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Crucial Tuesday for Clinton and Obama; Ohio's Blue-Collar Power; Clinton Ad Spoofed on YouTube; Tragedy in Memphis, Tennessee; Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice Makes her Case in Egypt Today

Aired March 04, 2008 - 09:00   ET

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

TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: And good morning, everyone. You are in the CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Tony Harris.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: Hi there, everybody. I'm Heidi Collins. Watch events come into the NEWSROOM live on Tuesday morning, March 4th. Here's what's on the rundown.

Our primary focus, get it, crucial Tuesday for Texas and Ohio. Today's vote possibly key to the Democratic nomination. Maybe a deal closer for the Republicans.

HARRIS: Yes, I get it. Ice storm, flash flooding, will nasty weather keep Ohio voters at home today? The all-important turnout factor.

COLLINS: A man linked to terror in Africa said to be the target of a U.S. missile. Strike in Somalia, in the NEWSROOM.

HARRIS: OK. Four top candidates, four primaries. No foregone conclusion right now. Voters are going to the polls in Ohio, Rhode Island, Texas and Vermont. By today's end, we could have a much better idea of the choices you'll have in November.

John McCain could clinch the Republican nomination today. Mike Huckabee says he won't quit until someone gets enough confirmed delegates to claim the nomination. According to CNN estimates, McCain has 1,047 total delegates. Based on our numbers, he needs 144 more to win the nomination.

Among the Democrats, Barack Obama has 1,378 total delegates. He leads Hillary Clinton by more than 100 but is still far from the 2,025 needed for the nomination.

So today, both are looking for wins for decidedly different reasons. Obama wants to extend his 11-state win streak. Clinton wants to derail his momentum and recapture the lead in the delegate count.

CNN crews have fanned out across the country and the political landscape. They are part of the best political team on television and they are deployed in big numbers.

COLLINS: For the presidential candidates, Ohio looms large with its windfall of delegates. But for voters, will ominous storm clouds be even larger. Keeping an eye on the weather and the turnout, CNN's Jim Acosta in Cleveland this morning.

Hey there, Jim.

JIM ACOSTA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Heidi.

So far the weather not a problem. But election officials here in Ohio are predicting a record turnout across this state today as Democrats are revved up for this primary between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama.

And when Hillary Clinton got into this race, she said, "I'm in it to win it." Now people might be saying she needs to win it to stay in it. She has lost 11 straight contests to Barack Obama and is under heavy pressure to do well in Ohio where there are 141 delegates up for grabs. And because these delegates are split proportionately based on the final vote, she has to win big here in order to take a commanding lead in terms of the delegates that are distributed out of the Buckeye state.

And the big issue on voters' minds here in Ohio is the economy, jobs. The state has been decimated by factory closings across the state. Some 236,000 manufacturing jobs have been lost over the last seven years. That is the biggest number the state has seen since the Great Depression.

So we visited a factory yesterday and talked with some of the workers there that are losing their jobs at the end of next month. This is the Johnson rubber plant in Middlefield, Ohio. It is scheduled to close next month. And we talked to voters there about what's on their minds and it was obvious it is their livelihoods. They said they would like to see the major candidates visit their factory to feel their pain.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED WORKER: I haven't made a choice yet. I'm still up in the air. So I don't know who I'm going to vote for. I'm still -- it will probably come down to the last minute who I vote for.

ACOSTA (on camera): What about you, Mary?

MARY: No, I don't have a decision. I just don't feel that any of them really speak to me. I haven't -- well, for one thing, I'm here a lot so I haven't gotten to listen to the debates and everything. But I just -- I'm that lost voter, I think.

UNIDENTIFIED WORKER: Northeast Ohio is a tough place to work. It's a tough place to be out of a job right now. And that's where a lot of us are going to be here at the end of April.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ACOSTA: As for Hillary Clinton, she is spending the evening here in Columbus or -- not here in Columbus, I'm in Shaker Heights, Ohio, but down state in Columbus, the state capital, to watch the returns come in. And the weather is a factor here. Forecasters here in the Cleveland area are predicting a wintry mix in the northeastern counties of Ohio. And that's important because, according to many political analysts, this is Barack Obama country up here. And if the weather serves to suppress the voter turnout in this part of the state, that could help Hillary Clinton.

But let's remember we are in Cleveland. We're in the Cleveland area, I should say. And they know all about wintry mixes -- Heidi?

COLLINS: Yes, the dreaded wintry mix, as we always seem to call it. All right. Jim Acosta there for us in Ohio. We'll be watching closely. Thank you, Jim.

HARRIS: You know the top prize in today's contest, the delegate- rich state of Texas.

CNN's Ted Rowlands filed this report from a polling station in Dallas.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

TED ROWLANDS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Bill Waters is a Houston businessman who claims he's always voted Republican, until now.

(On camera): You are a true blue Obamacan?

BILL WATERS, TEXAS REPUBLICANS FOR OBAMA: I just call myself a Republican for Obama.

ROWLANDS (voice over): Waters is part of the Texas chapter of Republicans for Obama, a Web-based group claiming about 700 members nationally who are Obama converts. Waters says there's one big reason he's crossing the aisle -- the economy.

WATERS: The Republican Party has abandoned my principles. They spend like drunken sailors. I don't see Obama saying he's going to cut spending, but I don't trust the Republicans when they say they're going to cut spending.

SEN. BARACK OBAMA (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I'm shaking hands and suddenly somebody whispered to me, "Hey, Barack, I'm a Republican, but I support you." And I say, "Thank you. Why are we whispering?"

ROWLANDS: It's a good line on the campaign trail, but is it really happening in significant numbers? If it is, Texas, where the race is close and it's an open primary, is a state where Republicans voting for Democrats could matter.

ART BRENDER, DEMOCRATIC PARTY CHAIR, FT. WORTH, TEXAS: I don't see a voting pattern to it.

ROWLANDS: Art Brender is the Democratic Party chair which includes historically Republican leaning Ft. Worth. He says about 7 percent of the early votes cast so far in this county's Democratic primary are from people with a Republican voting history.

BRENDER: If there was any really significant Republican crossover vote, it would be much higher than 7 percent.

ROWLANDS: Some Republicans voting Democratic are doing it for strategic reasons.

ALAN SAXE, VOTED FOR CLINTON: I voted for Hillary Clinton.

ROWLANDS: Republican Alan Saxe, a political science professor at UT Arlington says he voted for Hillary Clinton because he thinks she's stronger on national security than Obama. But more importantly, he says he voted for Clinton...

SAXE: Because I believe that Senator Clinton will be easier for the Republicans to defeat.

ROWLANDS: Outside in early voting location in Arlington, we found a handful of self-identified Republicans who claim they had voted for Obama or Clinton for various reasons.

Doris Nolen voted for Obama because she doesn't like Clinton.

DORIS NOLEN, VOTED FOR OBAMA: I think he's make a wonderful president. I like him.

ROWLANDS: But she says she's planning on voting for John McCain in November.

Ted Rowlands, CNN, Arlington, Texas.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARRIS: OK. Are you voting in one of the four primary states today? After doing your duty, how about this novel idea? Go to CNN.com and click on i-Report. There you go. Right there. Or you can type i-Report at CNN.com into -- there's a lot of noise there -- into your cell phone and share your primary day photos or videos with us. Then keep watching. You may actually see your i-Report right here in the three-hour thrill ride that is CNN NEWSROOM.

COLLINS: I like that. Three-hour thrill ride.

Well, as we mentioned, we are watching the weather and how it may affect voter turnout today. CNN meteorologist Reynolds Wolf is joining us live from Cleveland where we've heard the wintry mix is in play, Reynolds.

REYNOLDS WOLF, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yes, the wintry mix is in play. Certainly in play earlier. Right now we're dealing with more than anything, just wind. We don't really have much in terms of snow or ice or any of that matter.

At this point we're right here in downtown beautiful Cleveland, Ohio. We're currently in Public Square. And right behind me, take a look at this, this is the beautiful Old Stone Church. And that church has been here for well over a century. So in that century of time it's dealt with a lot of the winter weather that's typical here in Cleveland. I mean these people here are used to getting not just snow in terms of inches but at times snow in terms of feet.

Now the situation today is simply this. We've got two big things to worry about. We've got a flash flood watch in effect for a good part of northern Ohio. The second element we're dealing with is the winter weather advisory that is going to be in effect. They have that possibility. We have that possibility of dealing with a combination of rain, sleet and snow forming later on today.

From now until about mid-afternoon, it's going to be mainly just a break of just some wind with maybe an occasional flurry, maybe an occasional raindrop. But it looks like the bulk of that precipitation is going to come later on into the afternoon and evening. And even then, we're expecting less than an inch of accumulation.

But still, again, this Cleveland, they are used to that winter weather. Well, we could see some ice and some glazing on overpasses, on parts of the freeway. It looks like many of the bridges could be susceptible, too. So that certainly might hamper a little bit of turnout.

But I'm thinking that if you happen to be a diehard politico, if you really got a candidate that you're going to support, nothing's going to stop you from getting to the polls. However, if you are looking for an excuse, these scattered snowflakes may be the perfect excuse for you not to go.

Back to you.

COLLINS: Let's see. Well, hopefully nobody is looking for an excuse, especially this time around. Important primary.

All right, Reynolds...

WOLF: Absolutely.

COLLINS: ...we will keep our eye on it with you. Thanks so much, coming to us from Ohio today.

WOLF: See you soon.

COLLINS: Thank you, Reynolds.

HARRIS: Boy a stormy weather, the outlook across the Deep South today. People are dealing with or getting ready for heavy rains, severe thunderstorms in Georgia, Alabama, the Carolinas. But Mississippi got hit last night.

A storm passing through southern Mississippi spun off a possible tornado that damaged some homes. Fourteen National Guardsmen were injured when high winds ripped through their barracks at Camp Shelby.

There were violent storms, strong winds and a couple of tornado warnings across the state yesterday. Boy, what a mess that is.

What do you say we get a check of the forecast? I haven't seen this guy in a couple of days. There he is at the weather center with a smile.

Of course, Rob with a smile.

COLLINS: Yes. You know what that smile is?

HARRIS: The coat is off. I wouldn't know.

COLLINS: That smile is, I am so out of here after this show.

HARRIS: Big plans there.

(WEATHER REPORT)

COLLINS: I am sorry, where?

HARRIS: Oh yes.

COLLINS: Where?

HARRIS: The man has his itinerary set. Skis waxed.

MARCIANO: Twenty of inches of snow.

HARRIS: Ready to go.

COLLINS: Hey, I've been there. I know it is nice. We wish you well. But of course, you have to stay around at least until...

HARRIS: Sprint (INAUDIBLE)

MARCIANO: Hard work for the next three hours and 48 minutes.

COLLINS: If you're counting. Right.

OK, Rob, thank you.

MARCIANO: Two hours.

COLLINS: A developing story this hour we want to tell you about. Strike in Somalia. Sources telling CNN this man was the target of a U.S. missile. What we've learned coming up right here in the NEWSROOM.

ANNOUNCER: CNN NEWSROOM brought to you by...

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COLLINS: Welcome back, everybody. I'm Heidi Collins. You are in the CNN NEWSROOM. The best political team on television has you covered all day, especially today. Four states vote. But will anything be settled? (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ANNOUNCER: Live breaking news, unfolding developments, see for yourself in the CNN NEWSROOM.

HARRIS: And breaking news this hour. One of the FBI's most wanted terrorists targeted in a U.S. air strike in Somalia.

Live now the CNN Pentagon correspondent Barbara Starr.

And, Barbara, what is this man suspected of doing?

BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Well, Tony, this is, according to the U.S., one of the top al Qaeda operatives in east Africa, suspected of being involved in several attacks. His name is Saleh Ali Saleh Nabhan. He is on the FBI's most wanted list. Most directly, the U.S. says, potentially involved in the 2002 attacks involving the attempted shootdown of an Israeli airliner and an attack on a hotel in Kenya. Both of those in east Africa. Part of al Qaeda's east Africa operations.

What we now know from a senior U.S. official and other U.S. government sources is Saleh Ali Saleh Nabhan was the target of the U.S. attack yesterday along that remote border region between Somalia and Kenya. He was said to be in the area when the U.S. got the intelligence that he was there. They launched a submarine launched tomahawk cruise missile.

That has been confirmed to CNN. That's a lot of firepower to go after just one man. But it does underscore, Tony, the concern that the U.S. has about al Qaeda's operations in east Africa. No government really functioning in Somalia. An awful lot of problems in Kenya. And that all adds up to concern that these al Qaeda operatives are already planning new training camps, new attacks. When they get the intel they want to go after them.

Not confirmed yet, it should be emphasized, that he was actually killed in this attack. That's what the U.S. is trying to determine -- Tony?

HARRIS: And that was my next question. OK. Barbara Starr at the Pentagon for us.

Barbara, thank you.

COLLINS: Our big story, actually your big story, too, for that matter, today's primaries. Will Hillary Clinton pop Barack Obama's balloon or will he add to his winning streak? And what does it all mean for the showdown in November?

Keith Boykin is a former aide to President Clinton.

Hey there, Keith.

KEITH BOYKIN, FMR. AIDE TO PRES. CLINTON: Hey, Heidi.

COLLINS: And Leslie Sanchez is a Republican strategist. Hello to you, too, Leslie.

LESLIE SANCHEZ, REPUBLICAN STRATEGIST: Hi, Heidi.

COLLINS: They are both with us but in separate rooms so they can't start swinging at each other from New York this morning.

OK, you guys, I know how you love to do this. But it's prediction time. So I'm going to put a couple of scenarios out there and we'll talk about them, OK?

What if Obama wins both Texas and Ohio. Keith, I'll start with you.

BOYKIN: I think it's going to be pretty much over for Hillary Clinton if Obama wins those two states. He's got the momentum after winning 11 states before. Texas has a 193 delegates up for stake and Ohio is 141 or something like that. So it's a big deal and I think it'd be hard for Clinton to continue the race after that.

COLLINS: OK, so Leslie, does that mean that she'll, in fact, pull out after Texas and Ohio if she loses?

SANCHEZ: Probably not knowing the Clintons.

COLLINS: Why?

SANCHEZ: I mean you can never really predict them except for they'll keep on going regardless of what the situation is around them. They are resilient in that way. But one thing that -- if Barack Obama does win both contests, it essentially puts her campaign out of gas and it counters the win -- the victory she had in California with a very large Hispanic population. So it would be a huge kudo, I think, looking forward in November.

But that being said, I think it's too close to call.

COLLINS: Yes.

SANCHEZ: You have a lot of speculation right now.

COLLINS: OK.

SANCHEZ: And I think she's performing very well in Texas.

COLLINS: All right. What if one of them wins one, the other wins the other? And most specifically, let's be fair. I mean analysts are, of course, telling us that there is an advantage for Obama in Texas and possibly Clinton in Ohio.

So if Obama wins Texas and Clinton wins Ohio, Keith, then what happens?

BOYKIN: Well, that's where we are right now. The polls show that Obama has just a very slight lead in Texas and Hillary Clinton has a slightly larger lead in Ohio. So it's likely to be that way tonight at the end -- into the results. But I think Hillary Clinton has a plausible argument that she can continue the race after losing Texas and winning in Ohio, particularly because she's won most of the big states. Texas will be the first big state that she actually loses. So if that's the case, I think she has argument she could continue on the race.

COLLINS: Yes, but Leslie, Texas has more delegates, right?

SANCHEZ: Texas has more delegates, but he has kept -- Barack Obama has campaigned very well there. He's focused on delegate-rich cities such as Houston, Dallas, San Antonio. He's working a lot of young Latino voters and east Texas, which are critical for them, which are very delegate rich.

But that being said, I think if you did split it in that sense, she does have a sliver of hope. She's going to say, "I'm going to look to Pennsylvania." It's going to be competitive for her there. But Ohio could really be what she's banking on.

COLLINS: Yes. In fact, a lot of people say, you know, it's more than a sliver of hope. What if she wins both Texas and Ohio, Keith? Because it is pretty darn close. Those polls are showing within the margin of error.

BOYKIN: If she wins both Texas and Ohio, then we have a heck of a race on our hands, because what that means is that...

COLLINS: It's like the Super Bowl.

BOYKIN: Exactly. What that means is that she will not die. That means that she will have won every major big state in this campaign. She'll have won California, New York, New Jersey, Texas. She can argue that she won in Florida and Michigan and she's leading in Pennsylvania. That will be a very good argument for her to continue in the campaign all the way to the convention.

SANCHEZ: You know part of that argument, too, I have to say, is now they're going to be looking at swing states. If you had about a dozen of them in 2004, it's going to be looking at who's going to be performing well, not only in traditional Democratic states but those states like Ohio that tend to be bellwether.

You know, Barack Obama has to close the deal tonight or Hillary Clinton is going to live on.

COLLINS: All right. Keith, listen. I know you've been following these races since about 1984 or so. You actually say you've never seen anything like this. What exactly do you mean by that?

BOYKIN: Well, the idea that in every previous race going back to Walter Mondale's race in 1984 when I was covering it for my college newspaper, I've been able to pretty much predict who is going to win at this point. At this point, I have no idea. I mean Barack has an advantage but it could all turn around tonight. And they are so close in the delegate race with these two, you know, historic figures going at it against each other. They are so close in the delegate race that it's not likely any one of them will wrap up the nomination any time soon. So it's a question of pressure that's going to be able to dictate the winner.

COLLINS: Yes. Leslie, is this one for the record books?

SANCHEZ: It definitely is. I think about every 36 years or so historically there's a transformational election, something that's very significant. This is definitely it. And part of that reason is you have stark differences and you have these candidates that are personified. You very much see an actor almost in a Barack Obama and somebody a bit --- that's very different in John McCain.

So there's definitely a lot of cards that are falling in place to make it a historic election.

COLLINS: Yes. We get to witness it and be willing participants in it, and so does everybody out there. You know voter turnout, obviously, another thing to talk about, but unfortunately, we are out of time. I'm sure you guys are used to hearing that.

Keith Boykin and Leslie Sanchez, thanks guys. Appreciate it.

BOYKIN: Thanks, Heidi.

SANCHEZ: Bye-bye.

COLLINS: If you are, in fact, a political junky, CNNPolitics.com is the place for you. Check out our new, got that, new interactive delegate counter game. This is a great game.

HARRIS: It's a game?

COLLINS: Yes. Where you can play real-time "what if" scenarios with delegates and superdelegates. You got to know what a superdelegate is, though.

HARRIS: Exactly.

COLLINS: And you can see how today's primaries could affect the race. That and much, much more all at CNNPolitics.com.

HARRIS: My kid will be logging on if it's a game.

COLLINS: Yes.

HARRIS: Oh man.

Rain, sleet and snow. They can't stop the postman. Hey, Mr. Postman. What will wicked weather stop voters in key primary states today? We are watching turnout throughout the morning right here in the NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: In our big story this morning, today's primaries. What are voters thinking about as they cast their ballots today? What are you thinking about?

For many, it's money, money, more money. Our Ali -- show me the money -- our Ali Velshi took the CNN Election Express bus to Bandera, Texas, the cowboy capital of the world. There he is.

Ali, you know, you are actually talking to voters out there about their concerns. I understand that there is a lot of talk about the free trade agreement NAFTA, but I'm wondering, is -- are you hearing discussion of NAFTA from real voters or is this a conversation for us media heads?

ALI VELSHI, CNN SENIOR BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Very interesting topic. Around here, you know, we've been driving around Texas for a week and a half and went to the border area around Laredo. We heard a lot more talk about trade. The truckers don't love everything that's happened in NAFTA but it's made some places in Texas very prosperous.

On the other hand, you have Ohio, a state that has -- got a manufacturing and industrial base that has been in decline for some time. And a lot of people in Ohio blame NAFTA for that.

So this has created a bit of a tap dance for Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. HILLARY CLINTON (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I am well aware that, you know, many parts of our country have different views about trade.

VELSHI: That's an understatement. Here in Texas, NAFTA literally changed the landscape. For instance, the border town of Laredo has tripled in size since with the treaty was enacted in the 1994. Thousands of big rigs cross the border daily and thousands of Mexicans come to Laredo to shop.

Ohio is a different story. It's lost nearly 200,000 jobs just since 2000. Unlike Texas, Ohio has suffered. And that's why voters in these two states seem to hold diametrically opposed views on free trade especially NAFTA. It means both Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama have to do a little tap dancing on the issue. They've stayed relatively silent on the deal while in Texas, but they both attack NAFTA outright when they are in front of Ohio audiences.

CLINTON: I do have a plan not just to criticize NAFTA but to change NAFTA, to improve NAFTA so it works for Ohio and America.

OBAMA: I believe all countries can prosper from globalization, but not if our trade agreements don't have strong labor standards, strong environmental standards, so that U.S. workers aren't being undermined. NAFTA didn't have those things and that's why I oppose NAFTA.

VELSHI: The Texas/Ohio split on free trade bears out nationally. According to a CNN/Opinion Research Corporation poll taken last fall, Americans are almost evenly split on the benefits of foreign trade to the overall economy. And that's why both Clinton and Obama continue to advocate keeping the trade benefits of NAFTA while renegotiating things like labor laws and environmental standards to make it better.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

VELSHI: Now it's a big issue for Democrats. If you are a Republican who doesn't like NAFTA, you have a bit of a problem in that John McCain in particular does like NAFTA. He says that its case has been made and that the proof has been immeasurable that NAFTA should be here to stay.

So it's a bit of a complicated issue around here -- Tony.

HARRIS: All right. There he is. Ali Velshi this morning for us.

Ali, great to see you. Thank you.

ANNOUNCER: Live in the CNN NEWSROOM, Heidi Collins and Tony Harris.

COLLINS: Good morning once again, everybody. Welcome to the NEWSROOM...

HARRIS: Yes. Yes.

COLLINS: ...on this big, big day. I'm Heidi Collins.

HARRIS: And I'm Tony Harris.

What do you say we get to the New York Stock Exchange? The big board. The opening bell. I should pause just a little bit there and now the bell has wrapped up, baby. OK. All right. But there's still some applause there.

So as we get the business day started, the Dow opens today at 12,258 after a pretty flat day yesterday. The Dow down marginally by seven points. Stock futures indicated down opening for the Dow. Intel lowered its profit forecast. And then there were all kinds of concerns about the surging price for a barrel of oil and gold prices surging as well. We will keep an eye on all of it with Susan Lisovicz right here in the CNN NEWSROOM.

COLLINS: Four states not used to the national primary spotlight taking center stage today. Voters are going to the polls in Ohio, Rhode Island, Texas, and Vermont. Usually the presidential candidates have been picked by now, but this year, as you well know is different. Here's a check of the delegate count for you.

On the GOP side, John McCain could clinch the nomination today. According to CNN estimates, McCain has 1,047 total delegates. Based on our numbers, he needs 144 more to win that nomination. And among the Democrats, Barack Obama has 1,378 total delegates. He leads Hillary Clinton by more than 100 but it's still far from the 2,025 needed for the nomination. Voters in today's four primaries are energized. In Texas, for example, 60 percent of registered voters already cast their ballots in early voting. That's five times the rate from the 2004 primary. The weather, though, could play a role in the three other states.

A wintry mix in Northern Ohio moving into Vermont, later with rain in Rhode Island. Still, the feeling that every vote counts, election officials are looking for heavy turnouts.

HARRIS: You know, they've wondered if Washington was listening. Well, they have the candidates' ears. Now, Ohio's blue collar power, still ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COLLINS: It's a small state but it has a big vote. The fight for Democratic delegates had just as heated in Rhode Island as other states. Our Deborah Feyerick is at a polling station in Providence this morning.

So Deborah, what are voters there worried about?

DEBORAH FEYERICK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, you know, what the overriding issue here really is the war in Iraq and ending that war. And that really takes precedence over almost any other issue that's out there. We did speak to a couple of people yesterday. They said, of course, the economy. They want it to be much better. The mortgage crisis. They are really scared about that. There are fewer jobs. And the jobs that are there just don't seem good enough, at least to the people that we spoke with.

Now, I want to let you know that Rhode Island has more unaffiliated voters than registered Republicans or Democrats. And if you get to a polling place just like this one, actually, and take a look. This is the official Democratic ballot. You can actually vote uncommitted. So that way, you can make up your mind later. And again, this is the Democrats.

Obviously, Hillary Clinton, John Edwards, Barack Obama. You can even do a write-in candidate. We want to take a look over here, the line. A little bit light right now. Between 7:00 and 8:00 in the morning, I can tell you, this line, several hundred people who wanted to get their vote in early.

A number of people were going off to work. They didn't know what the weather would be like. We had older people. We had young folks with children who were also here standing in line. Very heavily Democratic here. Pulled a couple of people out, asked them who they were voting for. They said Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama. This has long been considered Hillary Clinton country.

However, because of the momentum Barack Obama has gained over the last couple of weeks, he really flooded the zone, bringing in volunteers. Making sure that they were handing out fliers, putting up placards all over town. Hillary Clinton, too. While this should have been a lock-in for her, we saw her campaign headquarters very, very active.

As a matter of fact, later on today, Chelsea Clinton is going to be coming here visiting Providence. She's going to go to her mom's headquarters. Also speak to a union and visit some folks who are going to be having lunch. She'll be here for only a couple of hours. But again, this just underscores that this little state of Rhode Island, which never gets any attention at this late stage, well, all eyes focused on every single vote, making sure that if they are going to squeak it out, they want to make sure no stone left unturned.

Heidi?

COLLINS: Yes. Rhode Island is getting the attention today. That is for sure. All right, Deborah Feyerick, appreciate it. Thanks.

HARRIS: In Vermont, voters mostly talking about one key issue driving them to the polls. Our Dan Lothian joins us now.

And Dan, what town are you in and what are people there worried about?

DAN LOTHIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I am in Williston. It's was just a few miles away from Burlington. I think most people will know what Burlington is here in Vermont. And the one key issue you could probably guess, Tony, the war in Iraq. We heard that as we were walking around in Burlington on the streets yesterday. People coming up to us and talking to us about they were very concerned about what was going on in Iraq. They wanted the troops to be pulled out of Iraq. And we heard it again here today.

I'm at this polling site at an Army National Guard armory. You can see a nice steady line behind us. And then, over to my left, you can see most of those curtains are closed. So a lot of folks showing up to vote.

We saw the biggest crowds in the morning this morning and then things kind of slowed down a bit. Now, it appears to be picking up.

But again, back to the issue that many people are concerned about here, the war in Iraq. We were talking to someone about that, one of the voters who were showing up here this morning. And he told us that -- you know, he really worries about what's going on in Iraq. And he says this is something that needs to be fixed by the next president. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

STEVE MEASE, VERMONT VOTER: I think getting out of Iraq, you know, ending the war is really important. And you know, the one presidential candidate who seems to be willing to do that is Barack.

LOTHIAN: So my guess is that's who you voted for.

MEASE: That's who I voted for.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LOTHIAN: Barack Obama is expected to do well here. He has had a ground operation in place for quite some time. He visited the state about a year or so ago.

Senator Hillary Clinton really started wrapping things up in the past couple of weeks. She sent her daughter Chelsea Clinton here recently to campaign for her. Now, what's interesting is that officials in the state believe that they will have a strong turnout because of the competitive race and also because of the issue in Iraq.

Tony?

HARRIS: All right. Dan Lothian for us this morning. Dan, good to see you. Thanks.

LOTHIAN: OK.

COLLINS: Obviously, another issue that we've been talking about this morning is the weather in some of these states. All four are going to be affected in some way, shape or form. Our Rob Marciano is standing by to tell us a little bit more about that.

Hey, there, Rob.

(WEATHER REPORT)

COLLINS: So want to pick a winner in the general election? We'll show you a group that's been making the right call for decades. Ultimate swing vote coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: Many have lost their jobs, but in this campaign season, they've won the attention of the candidates. CNN's Tom Foreman on Ohio's blue-collar voters.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CLAYTON HADDEN, OHIO VOTER: It's the same (INAUDIBLE) used to come every morning.

TOM FOREMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Clayton hadn't drove this road to work for 30 years, until the factory that employed him closed two years ago. He's been jobless ever since. And he's not alone.

HADDEN: Quite a few for sale signs going up around.

FOREMAN: Almost a quarter million manufacturing jobs have left Ohio since 2000 and many workers wonder if any one in Washington is paying attention.

In my opinion, they need to start taking care of the people that are working and providing and paying their taxes and all that stuff. Because, you know, the working class is what pays the bills for everybody.

FOREMAN: White working class men are the single biggest bloc of voters here. 28 percent of the electorate and they are suddenly, surprisingly important. So both Democratic contenders are scrambling to scoop them up.

SEN. BARACK OBAMA (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I think for so many people here in Ohio, the dream that so many generations fought for feels like it's slowly slipping away.

SEN. HILLARY CLINTON (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Does anybody really care about the hardworking people of Ohio?

CROWD: You do.

CLINTON: I do. That's exactly right. I do.

FOREMAN: Clinton has won more working class white male voters, but Obama is chewing at her lead. And at the union hall, it is clear they are both running in a shadow.

How many of you would have like that John Edwards to be in still?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I would like to see him there.

FOREMAN: John Edwards insisted that working class struggles. Job, the income gap should dominate this election. Now, voters are deciding who can carry that flag.

GEORGE SHAFER, OHIO VOTER: I don't think my grandchildren will be able to live anywhere near like what I'm living. I really fear for that.

DANNY BRADFORD, OHIO VOTER: The middle class is now dropping into the lower class. I want to know what are they going to do to bring it all back?

FOREMAN: White working class men here know what it's like to lose. Jobs, savings, houses.

Why should these candidates care about you?

HADDEN: We're the ones that do the voting. So we're the ones they need to speak to. We're the ones they need to help. And ultimately, it's us that they need to work for.

FOREMAN: These voters know what it's like to feel powerless and they know, at least for this moment, power is in their hands. Tom Foreman, CNN, Lima, Ohio.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COLLINS: What if the White House phone rings and no one answers?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Barack Obama doesn't hear the phone. Barack Obama snores too loud.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COLLINS: A Clinton ad spoofed on YouTube.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COLLINS: Outside Seattle, multimillion-dollar homes burned to the ground. Did a radical environmental group set the fires? Here's Rochelle Mercia (ph). She's with affiliate KOMO.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ROCHELLE MERCIA (ph), KOMO REPORTER: This home now a red ball of fire, just one of National Home Builders Association award for being green and for best design. That's why home builder Gray Lundberg can't believe the Earth Liberation Front, classified as eco-terrorist, may be the ones that set it and four other homes on fire.

GREY LUNDBERG, CMI HOMES: They are house on every level. All the way through, right down to the knobs and the cabinets had sustainable recycled products in it.

MERCIA: Fire investigator say the hand-painted sign they found called these multimillion-dollar homes not green, but black McMansions and signed it ELF. The Earth Liberation Front dates back to 1977, starting in California.

In 2001, they were named the top domestic terror threat by the FBI. That's the same year the group is accused of setting this fire at UW's Horticulture Department thinking the university was genetically engineering poplar trees.

And builders here at the Street of Dreams. Remember, there were site questions about building on a possible aquifer on this land.

LUNDBERG: Right when we started construction out here, there was some concern by local group about the -- this is kind of a wetland area, and so there was some issues with the environmental side of things.

MERCIA: But Gray and others thought things were settled with protected lands now surrounding these homes. Still, he's wondering if he and his home haven't become part of a larger E.L.F. message.

LUNDBERG: If you just stop and think about the lives that you touch when you do something like that, it's unbelievable selfishness to take that kind of a action.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COLLINS: As of now, police don't have anyone in custody. The Builders Association in Washington State, along with the FBI, offering a $100,000 reward now for information leading to a conviction.

HARRIS: Tragedy in Memphis, Tennessee. Six people found dead inside a house. Investigators say it was a mass shooting. But police say one of the two children killed was stabbed. This morning, three other children are still in the hospital. People who live near the house say the whole thing is just difficult to believe.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LEO BAKER, NEIGHBOR: Well, it is sad because, you know, you come home to find out something like this went on. It just kind of makes me feel, you know -- I have been living here for ten years. Then, I don't know, it's just -- it's kind of sad and scary, too.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRIS: So this morning, police are trying to figure out if the suspect is among the dead or on the run at this time. They are also searching for a motive.

COLLINS: Pushing for peace. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice makes her case in Egypt today. She's trying to rescue Israeli/Palestinian talks shattered by new violence.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CONDOLEEZZA RICE, SECRETARY OF STATE: Ultimately, the answer to extremism, ultimately, the answer to the indignities that the Palestinian people endure, ultimately, the answer to a stable peace and security for the Israeli people is to establish two states living side by side in peace and security.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COLLINS: Rice blames Hamas militants for provoking Israel's recent military response in Gaza. But she says, Israel needs to be aware of the toll its operations are having on innocent civilians. Attacks have killed more than 100 Palestinians in less than one week.

Also on Rice's schedule today, meetings with Palestinian leaders in the West Bank and with the Israel's foreign minister in Jerusalem.

HARRIS: Who should answer the White House phone when crisis calls?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No, Bill's not here. Like I said, it's 3:00 in the morning.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRIS: OK. YouTubers poking fun at a Clinton ad.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: A serious campaign ad, a campy response. Yes, it's the Democratic process hard at work on YouTube. Here's CNN's Jeanne Moos.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEANNE MOOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Not since this...

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: "It's 10:00 p.m. Do you know where your children are?"

MOOS: Have kiddies and time combined to result in so much parody. All Barack Obama has to do is make like he's picking up a phone.

OBAMA: To answer that phone call at 3:00 in the morning.

MOOS: And his audience snickers. Started as a very serious Hillary Clinton campaign commercial...

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: "It's 3:00 a.m. and your children are safe and asleep, but there's a phone in the White House and its ringing."

MOOS: Has launched a torrent of YouTube parodies and most answer this question with anything but Hillary.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: "Who do you want answering the phone? Ghostbusters."

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: "Who do you want answering the phone? Jack Bauer for President."

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: "Who do you want answering the phone? That old Beach Boys song 'Bomb Iran, bomb, bomb, bomb."

MOOS: They make fun of how Hillary stumbled over the name of Russia's new President.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: "Um, Med...whatever."

MOOS: They make fun of how put together Hillary looks answering the phone in the wee hours.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: "She wears pantsuits at 3:00 a.m."

MOOS: And of course, they make fun of Bill.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: "No, Bill's not here. Like I said it's 3:00 in the morning."

MOOS: Sure Obama gets a jab hearkening back to his kids saying he's all snore-y in the morning.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: "Barack Obama doesn't hear the phone. Barack Obama snores too loud."

MOOS: But, as usual, the Clintons take the brunt of the parodies. Just for the record, we called the White House switchboard.

UNIDENTIFIED TELEPHONE OPERATOR: White House.

MOOS: Hi, there. I wonder if I call the White House at 3:00 in the morning, who would answer the phone?

UNIDENTIFIED TELEPHONE OPERATOR: Ma'am, the White House operator.

MOOS: So, even in the middle of the night, you guys answer the phone?

UNIDENTIFIED TELEPHONE OPERATOR: Yes, ma'am.

MOOS: One of the most professional parodies was by a comedy group.

UNIDENTIFIED NARRATOR: "A phone rings in the White House. We're being attacked by terrorists, or a rogue nation, or a face less..."

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Dad?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: "Oh, what's this? You know, what, get out!

UNIDENTIFIED NARRATOR: All right.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Get out now!

UNIDENTIFIED NARRATOR: These kids never hear me.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Get out, get out now!

MOOS: Don't be afraid of their narrators anymore.

" UNIDENTIFIED MALE: "Daddy, why do narrator people keep coming into my room and scaring the crap out of me?"

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: "It's election season son."

MOOS: The parodies seem to favor cheesy red hotlines, though Hillary herself answers a white phone.

Candidates generally must approve their own message, but in a parody 3:00 a.m. call, just leave one.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: "I'm Hillary Clinton, please leave your message." t MOOS: Jeanne Moss, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COLLINS: Good morning, everybody. I'm Heidi Collins. It's 3:00 a.m. No, just kidding.

HARRIS: I'm Tony Harris. Stay informed all day in the CNN NEWSROOM. Here's what's on the rundown. Crucial Tuesday for Clinton and Obama.

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