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Senator Chris Dodd Endorses Barack Obama; McCain: Iraq War Soon Over; Sheriff's News Conference on Lockdown of Ferrum College in Virginia

Aired February 26, 2008 - 11:00   ET

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

HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: Hey, everybody. You're with CNN.
Hi there. I'm Heidi Collins.

New developments in the CNN NEWSROOM. It's Tuesday, February 26th.

Here's what's on the rundown.

Hillary Clinton's cutting edge. Will sharpen-the-knife attacks on Barack Obama help or hurt? Tonight's Ohio debate might tell.

And a killer overheard on a 911 call. Today, Chicago-area police need your help identifying the voice.

Delays may have cost American lives. What took this armored truck so long to get to Iraq's front lines?

Battle of the bureaucracy, in the NEWSROOM.

Just want to remind you we are watching this story happening right now in Virginia. We've been telling you all morning long, pretty much, about a lockdown at Ferrum College.

That news conference will be happening very shortly to find out exactly why the campus was locked down. This is Franklin County, Virginia. We are expecting to hear from the president of the college and some local law enforcement as well. But you see on the map where this location is.

So we will indeed bring it to you just as soon as it happens.

Presidential politics. It's a week that could shape the November showdown. Just a short time ago, former presidential candidate Chris Dodd endorsed Barack Obama.

And a new poll shows Obama is winning supporters who used to back Hillary Clinton. In fact, we'll tell you more about that in a moment.

Let's listen in for just a second here to this endorsement that happened about a couple hours ago.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. BARACK OBAMA (D-IL), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I know that we can unite our Democratic Party and build a coalition that brings together Democrats, Independents and Republicans behind a mandate for change. Together we can keep America's promise in the 21st century.

With that, let me introduce my great friend, Senator Chris Dodd.

SEN. CHRIS DODD (D), CONNECTICUT: Well, good morning, everyone.

And a little over a year ago I envisioned a morning like this, with a slightly different arrangement here. I fully expected Barack Obama to endorse my candidacy for the presidency of the United States, but I'm here this morning to do something quite differently. I'm here to express my strong support for the candidacy of Barack Obama.

This is a moment of unity in our country, a time when we need to come together as a Democratic Party, and to get behind a candidacy that expresses the aspirations, the hopes, the ambitions of millions and millions of Americans. And I believe that Barack Obama has shown that, demonstrated that, not only in the campaign, but also in his service to his state and to his country.

America has always been a young country, young in our eagerness to dare new ventures, to embrace transformative ideas, to be constructive, to be positive, to be confident, filled with hope. But for too long we've lost sight of that hope, in my view, trapped in entractable divisions of race and class and region. And the cynical politics in the national debate often mired in suspicion and mistrust, and sometimes outright hostility.

Whatever political party we belong to, or part of a country we live in, we can all agree that this is not the America we want to leave to our children. It's not the future we want to give them. And I'm standing here this morning in Cleveland, Ohio, today because I don't believe that we have to.

Four years ago we all met a young man refused -- who refused to resign himself to fear. A man who reminded us, all of us, that red states and blue states, white and black, Latino and Asian, we united in far more than that which divides us. He had his share of critics, obviously, but rather than isolate them, he showed them respect, listened to them. And more often than not, won their respect in return.

In debates, in small town meetings, before unprecedented crowds, in rural Iowa and Virginia, he called us to share in the sacrifice. He told us uncomfortable truths, yet inspired many of our greatest -- as many of our greatest leaders have with the new faith in the promise of America.

The question has always been the same -- yes, but is he ready? Since that time, he has been poked and prodded, analyzed and criticized, called too green, too trusting, too lofty, and for all of that has already won half of our nation's states in primaries and caucuses, and votes of more than 10 million Americans, showing judgment, grace, and poise in the process.

Our -- over all that time I've been watching for the last almost four years, on the Foreign Relations Committee, on the Labor Committee, which we serve, and as a fellow candidate for the presidency of the United States. And I'll admit I was skeptical like many others as to whether or not this new face in American politics could do all the things he desired to do, that many of us desire to do.

But then with growing conviction, and now as I stand here today with certainty that the man I'm standing next to can restore America's possibility. And Barack Obama, I am standing next to the next president of the United States, and I strongly endorse his candidacy.

I'm proud to have been the first 2008...

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COLLINS: There you have it a little bit earlier today, Cleveland, Ohio, Senator Chris Dodd endorsing Barack Obama.

Also want to let you know about this new poll I began telling you about a moment ago. It shows that Obama is winning supporters who used to back Hillary Clinton. He now leads among white men, middle- income earners, and liberals as well. That same poll shows Obama and Clinton locked in a virtual tie for overall support.

Both candidates are stumping hard for next Tuesday's all- important races. They include the delegate-rich states of Texas and Ohio.

Meanwhile, Republican John McCain vows the Iraq war will be over soon, but he says the U.S. military will have a long stay there.

For McCain, Iraq dominates in another day of campaigning.

CNN's Dana Bash is in Cleveland this morning.

So, Dana, at one point Senator McCain said he could lose the election on the Iraq issue, but then he retracted that comment and retracted it pretty quickly.

DANA BASH, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Very quickly. In six seconds, according to our colleagues who were on the bus with him. He knew exactly what he did by making that stark, stark prediction that his straight talk got a little bit too straight on that bus.

But the reality is, Heidi, John McCain understands, as much as he is campaigning on the war in Iraq, as much as he is campaigning and intends to campaign as the national security candidate, the man with the experience and the man he says over and over again who was right when it comes to the current strategy, the surge in Iraq, he knows that it is quite different making that case to the Republicans in a Republican primary season, and trying to make that case in a general election against Democrats who are vehemently -- vehemently opposed to the war. So, even though he did retract that stark comment in which he said if he can't convince Americans that the U.S. strategy is working in Iraq, that he'll lose.

I asked him a few hours later what he meant by it, and here's what he said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. JOHN MCCAIN (R-AZ), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I think that clearly my fortunes have a lot to do with what's happened in Iraq and, I'm proud of that, because Senator Clinton and Senator Obama said that we could not succeed militarily. We have. They said we could not succeed politically. We have. I think that the American people will recognize that and we will continue to succeed in Iraq.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BASH: So the Iraq war obviously has been a dominant issue in politics over the last several years, but it is going to be incredibly stark. And these comments by Senator McCain yesterday, and we'll likely hear in a little while in Cincinnati, really do illustrate and illuminate how much of a divide there is and there continues to be between this Republican candidate, John McCain, and either of the Democrats, either Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama, going into the general election on the war in Iraq -- Heidi.

COLLINS: All right. CNN's Dana Bash.

Thanks so much, Dana. Appreciate that.

Want to take a moment now to get you directly to that press conference we had told you about. This is regarding a lockdown of Ferrum College which, if you're not familiar, it's in Franklin County, Virginia. We first got word of the lockdown around 9:00 this morning Eastern Time. And sheriff is there, and we believe the college president as well.

Let's go ahead and listen for just a moment.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: ... that in Bassett Hall dormitory, that a white male with green clothing, a young white male, had -- was seen by housekeeping in this residence hall armed with a handgun. At that time, obviously the person with the handgun noticed that the housekeeper had noticed he had a firearm, a handgun, and basically he told the housekeeper not to say anything about it, "Everything is all right," and he continued on within Bassett Hall.

We responded. Franklin County Sheriff's Office responded to assist Ferrum College Police Department at that time. And as we -- the first units arriving on the scene got basic information, other units were notified and requested assistance from numerous agencies within Franklin County, as well as we activated the manpower pool from adjoining jurisdictions.

As units began to arrive, we set up a command post at -- at and near Bassett Hall. Unified command posts where all law enforcement agencies were reporting, reported to that command post. And at that time, as units arrived, members of the sheriff's office tactical team and other supervisors got with members that were responding, and as small teams went in to secure and identify and observe anybody -- and identify anybody in the Bassett Hall. At this time, no threats were made towards anybody, no incidents have happened to indicate any threats other than the fact the subject was seen with a firearm.

The state emergency management center has been notified. We're working very closely with Franklin County Public Safety, and fire and EMS. They have also established command posts to be of assistance. Also, the hospital system (INAUDIBLE) have been notified. They're also on standby.

The Franklin County Sheriff's Office is in charge of the scene in coordinating all efforts to completely secure the dormitories and all the buildings on campus. As each building is basically swept or checked for security and each student has been identified, they have been centrally -- or relocated to a central location, a safe and secure location on campus.

Also, the Ferrum Elementary School is also an adjoining campus to Ferrum College. It's also been locked down, and Ferrum College activated their alert system, which they will -- Dr. Bratten will describe later.

Also, the numerous federal agencies and other state agencies, including Virginia State Police, are assisting. The ATF has assisted us because of their experience with basically a command post for interviewing any potential suspects or persons of interest.

Now I'll defer to Dr. Bratten, as she can describe more of the college (INAUDIBLE) and their system.

JENNIFER BRATTEN, PRESIDENT, FERRUM COLLEGE: Thank you, Sheriff.

And we thank everyone who is here today. We appreciate your assistance and support.

Obviously, number one is the well-being and safety of our students, faculty and staff. That's always our primary concern.

When we heard of this incident early this morning, we immediately put into effect all of our emergency procedures, which we have reviewed several times and which we are glad to report were in excellent place and in excellent time. Immediately, the siren was sounded, which is our initial alert to students and everyone in the surrounding area that something is happening. It means go inside, find more information.

We also immediately put into effect what we call Campus E-2 (ph), which is the alert system through text messages where all the students are given information on a regular basis, updating them on what's happening. We also immediately had administrators go to different buildings where the students are so that they could be in tandem and in locale with students. I immediately went to the dining hall and stayed with students in that area who were having breakfast, told them that it was a lockdown situation, and we would wait until we heard what to do next from our local authorities.

I have to commend -- it was absolutely exceptional -- I have to commend local law enforcement. Again, we thank the sheriff, Franklin County officials, certainly the surrounding regions that responded in an incredibly timely fashion to assist our Ferrum College police. They were here within very short order, within a very few minutes from when they were contacted, and they continue to be on campus.

I was just with our students as we have been relocating them, as mentioned, to a central location, to tell them again to continue to cooperate. They have been outstanding.

Obviously, they are talking to their parents on the phone. A lot of the parents receive E-2 safety alerts also, so they're being updated as we speak.

We again are holding in a lockdown situation until we know more. No one has been hurt. No one is in any panic mode. No one is in any way other than following the protocol that we have described and prescribed.

Officials, again, as I mentioned, are in every residence hall and in every position in place where there are students. So we can continue to be with them as we move through this experience together.

We will defer to authorities to give us more information. Until we hear from them, we will be in a lockdown situation. And we will continue to assist and support students.

We are trying to now marshal enough food to feed them. They're getting hungry, is what they told me when I was in the dining hall area and moving to the other central location.

But again, I cannot express enough our appreciation for having in place emergency procedures.

COLLINS: There you have first the sheriff of Franklin County, and then the president of Ferrum College, Dr. Jennifer Bratten, telling us more about the situation that happened earlier today. In effect, still going on, because you heard her say that Ferrum College, in Virginia, Franklin County, Virginia, is still on a lockdown situation.

But according to the sheriff who spoke earlier, he says that what happened was there was a suspicious male, he was suspicious because apparently, according to a housekeeper who reported this incident, he was armed with a handgun. Apparently, they had word that this suspicious individual said, hey, don't tell anybody about this, everything is going to be fine. But it did happen in a dormitory you see there, Bassett Hall. I looked that up on the Internet and it is, in fact, a residence hall, a dormitory.

So, that is what we know at this point. The campus alert system was employed, so students there learned about it very quickly through the sirens and the text messages and so forth that went around the campus. So, authorities there very pleased with their alert system.

But meanwhile, classes are canceled in that school. Ferrum College still in a lockdown situation.

That's the very latest coming out of Virginia this morning. (WEATHER REPORT)

COLLINS: Under fire in Iraq. Did a delay in Washington leave U.S. troops exposed? The Marines want to know.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COLLINS: Outside Chicago, a new clue today in that deadly shooting at a women's clothing store. Illinois police say the killer's voice is on the 911 tape.

Our Susan Roesgen is in Chicago this morning.

So, Susan, I understand you have some new information now from the Tinley Park Police Department just in the last few minutes?

SUSAN ROESGEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, just in the last couple of minutes, Heidi, we just got off the phone with commander Rick Bruno (ph) of the Tinley Park Police Department. And he says that his department has decided to release this audiotape now because, as garbled as it is in places, as difficult as it is to decipher, he thinks that although you may not be able to make out what the gunman is saying, someone might recognize the sound of his voice.

He also tells me, Heidi, that he has had audio experts come in and listen to this tape, and that they have enhanced it to the best of their ability. He says this is as good as it's going to get.

Now, to set the scene again, it was February 2nd. It was a Saturday. There were four customers and two store employees in the Lane Bryant store in Tinley Park, the suburb of Chicago, when a man walked in and apparently, under the pretext of making a delivery, he decided to rob the store and he forced these six women into the back of the store.

He forced them to lie down, face down, but one of them, the store manager, was able to get out her cell phone and while the gunman wasn't looking, when he couldn't see it, she whispered a 911 call, a desperate call from help. So here, what you're going to hear is the start of the 911 tape, and then you will hear this garbled gunman.

Here's the tape.

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)

OPERATOR: 911, emergency.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (INAUDIBLE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (INAUDIBLE)

(END AUDIO CLIP)

ROESGEN: Now, the store manager is saying, "Hurry, Tinley Park, Lane Bryant." That's about all the information she was able to get out before the gunman discovered that she had her cell phone out. And that's apparently what enraged him, and he shot all six people in the back of the head.

But one woman survived. One store employee survived. And she and her twin sister are now under police protection.

Captain Bruno told me the most important thing here may be the sketch. Now, this sketch was provided to the police by the one survivor.

They have taken the sketch around to African-American hair salons, Heidi, because they believe that there might be some kind of significance to the actual braiding of the hair and to the green beads that is in one of the braids.

Now, Commander Bruno told me also that while it's true that this guy may have changed his appearance in the three weeks since these murders, someone probably knows who he was, knew what he looked like that day, and that's what they want to find out -- Heidi.

COLLINS: Yes. Boy, a lot of people want to find that out.

All right. CNN's Susan Roesgen from Chicago this morning.

Thanks, Susan.

They are called MRAPs, that Mine Resistant Ambush Protected. Important vehicles intended for Iraq. But why are they taking so long to get there? The Marines want to know the answer to that question.

CNN's Barbara Starr has been looking into it. She's joining us now live from the Pentagon.

Hi, Barbara.

BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Heidi. Old questions coming up yet again.

You know, this is a story that hits close to home. I spent much of last week in Iraq, in al Anbar Province with the Marines, and we did travel in these MRAP vehicles. These are these much larger, newer armored vehicles, quite significantly more protection than the standard Humvees for the troops moving in Iraq.

Well, now the Marine Corps is asking the inspector general of the Pentagon to investigate allegations that bureaucracy, delays, and even potential misconduct kept the MRAPs from being delivered on a timely basis to the troops in Iraq. All of this the result of a report, not an official report, but a report, nonetheless, from a Marine Corps technology expert who has been a long-time critic, who put a report together and says he believes he has evidence that this program simply did not go the way it should.

Quoting from the report, it says, "If the mass procurement and fielding of MRAPs had begun in 2005 in response to the known and acknowledged threats at that time, as the U.S. Marine Corps is doing today, hundreds of deaths and injuries could have been prevented." Of course, what this report really goes to is the question this was all happening at the time the insurgency was at its height. Roadside bombs were killing U.S. troops every day in Iraq. And these MRAPs were not being delivered to the field on a timely basis, according to this report.

Of course, since then, Defense Secretary Robert Gates has made the MRAPs a major priority of the Pentagon but the question still remains, back in 2005, could something have been done differently, could it have been done quicker? And now the inspector general of the Pentagon will be looking into that -- Heidi.

COLLINS: All right. CNN's Barbara Starr from the Pentagon this morning.

Barbara, thank you.

No more stitches. A new bandage could replace the needle and thread. And get this, it works like lizard feet.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(NEWSBREAK)

COLLINS: News about your health now. Get this, a surgical bandage that's inspired by a gecko. Could it replace stitches? We're paging our chief medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: They say necessity is the mother of invention. If you follow a gecko, sort of look at it, and see what it can do.

COLLINS: I love geckos. Cute.

GUPTA: Geckos are nice. They're small-to-medium lizards, by the way, that's what a gecko is. They can scale just about any surface -- a slippery surface, hard surface; they can scale upside down. What is it about their paws that are so unique. That's what researchers at MIT specifically wanted to look at and determine whether or not they might be able to assign any of those attributes to a band-aid. So what they have here, take a look at this image here -- this is exactly what the band-aid look like. It's clear actually. All the colors are sort of behind it. It looks clear.

COLLINS: Aw, little gecko feet.

GUPTA: Little gecko feet is what that band-aid is. Let's zoom in on that a little bit and a look at what it looks like under the microscope. And here's where it gets very interesting. These are all these tiny little hairs on the band-aid. This is what a gecko's paw looks like. And you have the hairs there, and then in between you have these little valleys. And then together, take an area like that. If you look at the peaks and valleys, if you will, together when you place that on a wound it sort of cinches it together, much in the way as you pointed out, Heidi, that sutures would, much in the way that staples would.

COLLINS: Or a butterfly bandage, right?

GUPTA: Or a butterfly bandage. The same sort of thing, except this sort of cinches together maybe after heart surgery, after lung surgery, after gastric-bypass surgery. Want to do the operation quickly. At the end, just put this band-aid on.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COLLINS: Well, it's not the first time nature has been used for sort of a model for bandages. The military uses band-aides made out of shrimp shells to quickly stop bleeding in a war zone.

To get your daily dose of health news online, logon to our Web site. You'll find the latest medical news, a health library and information on diet and fitness. That address, CNN.com/health.

Americans blow their horns in North Korea. Musical diplomacy, will it freeze the president's axis of evil?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COLLINS: Diplomatic high note, the New York Philharmonic -- I said it so well earlier 0- in a historic concert in the heart of communist North Korea today.

CNN's chief international correspondent Christiane Amanpour was there.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR, CNN CHIEF INTL. CORRESPONDENT: For countries that are still technically at war, for countries that have not seen this many Americans since the Korean War 60 years ago, who would have thought even a years ago that the star spangled banner would be played, that the stars and stripes would be hoisted aloft in public, in Pyongyang. It truly was an amazing moment. At least for a few hours, the people here were able to see a different message from the United States, a message of friendship, they said, and of peace. And after the incredible music of Dvorsak, Gershwin, where they played "Americans in Paris," the conductor Lorin Maazel said and he joked to the audience that one day perhaps the piece would be written called "Americans in Pyongyang," and the audience got it, they laughed, they applauded loudly.

Of course, they were the elite. There was a minister there in the audience. But at home even North Korea had kept the promise to the Philharmonic and broadcast it live on television here. So that those who were not to able to come to the concert were able to see it at home. And so that, again, unprecedented in a country where people have been raised and only see a diet of official propaganda.

At the end of the several encores, there were several standing ovations. The cheers just got louder and louder. In fact, there were some bravos. I mean, there was emotion from North Koreans that one, frankly, is not used to seeing. And at the end you saw the North Koreans in the audience waving goodbye to their American guests and members of the audience, the Americans, waving back. It was a pretty amazing moment.

And afterwards, I ran into former secretary of defense William Perry, who, himself, has had a lot to with U.S.-North Korea relations, and remembers a time back in 1994 when the two nations nearly went to war. He said, this was a sublime moment, a historic moment, and he said he hoped that this had pushed them over the top, meaning cultural exchanges and of course meaning the nuclear diplomacy that is still under way despite some hiccup, he believes it is still a process that's continuing, and he hopes it will bear fruit.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COLLINS: There had been speculation in fact North Korean leader Kim Jong-Il would attend the concert, but in fact he was not there.

The nation's economy now and the choices you have to make. CNN' Gerri Will is hosting a week of hour-long specials. It's the...

There had been speculation, in fact, North Korea leader Kim Jong- il would attend the concert. He was not there.

COLLINS: ...now and the choices you have to make.

CNN's Gerri Willis is hosting a week of hour-long specials. It's the CNN "FINANCIAL SECURITY WATCH."

Gerri is joining us now with sort of a preview at what's coming up at the top of the hour here. So, what do we have today?

GERRI WILLIS, CNN PERSONAL FINANCE EDITOR: We've got a lot of stuff in the hour, starting with legislation that's in front of the Senate today. We'll be talking a little bit about that legislation which would help folks who are in foreclosure and bankruptcy. It would provide for bankruptcy judges to reduce the amount of your mortgage. That's right. We'll be keeping an eye on that.

Plus, we're talking about the experts in your life when it comes to your home. We're talking about the contractors, we're talking about real estate agents. If you want to buy or sell, how to choose the best person, what you need to know. We're going to cover it all.

COLLINS: OK, very good. I know it went very well yesterday. In fact, one of the cool things about the show is that it's interactive, people can call in, they can e-mail. And then, you have even a viewer poll today? How does that work? WILLIS: There's a viewer poll today. You can participate, answer our question. You want to give us a call, dial 866-792-3399. We want to be as interactive as possible. Send us an e-mail, FSW@CNN.com. We want to hear from you. What are your questions, what do you want to know about -- I know folks out there are struggling ...

COLLINS: Yes.

WILLIS: ...with their wallets, so we want to help here with you.

COLLINS: Yes, because we usually do "Top Tips" with you on Fridays and we're getting just a ton of questions coming in, obviously, so.

WILLIS: Great, great.

COLLINS: So, people will be watching. Indeed, coming up in about 20 minutes or so.

WILLIS: That's right. We're -- yes, exactly.

COLLINS: Get ready.

WILLIS: You do the math. I'm impressed.

COLLINS: Gerri, thanks so much. We'll see you in a little bit.

WILLIS: Thank you.

COLLINS: Gloves come off in the Democratic fight for the White House. How nasty will it get?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COLLINS: It's a coffee break for Starbucks. And one of its rivals is taking advantage. Susan Lisovicz is at the New York Stock Exchange with details on this.

Hi there, Susan. We've been talking about this for a while. The three-hour shutdown, right?

(BUSINESS HEADLINES)

COLLINS: The Democratic race not just heating up but getting down right nasty.

CNN's Candy Crowley has the story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CANDY CROWLEY, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Democrat to Democrat, it's the unkindest cut of all, a comparison to George Bush.

SEN. HILLARY CLINTON (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: We've seen the tragic result of having a president who had neither the experience nor the wisdom to manage our foreign policy and safeguard our national security. We can't let that happen again.

CROWLEY: The Clinton and Obama campaigns clashed over resumes, trade policy, health care, and this picture, Barack Obama in 2006 visiting Kenya in traditional Somali dress. The Obama campaign accused the Clinton campaign of "shameful and offensive fear mongering," stoking some voter concern about his background.

The picture appeared on the "Drudge Report" but it's unclear if any other outlet got it. Several officials in the Clinton campaign say they personally know nothing about it. They suggest it's an Obama ploy to distract voters from real issues.

It is the stuff of tense times. Clinton took it up a decibel or two over the weekend, mocking what he calls the politics of hope.

CLINTON: Let's get unified, the sky will open, the light will come down, celestial choirs will be singing, and everyone will know we should do the right thing and the world will be perfect.

CROWLEY: In Ohio, which according to some estimates, has lost 50,000 jobs as a result of the North American Free Trade Agreement, Clinton also took exception with an Obama flier, citing her past support for NAFTA.

CLINTON: Shame on you, Barack Obama. It is time you ran a campaign consistent with your messages in public. That's what I expect from you. Meet me in Ohio. Let's have a debate.

CROWLEY: The Obama campaign concedes Clinton never said NAFTA was a, "boon to the economy." But he argues the larger picture.

SEN. BARACK OBAMA (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Senator Clinton as part of this Clinton administration supported NAFTA. In her book, she called it one of the administration's successes.

CROWLEY: Keeping them both honest, she has said consistently through the campaign that she has problems with NAFTA and wants to re- evaluate all trade deals. It's also true that in the past, she spoke favorably about it, once in '96 while touring New York's garment district.

CLINTON: Oh, I think that everybody is in favor of free and fair trade and I think that NAFTA is proving its worth.

CROWLEY: Though she goes after him, Obama engages only selectively. Mostly, he sticks with the program.

OBAMA: Yes, we can. We can do these things if you are ready for change. But I've got to say in the waning days of this campaign, a lot of people are saying, oh, no, no, don't believe.

CROWLEY: It is the frontrunner's game, steady as he goes.

Candy Crowley, CNN, Dayton, Ohio.

(END VIDEOTAPE) COLLINS: Newborn at the zoo, this big bundle of joy is walking tall.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COLLINS: Back on terra firma, after a vacation some passengers will likely never forget. A Holland American cruise ship arrived back in San Diego yesterday after more than 100 passengers and crew came down with norovirus. The virus is highly contagious. People who were infected were asked to stay in their rooms. An 81-year-old passenger was hospitalized with dehydration. The ship was scrubbed down and is already off on another voyage.

Elephants under fire, South Africa says there are too many. Now, a plan to thin the herd.

The story from ITN's Martin Geissler.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MARTIN GEISSLER, ITN REPORTER (voice-over): After 14 years of protection in South Africa, the elephant has a predator once again. A booming population is out growing its habitat and stripping the land of food other animals need. As a last resort, the authorities have decided this is the only way of keeping numbers down.

MARTHINUS VAN SCHALKWYK, SOUTH AFRICAN ENVIRONMENT MINISTER: From the first of May, there will no longer, as a policy, be a moratorium on the culling of elephants.

GEISSLER: Culling stopped here in 1994 in a campaign to boost the elephant population began. But it's been a victim of its own success. And now, there are too many, 20,000, in fact. More than double the sustainable population for South Africa's national parks.

They are tourist attraction, but a massive headache, herds roaming huge distances with an appetite for destruction.

(on camera): Majestic though they may be, there's no question elephants are destructive. A fully grown male will eat 300 kilograms of food in a day and drink 50 gallons of water. And herds will trample through any kind of habitat to get what they need. The question is, whether doing what comes naturally is enough to justify the death penalty.

(voice-over): No, say animal rights groups who've called for protests, legal action, and a tourist boycott.

MICHELE PICKOVER, ANIMAL RIGHTS CAMPAIGNER: It's not only an unnecessary practice, but it's actually a really bad management practice because the practice of culling actually makes more elephants. They breed more.

GEISSLER: They've been darting elephants with contraceptives here for years. That will continue, say the authorities. The culling will be small scale and strictly regulated. But it is breaking a taboo. And the reality is that where South Africa has led, its neighbors with similar problems are likely to follow.

Martin Geissler, News at 10, South Africa.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COLLINS: Cute and cuddly and five feet tall, a baby giraffe born at the San Francisco Zoo. Look at her, bonding with her mommy. The baby giraffe already weighs about 150 pounds. That's a big baby.

CNN NEWSROOM continues just one hour from now. "FINANCIAL SECURITY WATCH" with Gerri Willis is coming up next, taking your phone calls and e-mails, too.

I'm Heidi Collins. See you tomorrow, everybody.

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