Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Newsroom

Republicans Counting on Florida; Anger Boils Over in Kenya

Aired January 29, 2008 - 11:00   ET

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

HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning, everybody. 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.

Republicans counting on Florida. Will the state propel a candidate to front-runner status? Voting under way right now.

Mobs with machetes. Kenya falls into a new round of bloodletting. Our Nic Robertson live from Africa.

Health care reform in a war zone? Baghdad's best medical care ranks among the world's worst. Hospital hardships, in the NEWSROOM.

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 and Mitt Romney are fighting to become the party's clear front-runner. They're 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 if he doesn't win.

The Democrats don't have any delegates at stake in Florida, so they are focusing on the battleground states of Super Tuesday one week from today.

Let's get to the front lines now of the GOP's fight for Florida. CNN's Dan Lothian is at a polling place in Orlando.

So, Dan, how are things looking now?

DAN LOTHIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Heidi, we still see a steady stream of voters showing up here at this Presbyterian church, a polling place in Orlando, Florida. Not as many people as we saw sort of in the pre-work hours. Everyone would come and vote before they headed off to work. No doubt it will pick up as we see the lunchtime hour approaching. But they're expecting across the state to have very strong voter turnout, in particular because of that heated race you're talking about on the Republican side between Senator John McCain and Governor Mitt Romney. They really have been going at each other over the last couple of days leading up to the primary.

McCain pointing out that Romney is a flip-flopper on a lot of key issues. Romney pointing out that McCain, on some of his issues, are comparable to those of what he said were liberal Democrats.

Now, McCain, who was at a polling place in St. Pete with the governor of Florida this morning, was asked about this contentious battle between the two leading Republicans. And he described it this way -- he said, it looks like "a Sunday school picnic compared to the Democrats." But he also pointed out that he thought this all could be blamed on Mitt Romney.

Here's what he had to say about that.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. JOHN MCCAIN (R-AZ), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Governor Romney has attacked virtually all of us. Mayor Giuliani and I haven't attacked each other. Governor Huckabee and I haven't attacked each other. Fred Thompson and I didn't attacked each other. Ron Paul and I haven't attacked each other.

It's only been Governor Romney who decides to attack opponents when he thinks that they are moving up and succeeding. I mean, that's just the way he campaigns. It's just a matter of record.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LOTHIAN: Now, Romney would point out that he's just pointing out the facts when he is attacking Senator McCain.

As for Rudy Giuliani, this was supposed to be his special day in the Sunshine State. He had spent so much time here in Florida. This is essentially what he was using to be his springboard, a win here, a springboard to Super Tuesday and beyond.

He pointed out that whoever won the primary here would get the nomination. But, of course, he's running third in the polls.

He was at a diner in Miami Beach this morning. He still seemed upbeat. And when he was asked about what his chances were and what would happen if he didn't do well here tonight, he says, "I still think that I can win."

So, he's still showing a lot of confidence, but certainly it's going to be a difficult road for him because he spent a lot of dollars, millions of dollars, here in the state of Florida, and was really hoping to do well. And at least if you follow the polls, that does not appear to be the case, probably will not happen.

But he did say that he is planning on heading out to California to take part in the Republican debate. Of course, all of that could change depending on what happens here -- Heidi.

COLLINS: And we will be watching very closely.

Thanks so much.

Dan Lothian, from Orlando this morning.

So, we've heard from the Giuliani and the Romney campaigns. Next up in the NEWSROOM, John McCain's camp. We're going to have this coming up live in the hour.

Democrats looking to Super Tuesday.

CNN's Jim Acosta is in Blackwood, New Jersey. He's at a Bill Clinton event that's scheduled to begin very shortly.

So, Jim, it looks like a lot of fans of the former president are there behind you. Are they excited about Hillary Clinton as well?

JIM ACOSTA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Absolutely. Both Clintons know how to fire up a crowd. And Bill Clinton should be here any minute. And actually, we're starting to hear some cheers now, so he may be stepping up on to the stage shortly.

But Bill Clinton is campaigning in New Jersey, a Super Tuesday state, after a tough couple of days for his wife's campaign. There was the loss in South Carolina, and the former president was blamed in part by some Democrats for that defeat because of some of those sharply-worded negative attacks against Barack Obama.

Some Democrats saying that that may have prompted Ted Kennedy to go and endorse Barack Obama. But yesterday, when Hillary Clinton was campaigning in Massachusetts, she telegraphed what may be a new tactic for the campaign, taking the focus off of her rival, Barack Obama, and putting it back on the Bush administration, which is always a crowd pleaser for Democrats.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON (D-NY), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I don't know about you, but when this administration started way back in 2001, I spent a lot of time yelling at my TV set. And I thought, wait a minute, I'm in the Senate, I've got to do better than that. But really, you couldn't make up a lot of the stuff they've done.

Who would believe it? You know, taking that balanced budget and that surplus, turning it into deficit and debt again, getting us into so many problems around the world. And then when the vice president shot that guy in the face, I thought that was it. What more can happen?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ACOSTA: Now, speaking of Hillary Clinton, she has just released a statement from her campaign saying that she expects to announce a major endorsement coming up at 1:00 this afternoon. So we'll wait and see what she says there.

But in the meantime, some people are wondering whether or not Bill Clinton is going to take a less visible role in the campaign. Well, obviously this event puts some of that to rest. But take a look at his schedule coming up -- or take a listen to his schedule coming up.

He's going Ohio, and then to Barack Obama's home state of Illinois. So it's clear that Bill Clinton loves this stuff too much to take sort of a back bench role when it comes to campaigning for his wife. He's going to be out there just as much as he has been, from all indications -- Heidi.

COLLINS: Well, that's certainly the way it looks. All right.

CNN's Jim Acosta coming to us from Blackwood, New Jersey, this morning.

Thank you, Jim. Appreciate that.

And all this week CNN is bringing you special coverage of the presidential candidates as they crisscross the country ahead of Super Tuesday. Next hour, in fact, you can watch the CNN Ballot Bowl. It's all this week at noon Eastern, only here on CNN.

The House set to vote later 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)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: The temptation will be to load up the bill. That would delay it or derail it. And neither option is acceptable.

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 takes up its own version of the stimulus package tomorrow with changes and add-ons that could put senators on a collision course with the president.

(WEATHER REPORT)

COLLINS: Unfolding overseas this hour, new outrage in Kenya. More people take to the streets with machetes after the killing of an opposition lawmaker.

A live update ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) COLLINS: A desperate situation this morning in Kenya. Peace talks are under way, but mobs carrying machetes are threatening to push the country into chaos.

CNN Senior International Correspondent Nic Robertson is in Nairobi, Kenya, now.

So, Nic, what's the latest on these peace efforts?

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SR. INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, we just had a meeting by the president -- between the president -- between the president here and the leader of the opposition. The meeting was quite cordial. They were both seen drinking tea together.

The body language was formal, not friendly. But the language perhaps the diplomatic language behind it. And, of course, these two leaders have been brought together by the former U.S. secretary- general, Kofi Annan.

The diplomatic language behind it, if you will, is not promising. At least that's what analysts here are saying at the moment.

Kofi Annan had asked both these leaders to propose a negotiating team -- propose a number of members for that negotiating team. The assessment is here that both the president and the leader of the opposition have proposed quite hard-line members of their teams, and that's an indication here that perhaps these talks are not going to go too quickly this time -- Heidi.

COLLINS: All right. CNN's Nic Robertson reporting for us live now after he has made his way to Nairobi, Kenya.

Nic, we know you'll be watching the situation there.

Now to news affecting your health. A strenuous workout, a robust drink. Put them together for a healthier heart? Well, that's the findings of a new study. I talked about it earlier with CNN Chief Medical Correspondent, Dr. Sanjay Gupta.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: They have known for sometime that moderate amounts of alcohol, nothing crazy here, can actually be good for your heart. The question was, how good and how much alcohol are we talking about here specifically?

So researchers in Denmark took this a step further and tried to answer that very question, trying to establish just how much risk reduction you get from drinking, exercising, and maybe even both together. Take a look at some of the numbers there.

First of all, the highest risk is if you don't do nothing, you don't drink at all and you don't exercise at all. Look at the next number, though -- 50 percent lower risk if you're a moderate drinker, one to two drinks a day, and your exercise, 30 percent lower if you just exercise, and 30 percent lower if you just drink. COLLINS: Oh lord.

GUPTA: So, actually, drinking does have some benefit all by itself. We have known that for some time, but this idea that you can add those two things together and get the greatest benefit, good news. Very popular column, I should add, as well.

COLLINS: Yes, I bet it is. I bet it is.

Boy, that is amazing though, because I think that it said one to two drinks a day is perceived as a moderate drinker. I don't want to get off course here, but that seems like a lot.

GUPTA: Yes, two drinks for men and one drink for women. That's how they define moderate for the purposes of this study.

COLLINS: OK.

So, explain to us exactly what happens when your body is drinking or exercising. We know about the anticoagulation -- right?.

GUPTA: Right. The anticoagulation from alcohol a really important thing, but, you know, sort of the holy grail, if you will, in preventing heart disease is raising your levels of good cholesterol. It's called HDL.

How do you raise those levels up? Pharmaceutical companies have been researching this. People have really been trying to figure this out. We know that exercise can do it, and we also know that drinking can do it. And now we know, at least as a result of this study, that it's additive.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COLLINS: And one other things worth mentioning. Age matters. The study found no evidence that alcohol helps the heart until age 45 or 50.

To get your "Daily Dose" of health news online, log on to our Web site. You'll find the latest medical news, a health library, and information on diet and fitness. The address: CNN.com/health.

On call to see the worst of war.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I told one of my friends once that we must all go to heaven, we Iraqis, because we've already been to hell.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COLLINS: A doctor who's kept his oath in the midst of war, in the NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) COLLINS: Republican candidates on the stump in Florida. Leaders of some of those campaigns on the record with CNN. Four campaigns joining us in the NEWSROOM today. Right now it's Mike Huckabee's turn.

So, joining us from that camp, Tim Hutchinson, who serves as senior campaign adviser.

Tim, nice to see you. Thanks for being with us today.

TIM HUTCHINSON, SR. CAMPAIGN ADVISER FOR MIKE HUCKABEE: Glad to be with you, Heidi.

COLLINS: As you well know, Governor Huckabee won big in Iowa. But it kind of seems like it's been downhill since then. What is the campaign focusing on now?

HUTCHINSON: Well, of course, the big prizes are Super Tuesday. And Governor Huckabee is leading in six states in the polls right now on Super Tuesday, has been splitting time between Florida and Tennessee and Alabama and Georgia.

So, we feel very, very good. He's still second nationally in the polls, very close to Senator McCain in the national polls, and second in delegate count.

So, we feel very good about where the campaign is and optimistic about how things are going to go as we look at Super Tuesday.

COLLINS: All right. But what about today? What about the primary in Florida?

HUTCHINSON: Well, of course, the polls don't look particularly good. But the governor has a strong base of support.

He's got a lot of very dedicated and loyal workers out there. And I think while we're not predicting any kind of win, I think he'll do better than expected.

But the big prize is, once again -- much bigger prize -- is Georgia. It has far more delegates than Florida. The big prizes are going to be next week. And that's where we feel especially good about the governor's prospects.

COLLINS: Let's talk about the financial situation of the campaign for just a moment. We know that he's cut back on advertising a bit. Some staffers are now working without pay. Is some of this sort of pointing towards the downturn in what we have seen in the polls?

HUTCHINSON: Well, no, not really. You know, after the second place finish in South Carolina, I was personally amazed to see how the money kept coming in.

They've raised millions of dollars since the South Carolina second place finish. And so these supporters are very dedicated. These donors are very dedicated, coming in over the Internet, through the mail.

And so while the Huckabee camp -- those who are not -- who are volunteering their time, it's really more of, I think, an indication of their dedication than a lack of funding to pay those. They wanted to put the money into the media, and they now have a national -- we have a national media buy to get that exposure across all the states for Super Tuesday.

So this campaign can run a very lean operation, much more so than, you know, a campaign where the candidate can write a personal check to keep it going. So I think this operation is being very effective.

COLLINS: OK. All right. Well, if we call it a lean operation, it is interesting to look at what type of TV announcements and commercials, if you will, you are running.

In Florida, you've chosen to run one that talks about calling an end to the IRS. If funds are tight, why would that be the issue that the campaign would choose to run in the state of Florida?

HUTCHINSON: Well, the -- there are few institutions of government more of greater concern to the American people than the IRS. And, of course, the fair tax proposal, which really resonates with working people, whom the governor has a special appeal to, you know, would eliminate the IRS and establish a sales tax that would, I think, be a far simpler and a far fairer tax program for the American people.

So that, I think, has had great appeal in all of the states where the governor has campaigned, and certainly with retirees in Florida, the military in Florida. That is a message that we want to get out.

So the governor's appeal is far greater than just the social conservatives that we often hear about.

COLLINS: OK. Well, as you have already mentioned Super Tuesday, it's exactly one week away. The game plan for tackling those states?

HUTCHINSON: Well, there are a number of states, as I said, six states where we're in the lead -- Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee, Missouri, Oklahoma. West Virginia he's very competitive. And the governor is going to be making hop-scotching all across those states, very strong grassroots, picking up state right to life endorsements, one state after another, which I think is really going to help in the grassroots operation for Governor Huckabee.

COLLINS: Tim Hutchinson is a senior campaign adviser for the Huckabee campaign.

Appreciate your time here very much. Thank you.

HUTCHINSON: Thanks, Heidi.

COLLINS: We've heard now from the Giuliani, Romney and Huckabee campaigns. So coming up next in the NEWSROOM, we will hear from John McCain's camp.

Stick around.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COLLINS: Welcome back, everybody. I'm Heidi Collins.

Unfolding this hour, snow emergency, the worst in China in half a century. Dozens of people are dead and thousands are stranded before the start of the Chinese new year.

We want to get an update now. Our Hugh Riminton is on the phone with us this morning from Guangzhou, China.

So, Hugh, tell us what things look like now where you are.

HUGH RIMINTON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It's just gone midnight here, Heidi. And there are hundreds of thousands of people sleeping rough again tonight, who are sleeping in hastily-arranged government shelters because so many hundreds of thousands of people have been trying to travel, trying to travel for the Chinese new year, but having simply no luck.

They've been turning up at train stations like the one where I'm in, in Guangzhou, a major city in southern China. We find no trains are running to the places where they want to go. The main lines between this these key southern hub and the capital, Beijing, have been pretty much cut off now for days.

People have got nowhere to go. They've been literally sleeping rough in the streets, in some cases, still determined to try to make a train, should one ever turn up, that will take them home to see family for this once a year new year holiday -- Heidi.

COLLINS: Hugh, I just wonder by looking at some of this video here, and certainly the video that we're showing of the crowds, you think of vacation, you think of children. Are there several children amongst all of these people as well?

RIMINTON: There are several children, all right. I mean, you definitely see them.

One thing which does make China -- traveling in China a little different, say, than the United States and other parts of the world, is the one child policy. It means you do tend to see fewer children than you might see in the United States and other parts of the world. Look at the one China -- one child policy here, means you do tend to see fewer children than you might see in the United States and other parts of the world. However, they're there. They're there with their families.

But also in many cases, these are workers, workers have migrated away from their home provinces to seek their little stake in the Chinese economic revolution, working in factories, et cetera. They're separated from their wives and their children. Very often there are women separated from their children and their husbands. That's why it's so important for them to cram on to trains to get home for this one time of the year.

And while there's so much desperation, it's not just a travel problem, running out of coal. It's obviously -- it's freezing cold. They've got coal rationing going on in 17 provinces. That's going to make people feel pretty grumpy as they can't even get warm. Also, food is not getting to many of the cities and that's bumping up food prices in a number of key cities across China.

COLLINS: It's overall a horrible situation. But as you stand there in this crisis where you are now, is there any sort of organization? Are there government authorities, police, or aid relief workers walking around?

RIMINTON: Yes. Certainly, one thing about China is that it is a centralized governmental system. It believes in big government. And so there have been riot police deployed around the train stations. They've laid on emergency shelters. They've got lots of officials around trying to make it work. There isn't much in the infrastructure to make this all that comfortable.

But they are aware that if there was to be a lot of huge public disquiet, arising out of this and that might pose a threat to the government of Beijing. There has been a personal apology from the Chinese Premier, Wen Jiabao. They know the stakes are high. They've got to try to make people feel that they're being looked after, even though they're in pretty miserable circumstances for the next few days.

COLLINS: Wow. It is an incredible story. And you're doing a great job with it, too. We appreciate it. CNN international correspondent, Hugh Riminton, coming to us from Guangzhou, China today. We'll keep our eye on that story certainly.

Now to Baghdad. It's one of Baghdad's best, but the conditions at this hospital show why Iraq's healthcare remains in critical condition.

CNN's Arwa Damon reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ARWA DAMON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Just a few months ago, the bulk of Baghdad's casualties came through the doors of the emergency ward at Yarmuk Hospital. A time when those saving lives risked losing theirs.

DR. MOHAMMED, SURGEON: Many times, military people or -- militias -- come in here with guns and they threaten us or they abuse us verbally or physically. And we are very -- sometimes -- some doctors have been shot at.

DAMON: The majority of Iraq's doctors fled the violence. But Dr. Mohammed stayed, fulfilling the dream of his childhood.

MOHAMMED: It was the image of the doctor that I liked when I was a child. The white coat and -- I used to go out to (INAUDIBLE) when I was a child. They always gave me a lollipop when I was done. But I like this idea very much.

DAMON: As always, here in Baghdad, with the good comes the bad.

MOHAMMED: I see some improvements, but the government has many issues, so I think they put us on the last of list.

DAMON: Even by Baghdad standards, this hospital ranks among the best. Electricity isn't an issue thanks to a dedicated line from the power plant. And if that fails, there are six generators. But it's medical equipment and supplies that are lacking. And the water quality leaves much to be desired.

(on-camera): Security, although much better, still does remain a problem. Things like roadside bombs can shut the streets down for hours. For example, this is our second attempt to try to get here. On the first one, quite simply, the roads were all blocked off. And to try to get patients to the hospital, emergency staff had to walk 500 meters down the road with stretchers to bring them in.

(voice-over): The hospital director, Dr. Haqi says the health ministry is trying to deal with problems it can control, but wants improvements faster.

DR. HAQI, HOSPITAL DIRECTOR: Still, we always tell our people that you must be always ready to any flare-up of the situation.

DAMON: The memory of hardships the hospital once endured are still very fresh.

(on-camera): Did you ever imagine when you were going through medical school that you would see everything you have seen over the last few years?

MOHAMMED: I told one of my friends once that we must all go to Heaven, we Iraqis. Because we've already been into Hell. So I do imagine. I do imagine that.

DAMON: Arwa Damon, CNN, Baghdad.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COLLINS: Sun, sand, surf, and a potential springboard to the Republican nomination. Polling places are open in Florida now. For today's presidential primary, that state that decided the presidency in 2000 could have a big say in choosing the Republican nominee today. John McCain and Mitt Romney are fighting to become the party's clear front-runner. They're 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 if he doesn't win.

The Democrats still don't have any delegates at stake in Florida so they are focusing on battleground states of Super Tuesday, one week from today. In fact, want to take you to Blackwood, New Jersey now. We've been waiting for this event to begin. You see the former president, Bill Clinton, there on the campus of Camden County College. He, of course, is attending this event on behalf of his wife. The Solutions for America rally comes just a couple of days after, as you well know, Barack Obama won an easy victory over Hillary Clinton in the South Carolina primary. So now, lots of talk about Bill Clinton. He was pretty critical of Obama. Some people are saying may have cost his wife some votes. Again, coming to us from Blackwood, New Jersey, this morning.

So far today, we have heard from Mitt Romney's campaign and Rudy Giuliani. So now the presidential bid of John McCain. James Woolsey is an adviser to the McCain campaign. He is also former director of the CIA.

Welcome to the program. We appreciate you being here.

JAMES WOOLSEY, ADVISER TO JOHN MCCAIN: Thanks, Heidi. Good to be with you.

COLLINS: Thank you. Just want to ask you right off the top here, how important is today when we are looking ahead to Super Tuesday?

WOOLSEY: I think it's extremely important day. Florida is an extremely important state. Those of us who are working with him very much hope that John McCain wins this.

COLLINS: Well you know, Mitt Romney, of course, came out swinging at Senator John McCain yesterday. I want you to listen with me, if you would, to something that he said and we'll get your comments.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MITT ROMNEY (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: He's known for some things which, frankly, are not conservative Republican kind of movements but instead it had pulled the nation -- would have pulled the nation to the left and I just don't think that those liberal answers are what America is looking for, not for the Republican party or for any party for that matter.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COLLINS: How do you respond to that criticism?

WOOLSEY: Well I think John McCain is a conservative Republican. He has been ever since he's been in public life. I've known him for 31 years. He deals with some issues straightforwardly that a lot of candidates like to dance around. For example, some folks are in favor of ethanol subsidies when they're in Iowa but not when they're not in Iowa. And John McCain says the same thing across the board.

I -- I think that Governor Romney is coming out strongly here because he really got caught up on something. Last April 3rd on network television, just as the surge was beginning, which John McCain has advocated now for three and a half years, Governor Romney was asked whether or not he favored a timetable for withdrawal. And he said, well, I favor timetables. He didn't say for withdrawal in his sentence, but that was the question. He said I favor timetables, but they ought to be secret between the U.S. and the Iraqi government.

And then he went on to say, if we were driving toward the line in World War II and we had a timetable we had worked out with the Russians, presumably for going home, he said for going home, we shouldn't have communicated it to the Germans. You know, that's just an extraordinarily naive statement. It's not cutting and running, I think, advocating. It's sort of cutting and dancing around. But it's talking out of both sides of your mouth, and John McCain doesn't do that.

COLLINS: And we heard the senator talking quite a bit about those very comments over the weekend, several different programs. But back to the question about -- because it's not the first time that Senator McCain has been criticized or at least questioned about his conservatism. Is it something that the campaign is paying attention to?

WOOLSEY: Well, I believe so. I work more on energy and related issues than I do on campaign tactics. That's not my long suit. But John McCain has well over 80 percent lifetime rating from various conservative organizations, for his votes in the Senate and the House. Before -- he's not 100 percent, it's well over 80 percent. He's a very solid conservative individual. And I think -- I think he would make a very fine president.

COLLINS: But if we're talking about the independent vote -- because a lot of people really are looking at the independent vote because they say it is exactly what brought victory to him at least in New Hampshire and South Carolina. Obviously, that is not going to be the case in Florida simply because independents cannot vote there. So, is that something that the campaign is now talking about?

WOOLSEY: Well, he does well with independents and with some Democrats and, as he puts it, he would like to have support of the vegetarians and the Trotskities, too. He has broad appeal, because he is an independent-minded man. And he calls it like he sees it. And you know, I think a lot of people vote for president, not because they agree with the candidate on each and every issue, but because of his character and because he's willing to stand up for what he thinks is right and doesn't talk out of both sides of his mouth. And whether he was being tortured in Vietnam, in prison, in order to keep from being released early so he wouldn't damage the morale of his buddies in prison, or whether he's talking straight about corn-based ethanol in Iowa, this is a man who calls it like he sees it, and what you see is what you get.

COLLINS: Well, we appreciate your time here on his behalf certainly. James Woolsey, adviser to the John McCain campaign and former CIA director. Thank you so much.

WOOLSEY: Thank you.

COLLINS: From Iraq now to Phoenix. In a flash, an airman is Super Bowl bound. How he got there, ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) (NEWSBREAK)

(BUSINESS HEADLINES)

COLLINS: The showdown in the Sunshine -- will Florida Republicans make John McCain the clear front-runner? The CNN ballot bowl coming up at the top of the hour.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(NEWSBREAK)

COLLINS: A kinder, gentler Bill Clinton. That may be the new strategy after Hillary Clinton's South Carolina loss.

Here now, CNN's Carol Costello.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CAROL COSTELLO, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Bill Clinton, long a Democratic darling and once considered a huge asset in his wife's campaign, now seems to be a liability. The tabloids call him "wild," "he big mouth of the South." The "Daily News" screams: "Calm Down!" and has Hillary pleading with him to end the bitter talk.

Even those who consider Bill Clinton a friend say...

REP. JOHN CLYBURN (D-SC), HOUSE MAJORITY WHIP: I think he really, as they would say in Gullah Geechee country, he needs to chill a little bit.

COSTELLO: But as one Democrat who's talked with Bill Clinton told me, the former president didn't chill because he thought he had enough political capital to go on the attack, to come out unscathed. He was wrong.

ANDY ZELLEKE, KENNEDY SCHOOL OF GOVERNMENT: While I think he's a pretty impulsive guy who trusts his instincts, and they're usually pretty good politically, I think what's interesting about what happened in South Carolina is the available evidence suggests that they miscalculated and his intervention actually was counterproductive.

COSTELLO: Many pundits say Hillary Clinton's 26 point loss in South Carolina is clear evidence of that miscalculation. The question now is whether Clinton has hurt his wife's campaign in the long run.

If you look at the latest numbers in the CNN Los Angeles Times political poll conducted by a Opinion Research Corporation in California taken after Bill Clinton's bitter attacks started in South Carolina, Hillary Clinton's support increased by two points from 47% to 49%. Supporters aren't surprised, saying democrats who love Bill Clinton know he's -- well, he's misunderstood right now.

REP. KENDRICK MEEK (D), FLORIDA: The real issue is the reporting of what the president is actually saying, President Clinton. Being there with him and traveling with him and hearing what he said and hearing how the questions are coming through is the clip and snip, and it's coming out the wrong way.

COSTELLO: Still according to "The New York Times," the Clinton campaign will try to try to shift the campaign back into the sunnier spouse role that he played before Mrs. Clinton's loss in the Iowa caucuses. That is a role Bill Clinton plays brilliantly, even when in the midst of attacking Obama in South Carolina.

When asked by a child what do you do when you get married ...

FMR. PRES. BILL CLINTON, UNITED STATES: When you get married, if you're really lucky, if you're really lucky, then your husband or wife becomes your best friend. And you get to live with your best friend for life.

COSTELLO: That is the potent Bill Clinton analysts say Hillary Clinton needs to win.

(on camera): Gloria Borger, our own analysts, says Hillary Clinton must take control of her own campaign, and she appeared to be doing that on Monday. You didn't see much of Bill Clinton.

Carol Costello, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COLLINS: In Rudy Giuliani's gamble today, Florida's primary will be the first domino to fall.

CNN's Mary Snow now, part of the best political team on television.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RUDY GIULIANI (R), PRES. CANDIDATE: We win in Florida, we're going to win every place else. Florida will lead the way.

SNOW (voice-over): It's Rudy Giuliani's Florida gamble, and the odds are against it. Once the favorite, he's now the underdog in the polls. In his final pitch he took aims at the two GOP front-runners in Florida.

GIULIANI: Our message a positive message. Our message is not name calling. Our message is not negative campaigning. This is too important.

SNOW: Giuliani has been hitting two main themes, national security and his days as mayor of New York during 9/11 and economic security, touting his plans for tax cuts. Despite his decline in polls he told me he's looking forward to a win Tuesday.

GIULIANI: We're very hopeful. We're very optimistic. These crowds are terrific. They're very enthusiastic and they have been working for a long time. SNOW: Some of Giuliani's supporters, though, are not as confident, saying Giuliani's decision to largely stay out of early races in places like South Carolina and Iowa hurt his chances here.

RICHARD MUCCIOLO, GIULIANI SUPPORTER: Even if he would have lost in those places, at least his name would have been visible and his face would have been visible. And I think he's just let the other guys get the jump on him, and now he's got a problem.

SNOW: But Political science professor Susan McManus says with limited money and time, Giuliani didn't have many options outside his Florida plan.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I don't think it was a mistake. In politics you have to look at demographics and you have to look at the place where you have the best shot of making a mark big, and that was Florida for him.

SNOW (on camera): Analysts say Florida was Giuliani's best bet because of its diverse population, it's more in line with his home state of New York, and because of Giuliani's support of abortion and gay rights. That's seen as more in line with moderate Republicans here.

Mary Snow, CNN, Clearwater, Florida.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COLLINS: I'm Heidi Collins. CNN NEWSROOM is just one hour away. Stay tuned for ballot bowl. It's coming up next, with special coverage of the presidential candidates as they crisscross the country ahead of Super Tuesday. Almost said Super Bowl Tuesday; that wouldn't be right. Ballot bowl comes your way in just a few moments.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.voxantshop.com