Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Newsroom

BALLOT BOWL '08: Awaiting Maine Results as Candidates Head to Potomac

Aired February 10, 2008 - 14:00   ET

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

CANDY CROWLEY, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: I'm Candy Crowley in Alexandria, Virginia. Welcome to CNN's BALLOT BOWL '08 where we give you these candidates, sometimes live, sometimes taped, always unfiltered, giving you a chance to see and hear these candidates the way we do. I am joined this afternoon by my colleague Susan Malveaux who is with the Clinton campaign in Manassas, and with Mary Snow who is with the Huckabee campaign, last heard from in Lynchburg, Virginia.
Right now we are awaiting and expect some time within the hour to hear from Barack Obama here in Alexandria. He has been doing an economic roundtable at this same site and is expected some time soon to come and speak to this crowd, which I can tell you, has been waiting for to hours.

We also might have some results for you this afternoon. The Maine Caucuses are now under way. Maine, of course, one of those Northeastern states that has been very friendly to Hillary Clinton. So the Clinton campaign holding out some hope there that she can take those caucuses and kind of take some of the momentum out what was a really good day for Barack Obama yesterday.

He swept all of the contests, from Washington State to Nebraska to Louisiana and Virgin Islands, all went to the Obama column. On the Republican side, a bit of a split decision, but Mike Huckabee blowing out McCain in Kansas and in Louisiana. McCain took Washington State. So that's kind of the update of where we are right now. Again, those Maine Caucuses today, 24 delegates. They are watching these delegates very closely, each and every one of them matter at this point.

Now Hillary Clinton is still over in Manassas, Virginia. All of these candidates stumping hard in advance of those Tuesday primaries in Virginia, in Maryland, and Washington, D.C. I want to bring in our Suzanne Malveaux who has been watching the Hillary Clinton campaign now under way over there in Manassas -- Suzanne.

SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Candy, Senator Clinton just wrapped up her remarks just a moment ago. She's going to be working the rope line, shaking hands. She took a good deal of time answering voters' questions as well. She's really trying to emphasize her command on the issues and she specifically talked about the economy, her universal health care plan, also about the mortgage crisis, ways of bringing jobs back to people in Virginia who have lost them.

She is really focusing on a number of groups here. They do believe they can be competitive in Virginia, unlike perhaps the District of Columbia as well as Maryland. But they are focusing on areas where there are federal employees, where there are military families, where there are soccer moms, where there are people who have suffered in the textile industry.

So she is outlining those details about what her economic plan would be. Also want to tell you as well, having listened to very closely to the language here and that of the campaign of Barack Obama, very similar refrain that we heard. She went through a rift where she says, who says we can't do this, who says we can't do that. And she turns it around and says, when is this country become the can't-do country? Very similar to Barack Obama saying, yes, we can.

There was even at one point when she was talking about her universal health care plan, she said that, I think it is time that we say, we can. So clearly she is trying to tap into that sense of optimism, that can-do spirit that people are certainly looking for.

She was not beyond, however, Candy, taking a swipe at her opponent as well. She said to her audience here, people often asked her, why don't you give that rhetoric flourish and get us all whooped up here? And she says, well, I want to hold you accountable, clearly referring to all of the excitement and the rhetoric that comes out of the Obama campaign and those very big rallies the Clinton campaign feels that she's a lot stronger dealing in kind of small venues of town hall meetings and certainly the back and forth with voters and answering those questions.

But as you know, Candy, they are looking at Tuesday as an important day. But much more beyond Tuesday, they're looking at that March 4th, the contest there. They are looking at Ohio and Texas, states where they believe that she will perform strongly. They are almost trying to fast forward, if you will, over these two weeks where they believe that Barack Obama does have the upper hand -- Candy.

CROWLEY: Thanks, Suzanne Malveaux. We all know when you cover these campaigns, it's amazing how much they borrow from one another's speeches, particularly those parts of the speeches that work. We want to take you a little bit south now, down to Lynchburg, Virginia, where earlier Mike Huckabee made an appearance at the church of the late Jerry Falwell. We want to bring in our Mary Snow -- Mary.

MARY SNOW, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Candy, Mike Huckabee is really trying to assert himself as the conservative choice of the Republican candidates despite the fact that Senator John McCain has been surging ahead in terms of delegate numbers. Mike Huckabee says that until John McCain gets 11,091 delegates, the number needed for the Republican nomination, he is going to keep fighting.

And here in Virginia, he is fighting. I spoke this morning to a congregation at the Thomas Road Baptist Church. That is the church that the late Reverend Jerry Falwell built here in Lynchburg, Virginia. Very sizable evangelical community, that is the community that Mike Huckabee is reaching out to ahead of Virginia's primaries on Tuesday, hoping that he will get some strong results. Of course, he touted the results that he got in Kansas yesterday with a strong showing. And he also had won in Louisiana. This morning he was in Washington, D.C., he was on "MEET THE PRESS." And after that he took some questions from the press outside of NBC.

Here's a little bit of what he had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

QUESTION: Governor, yesterday at the CPAC conference here, there was a straw poll, and Mitt Romney, who just left the race, won just over John McCain. Does that give you any concern over reaching out to that voting block as you go forward?

MIKE HUCKABEE (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Oh, no, because the voting mostly had been done before I ever showed up to speak, because of the way is done at that straw poll, they actually start voting on Thursday. So a lot of the people that voted when he was there speaking and before he had even announced that he was pulling out.

And I spoke, you know, on the very last day, near the end of the conference. So I think it really didn't register with whether the people had support for any of us based on having heard us all at the same time.

QUESTION: And you're off to Lynchburg, Virginia, today, where Dr. Falwell began his ministry. Are you hoping to get any endorsement today from the Falwell family?

HUCKABEE: You know, I already have the endorsement of Jerry Jr., the chancellor of the university and long-time friends and known them since the mid 1970s, probably 1977.

QUESTION: Speaking of registering, you still seem to be perhaps registering with the more conservative elements in the Republican Party?

HUCKABEE: Right.

QUESTION: (OFF-MIKE)

HUCKABEE: OK. All right.

QUESTION: You still believe you're registering with the more conservative elements in the party?

HUCKABEE: It's pretty apparent that that's what's going on. I mean, from all of the results that we saw in Kansas and Louisiana and even Washington State, as well as throughout the South the other night on Super Tuesday. The conservative base of the Republican Party is in those states that we saw Tuesday.

It's in Alabama and Georgia and Tennessee and Arkansas and West Virginia. It's in Kansas. And so if you look at where our votes are, it's clearly coming from the people who are the most conservative. I think that that makes sense. I'm the most conservative candidate left standing.

QUESTION: (OFF-MIKE) yesterday's results, do you think you have any more momentum going towards the nomination or are you feeling more confident in you're going forward...

(CROSSTALK)

HUCKABEE: Oh, sure, I mean, obviously when you get two out of the three contests and the third one is still up for dispute hours after it's supposed to be over, I think it's very significant that nobody thought we would just overwhelmingly win Kansas, that we would win Louisiana, or that we would be, you know, in a position to either win or be so close as to scare the daylights out of Washington State.

QUESTION: Should these results, do you think, quiet any of those -- of your people that say you should be dropping out of the race?

HUCKABEE: No, because the people who think I will be dropping out of the race would be saying that no matter what. They're the ones who have a vested interest in my dropping out of the race. So they are going to say that no matter what the results are. But that's fine. You know, I don't answer to the criticism of my critics. You know, I answer really to the ring of the supporters that I have out there that tell me to go on.

You know, if you're playing a football game and you look up in the stands to see where you get your inspiration, you don't get it from the opposing team. You look in your own stands and watch your cheerleaders. Now when they throw their pom-poms down, it's time to go home. But as long as your cheerleaders are still waving their pom- poms for you, you had better stay on the field. The game is not over.

QUESTION: Do you feel you are getting a lot of calls to drop out?

HUCKABEE: Not from any of my supporters. I'm getting a lot of calls to hang in there.

QUESTION: From other people.

HUCKABEE: Oh, you know, it's the people who are supporting the other candidate, people who have given him checks and who, you know, don't want their checks to go down the tube. I understand that. Again, when the fans of the opposing team boo you on the field, they must think you're playing a heck of a game.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SNOW: That was Mike Huckabee earlier today after his appearance on "MEET THE PRESS," Mike Huckabee vowing to keep fighting on although it's clear by now that Senator John McCain is the presumptive Republican nominee, but Mike Huckabee says that until he gets enough delegates needed, he is going to stay in this race.

He's also trying to portray himself as the Washington outsider, mentioning a number of times throughout the past couple of days that he is the only candidate still left in the race who does not have a Washington, D.C., address.

He said he is looking to contrast himself with Senator McCain on a couple of issues and he spoke just a few minutes ago about those conservative issues where he feels he really can resonate with conservative voters and two of them being his opposition to abortion and to same-sex marriage.

Those are some of the themes that he has been repeating here and yesterday when he was campaigning in Maryland -- Candy.

CROWLEY: You know, Mary, particularly in the part of the Virginia where you are, the Falwell name still has a lot of cache among evangelicals, among conservative Christians. Where do the Falwell sons fall in line and are they helpful to Huckabee?

SNOW: Well, helpful in the sense that Jonathan Falwell, who presided over the service this morning, said that Mike Huckabee had reached out last week, saying that he was going to be in the area and said, you know, he's an old family friend and invited him to come to this church. And there were about 6,000 to 7,000 people here this morning.

Jerry Jr. -- Falwell had already endorsed Mike Huckabee. Jonathan Falwell saying that he has not endorsed any candidate. But you know, in talking to him about what's next, he said for one thing, Mike Huckabee is keeping the conversation going about conservative values, keeping it in the campaign. And at this point that, they feel, is an important thing to do.

So in terms of their clout, they do carry clout here. And in a way, it has helped him in just also giving him a platform to get his message out. But Jonathan Falwell also said that he has extended an invitation to Senator John McCain to come here. He also said that he would like the Democratic candidates to come here although he has not yet invited them. But they do carry clout and certainly a very sizeable congregation here (INAUDIBLE) to these messages.

CROWLEY: Mary Snow, thanks. It's always good to get those eyeballs on you if you are the candidate. And of course, Mike Huckabee saying, much like Jonathan Falwell says, that he believes -- Huckabee believes that it is always good, of course, to have a discussion within the Republican Party.

Of course, Huckabee shoving off all of those calls for him to get out of the race, saying it's really important to have this debate. Mary Snow, thank you so much, from Lynchburg, Virginia.

Don't any of you go away because we have lots more coming up. We will have John McCain, we will have more of Senator Hillary Clinton. And right here in Alexandria, Virginia, we expect Barack Obama before too long right after this break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CROWLEY: Hi, I'm Candy Crowley in Alexandria, Virginia. And this is CNN's BALLOT BOWL 08, a special Sunday edition. We are also not just looking at these candidates today, but watching the Maine Caucuses, 24 delegates at stake there today as those caucuses now under way. Twenty-four delegates, you think, what's the big deal there when you need over 2,000, the Democratic race, in order to secure the nomination?

Well, we want to show you why this is a big deal. Take a look at our boards and our delegate count. Hillary Clinton, CNN's estimate is that she has about 1,108 delegates. Barack Obama, 1,049. Not much difference there. John Edwards who, of course, has suspended his campaign, still holding on to his delegates, 25 of them. So 24 delegates at stake in those Maine Caucuses today. That's why it's so important.

Of course, these candidates are now looking even beyond today toward the Potomac Primary, Virginia, Maryland, Washington, D.C. And both Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton here in Northern Virginia today. Earlier Hillary Clinton was in Manassas for a town hall meeting.

And what's interesting about both of these Democratic candidates is now they have an eye not just on each other but on the Republican competition. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SEN. HILLARY CLINTON (D-NY), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: People say to me all the time, you're so specific, you talk about all these things you want to do. Why didn't you just come and, you know, really just give us one of these great rhetorical flourishes and then, you know, get everybody all whooped up.

Well, I've...

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

CLINTON: I've got to tell you, I want you to hold me accountable. I want you to know what I intend to do as your president. I want you to understand that the way I think about this, the hardest job in the world, is that I can't do it alone. We have to do it together. It is not about me. It is about us.

You know, when I come up with an energy policy that will move us away from our dependence on foreign oil, I'm going to ask everybody to conserve more, to be more energy efficient. We're going to show the world that America can do this. We can do it together. It is about who we are as a people.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

CLINTON: When I propose a universal health care plan, it's not just about making it possible for everybody to have insurance. We're going to try to take better care of ourselves, particularly our kids. We're going to ask them once again to do what we used to do all those years ago, participate in the president's physical fitness effort. I remember when I did that I thought -- I thought President Kennedy was signing that certificate himself. I want kids again to know that they're going to have to be healthy in mind and body because America needs them. So it's not just about legislation but what we're going to do together. And when I talk about how we're going to change education, I'm going to ask families to better prepare your own children, give your kids a chance to be successful when they get to school, read to them, work with them.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

CLINTON: Because, you know, when the cameras are gone and the lights are out and the crowds have gone home, the president is alone in that Oval Office trying to make the best decision about the most difficult issues confronting us in the world.

And as we go forward in this campaign, I want...

(AUDIO GAP)

CLINTON: ... because this is really what it comes down to, who do you believe would be the best president for you, your family, your future? Who can be?

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

CROWD: Hillary! Hillary! Hillary!

CLINTON: Well, clearly...

CROWD: Hillary!

CLINTON: Clearly, I think that's the right answer.

(LAUGHTER)

CLINTON: But then for us who are Democrats we also have to ask, who can win, who can go the distance? I want you to think about this, if Senator McCain is the nominee for the Republicans, as it appears he will be, you know that they will do everything in their power to make this election about national security, about homeland security, that is exactly what will happen.

I look forward to standing on that stage. I look forward to making it clear that I have big differences with my friend Senator McCain. He is happy to have our troops in Iraq for 100 years. I want to start bringing them out in 60 days when I become president.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

CLINTON: So this is an exciting election with a lot of intense interest. But none of it will happen without you. That's why your coming here today is so important. Working for the next two days could be critical. Reaching as many friends and colleagues and neighbors as you can, then getting as many people to show up and vote on Tuesday. If you will come out and vote for me on Tuesday, I promise you, I will get up every single day in the White House and work to make sure you and your families have pride in America and we make progress again.

Thank you all very, very much and God bless you!

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CROWLEY: That was Hillary Clinton in Manassas, Virginia, just a while ago. Let me set the scene for you here as you may be able to hear, the rally has started here for Barack Obama. We expect him at any moment. This is T.C. Williams High School, movie buffs may recall "Remember the Titans," a movie about integration here at this high school. Now of course this gymnasium filled with Obama supporters ready to hear from the first African-American with a real shot from the Oval Office. We will have that coming up after the break.

But we have a programming note. Michelle Obama, the very talented wife of Barack Obama, a pretty good campaigner on her own, will be talking to our own Larry King tomorrow night, 9:00 Eastern, Michelle Obama. You don't want to miss that. We'll be back with Barack Obama right after the break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SNOW: Welcome back to CNN's BALLOT BOWL '08, a chance for you to hear directly from candidates unedited, unscripted. I'm Mary Snow in Lynchburg, Virginia, where Mike Huckabee was here earlier today. Mike Huckabee vowing to stay in the race despite the fact that Senator John McCain is really the presumptive Republican nominee after Mitt Romney dropped out last week.

Senator John McCain was campaigning in Kansas and Washington State over the weekend. And on the press plane from Seattle back here to Washington, he took a number of questions from reporters. We'll take a listen in on Senator John McCain on his plane coming back from Seattle, Washington, talking to reporters.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SEN. JOHN MCCAIN (R-AZ), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: When they say they're the agents of change, both of them, I didn't see any change that they brought about in Washington. All I saw was a continuation of the pork barrel spending and earmarking.

QUESTION: (OFF-MIKE)

MCCAIN: I mean, I think the fact is that I did a great deal. More importantly, I've been responsible for change for a long time. The greatest change, of course, is the strategy in Iraq, which is now succeeding, which everybody (OFF-MIKE) they acknowledge.

So -- and again, I would argue that the Abramoff investigation was one of the catalysts that brought about some of the ethics and lobbying reform, which I don't think has gone far enough, obviously. I think it has clearly not gone far enough.

And there are loopholes that have been created that are being exploited as we speak. So there has been a number of -- saving taxpayers $6 billion on an Air Force (OFF-MIKE) was, I'm sure, the (OFF-MIKE) change to. And so I would continue to do the same things that I've been doing in the Senate, and I believe (OFF-MIKE) obviously I do have more (OFF-MIKE).

QUESTION: (OFF-MIKE) primaries, and the fundraising -- the overwhelming fundraising for Senator Obama and Hillary are having, what does that -- how does that change your outlook for a general?

MCCAIN: It doesn't change my outlook but I have said many times, straight talk, we have got a lot of work to do to energize our base. I'm sure you've heard me say in town hall meetings that by letting spending getting completely out of control, part of our conservative base that cares about fiscal discipline became very dispirited. And when I say that to our Republicans at town hall meetings and other places, they all agree.

They all agree. There's no disagreement. So we've got to have fiscal responsibility, (OFF-MIKE) in spending, and go back to that commitment. I think when I say I'll veto any earmark -- certainly, yesterday (OFF-MIKE) at CPAC, I said I'll veto any earmark -- bill with earmarks on it, that was the biggest applause line. So you can tell that that's really a very important issue in our base.

(CROSSTALK)

MCCAIN: Yes, Karl (ph) sent us a check. (OFF-MIKE).

(LAUGHTER)

QUESTION: Are there other (OFF-MIKE)?

MCCAIN: Yes, (OFF-MIKE). And a lot of the fundraisers from other camps are coming on board. And yes, we're see that come together, really. We're seeing (OFF-MIKE).

QUESTION: (OFF-MIKE)

MCCAIN: Who?

QUESTION: Karl Rove?

MCCAIN: (OFF-MIKE). Nobody denies that he's one of the smartest political minds in America. I would be glad to get his advice. I get advice from a lot of people. I would be happy to have his advice.

(CROSSTALK)

QUESTION: (OFF-MIKE) wondering about that, right.

MCCAIN: They beat me. I certainly would be glad to get his advice. I don't think I'd want to revisit how he did it.

(LAUGHTER)

MCCAIN: And I mean that not South Carolina. I don't feel like reliving my defeat.

QUESTION: Are you worried about (inaudible).

MCCAIN: I've always respected Karl Rove as one of the smart, great political minds, I think, in American politics. I've always respected him. We've never had any ill will after the initial South Carolina -- after we had the meeting with President Bush. I've seen Karl Rove many times when I've been over at the White House. We've always had a pleasant conversation.

QUESTION: (Inaudible)

MCCAIN: It's not so much whether I approve of his tactics or not. It's that he has a very great political mind and any information, advice and counsel he could give us, I would be glad to have. I don't think anybody denies his -- his talents. So I would be glad to get any advice and counsel. We would obviously decide whether to accept it or not.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SNOW: That was Senator John McCain talking to reporters on a plane traveling from Kansas to Washington State. That was over this weekend, on Friday night, as he was campaigning in both of those states. Senator McCain taking a break today. But as we all know now he did win Washington, but lost in Kansas and Louisiana over this weekend. He was fielding questions on a number of topics. You heard him talking about Karl Rove.

Now, Karl Rove, of course, ran now President George W. Bush's campaign back in 2000 when there was a very bitter race between now President Bush and Senator John McCain. Karl Rove donating money to Senator McCain. That became public but he said that was not an endorsement. You also hear Senator McCain talking about referencing Senators Clinton and Obama. And we've seen in the past few days as it becomes clear that he is becoming the -- on his way to becoming the Republican nominee that he is drawing pretty stiff distinctions between himself and the democratic candidate. Saying that he does not believe they are agents of change.

Of course, Senators Clinton and Obama taking aim at John McCain as the race intensifies. And in terms of where the race stands right now, after yesterday's results, let's take a look at the delegate count because this is really what says it all.

Senator John McCain at this point has 714 delegates. Mitt Romney who exited from the race last week, 286. Mike Huckabee now at 217. Ron Paul of course at 16. Mike Huckabee saying though despite that lag he intends to stay in this race until John McCain or he has 1,1091 delegates. That's the number of delegates needed to seal the Republican nomination.

We have lots more coming up, waiting for Senator Barack Obama to begin speaking in Alexandria, Virginia. We're going to be taking you there live. Stay with us. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Hello. I'm Fredricka Whitfield at the CNN Center in Atlanta. More BALLOT BOWL in a moment but first more stories making news right now.

A suicide bombing at a market north of Baghdad has killed at least 25 people and wounded 40 more. Reports say the bomber sped toward the market in a car and detonated the blast as checkpoint police opened fire.

In middle Tennessee where tornadoes carved a deadly path last week, member of one church say they're being sustained by faith despite a very big loss. CNN's Susan Roesgen reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SUSAN ROESGEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Dirt is really all that's left here today, all that's left of Antioch Missionary Church, just this pile of dirt. We do have a picture to show you of what the church used to look like. A pretty brick church built in the early 1900s. A church with some 300 members and a lot of memories. But a tornado has no respect for age or history, and it took just seconds on Tuesday for a tornado to wipe the church out.

Yesterday church members came to this spot to scrape up and sweep up and scoop up what was left of it. And then burn the pile of rubble. That was all that they could do. That and share the trauma of losing a church and one church member, one woman who lived near the church was killed in Tuesday's tornado. So they came here to clean up and to try to find some hope for the future.

BRITTANI SIRCY, CHURCH MEMBER: I was really shocked. I didn't even -- We pulled in to the church parking lot and I didn't even realize where we were. It just completely changed the landscape and the way everything looked.

ANDY KNIGHT, CHURCH MEMBER: Feel like you've been punched real hard or hit with a baseball bat. Just an eye-opening experience that my kids will always remember. I remember the first one I went to it tore down a local church. I still remember today just like it happened yesterday and this year brought back memories.

ROESGEN: The church members say they will rebuild right here in this spot. In the meantime they're going to take over a local junior high school for their Sunday services. Susan Roesgen, CNN, Lafayette, Tennessee.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: Hollywood's crippling writer's strike appears to be nearing a end. Writers expressed report today for a deal worked out between the writer's guild and the major studios. Michael Moore calls it a victory for organized labor.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MICHAEL MOORE, FILMMAKER: The chief thing has already been gained, that a union in the United States of America stood up to corporate America and said, we're not going to take this anymore. I wouldn't have thought it would be the writers. Usually, I would expect it from the steelworker or auto workers. The fact that it was a bunch of people that got beat up in school because they liked to sit around and write in their journals, it's kind of impressive.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Reporter: the deal still faces a vote. But writers could return to work as early as Wednesday.

A troubled singer's highly anticipated performance is the buzz around tonight's Grammy Awards. Amy Winehouse will perform live via satellite in Britain after her U.S. visa was not approved in time.

She has six nominations including album of the year. Winehouse will be competing for that award with Kanye West who racked up eight nominations in all.

And we're back with more BALLOT BOWL '08 right after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CROWLEY: Welcome back to CNN's BALLOT BOWL '08.

I'm Candy Crowley standing here in Alexandria, Virginia. More specifically we're in a high school gymnasium. T.C. Williams High School.

Some of you may remember the movie "Remember the Titans" about the segregation the football team here at T.C. Williams which went on if my movie history serves me well, to win the state championship. So that's where we are. This crowd, which has packed the gymnasium pretty much to the gill has been waiting a couple of hours for Barack Obama. Earlier this morning he had an economic round-table to discuss some of the issues and some of the plans. They're expecting him here for a rally.

Now, this is the Virginia, a very, very important state coming up on Tuesday. One of three places to hold contests.

The other is neighboring Maryland as well as the District of Columbia, the Potomac primary, we're calling it, a huge, huge night for Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. I will tell you that Obama favored in both the District and Maryland, Virginia looks a little bit dicier for both Clinton and Obama. She could definitely make a play here certainly working very hard in this state for the delegates that are, of course, up for grabs come Super Tuesday. We also -- not Super Tuesday, come next Tuesday. Maine is also holding caucuses today. Twenty four delegates at stake. A very important to both these candidates. They will come away with some share of it.

Obviously they both want the lion's share. For Hillary Clinton, it would be a nice way to break away from yesterday where there were four contests and Barack Obama swept them all, Washington State, Nebraska, Louisiana, the Virgin Islands. He won in all four. So he has some bragging rights here this morning. Certainly a win in the Maine caucuses, in an area of the country where Hillary Clinton has done very well, would serve her well as we move into those next Tuesday states.

Again, we are awaiting Barack Obama. We expect him here any moment. But we want to try to get in a quick break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SNOW: Welcome back to CNN's BALLOT BOWL '08, a chance for you to hear directly from candidates. I'm Mary Snow in Lynchburg, Virginia, covering the republican candidates. We're going to take you to a candidate who is not getting as much exposure, that is Ron Paul. He has 16 delegates. Earlier this week, on Thursday, he spoke to the Conservative Political Action Conference. It's same group that we heard Mitt Romney withdraw, we also heard from Senator John McCain, president bush addressed those conservatives at the conference this week. Ron Paul did as well on Thursday. Let's take a listen to what Ron Paul had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. RON PAUL, (R) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: You know it shouldn't be that difficult to figure out what we should be doing because we have a lot of problems. We have fiscal problems, we have foreign policy, we have monetary policies, we have deficit problems. And where do they come from? It's because we don't follow the rule of law, we don't follow the Constitution. If we knew and understood and read Article I Section viii believe me, this government would be much smaller, we would have a lot less taxes and we could repeal the 16th Amendment and rid of the income tax.

Somewhere along the way though we have drifted away from the Constitution, and we as conservatives, especially conservatives running the Republican Party, we have drifted a long way from the positions that we used to hold of limited government.

And this is what we have to talk about. We have to talk about what conservatives stand for and what they should be doing because we're going in the wrong direction. There's not a whole lot of time left because if we continue to do what we're doing, we're going to have a financial crisis, because you can't continue to spend too much because there's a limit on how much you can tax. We're taxed to the hilt. Then there's a limit on how much borrowing we can do and we're borrowing to the hilt. We're dependent on China and all these other countries because we're the greatest debtor in the whole world today.

This is different in the '70s when they had to pay for guns and butter. Today we're paying for guns and butter today. But today our good jobs are overseas. We owe $2.8 trillion. The whole country is in debt. And what do we do now when we need more government? We print more money. What is the bail-out package all about? Our side of aisle proposes it and the Democrats wants to increase it, $150 billion? No, let's up it to $250 billion. Where does it come from? The government has no money. Well, can we tax people? No, can't tax anymore. What are they going to do, they are going to print the money, devalue the dollar and that's the problem we have. The dollar is low, prices are high, the people are suffering, the middle class is shrinking. So we offer the same old pabulum the same old bologna and we turn around and say, well, why don't we ask the Federal Reserve to create more money, nobody seems to have enough money. If we just had more money, maybe it would prop up the stock market.

So we go to the Federal Reserve and they badger the Federal Reserve and markets and say we need more money so they crank it out, and they lower interest rates. You can't lower interest rates unless you print more money. So they lower interest rates dramatically like ever before, the stock market goes up 200 points. An hour later they realize it didn't do any good and the stock market drops 200 points.

So we're in a bind. We're in a fix. And I tell you what, we overspend, everywhere. We spend too much everywhere.

This means we spend too much money overseas, we spend too much domestically and we don't produce like we used to. So therefore, the only answer is to be truly conservative. And to be truly conservative, you have to truly take your oath of office seriously. And that is obey the Constitution.

So we as Republicans and conservatives, we finally got control of the government. 1994, as a matter of fact, was an exciting year because it was the year I thought I might like to go back to Congress. I had been in for four terms in the '70s and early '80s. Was out, went back to medicine, delivered babies and 1994 I thought, well, this country is getting serious. We've changed the Congress. I'm going back. So I got back in -- sworn in again in 1997. And was hopeful. And the year 2000, again, hopeful. The Senate, the House and the presidency. But what have we done? Have we lost our way or what?

I mean, remember the old days, the old Reagan days when we used to say, to get rid of the Department of Education, that's what we ought to be doing.

So when we get our chance, what did we do? We doubled the size of the Department of Education. We put no Child Left Behind. We did all these things. We've lost credibility and now we're losing House seats. We've lost control of the House and the Senate and right now it looks like we're going to lose even more. And it's not because we are not compassionate, it's because we're not conservative that we're losing that. That's how we won before.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SNOW: That was Ron Paul on Thursday making his case to conservatives in Washington, DC. Ron Paul not winning any big states. In terms of delegates, he only has 16 delegates but he has loyal supporters. He's been able to raise millions online, sometimes record-breaking amounts and he has vowed to stay on in this race carrying on his libertarian message in the Republican race. There are no contests on the Republican side today. On the Democratic side, it's a different story. Democrats waiting for the results of the Maine caucuses. And let's switch over to Alexandria, Virginia, that's where Candy Crowley is standing by where Senator Barack Obama is going to be speaking momentarily. Candy?

CROWLEY: Thanks. We are here in Alexandria awaiting Barack Obama. From the noise of the crowd I may turn around just to see if he's here. In fact, it sort of looks like he's walked up in this room you can't tell because the crowd is, A, really loud and, B, sort of blocking the view. Actually I don't think so quite yet. We're still in the warm-up phase here in Alexandria, Virginia. While we are waiting for Barack Obama live, we want to give you a little bit of what he said last night in Richmond, Virginia. Here he is.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. BARACK OBAMA, (D) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: In this election, at this moment, Americans are standing up all across the country to say, not this time, not this year, the stakes are too high and the challenges are too great to play the same old Washington games with the same old Washington players and expect a different result. People want to turn the page. They want to write a new chapter in American history.

And today -- and today the voters from the West Coast to the Gulf Coast to the heart of America stood up to say, yes, we can.

We won in Louisiana. We won in Nebraska, we won in Washington State, we won north, we won south, we won in between.

And I believe that we can win Virginia on Tuesday if you're ready to stand for change.

Each -- now, I understand that some of the excitement doesn't have to do with me. I know that whatever else happens, whatever twists and turns this campaign may take, when you go into that polling place next November, the name George Bush won't be on the ballot and that makes everybody pretty cheerful, everybody's happy about that.

The name of my cousin Dick Cheney won't be on the ballot. That was embarrassing when that news came out. They do these genealogical surveys you want to be related to somebody cool.

But his name won't be on the ballot. So each of us running for the Democratic nomination agrees on one thing that the other party does not, that the next president must end the disastrous policies of George W. Bush. No more Scooter Libby justice, no more Brownie incompetence, no more Karl Rove politics. We are going to have a different kind of politics here in America. We all agree on that.

Both Senator Clinton and I have put forth detailed plans and good ideas that would do just that. And I said before and I say again, Senator Clinton was my friend before this race started, she will be my friend after this race started. We are going to be unified as Democrats, whoever the nominee, to make sure that we bring an end to the failed policies of George W. Bush. That we can guarantee.

But I am running for president because I believe to actually make that happen, to make this time different from all the rest we need a leader who can move beyond the divisive politics in Washington and bring Democrats and dependents and, yes, Republicans who are disillusioned with our current course, together to get things done.

That's how we're going to win this election. That's how we will win in Virginia and that's how we will change this country when I am president of the United States of America.

This week, this week we found out that the presumptive nominee of the Republican Party will be Senator John McCain. Now, I believe John McCain is a good man and he is a genuine American hero and we honor his half century of service to this nation.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CROWLEY: Hi, I am Candy Crowley in Alexandria, Virginia. Right now the governor of Virginia is introducing Barack Obama. We will be monitoring this for you and we will be back at 4:00 with BALLOT BOWL between now and then. You're going to be watching YOUR MONEY but right now we want to go to Atlanta for the latest news and Fredricka Whitfield. Fredricka?

WHITFIELD: Thanks, Candy. YOUR MONEY does begin in a moment but first a look at these headlines.

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