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BALLOT BOWL '08: Dem Prez Hopefuls Crisscross Wisconsin; GOP Candidates Off Trail for Weekend; Huckabee Meeting Fundraising Goals; Search Leads to Hotel in NIU Shooting; Chelsea Clinton Campaigns for Mom; Bill Clinton Addresses Supporters in Texas; Ted Kennedy stumps for Obama

Aired February 17, 2008 - 16:59   ET

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

MARY SNOW, CNN CORRESPONDENT: You're watching this Saturday edition of BALLOT BOWL on CNN, a chance for you to hear from candidates on the campaign trail. Sometimes we bring them to you live. Sometime they're on tape. Always unfiltered. I'm Mary Snow in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. And not far from here is my colleague and co- anchor Jessica Yellin -- Jessica.
JESSICA YELLIN, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hey there, Mary. We are going to turn now to one of those events we like to bring people, the candidates speaking in their own words. Hillary Clinton speaking yesterday in Akron, Ohio. She was at a Lockheed Martin plant. And she talked about herself as a problem solver and a champion of the middle class. Let's listen.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SEN. HILLARY CLINTON (D-NY), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: We've got to make sure that we don't lose jobs by subsidizing their movement. That's what still goes on. Our tax code still has tax give-aways that go to companies that want to move jobs out of Akron to some other foreign country. We need to end that.

It's a free country. If somebody wants to create jobs somewhere else, that's fine. But they shouldn't get a penny of taxpayer dollars to be able to do that. That's especially important when we think about our national security and our defense.

We have been outsourcing our defense. I serve on the Senate Armed Services Committee, and I have watched year after year how we are losing important aspects of our national defense. You know, the United States used to own the night. We invented night vision. We utilized it. We had a great advantage with it.

Now it's not even produced any longer in the United States. We have to stand up against a tax code that continues to give benefits to those who would move jobs, that gives an investment manager from Wall Street a lower tax rate than a worker here at Lockheed or a school teacher or a nurse or a truck driver.

We can't get back to building a strong and prosperous middle class unless we have a president who believes, as I do so strongly, that the wealthy and the well-connected have had a pretty good ride of it the last seven years. It's time that we shift to doing what we should do and what works best for us, creating economic opportunity for everybody.

We know how to do this. It wasn't so long ago that we saw the creation of nearly 23 million new jobs in America during the 1990s. We saw more people lifted out of poverty than any time in our recent history, and we saw what made it happen, a return to fiscal responsibility, where the government lived within its means.

This president unfortunately forgot that lesson and squandered that balanced budget and that surplus. So now we are deep into debt, a deep and growing deficit. We owe $9 trillion of debt, much of it to foreign countries. And when people across my state of Upstate New York, who are in factories like this, working hard every day, say, why can't we get tough on China? I say, well, how do you get tough on your banker?

Because that's what we've done, we've turned them into our banker. So there's a lot that we could do immediately to begin to reverse this situation. But it's not going to happen unless we have strong and experienced leadership from, as the mayor says, day one.

It's going to be a lot of repair work to do. But I think we are fully capable of doing it with new leadership. And then we need to be creating new jobs. You know, Lockheed Martin is not only instrumental in our defense, but in all kinds of new technology that has dual use, that can influence the quality of our lives.

I also want to see an investment in clean energy jobs, because we cannot continue to be dependent on either the oil companies or oil- producing countries. They have, unfortunately, taken our money, billions and billions every single year, and in many cases turned around and used it against us.

So we find ourselves in this really unfortunate situation where we borrow money from the Chinese to buy oil from the Saudis. That does not make sense for America. So a new energy policy that moves us toward independence, a tax code that actually works for the majority of Americans, a trade policy that says we're going to have smart, pro- American trade with labor and environmental standards that are enforceable, a trade prosecutor so that people who violate these trade agreements, we can go after them, more investments here at home, particularly in national defense and security.

I think we can rebuild the economy. And we can also do the work that the mayor needs done, investing in communities like Akron, rebuilding bridges, tunnels, roads, ports, other kinds of public services and common goods. I'm very bullish on America. I think our best days are ahead. But it won't happen by hoping for it or wishing for it. It happens by working hard, and that's what I offer to you.

Thirty-five years of hard work producing positive results for people that I will take into the White House along with your voices, along with your concerns. You know, Ohio has been particularly hard- hit. There's a lot of good things going on around the state, but there needs to be more.

And it's hard to do that if you don't have a partner who cares every single day about what can be done to produce jobs, deliver universal health care so that every single man, woman and child has quality, affordable health care, make sure the education system works, and let's get college affordable again for the children of middle class and working families.

We can do all of this. And we will be able to bring some of the money home quickly as we start to bring our troops home from Iraq. We will be bringing that money back to put it to use right here in our country.

So there's a lot to be done, and obviously I'm hoping to earn your support in the next couple of weeks, to be a president who, once again, says to America, let's roll up our sleeves, let's get to work, let's make a difference and let's be sure that we give our kids the kind of future that they deserve to have.

Thank you all very, very much.

(APPLAUSE)

(END VIDEOTAPE)

YELLIN: That was Senator Clinton speaking in Ohio. She has been spending some time in Ohio while Barack Obama has been here in Wisconsin focusing a lot on the youth vote. It's a voting bloc in which he's very popular. He has been on a number of campuses. And earlier today he was at Northcentral Technical College from Wausau, Wisconsin. He took a tour of the plant there, took some questions and he also gave comments to about -- a group of 50 students or so. Let's listen.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SEN. BARACK OBAMA (D-IL), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Our economy is changing at a breathtaking space. You need different skills to make a good living than you did just 20 years ago. And you will be competing throughout your life with people halfway around the world, in Beijing and Bangalore.

That's why I'll create a new community college partnership program. This initiative will help community colleges analyze what skills are needed to prepare students to work in local industry. So that students who get an associate degree, that it prepares them to get a good job, to stay on the cutting edge of the changing economy and to keep their communities competitive.

And we won't just encourage schools to move in this direction. We will reward success by providing grants to community colleges that graduate more students and increase the number of their students who are also transferring to four-year colleges.

As we move forward, we have to prepare our people to compete in the global economy, and we need to educate the next generation of scientists and engineers here in the United States of America. And that's why I want to increase science and engineering graduates. I'll extend funding for community colleges through the Workforce Investment Act and the Perkins Act. And I'll support aggressive efforts to expand the pool of women and minorities in critical industries. Our goal must be to provide an education that does more than help you get a job, we need to help Americans get started with a career.

Finally, we need to stress the importance of lifelong learning. It is less and less likely that people will go to school and get a job that they will keep until retirement. More Americans are changing jobs or confronting layoffs. More Americans need to constantly update their skills in order to compete. More Americans want to access the opportunities of new technologies and emerging industries.

That's why I want to work with organized labor to support innovative programs that allow union members to develop their skills throughout their careers. I'll partner with community colleges to make basic computer skills universally accessible in America.

We'll provide grants to schools that open up computer facilities to local residents and will provide support so that computers and instructors are available for longer hours. An ever-expanding American dream, that's the legacy and the promise of the community college system in America.

It's a system based on the principle that we have at stake in one another's success, because when we invest in one another's dreams, our communities benefit, our states benefit and ultimately our entire nation is lifted up.

We are at a moment when people are finding it harder and harder just to get ahead. You need skills to compete in everything, especially education costs more. That's why it's time to call upon our community colleges once again to make sure that the 21st Century is just as much the American century as the 20th, to put a little wind at the backs of the American people and to put more of them on the path to their dreams.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

YELLIN: Again, that was Barack Obama speaking in Wisconsin to some college students -- community college students vowing to ease the economic burden on young Americans should he become president.

We want to remind you that this Thursday Barack Obama and Senator Clinton will once again debate. That debate will be broadcast live on CNN. It is 8:00 p.m. this Thursday from Austin, Texas. Don't miss that.

Coming up on BALLOT BOWL, you also won't want to miss hearing from John McCain and Mike Huckabee right on the other side of this break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SNOW: Welcome back to CNN's BALLOT BOWL. I'm Mary Snow in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Wisconsin is the site of another primary on Tuesday. We're going to be taking a look at the Republican side of the primary. Senator John McCain emerging, of course, as the likely Republican nominee. He won the Potomac Primaries earlier this week, although Mike Huckabee continues to challenge him.

And this week, also, he picked up a significant endorsement from his former rival, Mitt Romney. Mitt Romney and Senator John McCain had been bitter foes at several points along the campaign trail. Then Mitt Romney dropped out and decided to endorse Senator John McCain. They made that announcement on Thursday. That was Valentine's Day, and it was made in Boston. Let's take a listen to what Mitt Romney had to say about his former rival.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MITT ROMNEY (R), FMR. PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I am honored today to give my full support to Senator McCain's candidacy for the presidency of the United States. I'm officially endorsing his candidacy. And today I'm asking my delegates to vote for Senator McCain at the convention.

As all of you saw over the past year, things can get pretty rough in a political campaign. And in the thick of the fight it's easy to lose sight of your opponent's finer qualities. But the truth of the matter is, in the case of Senator McCain, I could never quite do that.

Even when the contest was close and our disagreements were debated, the caliber of the man was apparent. This is a man capable of leading our country at a dangerous hour. Senator McCain understands the war we're in, the necessity of victory and the consequences of surrender.

For him national security is not just another agenda item. It is the abiding concern and responsibility of the nation. This is a man who tied his political fortunes to the fortunes of our country at a time of war. Such courage is not always rewarded in politics. But it was this time. And that's a credit both to the man and to the party he will lead in the election of 2008.

This is a man who has served and suffered for his country. John McCain's greatest test was long ago. But the loyalty and love of country and strength of heart that saw him through are still the qualities that define him. With their rhetoric, our Democratic opponents are very skilled at striking heroic poses. With a Republican nominee, we're going to offer to America the real thing.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SNOW: Former Republican presidential hopeful Mitt Romney endorsing his one-time rival, Senator John McCain. Senator McCain saying he was thankful that Mitt Romney had gave him that endorsement with not much time passing before Mitt Romney had exited the race.

Mitt Romney also said that he would be releasing his delegates, and in terms of exactly what that means, in terms of the count, we're still tabulating that. You might hear some crowds behind me, see some signs. Both Democratic presidential candidates, Senator Barack Obama and Senator Hillary Clinton are going to be speaking here in Milwaukee at a Democratic dinner later today. So some of their supporters are gathering.

The Republicans are not on the campaign trail this weekend. Senator John McCain is taking this weekend off, a bit of a breather. Mike Huckabee also is not here today. He went to the Cayman Islands, of all places, to deliver a speech reminding people that he, too, must earn a paycheck. And he's giving a speech to do that.

But both of the candidates were here in the past couple of days. Senator John McCain was here campaigning, and as he moves toward becoming the likely Republican nominee, he is really drawing distinctions between himself and his Democratic rivals looking forward to a general election.

Now yesterday he was in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, talking to crowds. Let's hear a little bit about what Senator John McCain had to say here in Wisconsin.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SEN. JOHN MCCAIN (R-AZ), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I just want to mention a couple of things. One is my disappointment that the House of Representatives left town without acting on the so-called FISA, the ability to monitor the telecommunications of those who want to destroy America.

I think it's incredibly regrettable, and I don't think the American people want us to be divided in such a way that we will not adopt the necessary measures that the director of national intelligence says is vitally necessary to defend this country.

The second thing I'd like to mention is that, it was very clear to me that Senator Obama had agreed to having public financing of the general election campaign if I did the same thing. I made the commitment to the American people that if I were the nominee of my party, I would go the route of public financing.

I expect Senator Obama to keep his word to the American people as well. This is all about a commitment that we made to the American people. I'm going to keep that commitment. I think the American people have every reason to expect him to keep his commitment. With that I will answer your questions.

QUESTION: (OFF-MIKE)

MCCAIN: I continue to do so.

QUESTION: (OFF-MIKE)

MCCAIN: I respect Governor Huckabee and I respect his decision to continue in the race, and I'll continue to campaign, and I'm optimistic that we will succeed, but I will certainly respect his decision to stay in the race, and I wish him well.

QUESTION: (OFF-MIKE)

MCCAIN: I've explained that several times. I'll be glad to do that again. When we passed the Military Commissions Act, we said that the CIA should have the ability to use additional techniques. None of those techniques would entail violating the Detainee Treatment Act which said cruel, inhumane and degrading treatment are prohibited or the Geneva Conventions -- Common Article 3 of the Geneva Conventions or several other laws that have been passed that prevent the use of torture.

And I still believe that they may need additional techniques which would not violate those principles. I have stated repeatedly that I believe that waterboarding is torture. I believe it's in violation of many laws, including the Geneva Conventions.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SNOW: That was Senator John McCain speaking in Wisconsin yesterday as he campaigns, hoping to secure the 37 delegates that are stake in Tuesday's primary. We're going to have a lot more. We're going to hear from Mike Huckabee, another Republican presidential hopeful. But we have to take a quick break. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SNOW: Welcome back to CNN's BALLOT BOWL. I'm Mary Snow in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. And Milwaukee is the site tonight where both Democratic presidential hopefuls, Senator Barack Obama and Senator Hillary Clinton will be speaking at the Founder's Day gala, it is a Democratic dinner. Both of them are scheduled to be here tonight. Their supporters are gathering here now which is perhaps why you're seeing the signs behind me.

We're concentrating on the Republican side of this race. Republican candidates are not here in Milwaukee this weekend. But former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee was campaigning in Wisconsin earlier this week. He took a break for the day from the campaign trail, but he is remaining defiant and staying in this race. Let's take a listen to what Mike Huckabee had to say out on the campaign trail.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MIKE HUCKABEE (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I'm the only person that doesn't get paid by the taxpayers to campaign. Senator Clinton, Senator Obama, Senator McCain campaign every day, and I'm paying for their campaigns. I'm paying because I'm a taxpayer, and I have to pay for their Senate salaries even if they're not on duty.

The taxpayers aren't paying a dime for me to campaign. And I don't take anything from my campaign, so I have to make a living. I do that through my writing and my speaking. I've been doing that for quite some time. This is particularly an event that has been on my calendar for a number of months. It's also one difficult that I did several years ago. It's a group of young professionals, they give a leadership award. I spoke at their very first event like this, I think it has been 10 years ago. They have invited me back and it has been on my calendar for several months. And so I'll be on the campaign trail through Friday. I'll be gone Saturday. I'll be back Sunday. So I'll be gone for one day.

Nobody asked Senator McCain where he was last weekend when he was gone off the trail. I'm telling you where I'm going to be. Told you up front. There will be a few other times when I've got to go out and make sure that I can pay my mortgage payment, just like everybody else has to do. I'm not independently wealthy. I wish I was.

QUESTION: Governor, (OFF-MIKE) suggested in your speech that you majored in miracles and not math. Would you consider being the Republican vice presidential candidate part of that miracle that you've been majoring in?

HUCKABEE: That's not even something I'm up for discussion on because it's not my decision to make, number one. I doubt it will ever be presented to me. And thirdly, last time I checked, I'm still running for president. I thought we had some signs back there. But -- oh, they're up there. And all of them still say "Huckabee for president."

My experience in life is, if you set a goal and you have a secondary goal that's easier, at some point when things get really, really tough, if you're not careful, you'll fall for the easier task. So I've not allowed myself to start thinking about the what-ifs, and what if I don't win and all of the other things. I've been asked for a lot of questions. Would I run for the Senate?

I've been absolutely adamant that I won't. In fact, I've told people that -- yesterday I was in Washington and my comment was that there's a greater chance of me dying my hair green, being tattooed all over my body and going on tour with Amy Winehouse then, for example, running for the U.S. Senate.

And I have no intentions of doing anything right now other than running for president.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SNOW: That's Mike Huckabee in Wisconsin, earlier this week, always using colorful analogies when giving answers, and we was asked a number of questions. One of those questions being, is he running for vice president, because certainly that has come up so much since he has insisted that he's going to stay in this race despite the fact that the math is virtually impossible for him to catch up in the delegate count.

Also you heard him talking about the Cayman Islands. He's giving a speech there. There were some questions since he had been critical of businesses that set up shop in the Cayman Islands, not paying taxes. And he was questioned about whether he should be going there to give a speech. But he reminded everybody that he needs to make a living.

And he also pointed out that -- one thing that he's hitting on is that he is the only candidate who doesn't have a Washington address. He has really tried to set himself apart as the Washington outsider. So that's a little bit of the Republican race. You heard from the candidates on the campaign trail. When we come back, we're going to take a look at the candidates online. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

YELLIN: Welcome back to BALLOT BOWL, I'm Jessica Yellin in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where I also find my colleague, Mary Snow, not far from me in Milwaukee. And our Josh Levs who is nice and cozy in Atlanta, indoors where we understand you continue to surf the Web, Josh, what have you got for us?

JOSH LEVS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes. I got the tough gig today. It's true. I'm surfing the Web. And here is what's going on. As you know, there's a major fight for money among many of the candidates right now. Everybody is trying to do a lot of fundraising. And one of the biggest ways that they do that is online. It has been proven to work in the past. It's clearly working in this election in historic ways.

Kind of amazing stuff. Here is what I'm going to do now. I'm going to turn around. We have another camera right next to me pointing at this computer. And I'm going to show you what's going on in the campaign Web sites.

Now this is Barack Obama's Web site. You're able to see right here, he has been searching for -- he had this goal of hearing from half a million people in 2008. This afternoon, just a little while ago he crossed the 450,000 mark, that many people donating. They don't announce in advance always how much money they want to get. But that's how many people he wanted to hear from by March 4th. He's already at 450.

Hillary Clinton now, this is interesting, she had had this goal of hearing from a million people in a short period of time, she is already at almost 1.3 million people, rather, making calls on behalf of the campaign.

Now the Hillary Clinton campaign just this afternoon sent out a video announcing that in the past week they have pulled in more than $10 million, just in the past week. I mean, we've got to understand, we're talking about historic numbers. This is not a common situation. Clinton and Obama are pulling in massive sums of money, historic. She sent out an e-mail video message to a lot of her supporters. Let's take a look at part of it here.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CLINTON: I want to thank each and every one of you from the bottom of my heart. But the best way I can thank you is to continue to stand up and fight for you, for all of you, who can't afford health care, who are worried about keeping your home, who fear for your children's future.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEVS: So that's a part of her message right there this afternoon. That is where she has been saying to people. So clearly, guys, on the Democratic side, you know, we are seeing a lot of success in fundraising. And what that does is, it fuels even more ads and even more competition well into the spring at this point.

SNOW: This is Mary, on the Republican side. I hear you have some news about Mike Huckabee?

LEVS: Yes, I do, Mary, I do. I have news about Mike Huckabee as well. We'll take a look at the campaigns on the Republican side. This is interesting. I've been following his numbers as well. His goal by March 4th, which a lot of people are calling the new Super Tuesday -- this little red mark shows how he's doing in his goal. His goal is $1.5 million. He's at $380,000 right now. Now he's 25 percent of the way. He's a quarter of the way toward his goal. I find this interesting.

I'm going to show you John McCain's website right now, the only one of the four not doing a major campaign effort, a major fundraising effort right smack in the middle of his website. No major push for a large number of calls and donors, a certain amount of money. None of that. As a lot of people believe, he has the nomination clenched.

He is saying -- you can see it right under his name, look at that -- ready to lead on day one. That is a Hillary Clintonism of this campaign. He's taking that and saying he is the one who really is -- if it should come down to the two of them, to McCain versus Clinton, clearly they'll be fighting for the mantle of who is best to lead on day one.

That's the latest from the Republican side as well. We don't know how much money he has pulled in. We do know, Mary, that Mike Huckabee, about 125 percent of the way toward his -- 25 percent of on the way toward his goal, $1.5 million on time for the new March 4th primaries.

JESSICA YELLIN, CNN NEWS ANCHOR: All of this is breaking records. Now everyone is stealing each other's lines.

Thanks, Josh. We'll check back in with you nonstop throughout the campaign.

Stay with us, because coming up on the other side of this break, we're going to take a check of the latest news, including developments on the shooting in DeKalb, Illinois. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

TONY HARRIS, CNN NEWS ANCHOR: Hello everyone, I'm Tony Harris in the CNN world headquarters in Atlanta. We'll get you back to "BALLOT BOWL" in a few minutes. An eighth person now has died after a street race, south of the nation's capitol. Kate Bolduan is with us from Prince George's County, Maryland.

Kate, Good to see you. What's the latest?

KATE BOLDUAN, CNN NEWS CORRESPONDENT: Hey there, Tony. You can see police now have reopened the highway to traffic. Now we're learning more details of exactly what happened with this street racing accident overnight. Police say simply it seems to be turning out to be a case of being at the wrong place at the wrong time.

Let me set the scene for you. Right here at this intersection is where the accident happened and as well where the drag racing was going on. Police say as the drag race started, the crowd gathered to watch the race. At the same time a Crown Victoria innocently was coming down the highway and traveled upon the scene but couldn't see the crowds that had gathered because of the smoke and debris that was kicked up into the air when the cars burn out as they start the race. The driver, then police say, didn't see the crowd until it was too late.

One eyewitness says she simply could not believe what was unfolding before her.

CLINTON COPELAND, PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY POLICE: This one is probably one of the worst that I've seen, with the amount of victims that were on the scene. It was pretty bad scene.

BOLDUAN: I'm sorry. That was the spokesperson from the police department here describing what he saw as he came upon the scene early this morning. He said he's never seen anything like it in his 14 years here with the department.

Many people, there's still some people in the hospital. Their condition is not known. But as you mentioned, Tony, eight people are now confirmed dead. Police say they've got a long investigation in front of them. They're now looking to find those two drag racing cars that definitely had a hand in creating this very tragic scene here this morning.

HARRIS: Just amazing pictures there, Kate Bolduan in Prince George's county. Appreciate it. Thank you.

At least one person is dead after a small plane crash at Portland International Airport in Oregon. The single engine plane crashed and burned short of the runway. In quarter-mile visibility the pilot was killed. It's unclear if anyone else was on board. The airport was closed for about 20 minutes.

Six white crosses line a snow-covered hill in DeKalb, Illinois, where a gunman's deadly rampage targeted Northern Illinois University. Former student Steven Kazmierczak had a history of mental problems. But what set him off remains a mystery.

As Don Lemon reports, the search for clues has led police to a local motel.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DON LEMON, CNN NEWS CORRESPONDENT: Is it possible that the shooter stayed at a hotel in DeKalb, Illinois, just before he went on that shooting spree? Investigators think so. They have searched a hotel room and have come up with a computer, a laptop computer that they believe could possibly have been left behind by the shooter in the hotel room.

(voice-over): According to the hotel owners, they got a call from police asking if they had found someone in a room who had left a computer, a laptop computer behind. When they checked the room, they did find a computer, called investigators back. Investigators came out, confiscated the computer and also sent the bomb squad out to check the room and to do a sweep of the room.

Today, on the scene at the hotel, investigators were back there for at least a second time talking to the hotel manager about exactly what happened.

Not only did they find a computer, they found other items in the room as well that they took into -- with them and they are checking into those items as well.

(on camera): Is it the same Steve that checked into the hotel? Well, it's uncertain, but the person has not gone back to collect his items.

Reporting from DeKalb, Illinois, Don Lemon, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARRIS: All five of the dead in Thursday's NIU attack, four of them were under the age of 21. The oldest was 32-year-old Julianna Gehant, an Army veteran studying to be an elementary school teacher; 20-year-old Catalina Garcia, also wanted to be a teacher. Her family was from Mexico. 20-year-old Danny Parmenter sold ads for the campus newspaper; 20-year-old Gail Dubowski, sang in her high school choir. The youngest was 19-year-old Ryanne Mace. Her mother says Ryanne got her unusual name because they were expecting a boy. She was an only child and was studying psychology.

A Florida sheriff's deputy has turned herself in to face a felony charge of abuse of a disabled person. Charlotte Marshall Jones was caught on tape dumping a paralyzed man from his wheelchair on to the jailhouse floor. This morning, she was booked and released on $3,500 bond. Two of her supervisors have been suspended and a third put on unpaid leave.

President Bush arrives in Tanzania, the second stop on his six- nation tour of Africa. Mr. Bush and the first lady flew into the capital city Darussalam (ph). The president's tour is focused on aid programs targeting HIV, AIDS, malaria and poverty. Early in the day, he became the first president ever to visit the small nation of Benin. American flags wave in Kosovo as the tiny Balkan province prepares to break free of Serbia. A declaration of independence is expected to come tomorrow. Serb leaders have promised diplomatic and economic retribution if it goes ahead. Mostly Muslim, Kosovo has been administered by the U.N. since 1990, after a U.S.-led air campaign forced out Serb troops.

Jacqui Jeras, let's talk to her for a bit in the Severe Weather Center keeping an eye on severe weather in the south and blizzard conditions in the Midwest.

JACQUI JERAS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yes, that's not going to happen until late tonight. We're concerned about tornadoes this afternoon and into the evening hours.

(WEATHER REPORT)

HARRIS: OK, Jacqui, appreciate it. Thank you.

I'm Tony Harris. More CNN "BALLOT BOWL '08" after a quick break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

YELLIN: Welcome back to "BALLOT BOWL." I'm Jessica Yellin.

While the candidates on the Democratic side are here in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where I am, they have surrogates all over the country outside the continental United States, in Hillary Clinton's case. Her daughter, Chelsea, is in Hawaii where she's been campaigning for her mom, in part, in front of students, young voters, people she can connect with, especially well.

Senator Clinton competing there to do as well as she can on the caucus on Tuesday, of course, knowing that's Barack Obama's home state.

Meantime her husband and Chelsea's father is down in Texas. He made comments today in Dallas to supporters there.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BILL CLINTON, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Ladies and gentlemen, I'm honored to be here on behalf of Hillary's campaign.

UNIDENTIFIED AUDIENCE MEMBER: Thank you for coming.

B. CLINTON: I'm glad to be here. This whole election may come down almost certainly will come down to how Texas and she'll win in Pennsylvania and win the nomination. It's up to you whether she wins this nomination. The first thing I want to say to all of you who are here is I want to make sure you understand that as in so many other things, Texas is unique in its primary voting system. Because when all the people show up -- and you're going to have a record turnout -- only 65 percent of the delegates will be selected. The other 35 percent will be selected on election night at 8,000 precinct conventions.

So I want to urge all of you, at least those of you for Hillary, to remember this. If you really want your vote to count, you don't want somebody to come in at nighttime and take away what you vote for in the daytime, which means you have to vote in the election, or if you vote early, keep the proof that you voted and then show up at your local precinct convention at 7:15 that night. We'll have a record turnout there, too. The only way you can fairly and justly allocate your delegates is if the precinct conventions reflect the will of the people the same way the voters do during the daytime.

So I ask you to remember that this is the only time in your life you'll be able to vote twice in the same election without breaking the law, and I want you to do it.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

YELLIN: That's Bill Clinton actually speaking in Amarillo, Texas, describing what is a very unusual election system, primary system there in Texas. About two-thirds of the state vote by primary, but one-third vote by caucus, highly unusual.

We're going to shift gears now away from the Clinton surrogates and take a look at an Obama surrogate, Senator Ted Kennedy, who is doing some stumping in the state of Ohio. You heard President Clinton say it's a must-win for Clinton. The Obama campaign is fighting for it, too. Let's listen.

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SEN. TED KENNEDY, (D), MASSACHUSETTS: You're here for another reason, and that is because you want to see a war that we never should have fought ended.

I can remember, my friends, being on the floor of the United States Senate on the Friday before the Thursday when we had the final vote. We had eight members of the United States Senate that were going to vote in opposition to the war, and we heard then about a young voice from Chicago that was being asked at that time how did he stand on the war. And he said no, the United States is not in I'm meant danger from Iraq at that time. His voice was clear. His voice was positive. He said no way should we involve the American treasure and American lives over in Iraq, my friends.

And we heard that voice. There may be some others that didn't hear that voice. But we heard it, my friends. That was a courageous action. That was bold action. That was real strength. That was real leadership. And it was Barack Obama that made that statement.

So you're here because you care about your families, you care about the jobs, you care about healthcare, and you care very much about the future of our country, ending a war that we never should have begun. My friends, I want to stand with Barack Obama on that issue.

The best vote I ever cast in the United States Senate was not going to war in Iraq. That was the same position that Barack Obama has. Barack Obama was right -- was right then. And he'll be right in the future.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

YELLIN: Senator Ted Kennedy stumping for Barack Obama in Ohio, drawing a clear contrast with Senator Clinton on the war in Iraq.

We're going to have a final word from "BALLOT BOWL" right after this break. So stay with us.

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SNOW: You're watching CNN's "BALLOT BOWL." I'm Mary Snow in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, the site of the next battleground. There'll be a primary here on Tuesday.

Tonight in Milwaukee, we're expected to hear from both the Democratic presidential hopefuls. We're outside the founder's day gala. Both candidates will be addressing crowds here.

Jessica, I suspect that there could be perhaps some contrast between the candidates as they make their case to Wisconsin Democrats.

YELLIN: That really is the euphemism of this campaign season, isn't it, contrast or sharpening the differences. The big question tonight is how negative will Senator Clinton and Barack Obama go? How sharp will their words about one another be?

Clinton will speak first and then Obama. It's not a debate and they're not facing off against each other in any way. They have been running even more negative, more critical ads in this state than we have seen at any point to date.

Both Senators Clinton and Obama have toned down their rhetoric today. So it could be very mild and policy focused. But we will listen closely and bring it to everybody tomorrow.

Mary I should point out this isn't nearly half as exciting as what Mike Huckabee is doing tonight. Where is he and how did you not get that assignment?

SNOW: That's what I want to know, Jessica. I really want to know that answer.

It's really an unusual weekend on the Republican side. Senator John McCain is taking some downtime this weekend, catching his breath. Mike Huckabee is in the Cayman Islands. Tonight he is going to be giving a speech. He's paid to give this speech. He did it a couple years ago. He was invited back, said he made this commitment. It's a youth leadership that's the theme of the speech. We'll get a broadcast of it, keep an ear on it. He will head back here to Wisconsin tomorrow and do some final campaigning before Tuesday's primary.

YELLIN: Mary, let me ask you a little bit about the energy you see on the campaign trail. Do you feel that the folks you see out there are sort of getting behind John McCain? Are they excited about this election? We sure see it on the Democratic side, excitement.

SNOW: It's interesting. One thing that the Republicans have to deal with, and Senator John McCain has acknowledged this as well, is really the divisions between conservatives. When you talk to people -- last week end we were in Virginia with Mike Huckabee. And you see crowds, very conservative Christians who are very passionate about Mike Huckabee.

Senator John McCain has been getting good crowds, too. But there is always that question about conservatives that's been following him around. He knows he has to address them and that is one of the big challenges as he tries to unite the party and also address conservatives, their concerns, but also reaching out to moderate Republicans. It's a bit of a balancing act. So you're not seeing the size of crowds, for instance, on the Republican side that you are on the Democratic side.

YELLIN: Very different dynamics in this race.

Mary Snow, and I'm Jessica Yellin, we're both coming to you from Milwaukee, Wisconsin. We thank you for joining us on "BALLOT BOWL." We will have more "BALLOT BOWL" at 2:00 eastern tomorrow. Tune in again for that.

Stay tuned. On the other side of this break, we'll bring you "This Week in Politics". We'll be right back.

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