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Frontrunner John McCain and Mitt Romney Pull No Punches; Dangerous Scene at Construction Site During Some Strong Winds; Government Alert At Tax Time
Aired January 31, 2008 - 09:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: And good morning, everyone. You are in the CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Tony Harris.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: Hi there, everybody. I'm Heidi Collins. Watch events come into the NEWSROOM live on Thursday morning, the last day of January. Here's what's on the rundown.
The Democrats facing off tonight in a CNN debate. A leading Republican picking up a big endorsement today.
HARRIS: A frozen flood, part of a brutal winter mix. Snow, wind, rain, maybe tornadoes around the nation.
COLLINS: Starting today, you'll need paperwork to get in to the United States from Canada. The cost, in time and dollars, in the NEWSROOM.
Presidential politics, the tensions are high and so are the stakes. Both parties squaring off in the final debate before next week's super Tuesday showdown. Republicans went toe to toe last night at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library. Air Force One wasn't the only thing looming over the CNN debate. So was the bitter back-and- forth between frontrunners John McCain and Mitt Romney.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. JOHN MCCAIN (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Why do you insist...
MITT ROMNEY (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I'm not using the actual quote. That's not what I said.
MCCAIN: The actual quote is, "We don't want them to lay in the leech until we leave." That is the actual quote and I'm sure fact checkers...
ROMNEY: What does that mean?
MCCAIN: It means a timetable for until we leave.
MCCAIN: Senator...
(CROSSTALK)
ROMNEY: Is it not fair to have the person who's being accused of having a position he doesn't have be the expert on what his position is? How is it that you're the expert on my position when my position has been very clear...
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COLLINS: The Democrats' debate tonight in Los Angeles. You can probably expect big fireworks between Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton. John Edwards will not just be out of the spotlight, he'll be off the stage. Yesterday he pulled out of the race by formally suspending his campaign.
It could be another big day for John McCain. He's hoping to build his campaign momentum today with a star endorsement.
CNN's Dana Bash is following that angle from Los Angeles this morning.
Good morning to you, Dana.
DANA BASH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Heidi. That star is, of course, the governor of the state where I am, the governor of California, Arnold Schwarzenegger. He will endorse John McCain in just a couple of hours, and what the McCain campaign is hoping is that this adds to what they think and they hope is a sense of inevitability that he is making his way towards the Republican nomination.
But as you just played in the debate last night, it was so incredibly testy, especially given the fact that Mitt Romney is doing everything he can to blunt that momentum.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MCCAIN: ...this nation has faced. And by the way, I think it would be hard for people like...
BASH (voice over): Just look at those glares. And listen.
MCCAIN: Timetables was the buzzword for withdrawal.
ROMNEY: Why don't you use the whole quote, Senator?
MCCAIN: That -- I believe the whole quote where you said I won't...
ROMNEY: Why do you insist on not using the actual quote? That's not what I said.
MCCAIN: The quote is...
BASH: With the testy exchange over a fight John McCain picked with Mitt Romney in Florida, accusing him of supporting a timetable for troop withdrawal in Iraq.
ROMNEY: I do not propose nor have I ever proposed a public or secret date for withdrawal.
BASH: Romney was quick to invoke the GOP icon whose library was host.
ROMNEY: Sort of falls in the kind of dirty tricks that I think Ronald Reagan would have found to be reprehensible.
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN MODERATOR: Senator McCain, tough word.
MCCAIN: Well, of course, he said he wanted the timetable.
BASH: Just five days before votes in 21 states, they mostly clashed over conservative credentials. Mitt Romney is trying to halt McCain's momentum by questioning his.
ROMNEY: I believe, if I'm wrong, correct me, Senator, he voted twice against the Bush tax cuts, only two Republicans did that.
BASH: McCain shot right back.
MCCAIN: As I understand it, his record was that he raised taxes by $730 million. He called them fees.
BASH: But on one huge McCain weak spot with conservatives, illegal immigration, a concession. When asked if he would vote for his own legislation allowing citizenship...
MCCAIN: No, I would not, because we know what the situation is today. The people want the border secured first.
BASH: And more than once, a stern reminder from Mike Huckabee, it's not a two-man race.
MIKE HUCKABE (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: The only person that's sitting here today that has consistently supported the human life amendment, that's been part of our Republican platform since 1980...
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BASH: But with what amounts to a national primary on super Tuesday with more than 20 states having their primary, the goal for these campaigns is to get as much national exposure as possible, and that's why, Heidi, the McCain campaign is very much hoping that this endorsement that he'll get from the governor, Arnold Schwarzenegger, is going to give him that kind of national exposure.
Unclear how much it will help him here in California. Governor Schwarzenegger is very, very popular on a sort of broad level with all Californians, but he -- there's some skepticism among conservatives here. And that really has been McCain's problem all along in all of these states. Skepticism among conservatives. But again, he's playing to a larger audience and Arnold Schwarzenegger definitely gives John McCain a larger audience -- Heidi?
COLLINS: Yes. And he's got something about that presence that he brings, too. He's pretty big himself.
All right, Dana Bash, we appreciate it. Thanks so much. Live from Los Angeles this morning. BASH: Thank you.
COLLINS: We do invite you to tune in tonight as the Democrats face-off in their last debate before super Tuesday. See it here at 8:00 p.m. Eastern only on CNN, your home for politics.
HARRIS: All right. Let's talk about some severe weather right now. Cold and windy. Wet and icy. Extreme weather causing problems across the country right now and we are watching for more stormy weather in the forecast today.
In Buffalo, New York, temperatures plummeted from 53 to 15 degrees in matter of hours yesterday. Icy water flowed through the streets of some neighborhoods after Lake Erie ran over its banks.
In Brooklyn a construction worker was killed when a scaffolding he was on collapsed during strong winds. Another worker was seriously injured. A train traveling in strong winds derailed on a bridge in northern Ohio. Authorities say about 10 freight cars plunged into the water. No injuries reported there.
And in Washington state, an avalanche shut down part of Interstate 90, about 50 miles east of Seattle. The slide trapped two cars but the people inside were rescued.
COLLINS: Thank goodness.
It is so nice to have Mr. Chad Myers today...
CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: In the house.
COLLINS: ...in the severe weather center with an awful lot to talk about...
MYERS: A lot.
COLLINS: ...that's happening across the country.
HARRIS: Wow. Good to see you, Chad.
(WEATHER REPORT)
HARRIS: So let's continue with the weather story just a bit here. Parts of Oklahoma under a winter storm warning right now. Some areas could get another seven inches of snow today.
Carina Sonn of our affiliate KOTV live from Bartlesville, make that Bartlesville, Oklahoma.
Carina, good to see you. All right. We don't -- we see some snow in the area right now. What else are you expecting today?
CARINA SONN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, we are expecting a lot more of this, Tony. I can tell you that a couple of hours ago, 5:00 Central Time, the roadways were wet, but they had no accumulation on them. And this is what has happened in just a couple of hours. You're looking at Highway 75 right now. This is the main highway that runs through Bartlesville in northeastern Oklahoma. We're expecting some slushy conditions. I can tell you that we've been out in our formal drive SUV with the ABS and we've been slipping and sliding. So we're telling folks to be careful.
Now we are expecting several inches of snow. I can tell you that right now we're about at three to four inches of snow. It isn't expected to stop until late on this evening, possibly midnight.
Tony, take a look at this. This is our utility box that we've been using all morning. And this is really since the very beginning. So since 5:00, this is how much snow has gathered. I don't have a ruler. But like I said, we think it's three to four inches.
Also regarding the wind, we see wind gusts off and on throughout the morning. And what we're expecting is that the wind will pick up between 15 to 30 miles per hour throughout the day, and that's going to create some snow drifts and that's going to create some hazardous driving conditions for folks here in northeastern Oklahoma -- Tony?
HARRIS: OK. Carina, let me see here. It's that light, fluffy or is that good snowball snow? What do we have here?
SONN: It was initially white, fluffy, really thick flakes of snow, and now it's some good packing stuff. I would throw some snowball at you guys but (INAUDIBLE). Yes.
HARRIS: Carina, Carina, that's your cue to go ahead and make a snowball. That's what that was. That's your cue to go ahead...
SONN: Are you ready?
HARRIS: Yes, yes, yes, yes.
SONN: You're ready? All right. OK.
HARRIS: All right. And while you do that, do we have a snow day for the kids?
SONN: Do we have a pardon?
HARRIS: No. A snow day for the kids?
SONN: A snow day? Well, for some of the schools, yes, we have -- some schools have called in and said that it will be a snow day. Of course, tomorrow we're expecting that a lot of schools will be out. Some are already out for today and tomorrow. Not that many, though, and then tomorrow we're going to see 40-degree temperatures in the afternoon. So this stuff will be gone. Thank goodness, because I know personally I have trouble driving in this stuff.
HARRIS: Yes. Yes.
SONN: So today's going to be crazy. Tomorrow it will be gone. Back to you. So here's to you. HARRIS: All right. The return of -- so there you go. That's what I wanted. Carina, appreciate it. Thank you.
COLLINS: News to get to know about your security. Starting today, Canadians visiting the U.S. or Americans going home can't just dash across the border.
CNN's Jeanne Meserve tells us about new border crossing rules and not everyone's happy about them.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEANNE MESERVE, CNN HOMELAND SECURITY CORRESPONDENT (voice over): With snow like this it looks to be a banner year for Jay Peak, a ski area in northern Vermont. But that could change.
BILL STENGER, JAY PEAK RESORT: About half of our skiers come from Canada.
MESERVE: Jay Peak cultivates its Canadian clientele accepting Canadian currency.
(VIDEO CLIP OF JAY PEAK AD)
MESERVE: Advertising heavily north of the border. But there is worry that Canadians will stop coming if new document requirements cause backups at border crossings.
STENGER: How many times do you go through that and say, well, you know, I'm not going back.
MESERVE (on camera): And they have options.
STENGER: They have lots of options.
MESERVE (voice over): There are plenty of ski slopes north of the border. One Canadian family predicts the new rules will hurt north/south travel by Canadians and by Americans.
CHRIS BIBER, CANADIAN TOURIST: I think there's a degree of confusion and it's not just that they don't have documents. People just don't know which documents are required. And so some people just say, I couldn't care less. Right? I just stay home and don't travel.
MESERVE: With seven million U.S. jobs and tourism an industry dependent on U.S./Canadian trade, the new rules are setting off alarms from Maine to Washington state.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's a terrible idea. A job killer, plain and simple.
MESERVE: In the name of security, Canadians and Americans not carrying passports will need to show proof of citizenship, like a birth certificate and a government issued photo I.D. such as a license. It begins Thursday, despite pleas from this border state congressman for a delay. MICHAEL CHERTOFF, HOMELAND SECURITY SECRETARY: When you delay things indefinitely and keep putting them off, the real message to the public is that you're not serious about ever making a change.
MESERVE: Some Canadians like Leo and Grace Merenger(ph) say the changes make sense.
LEO MERENGER, CANADIAN TOURIST: It's vary across an international border.
GRACE MERENGER, CANADIAN TOURIST: They don't k now who's coming in their country, of course, they want proper papers.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COLLINS: ...joining us now live from along the U.S./Canadian border in Derby Line, Vermont.
So Jeanne, have those rules slowed things up at all?
MESERVE: Well, Heidi, you can see here, there's nobody even at the crossing point.
COLLINS: Yes.
MESERVE: Here they only handle 200 to 300 vehicles as day. So no problem here. What Customs and Border Protection says is that they're going to be handing out terror sheets to people as they come through outlining what the new rules are. It's not as if they're going to be taking people who don't have this identification and putting them in secondary inspections. At least they're not going to do that for the time being.
So Customs and Border Protection says they're not worried about the big delays, but the locals aren't so sure. That guy who runs Jay Peaks was telling me he's really worried about three weeks from now when kids in Canada are on school break. A lot of them may want to come down here to ski and he's afraid they'll be enforcing it more strictly then and there could be real problems. But we'll wait and see.
COLLINS: Yes, we will. It'll be interesting to watch that. You know it's peak, Jay Peak. Great place to ski.
Jeanne Meserve, thanks so much. Appreciate it.
HARRIS: And straight ahead, is it a family intervention? A troubled star hospitalized again. The battle to save Britney, in the NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COLLINS: Welcome back, everybody. I'm Heidi Collins. You are in the CNN NEWSROOM. Hazardous holiday trips, wicked winter weather makes it tough to go home again for millions of people overseas. We'll have the story for you next. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANNOUNCER: Covering the angles, uncovering the details, see for yourself in the CNN NEWSROOM.
HARRIS: Also developing this hour, trying to stop the bloodbath in Kenya. Opposing sides plan to meet today. This follows the killing of a second opposition lawmaker. The U.S. now saying it's deeply concerned, but tamping down talk of ethnic cleansing.
So what's going on here?
Live is CNN's Zain verpg in Nairobi.
Zain, great to see you. What is the latest on those efforts to bring peace to Kenya?
ZAIN VERJEE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Tony, the former U.N. secretary-general Kofi Annan has proposed a power sharing deal. He's been mediating talks between President Mwai Kibaki, he and the opposition leader, Raila Odinga. But a lot of Kenyans are thinking that there's really not going to be too much progress unless the U.S. is a lot tougher.
And in the last day or so we've seen much harder messages from Washington, and, really, one conversation I had here with the U.S. ambassador to Kenya suggested imposing travel restrictions on anyone in the government connected to violence. Also the State Department is reviewing aid to Kenya. So the signals are a lot tougher and Kenyans have been optimistic.
But you know, Tony, all the diplomacy and pressure in the world may not work because the violence continues unabated throughout the country. We took a helicopter out to the Rift Valley and we saw the destruction firsthand.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
VERJEE (voice over): The great Rift Valley is ablaze here. Rival tribes run out of their homes with fire.
(On camera) Oh, my goodness. Look. Look at all this.
(Voice over) Tribe-on-tribe violence ignited ferociously after last month's disputed election results. Village after village, scorched. The Shambas fields are silent. Empty. This was Kenya's breadbasket. Victims flee their homes fearful of much worse.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, they are using this axe.
VERJEE: On the ground, the people say a young man of their clan had his eyes poked out, hacked, then burned to death. This is how they lashed back.
(On camera) It's unclear how it's going to end, but both sides say they want revenge. Many that we've spoken to say that what they want is to go back to their land, because land is really the key here. The dispute over it and who owns it.
(Voice over) More homes, more flames. A Kikuyu teacher fled, attacked by the tribe across the road. As we flew over we spotted 75- year-old Vina(ph) and her grandson, spared from the fury of her neighbors, sitting under the shrubs. I asked her what happened.
(SPEAKING IN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE)
(On camera) So they burned her house yesterday and she's just been sitting here since.
(SPEAKING IN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE)
(Voice over) I'm in pain, she says. So is much of Kenya where tribal carnage now stalks the landscape once known for its beauty.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VERJEE: And you know, Tony, Kenya is a really important ally to the United States. It's critical in helping fight the war on terror and Kenya has also been a logistical corridor for aid to go through for the United States, for example, to southern Sudan as well as to many other parts of this region. So a stable Kenya is really strategically important to the United States -- Tony?
HARRIS: And then if we could, just a quick question about the stability of Kenya. Has the -- has really the government instability right now created -- and I'm curious what your thought is on this -- a real or perceived sense of a power vacuum that's being exploited by, let's just call them, strong tribes?
VERJEE: Well, I think there is a real sense of a power vacuum, because there's such a dispute as to who the president of the country actually is. That's what this whole thing is about. The opposition is saying then the president and government stole the election. So there is a sense of concern of security in the country. Many of the police forces are over stretched. There are instances where the military may have to be brought in, but the military has also its own tribal loyalties. So the government may be unwilling to bring them in.
There are instances, too, where security forces have been complicit in just standing by when attacks are going on. So there is a sense that in some parts of the country that the state is losing control. But I don't think I would go so far to say right no there is a power vacuum, but it could go down that road...
HARRIS: Yes.
VERJEE: ...without the right kind of diplomacy and without the ego tipping put aside -- Tony?
HARRIS: Good point. Great point. Zain Verjee for us in Nairobi, Kenya.
Zain, appreciate it. Thank you. COLLINS: Still overseas, China's worst winter weather in half a century is turning travel into a nightmare.
CNN's Andrew Stevens is on the road.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ANDREW STEVENS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): For millions of Chinese trying to get home to families and loved ones for the Chinese New Year, they're bracing for another bout of severe weather. We are trying to get to Hefei which is just up the road from Nanjing about a two-hour drive, we've run into a miles long traffic jam. All vehicles are now stopped on the side of the road here in what is thick snow.
It is a clear day, but the bad weather is forecast to be coming back to this region in the next 12 hours or so. This is just one expressway in the affected parts of China where there are now literally thousands of cars stuck. There are many, many other expressways where cars have been stuck for much, much longer as this weather continues.
Thirty-eight people are now dead, 200 million Chinese are trying to get home and then get back to where they work over the next two to three week. The chaos continues here. At this state, no sign that this particular traffic jam is going to unwind itself any time soon.
I'm Andrew Stevens on the roadside between Nanjing and Hefei in eastern China.
HARRIS: Soldiers and suicide. The numbers from Iraq skyrocket. A closer look ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COLLINS: Early this morning we learned pop star Britney Spears is back in a hospital, taken there overnight with a police escort.
Our entertainment correspondent Kareen Wynter is following developments now at the UCLA Medical Center.
Kareen, what do we know about what happened?
KAREEN WYNTER, CNN ENTERTAINMENT CORRESPONDENT: Well, Heidi, first of all, I wanted to say that this, many would agree, truly comes as no surprise. Spears has been on such a downward spiral lately. She was taken here, in fact, to UCLA Medical Center shortly after midnight.
Here's what happened.
Similar to what we saw early in January 3rd, and a I'll get to that in a bit, when Spears was hospitalized. It was the same thing this time around, with paramedics, police, a whole crew of law enforcement officials responding to her studio city home. Now some celebrity Web sites are reporting that this was done at the request of her psychiatrist, that he needed to see some sort of intervention here, that things had gotten so bad with Spears, and that this was apparently in the works for quite some time.
But unlike what we saw in January, January 3rd, rather, when paramedics also responded to her home and took her to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center to be evaluated there, we didn't have as many paparazzi outside the singer's home. There was no dramatic video of her being wheeled off on a stretcher. So it was a little bit more coordinated and choreographed this time around.
As for the latest, well, hospital officials aren't saying much as to even whether or not Spears is here. The "L.A. Times" is the one reporting that she was taken here. No word on her condition. So it remains to be seen what exactly will unfold here.
And by the way, Heidi, when Spears is hospitalized earlier this month, she lasted just a day and a half in the hospital. She apparently underwent a mental evaluation, she was tested for drugs or alcohol, and so it's interesting - it'll be interesting to see how long she'll remain here this time around -- Heidi.
COLLINS: Hopefully a little longer for her benefit.
All right. Thanks so much, entertainment correspondent, Kareen Wynter. Thanks, great.
WYNTER: Sure.
ANNOUNCER: Live in the CNN NEWSROOM, Heidi Collins and Tony Harris.
COLLINS: Good morning once again, everybody. It is Thursday, yes, Thursday. 9:30 Eastern Time. I'm Heidi Collins.
HARRIS: I'm Tony Harris. Welcome back, everyone, to the CNN NEWSROOM.
In the headlines this morning, suicidal soldiers. A disturbing report from the Army. The number of troops attempting suicide has skyrocketed.
Let's get the facts on this, live to our Pentagon correspondent Barbara Starr.
Barbara, good morning.
BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Tony. You know, it's always worth remembering every day there's lots of troops out there on the frontlines in Iraq and Afghanistan and they are under a good deal of stress.
The Army's latest statistics really are disturbing. They show that the number of attempted suicides or self-inflicted injuries has absolutely skyrocketed in the years since the war began. Skyrocketed in the U.S. Army.
Let's look at some of these statistics. Just look at that chart. In 2007, 2100 incidents of attempted suicides. That compares -- 2,100 compares to 350 in 2002, the year before, of course, the war in Iraq began. At the same time, tragically, the number of actual suicides in the U.S. Army may reach an all-time high in 2007. It's beginning to shape up that as many as 121 suicides may have occurred in the Army. Some of these cases, of course, they're still finalizing their results. A hundred and twenty-one possibly in 2007, compared to 102 in 2006.
Why is this occurring? Of course, the stress of the war and a lot of it they tell us is the same that is seen throughout society. Issues of failed relationships, money problems, substance abuse, but all compounded for young troops mainly by the stress of being in the combat zone -- Tony?
HARRIS: Wow. What numbers. What to do now?
STARR: Very sad figures.
HARRIS: Yes. Barbara Starr at the Pentagon for us. Barbara, appreciate it.
STARR: Thanks.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: An icy blast of winter, powerful arctic winds blowing across parts of the country. Storm update ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COLLINS: Well, the opening bell. There you have it. It's just a couple of minutes ago. Because today is the day -- I kind of wonder what will happen because of the Fed rate cut yesterday, 0.50 percent. It is interesting to see how things are going to go right now. Not so great.
Dow Jones Industrial Average is down 185 points, resting at 12,257. The NASDAQ also down 34 points. Yesterday, things closed, at least on the Dow Jones Industrial's 37 points to the negative. So, again, watching those numbers as always.
Among our top stories, California reaming. Hot words, hot tempers in the Republican presidential debate last night. The setting, The Ronald Reagan Presidential Library. Air force one loomed in the background. Bitter feelings in the foreground with only days before the Super Tuesday showdown. Frontrunner John McCain and Mitt Romney pulled no punches.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOHN MCCAIN, (R) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: We don't want to have to lay -- have them lay in the weeds until we leave. In Maliki and the president should enter into some kind of agreement for "Timetables." Timetables was the buzzword for withdrawal, senator.
MITT ROMNEY, (R) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Why do you -- why do you insist -- I'm not using the actual quote. That's not what I said.
MCCAIN: You're quotes is "We don't want them to lay in the weeds until we leave." That is the actual quote. And I'm sure...
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: Well, the Democrats get their turn tonight in a CNN debate held in Los Angeles. Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton will not only dominate the spotlight, they will own the stage. John Edwards pulled out of the race, but formally suspended his campaign.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARACK OBAMA, (D) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: When I was working on those streets...
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COLLINS: Voters tuning into the debate and dialing up their feelings with a flick of the wrist. Our panel rates what the candidates had to say. CNN's Chris Lawrence explains.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CHRIS LAWRENCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Mitt Romney didn't run away from President Bush and these voters approved.
ROMNEY: He did something for our party that was important to do, which is to show that when someone attacks America, there will be consequences and he kept us safe these last six years.
(APPLAUSE)
LAWRENCE: Those remarks scored near the top of the scale. And when John McCain claim Romney supported a timetable to withdraw American troops from Iraq, voters can site.
ROMNEY: How is it that you're the expert on my position, when my position has been very clear?
MCCAIN: I'm the expert on this when you said. I won't weigh in, I'm a governor. You couldn't weigh in because you were a governor.
LAWRENCE: McCain's aggressive style made the meter drop like a rock, especially when he criticized Romney for spending money on attack ads.
MCCAIN: If you want to, you can spend it all. But the fact is that your negative ads, my friends, have set the tone unfortunately in this campaign.
LAWRENCE: Mike Huckabee flat line when he talked about abortion but on foreign policy and defense, which aren't normally considered his strengths, he got his highest marks.
MIKE HUCKABEE, (R) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: We've got to have an army that is well-staffed, well-trained, well-financed and that is prepared for anything and hopefully, because it is so well-prepared, it never has to be used. LAWRENCE: Ron Paul connected by explaining how he would fix the economy.
RON PAUL, (R) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: We need lower taxes, less regulations and we need to free up the markets.
LAWRENCE: And one of the few times McCain scored with voters was when he aimed his anger at Wall Street.
MCCAIN: I think we've got to return to the principle that you don't lend money to people that can't pay it back. I think that there's some greedy people in Wall Street that perhaps need to be punished.
LAWRENCE (on-camera): That was a real high point for McCain but whenever he wins after Mitt Romney, McCain's approval numbers nose- dive. There was something about his tone that just didn't resonate with these two dozen undecided Republicans. Chris Lawrence, CNN, Los Angeles.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COLLINS: Of course, we invite you to tune in tonight as the Democrats face-off in their last debate before Super Tuesday. You can see it here at 8:00 p.m. Eastern, only here on CNN, your home for politics.
HARRIS: A dangerous scene at a construction site during some strong winds. Some workers had to scramble to safety when their scaffolding collapsed. Adam Williams of affiliate WHDH reports from North Reading, Massachusetts.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Everybody was watching it. Every time somebody came in, they like, oh, that's swaying.
ADAM WILLIAMS, WHDH REPORTER (voice-over): It is the aftermath of forceful winds that respect no authority.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I started seeing it swerve and then it just started going over.
WILLIAMS: Scaffolding came crashing down Wednesday afternoon.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It went, boom, when it hit the trailer.
WILLIAMS: At a Walgreen's under construction in North Reading.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The wind gust came approximately 45 miles an hour and tipped the scaffolding. When they realized the scaffolding started to lean, all of the guys onto the scaffolding got themselves down
WILLIAMS: Witnesses say the foreman jumped down on to a sand pile as the temporary structure started to tip. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I asked the foreman, if everybody was OK? And he said, yes.
WILLIAMS: As a precaution, local police closed one lane of route 128 southbound fearing another violent gust could send another heavy piece of material flying.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS: Four workers were on the scaffolding when it collapsed. It fell on top of a construction trailer and a pickup truck.
COLLINS: Chad Myers joining us now to talk more about the weather situation. A lot of winds and snow causing some problems in the northeast.
(WEATHER REPORT)
COLLINS: Something else sounds pretty serious. Tax time. Accountants aren't the only ones working overtime. So are identity thieves. Tell you all about it and a new warning ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COLLINS: A government alert at tax time. The IRS is warning about new e-mail and telephone scams. Veronica De La Cruz has that, plus advice on protecting your personal information. Veronica, what could people do?
VERONICA DE LA CRUZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, good morning to you, Heidi. You know, those rebate checks that are part of this economic stimulus package, just one more way to identity thieves are trying to steal your money, Heidi.
Apparently, people are getting phone calls from scam artist posing as IRS employees and asking for bank account information to deposit their check. And without it, they say that you're not going to get your rebate. Now, that isn't true. And there are a lot of red flags that you want to look out for here. You know, you don't have to use direct deposit to deposit your check. You know that.
Also, you want to be aware of officials-looking e-mails. They'll end up in your e-mail inbox. You'll see the IRS logo. You might see a subject line that says something like Tax Notification. Also, 2007 Fiscal Activity Tax Refund. Victims are often asked to fill out an attached document and that's going to contain spyware, Heidi. And once opened, that is what ends up stealing your personal information. Now, other times the e-mail asks you to click on a link and that's going to take you to a fake but official-looking website asking you to plug in your information.
Again, these are all the red flags that you want to look out for. What you have to remember here, Heidi, is that the IRS has most of your information. The IRS never sends unsolicited e-mails. You know? So something that you definitely have to remember. COLLINS: Yes, no question about it. I know there are also scam artists using e-mails to get to victims. Anything in particular we can look out for there?
DE LA CRUZ: Well, a couple of different things like I was just saying. You know, I want to show you an example of an e-mail that you might find in your inbox. We took a look at it just a second ago. I'm going to bring it up one more time. You want to look out for subject lines in your e-mail. Something that says Tax Notification. Also, 2007 Fiscal Activity (Tax Refund).
We looked at it moments ago, Heidi. You want to be careful with e-mails like this. You also want to be careful when visiting certain websites. You can go ahead and type in https.www.irs.gov. That redirects you to the IRS website. That's when you know that the website is actually legit.
So, I mean, this is stuff that you want to remember online, Heidi. Other things that you can do that are really simple. You know, get a shredder. If you have all those important tax documents, like W2S, you know, instead of -- you want to save those obviously. But anything with your personal information, you definitely want to shred. You don't want to toss it in the trash.
COLLINS: What do you do if you come across one of these scams? Is there a number you call? Or better Business Bureau or what exactly is your recourse?
DE LA CRUZ: Well, this is what the IRS is asking you to do. You can actually e-mail them at spam@uce.gov. You can also call this number. This is the Taxpayers Advocate, 877-77-4778. We are posting all of this online at cnn.com/americanmorning. So that's the place you can visit if you want more from me.
COLLINS: Boy, it's seems like there's an awful lot to worry about. Any final advice there?
DE LA CRUZ: Never use a computer again. How about that?
COLLINS: No.
DE LA CRUZ: It's definitely not going to happen. Well, you know, you just need to be smart. You need to use your head. You need to be careful of any paper that has your personal information, like I just said. And if you are filing online, make sure that your firewalls are up to date, that they're running before you start plugging all that information in and, again, like I said, use your head. Don't let those tax-related documents linger in your mailbox.
I think that I'm definitely guilty of doing stuff like that. You know, those I.D. thefts. They are definitely out this time of year. You don't want to throw anything in the trash. You want to shred all of those documents. That's probably the best advice I can give you, Heidi. Shred, shred, shred.
COLLINS: Shred, shred, and more shredding. DE LA CRUZ: Do you have a shredder?
COLLINS: I do, yes.
DE LA CRUZ: And you use it?
COLLINS: It shred everything. Probably guilty of something I shred so much.
DE LA CRUZ: I never use mine. Mine's collecting dust. That's why I'm giving you advice that I don't even take myself.
COLLINS: Yes, well, we'll change that. We'll check in with you later about it. Shred update. All right, Veronica, thanks so much.
And also as a reminder, you can see Veronica on AMERICAN MORNING, weekdays 6:00 until 9:00 Eastern.
HARRIS: It is the outrage story of the day.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): What can you say about someone who killed our son? Never even called to say I'm sorry and then sues to collect money for his car?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: Raw emotions, legal audacity.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COLLINS: We are getting word just in of a possible guilty plea in the case of a missing hiker who was murdered. According to our affiliate WXIA in Atlanta, drifter Gary Hilton is expected to plea guilty today in the murder of Meredith Emerson. The hearing is scheduled for this afternoon at 1:00 Eastern.
Hilton led police to Emerson's body in exchange for avoiding the death penalty. Authorities say Emerson was kidnapped while hiking with her dog in the North Georgia Mountains on New Year's Day.
HARRIS: Listen to this. A driver in Spain hits a teenager on a bike, killing him, and then, he sues the parents for damage to his car. Here's CNN's Al Goodman.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
AL GOODMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Just imagine how Antonio Iriondo feels. Digging into a chilling past. In the back seat, the mangled bicycle his son was riding when killed by a car. Broken spokes, a twisted pedal. Enaitz Iriondo, just 17, wanted to study computer sciences.
(on-camera): This is where Enaitz died. He was riding his bicycle in that direction, his father says when he was hit. Flowers across the road mark the place where his body was found.
(voice-over): And you can imagine the shock, when his parents learned they were being sued by the driver for nearly $30,000 in damages to his car.
ROSA TRINIDAD, MOTHER OF ACCIDENT VICTIM (through translator): What can you say about someone who killed our son, never even called to say I'm sorry and then sues to collect money for his car? It's indignant.
ANTONIO IRIONDO, FATHER OF ACCIDENT VICTIM (through translator): Someone who thinks his car is worth more than the life of a child doesn't deserve to be human.
GOODMAN: The driver's interview with Canal Sur TV seen by tens of thousands of people on YouTube.
I'm a victim, too, says Thomas Delgado.
GOODMAN: The story dominating many Internet chats here. The parents appearing on numerous TV talk shows. Finally, the court date. The parents first huddle with their lawyer and friends at a hotel. Then the drive into town, where a throng of supporters and the news media await them. Even perfect strangers.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): I saw them on TV, they have lost a son and on top of that, he wants money.
GOODMAN: But the driver was a no-show in court. His lawyer suddenly announced they're dropping the lawsuit.
We're pleased, the father says, but he adds, this is just the start. The driver's insurance company has already paid the boy's parents nearly $50,000. Now the family and prosecutors exploring possible criminal charges against the driver for alleged recklessness. The accident happened three summers ago. Fresh flowers still brought here to where the, Enaitz, died. Memories still raw, case unfinished. Al Goodman, CNN, Haro.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COLLINS: Class-action lawsuit over New Orleans' failed levees dismissed. Details coming up in the NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COLLINS: Coming up next hour is a great story. A super win for U.S. airman serving in Iraq. He's going to the super bowl with style and free of charge. We're going to talk with him
HARRIS: Balance keeps us from falling down. We all know that. But staying on our feet, as we get older can sometimes be a bit of a challenge. CNN's Judy Fortin has some tips.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) JUDY FORTIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): No, she is not getting into an amusement ride. 42-year-old Tangia Boyd is actually having her balance tested. As a participant in a lab run by Temple University. She straps on a harness, puts on 3D glasses and stands on a platform surrounded by huge screens that create a virtual environment. The idea is to throw her off balance to see how she recovers.
TANGIA BOYD, KEEPING HER BALANCE: It kind of gives you a dizzy sensation and it gives you the feeling of being in a fun house.
FORTIN: More than 6 million people in this country suffer from chronic dizziness or imbalance and those numbers are expected to grow, as our population gets older. The Temple Lab is set up to see how the central nervous system handles movement in a natural setting. That is because all our senses help keep us balanced. When that changes, it can knock us off stride.
EMILY KESHNER, PHYSICAL THERAPY, TEMPLE UNIVERSITY: If you have impairment in this sensation in your limbs, your balance will become impaired. If you lose your inner ear centers of the vestibule system, your balance is impaired.
FORTIN: In our 30s, watch minor injuries. They can play a big role in balance control. Athletes will favor one side of their body, if they've hurt a foot or leg and begin to lose their stability. Also, posture plays a role in keeping your balance. The earlier you correct it, the better your balance will be later in life. Yoga and Tai chi can help at any age.
KESHNER: Those are actually good in two ways. One, they'll strengthen you, but, two, they also make you pay more attention to the input you're getting from your limbs.
FORTIN: In our 40s and 50s, our senses begin to change. Our hearing isn't as good. Our eyesight may need to be corrected, but by keeping senses intact, balance problems can be avoided and getting plenty of sleep make as difference.
KESHNER: Whether you're aware and alert is going to impact on whether you can stay balanced.
FORTIN: Doctors find people in their 40s and 50s subconsciously begin to rely on handrails and other supports to keep them upright. In some cases, grocery stores, packed from floors to ceilings can cause some people lose their sense of staying upright known at Supermarket Syndrome, which can cause a person to fall for no reason.
KESHNER: A lot of the time, there are so many things going on around us. We can't always pay attention to everything that's happening. And so being able to figure out what we should pay attention to, that's important, becomes a processing problem.
FORTIN: With data from this project, researchers hope to develop tools that can help people keep their balance even as they age, which will hopefully cut down on accidental falls and injuries as we reach our golden years. Judy Fortin, CNN, Atlanta.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: More bad news for Katrina victims in New Orleans. A Federal judge dismissed the class-action lawsuit over the failure of the levee system. The judge says the Army Corps of Engineers is not liable for the damage. It was the corps that design the levees that judge did acknowledge. The agency failed to safeguard little lying areas.
Katrina floods spread across 80 percent of the city.
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