in polls, you know, but certainly in this campaign but, you know, with the democrats, but in other campaigns where people say in response to a poll what they think the questioner wants to hear.

And so, we'd like it to be the other way around. But you know what, again, based on what we've seen with a million in the bank, the majority of which we think are going to be Giuliani voters. You know, ten hours left to go. The only poll that counts at the end of the day is the ones who vote and the people here in Florida. I believe understand Rudy Giuliani, understands him best and wants to take this country and Florida in the direction they want to go.

COLLINS: Well, based on what some voters have seen so far in this campaign, they might be looking to him for vice-presidential nomination.

MOLINARI: You know what, I think, you know, Rudy is the ultimate leader for this country, so I imagine that President Giuliani sounds better than Vice-President Giuliani. And he really is the only guy that's got the qualification to deal with the two issues that are troubling the American public. You know, the international war on terror where Rudy says we're going to go on offense for as long as he's president. And he is the only one that turned the economy around like New York with great deficit, unemployment, large welfare, and brought it back to the city that it is today.

COLLINS: All right. And we will be watching. It is going to be very interesting indeed. Certainly appreciate your comments this morning, Susan Molinari with the Rudy Giuliani campaign.

MOLINARI: Thanks for having me.

COLLINS: Thank you.

Well, we have now heard from the Giuliani and Romney campaign, so next stop in the NEWSROOM, John McCain's camp. We'll have it for you coming up next hour.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) COLLINS: 10:20 Eastern time. Let's check out the big board. Dow Jones industrial averages up about 51 points, resting at 12,435. So, we are watching those numbers as well as many other numbers, including the possibility of another interest rate cut. The Fed meeting right now. We are going to learn about the results of that meeting tomorrow.

Meanwhile, they survived a natural disaster but are some Hurricane Katrina survivors now at risk from man-made dangers. We're keeping them honest and our Sean Callebs is here now with new information about the controversy over Fema trailers. This involved a little bit of a fight, if you will, between Fema and the CDC.

SEAN CALLEBS, CNN, CORRESPONDENT: Right. The allegation is Fema knew pretty much right after the storm, when they started putting trailers, with mobile homes and travel trailers, big difference, down in the gulf area. And people began moving in them. It became apparent very early on that there was a possibility of formaldehyde poisoning. Formaldehyde is an that is used to preserve wood. Now, Fema had an entity of the CDC called the agency for toxic substances and disease registry. Got all that? Do a study on the short-term effects of living there.

Because the concern was for Fema, look, people aren't going to be living in those trailers that long. We want to find out what they're exposed, what the dangers are and if we need to move people out of those trailers instantly. Now, what we're looking at now, however, a congressional subcommittee, the committee on science and technology, looked at the notes between Fema and the CDC. And what congressional investigators is worried about is that maybe Fema asked the CDC to whitewash or not do a long-term study on the long-term effects of living in the Fema trailers. Fema says look that's not the case. We're talking about apples and oranges but boy this is just going to ratchet up the heat on Fema.

And I think more than anything, Heidi, it's an example of how poorly prepared Fema was to provide help to that region. Everybody who lives there, it's been more than two years now, knew that the big one would put tens of thousands of people out of their homes. So, what was the answer?

COLLINS: Yes. Well, I wonder because I'm not sure I understand the difference between these travel trailers and the actual Fema trailers that we had heard so much about that we had so many of them just sitting around and nobody was really moving into them.

CALLEBS: That's a great point. Because the travel trailer is a thing you've seen people hook up to the back of their truck and take to the lake for a couple of days. People aren't supposed to live in those for 18 months. It's not supposed to happen. So, what you had whole families living in just a few hundred square feet. They are looking at them now. Can you imagine a whole family living in that? So, what happens to them. The floor buckles. You expose the plywood to people living in there. And what does the agency use to preserve the plywood? Formaldehyde. Also, the roof is supposed to be caulked periodically. People didn't get a whole lot of advice when they got the Fema trailer. Here's the best way to take care of the trailer. So that's what we're looking at.

COLLINS: Wow. That's a heck of a story. We will continue to follow that one alongside you. Sean Callebs for us this morning. Thanks, Sean.

I want to take a moment to look at some of the most clicked on videos on cnn.com this morning. A father is sentenced to four years in prison for using a high-voltage stun gun on his 18-month-old boy. Prosecutor says the man wanted to make the child tough. The boy is now 2 and he is fine.

A pair of securities trader is out of jail. Jerome Kerviel still faces charges on a $7 billion loss at a French bank.

And how about being paid to study? Students at two Atlanta area school will be paid to attend tutoring sessions. Sounds pretty good. To see all the most-watched stories go to cnn.com. and while you're there don't forget to download the CNN daily podcast. Just go to cnn.com and click on podcast.

A storm emergency. Winter paralyzes southern China today. Millions of frustrated travelers stranded. See the scene for yourself, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COLLINS: Good morning once again, everybody. It's 10:30 Eastern time now. Welcome to the CNN NEWSROOM. Developing this hour, winter wallop in China, the worst in half a century. Dozens f people are dead. Thousands are stranded before the start of the Chinese New Year. We want to get the very latest now from CNN's Hugh Riminton by phone in Guangzhou, China. Hugh, good morning to you.

VOICE OF HUGH RIMINTON, CNN, CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Heidi. I'm standing in a shelter with 50,000 people. It's late at night now. It is pouring with rain outside. It's very bleak and miserable. This shelter one of 13 in this city alone as the south of China, and the central area groan under the strain of millions of people trying to travel for the Chinese New Year have been caught up in a terrible winter snowstorm that has swept out. It's the worst storm on record in many areas. Certainly in the years of modern recording technique. The snowfall, the temperatures have all been extremely severe. It made the scenes with up to half a million people fighting crowd at the train stations with no trains coming to pick them up. There are desperate scenes have been seen here over the last few hours. Heidi.

COLLINS: Wow. Again, it's unbelievable that we're looking at some of these pictures right now. Hugh, what type of warning, what type of forecasting was done? It seems like everyone was absolutely caught by surprise.

RIMINTON: I think the weather has been much more severe than anyone could reasonably have expected. And this really creates problems for the Chinese government because there are a lot of things that are essentially been caused by this storm. The most obvious visible storm is the fact that this enormous movement that happens every year of Chinese workers trying to get home for their one real holiday of the year, the Chinese New Year holiday, has been frustrated in being able to do that but also had to ration coal. People are cold but they can burn the coal that keeps them warm. Food is not getting through to many of the cities so that food, it's not much as a starvation issue but it's just the prices are going through the roof. And that has led the Chinese premier to issue an almost unprecedented apology to his own people.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

WEN JIABAD, CHINESE PREMIER (through translator): through translator: I apologize to you all. We are currently trying our best to repair the system.

First, we'll fix the electric grid after that's fixed, the trains will run again. You don't need a lot of time, and then all of you can go home for Chinese New Year.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

RIMINTON: Now, they know, Heidi, that it is just the fear of some sort of trigger that might get people active, moving en masse on things that might be annoying them, the sorts of irritations that kind of exists and their often suppressed in a place like China , suddenly getting some sort of voice and energy out of a crisis like this. That's why they're being very attentive, to try to sort it out as quickly as they can, setting up shelters like the one I'm standing in across Southern China -- Heidi.

COLLINS: Wow. Hugh, is there any indication, does anyone have an idea where you are, when the weather might improve?

RIMINTON: Well, really, in the end it's just weather dependent. That's the real critical thing, and the weather forecasts are not good over the next few days. The real China New Year rush really starts this weekend, coming up. So there's still going to be a critical issue there of trying to convince people not to travel so that they don't get disappointed, so they're not stuck out in the freezing cold and in the rain frustrated and angry, trampling people as we've seen in some of these situations, where riot police have been deployed.

Beyond that, there is obviously some major infrastructure work that needs to be sorted out so that rail systems don't break down when you have snowstorms, but that's a longer term thing, certainly, Heidi. The first thing they're going to want to get through is the next few days.

COLLINS: Absolutely. All right, CNN's Hugh Riminton, reporting for us from us from Guangzhou, China. Thank you, Hugh.

(NEWSBREAK)

COLLINS: Looking past Florida now, Super Tuesday on the horizon. One state possibly playing the biggest role in sorting out the Republican race.

CNN's senior political analyst Bill Schneider is part of the best political team on television.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

WILLIAM SCHNEIDER, CNN SR. POL. ANALYST (voice-over): California is all set to play a political role the state hasn't played in years -- kingmaker. Two weeks ago the Republican race was up in the air in California. Now two candidates have made significant gains. John McCain's support has nearly doubled, giving him a solid lead in the Golden State. And Mitt Romney has picked up 10 points, putting him in second place. Mccain has a big lead among moderate Republicans.

ALLAN HOFFENBLUM, POLITICAL CONSULTANT: He's doing very well with those Republicans, for example, who had no trouble voting for Arnold Schwarzenegger, and, you know, Schwarzenegger has always been able to get a majority of the Republican vote.

SCHNEIDER: That's important because only registered Republicans can vote in California's Republican primary. The state party bars registered Independents from its primary.

SEN. JOHN MCCAIN (R), PRES. CANDIDATE: I'm confident that I can get the majority of our conservative base. And the fact that we've got a lot of independent votes would also, I hope, motivate some of our conservatives to believe that I'm the best qualified to win the general election.

SCHNEIDER: Right now McCain and Romney are running neck and neck among conservatives in California. The system for winning delegates in California right actually help Romney.

HOFFENBLUM: Whichever candidate gets a plurality, a plurality in each of the 53 congressional districts gets three delegates. It makes no difference if (INAUDIBLE) Nancy Pelosi's congressional district that has 30,000 Republicans, or you have an Orange County congressional district that has 300,000.

SCHNEIDER: It's 53 separate Republican primaries with a prize of three delegates in each. Romney may be the only Republican with the resources to run a campaign in all of them.

(on camera): Among Californian Republicans, Romney is rated slightly ahead of McCain on handling the economy. McCain has a solid lead on national security. And here's the surprise: Among Republicans in California, a border state, McCain is rated better than Romney on illegal immigration.

Bill Schneider, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COLLINS: Beginning tomorrow night the candidates face off in the California debate, the last debate before Super Tuesday. Wednesday, it's the Republicans. Thursday, the Democrats. You can see both here, Wednesday and Thursday night at 8:00 p.m. Eastern, only on CNN, your home for politics. All this week CNN is bringing you special coverage of the presidential candidates as they crisscross the country ahead of Super Tuesday. You can watch the CNN Ballot Bowl today at noon Eastern.

The battle for big-name endorsements.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MCCAIN: Now that Sylvester Stallone has endorsed me I'm sending him over to take care of Chuck Norris right away.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COLLINS: High stakes in the presidential race.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COLLINS: Iraq, important to Florida voters today, but do the Republican primaries really really disagree about the war?

CNN's Brian Todd explains.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In a razor's edge race in Florida, John McCain and Mitt Romney counterpunch on Iraq. A comment from Romney in an interview with ABC's "Good Morning America" last April now getting picked apart.

The question -- do you believe there should be a timetable to put U.S. troops out?

ROMNEY: The president and Prime Minister Al-Maliki have to have a series of timetables and milestones that they speak about. But those shouldn't be for public pronouncement. You want to have a series of things you want to see accomplished in terms of the strength of the Iraqi military and the Iraqi police and the leadership of the Iraqi government.

TODD: For McCain, that means one thing.

MCCAIN: Governor Romney wanted to set a date for withdrawal, similar to what the Democrats are seeking, which would have led to a victory by Al Qaeda, in my view.

TODD: Romney calls that misleading and dishonest.

ROMNEY: Those are the same kind of timetables we're dealing with right now. For instance, they're bringing our troop strength down by July, we bring down by give brigades. Timetables and milestones are what, of course, you have, as you manage a particular setting. But I've never said that we should have a date certain to withdraw. He knows it.

TODD: There doesn't seem to be much daylight between them on how to move forward. Both candidates have spoken about political and security benchmarks for the Iraqis to reach. Both say they don't tie those to troop withdrawals.

(on camera): Both candidates favor maintaining a U.S. troop presence in Iraq, although not necessarily at the current levels. McCain has talked about the possibility of a lengthy commitment, like in Germany or Japan.

(voice-over): Romney believes that should be determined by consulting commanders on the ground.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think McCain has this vision of staying there for a very, very long time that's a little bit different from Romney's. Romney has never embraced the idea that the war was a good idea, in retrospect, knowing what we know now.

TODD: On the troop surge in Iraq, McCain favored that long before it was even proposed and took heat for it. Romney's supported the surge when it was announced, but just a few weeks before that when asked in an interview with the publication "Human Events" if he favored sending in more troops, he said, "I'm not going to weigh in. I'm still a governor."

Brian Todd, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COLLINS: For more on the presidential candidates and their next stops go to CNNpolitics.com. It's your one-stop shop for all things political.

(BUSINESS HEADLINES)

COLLINS: Everybody in the pool! The endorsement pool that is.

Here now CNN's Jeanne Moos.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

JEANNE MOOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Ted Kennedy may have been...

(VIDEO CLIP)

MOOS: ...delivered to the Obama camp. This isn't the campiest endorsement.

How about actress Scarlett Johansson joking she's engaged to Obama, when asked about her real boyfriend?

Or a fashion designer like Kimora Lee Simmons, better known for how she dresses...

(VIDEO CLIP)

MOOS: And for addressing political issues, endorsing Hillary Clinton.

There's Kevin Bacon trying to bring home the bacon for John Edwards...

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KEVIN BACON (SINGING): I'm coming loose.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MOOS: Talk about footloose.

Performer John Mayer seemed loose all over, arguing with actor Justin Long about Mayer's favorite candidate, Ron Paul.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Ron Paul. I'm talking about Ron Paul.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Not Ru Paul. Ron Paul.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MOOS: Ru Paul's only platform is the kind you wear on your feet. Of course, there was Oprah's endorsement of Barack Obama and his payback campaign promise delivered on Letterman.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM "THE LATE SHOW WITH DAVID LETTERMAN," COURTESY WORLDWIDE PANTS INC.)

OBAMA: Three words Vice President Oprah.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MOOS: Of course, the campiest endorsements of them all pitted Rambo against Chuck Norris. Chuck is for Huck. But when Norris suggested McCain is so old, he could die in office...

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHUCK NORRIS: I'm just afraid that the vice president will wind up taking over.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MOOS: ...McCain called in reinforcements.

MCCAIN: Now that Sylvester Stallone has endorsed me, I'm sending him over to take care of Chuck Norris right away.

MOOS: Sort of the opposite of Rambo's is Tony Morrison's endorsement. The African-American writer, who first called Bill Clinton America's first black president, has now endorsed the guy who really would be the first black president if he won.

There are those who proudly opt for the anti-endorsement. Rudy put out this Web ad.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM RUDOLPH GIULIANI FOR PRESIDENT CAMPAIGN AD)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Rudy Giuliani is not endorsed by "The Tampa Tribune". He's not endorsed by the liberal newspapers.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MOOS (on camera): And then there's the endorsement from beyond the grave.

You know how the Republicans are always invoking Ronald Reagan?

(voice-over): Well, guess who the Kennedy clan endlessly invoked?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: President Kennedy.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: President Kennedy.

SEN. TED KENNEDY (D), MASSACHUSETTS: And John Kennedy...

OBAMA: In the days of John and Robert Kennedy...

CAROLINE KENNEDY: When my father was president...

REP. PATRICK KENNEDY (D), RHODE ISLAND: As we had with my uncle...

OBAMA: Portraits of John and Robert...

MOOS: Cross-dressing is one thing, but all this cross endorsing keeps up, cartoonist Jeff Danziger may turn out to be prophetic with his "Monica Endorses Obama".

Jeanne Moos, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

COLLINS: A cashier one-ups a robber. He walks out during a stickup.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hand it over. Hand it over. Back up. Back up. Back the (EXPLETIVE DELETED) up. I'm not going to (EXPLETIVE DELETED). Back up. Back up!

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COLLINS: The Uncooperative clerk, in the NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COLLINS: A new arrest warrant for a marine accused of murder. This one from Mexican officials. A cousin of fugitive marine corporal, Cesar Laurean, says he saw him near Guadalajara, Mexico earlier this month. His whereabouts right now, are not known. Laurean is wanted for the murder of pregnant marine, Maria Lauterbach. Her body was found buried behind Laurean's home in North Carolina. The arrest warrant means Mexican authorities are now authorized to follow leads and attempt to apprehend Laurean.

Authorities in Miami say it was a miracle no one else was hurt. A cab fell at least 30 feet from an overpass on to a highway during rush hour. The cab driver survived and was taken to a hospital. Officers described what happened.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LIEUTENANT IGNATIUS CARROLL, MIAMI FIRE RESCUE: According to witnesses, loses control and basically pinballs on the expressway, knocking him from guardrail to guardrail.

OFC. PAT SANTANGELO, FLORIDA HIGHWAY PATROL: The speed was too fast for that particular ramp. I've seen several crashes in this exact location. Sometimes they turn out like this and sometimes they turn out fatal.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COLLINS: The officer said the driver's life was probably saved because the cab landed on its wheels. But the driver's luck may have run out. He faces a reckless driving charge. It is his 33rd citation since 1995.

Call him brave or maybe something else. A store clerk confronted by an armed robber. What the clerk did may surprise you. John Vorsa (ph) of affiliate WKVW has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOHN VORSA, WKVW REPORTER: It happens in an instant. A man walks into the 7-Eleven store on Sheridan Drive and purchases a scratch-off lotto ticket. As soon as the cash register door opens --

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Open it up. Open it up. Open it up. Open it up.

VORSA: -- the armed man immediately demands cash and displays a weapon, a small handgun.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hand it over. Hand it over. Back up. Back up. (EXPLETIVE DELETED). Back up. Back the (EXPLETIVE DELETED) up. Back up. (EXPLETIVE DELETED). Back up. (EXPLETIVE DELETED). Right now. Pull it out, right now. Pull it out.

VORSA: But the store clerk is not cooperating. In fact, he's doing the opposite. Fighting with the gunman, refusing to hand over any cash.

LT. NICHOLAS BADO, TONAWANDA, N.Y. POLICE: I wouldn't exactly call it a fight but he made it a little more difficult for our would- be robber here to get away with what he was looking for.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Pull it out right now. VORSA: Despite repeated threats to his life, the store clerk continues to give the suspect a hard time. At one point, he closes the cash register drawer and walks out of the store, leaving the suspect to fend for himself.

BADO: The clerk tried closing the door, walking away from the area. A lot of things I wouldn't recommend most of the time.

VORSA: Eventually, the suspect rips the (INAUDIBLE) right from under the counter and leaves with half the cash register under his arm. The take, just $50.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COLLINS: No one was hurt. It is the second armed robbery, though, in the town in a week. Police are looking for any possible links.

Florida's Cuban-Americans long a stronghold for Republicans. But they may be losing their grip. CNN's John Zarrella has the story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOHN ZARRELLA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: In Miami's little Havana, the cup was always filled with Republican votes. But for some, it doesn't taste quite as good as it used to.

LOURDES DIAZ, CUBAN AMERICAN DEMOCRAT: We have been made a lot of promises by Republican party. They come here, they say, you know --

(SPEAKING SPANISH)

-- down with Fidel Castro, and then they ignore us.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: These Democrats that are out there, hiding because they don't want to come out. We need to bring them out.

ZARRELLA: At a Democratic Hispanic caucus of Florida meeting, they talk of getting out the vote. The simple fact, there's a meeting at all says a lot. Cuban-Americans blamed President Kennedy and the Democrats for the failure nearly 50 years ago of the Bay of Pigs invasion aimed at overthrowing Castro. Ever since, they have voted overwhelmingly Republican.

That was re-enforced when Elian Gonzalez was sent back to Cuba during Bill Clinton's presidency. If you are a Cuban-American it was sacrilege to be anything but. Millie Herrera says in the past, she was harassed for daring to be different.

MILLIE HERRERA, DEM. HISPANIC CAUCUS OF FLA.: I will not see ground to anybody. I will not accept anybody to tell me that I am less patriotic or less beloved -- beloving of Cuban-Americans and Cuban freedom just because I'm a Democrat.

ZARRELLA: The Cuban-American National Foundation, a rock solid ally of the Republican party, since the Reagan era, is no longer handing out automatic support.

FRANCISCO "PEPE" HERNANDEZ, CUBAN AMERICAN NATL. FDN.: Our community has been changing. Our outlook toward the Republican party because of the failure of these this administration to really provide some of the promises.

ZARRELLA: For decades, nearly every Republican candidate and president played to the audience, vowing to bring a free Cuba and for good reason. Census figures show 1.5 million Hispanic voters in Florida -- 36 percent of them, 540,000, are Cuban-American. The majority are registered Republicans and political observers say they'll probably stick with the GOP in the general election.

But Democrats sense an opening. Bottom line, if the Republican nominee wants that cup filled with votes again, he may, for the first time in 50 years, have to work for them.

John Zarrella, CNN, Miami.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COLLINS: Good morning, everybody. You're with CNN.

Hi there, I'm Heidi Collins. Developments keep coming in to the CNN NEWSROOM on Tuesday, the 29th of January.

Here's what's on the rundown.

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