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Hillary Clinton Gets Much-Needed Wins in Ohio, Texas and Rhode Island; Barack Obama Wins Vermont; John McCain Clinches GOP Nomination; Mike Huckabee Drops Out of Race

Aired March 05, 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 Wednesday, March 5th. Here's what's on the rundown.

Hillary Clinton's big comeback. An in depth look at her winning strategy and what comes next in this long haul race.

HARRIS: Barack Obama holding his edge in the delegate gap. How does he get his momentum back?

COLLINS: John McCain clinching the Republican nomination. Today a big endorsement expected at White House. The closer, in the NEWSROOM.

Presidential politics. Who's in, who's out and what's next?

Democrat Hillary Clinton mounts a comeback and keeps her campaign alive. She wins three out of four contests last night, and some would argue, wrestled away the momentum from Barack Obama. He went into yesterday's primaries with 11 wins in a row. He began the night winning Vermont but lost Rhode Island, Texas and Ohio.

Obama says he still leads where it matters -- the delegate count. According to CNN estimates he has 86 more delegates than Clinton. But a big question today, can either Democrat get enough delegates to actually clinch the nomination?

The Republican race is all but over. John McCain swept all four of last night's primaries to become his party's presumptive nominee. He cruised past the 1191 delegates needed. Once those results came in, challenger Mike Huckabee dropped out.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MIKE HUCKABEE (R), FMR. PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: It's now important that we turn our attention not to what could have been or what we wanted to have been but what now must be, and that is a united party but a party that indeed comes together on those principles that have brought many of us, not just to this race but to politics in general.

(END VIDEO CLIP) COLLINS: CNN is home for your politics, and we're gearing up again today. CNN correspondents are scattered across the country to study the results and show you where things go from here.

HARRIS: Senator Clinton celebrating her big wins, Obama downplaying his losses. The candidates still slugging it out for the Democratic nomination.

Senior political correspondent Candy Crowley is on the phone with us from Columbus, Ohio.

Candy, good morning to you. All right. A couple of simple questions here. How did Hillary Clinton pull this off yesterday?

CANDY CROWLEY, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: I think she was on a two-pass assault here. The first one was economics and that played very well in Ohio, as you know. They blame a lot of the job loss here on the North American Free Trade Agreement. The NAFTA story about Barack Obama, broke late over the weekend on the eve of the primaries, that being a memo which indicated that Obama had said one thing about NAFTA in public and another in private.

I think that really helped her, if we see the late breakers, that is, the people who decided in the last couple of days. They went heavily for Hillary Clinton and before that it was a virtual tie in Ohio. Beyond that, it was her focus on the economy. She worked the really hard-hit areas up in Youngstown and along the West Virginia border, those rural areas where the jobs have just literally disappeared.

In Texas, we have the famous red phone ad. And you know, we also see that Latino voters really went for her, I think two to one. So there were things in the terrain in both Ohio and Texas that favored her, but I think those last-minute messages were what did it with the undecideds and she pulled them both off.

HARRIS: And Candy, one more quick one here. Where do the Democrats go from here?

CROWLEY: I think we've got a hint today from Hillary Clinton in her interview this morning with John Roberts on "AMERICAN MORNING," where she talked about how both she and John McCain have national security experience. I think that you will see more of the same. The pounding by Hillary Clinton on the experience issue as it relates to national security, as well as her flaunting her expertise in the economy as she pounded Barack Obama. It worked. We can see that it worked. I think you will see more of that. A very tough campaign from Clinton, and I think from Obama, you will see some tougher responses.

HARRIS: All right. Our senior political correspondent Candy Crowley with us this morning. Candy, appreciate it. Thanks.

COLLINS: John McCain, the new standard bearer for the Republican Party, his first challenge, rallying the party faithful who have questioned his conservative credentials. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. JOHN MCCAIN (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: My friends, now we begin the most important part of our campaign, to make a respectful, determined and convincing case to the American people that our campaign and my election as president, given the alternatives presented by our friends in the other party, are in the best interest of the country we love.

I have never believed I was destined to be president. I don't believe anyone is pre-destined to lead America, but I do believe that we were born with responsibilities to the country, that has protected our God-given rights and the opportunities they afford us. I didn't grow up with the expectation that my country owed me more than the rights owed every American. On the contrary, I owe my country every opportunity I have ever had. I owe her, the meaning that service to America has given my life, and in the sense that I'm part of something greater than myself, part of a kinship of ideals that have always represented the last best hope of mankind.

I understand the responsibilities I incur with this nomination, and I give you my word, I will not evade or slight a single one. Our campaign must be and will be more than another tired debate, of false promises, empty sound bites or useless arguments from the past that address not a single of America's concerns for their family's security.

My friends, presidential candidates are judged on their record, their character and the whole of their life experiences, but we're also expected to concentrate our efforts on the challenges that will confront America on our watch.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COLLINS: Today McCain goes to the White House where he's expected to be endorsed by President Bush. You will see that live right here on CNN.

Mike Huckabee. He surprised the experts and this morning he's out of the game. But still a player.

CNN's Mary Snow in Little Rock for us this morning.

So Mary, what did Mike Huckabee say about dropping his bid?

MARY SNOW, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, you know, Heidi, we traveled back with him from Texas to Little Rock. And he said he really held out hope until yesterday afternoon that he still had a chance. And he said it was when he saw the exit polls coming in, he knew that it was not looking good and then when Senator McCain got the number of delegates needed he knew that he had no other choice but to drop out of the race.

But you know, asking him about going forward, he said, he really doesn't have a plan B and never did. And you know, we talked about the fact that he's defied the experts. He said many people doubted that he would stay in the race until March of '07. He said he never did, and he obviously was hoping to take it all the way to the White House.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HUCKABEE: I thought I'd be getting sworn in in January of '09. I mean I never went into this just to say I wonder how far I can get. I mean I really went into it to win and never thought that it wasn't possible up until, you know, late this afternoon, when it became obvious that it just wasn't breaking our way.

I still was holding out for something extraordinary to happen in Texas and I knew that if we could have won Texas, you know, the earth should have -- could have shifted for us. It just didn't happen.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SNOW: Now, Mike Huckabee says he plans to meet with Senator John McCain in the near future and he said he will do whatever Senator McCain wants him to do. Of course, he's endorsing Senator McCain and he wants to unite the Republican Party.

As for his own future, he was asked about whether he thinks he'll be a vice presidential pick, and he said he didn't think that was going to happen. His campaign director, though, isn't ruling out the possibility that Mike Huckabee may make another run for it in 2012 and points out that he is only 52 years old. And Mike Huckabee certainly wants to keep issues alive and could still be a voice in the Republican Party. How that's going to take shape, still unknown -- Heidi?

COLLINS: All right. CNN's Mary Snow.

Mary, thank you.

HARRIS: The Democratic race is still a race this morning.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. HILLARY CLINTON (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: The people of Ohio have said it loudly and clearly. We're going on. We're going strong, and we're going all the way.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRIS: Hillary Clinton surges back. How she did it, 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 Democrats duke it out. What's next in the fight for the presidency? We'll dig deeper with our political experts coming up in the NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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

COLLINS: Hillary Clinton, three big wins last night. Barack Obama takes Vermont and hold on to the lead in the delegate count.

Buckle up, everybody. It's a long and winding road to Pennsylvania.

Let's talk to Mary Frances Berry, former chairwoman of the U.S. Civil Rights Commission, and Robert Traynham, Washington bureau chief of CNB, Comcast Network.

Thanks to the both of you for being here. Wow, whoo, I'm exhausted.

MARY FRANCES BERRY, FMR. CHAIRWOMAN, U.S. COMM. ON CIVIL RIGHTS: Thank you.

COLLINS: What a night, huh?

ROBERT TRAYNHAM, CNB, THE COMCAST NETWORK: I got to tell you, Heidi, it's not even a bumpy ride. It is just a -- it's a heck of a ride.

COLLINS: I know. You have that right.

Listen, let's start with some of these exit polls. And one of them that was very interesting, undeniably, was that for white men from both Texas and Ohio last night. Let's compare them, as you see on the screen there, to Wisconsin just two weeks ago. I mean huge, huge difference here.

What is it that swayed these men and gave...

BERRY: I think it's...

COLLINS: ...Hillary the wins? Go ahead.

BERRY: I think it's in part the red phone commercial.

COLLINS: Really?

BERRY: Which reminded them of the commander in chief issue and I think that many of them decided that if they had to choose between one or the other, that in a sort of visceral response that they would go for that. I also think that for some of them it might have been race. I don't know. Depends. Some of the data seems to show that, but I really think the red phone ad tilted in the last days.

I think NAFTA issue hurt in Ohio with Obama, when the questions were raised about how strongly he was in favor of changes NAFTA. That surfaced in the last few days. So I think all of these things helped. TRAYNHAM: You know, Heidi, it depends on the state. If you're in Ohio, manufacturing, the economy's a big deal to you.

COLLINS: Absolutely.

TRAYNHAM: There's no question about it that that obviously helped Senator Clinton. Her message over the last four, five days was all about the economy. Mary's right. The 3:00 a.m. ad probably helped here. There's no question about it. But in Texas, remember, there's -- 24 percent of the electorate in Texas is Hispanic. Hillary Clinton has a very long, deep, long history with Hispanic and Latino voters, not only in Texas, but all across the country. So those are the issues, whether the immigration or whether it be the economy, that really put Hillary Clinton over the top.

COLLINS: But you know, going into this whole thing, there were still some undecided voters out there, obviously. And that, too, is an interesting exit poll to look at. We'll put that one on the screen for you for our late deciding voters, if you will.

Look at this now. When did you decide your vote? Well, these were the folks who decided within the last three days. You see the percentages there. What are these numbers say to you?

BERRY: I think that they say, as I've said it before, the red phone ad in the last few days. What happened...

COLLINS: You really think that sawed it up, huh?

BERRY: What happened in the last few days, you got a lot of folks in Texas who are military types. There are a lot of military bases. People have a lot of families that are there. A lot of the poor communities out in the rural areas, there are a lot of people who were in the service.

I think that that sort of was a wake-up call for some of them. The fact that they decided, as late deciders. What happened in the late period there before the vote was that ad and Hillary coming out and being feisty and the fighter and all the rest of it. So I think that they sort of were reminded of these issues and that's what tilted them.

TRAYNHAM: You know, Heidi, I think it was two things. I think Mary's right. It was 3:00 a.m. ad, the economy, but also one other quick thing. I think, you know, Hillary Clinton has always been portrayed as more substantive than Barack Obama. She went on "Saturday Night Live," she did "The Daily Show," she did some other things out there that kind of portrayed...

COLLINS: Wait. Wait. That makes you more substantive?

BERRY: Yes, come on.

TRAYNHAM: No, no, let me finish. But my point is, my point is, is that the press at least perceived, the press has always been a little bit lighter on Barack Obama as opposed to Hillary Clinton. She used that to her advantage over the last four or fives days. She's been crisscrossing the country in all these youth orientated shows, if you will, talking about her substance, talking about her experience, and also lampooning the press. I actually think they had something to do with it, as well.

COLLINS: OK. Listen, I want to go ahead and bring in some of the sound from Senator Obama from last night and then I get your comment right after. Let's listen for a moment.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. BARACK OBAMA (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: And we know this, no matter what happens tonight, we have merely the same delegate lead as we did this morning and we are on our way to winning this nomination.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COLLINS: Mary, are they...

BERRY: I think that's...

COLLINS: ...really in the same place?

BERRY: Right. I think that's ridiculous, what he just said, and the media keeps buying into it. Neither one of these candidates have enough votes and will have enough at the end of pledged delegates to get the nomination. I mean look at the numbers...

COLLINS: I don't know if we're buying into it. I think we're seeing how interesting that is.

BERRY: It's interesting and it's going to go to the convention, I think.

COLLINS: It is.

TRAYNHAM: Well, Heidi...

BERRY: But, in fact, there are not enough votes left among pledged delegates for anybody to win the nominations. One person's going to be ahead, one's going to be behind, it's going to come down to the superdelegates.

TRAYNHAM: Well, Heidi, what Senator Obama said last night was a disingenuous statement. That was half the truth. The truth is, is that mathematically he is correct, he is still ahead. However, if you take a look at some of the states that Senator Clinton has won, California, New Jersey, Ohio, Texas, potentially Pennsylvania on April 22nd, she will now make the argument to the superdelegates that she can win these big, major states, not just in the primary but in the general election.

BERRY: And there's another point to be made. The states that he won, the red states.

COLLINS: Yes.

BERRY: Well, many of them haven't voted Democratic since 1964, and in the general election.

COLLINS: Yes.

BERRY: And so it's going to be hard-pressed for him to claim against the point Bob just made, that in fact he is the person who should be more acceptable to the superdelegates. But it's going to come down to the superdelegates.

COLLINS: Yes.

BERRY: Nobody will have enough at the end.

COLLINS: And I think we kind of talked about that very early on in this whole contest. The importance of the superdelegate.

Listen, I wonder if I can get you guys to very quickly tell me, put yourself as the campaign manager for each one of these candidates, and tell me what you would do.

Robert, I'm going to start with you.

TRAYNHAM: You have people like John Glendale, Clinton, and some other folks work the phones behind the scenes and say, you know what, I can still...

COLLINS: For which candidate?

TRAYNHAM: I can still win.

COLLINS: OK. Which candidate were you speaking of?

TRAYNHAM: I'm sorry. Hillary Clinton.

COLLINS: OK. And what would you do for Barack Obama?

TRAYNHAM: Barack Obama, I would still work behind the scenes and say, I can win this general election as well. However, the strategy is a little bit different. You kow, Hillary Clinton has still got to make the case that she has the momentum on her side from a fundraising standpoint but also from the grassroots standpoint. Time is on her side between now and April 22nd to actually make that case to the superdelegates.

COLLINS: Mary?

BERRY: And if I were Obama, I would argue -- I wouldn't argue that superdelegates ought to go with their state because then I would lose Kennedy -- Ted Kennedy and John Kerry and Deval Patrick, and I wouldn't want to lose them since Clinton won Massachusetts.

But I would do is hit hard back at her on the Iraq vote again. I keep doing that, showing that I could be commander in chief, and I would talk quietly to the superdelegates about whatever strategy I had for I could be the candidate who could beat John McCain.

And if I were Clinton, what I would do is keep hitting hard at him about inconsistencies, I keep hitting hard at him about the trial in Chicago, I keep hitting hard at him about the commander in chief and his lack of substance, and that's what I would do right through here.

COLLINS: And then, in the end, join the ticket and go for it all together.

BERRY: Right. Both of them on the ticket, huh?

COLLINS: Yes, you know.

TRAYNHAM: Well, you know, Heidi, Heidi, that's the dream ticket. I mean that's what a lot of Democrats on the left side really, really want.

COLLINS: Maybe. Maybe. We will have to wait to hear what the people have to say about that.

Hey, guys, we are out of time. Sorry about that but so appreciate the discussion.

Mary Frances Berry and Robert Traynham, thanks so much.

BERRY: Thank you.

TRAYNHAM: Thank you. Have a good day.

HARRIS: That was good stuff. Man, that was good. Oh, sorry. Forgot I was n television for a second there.

Women...

COLLINS: Get your hormone therapy.

HARRIS: You are thinking about hormone therapy, I guess I should say, you have got to get the latest medical news from Dr. Sanjay Gupta. He is next right here in the NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: Democrats living abroad. Their overwhelming choice is Barack Obama. What do they think of the Hillary Clinton comeback? We will talk to two Democratic voters in London at the bottom of the hour.

COLLINS: First, to news about your health. Hormones to treat menopause. First they were considered miracle drugs and then doctors said they could actually be dangerous. So it's been very confusing for a lot of people. And now results are in from the follow-up to a landmark hormone study.

CNN chief medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta has all of the details. So what's the deal? Yes, we take them? No, we shouldn't?

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: I don't think the message has changed at all here. The question they were trying to answer is, OK, let's say you were taking them because of all the reasons you cited. It was supposed to be this miracle drug, and then you stopped because you heard all the bad news.

COLLINS: Right.

GUPTA: Question is, are you still at risk for some of these things? Are you still at risk more so than the rewards from this hormone replacement therapy? That was a question they were trying to answer in this particular study. So they followed women three years after they stopped taking hormones and asked the question or tried to figure out the answer to the question, are they still at risk?

Take a look at the numbers. Pretty interesting here. If you were still taking -- if you stopped taking the hormones but did take them a period of time, you had a 27 percent increase risk of breast cancer as compared to women who never took hormone replacement therapy.

Heidi, it's worth pointing out, this study was with thousands of people. The absolute numbers are still very small. About 79 women developed breast cancer versus 60. So small numbers. They also looked at heart disease, blood clots and strokes. It did decrease the risk of heart attacks a little bit, but overall there was a higher risk of blood clots and strokes.

So still, if you look at risks, you look at rewards, there are greater risks than rewards. That's been the message, I think, doctors have been saying all along and it continues now. What they say is take the smallest dose for the shortest amount of time if you are suffering from the awful symptoms of menopause.

COLLINS: Yes. And one of them -- there are a lot of women talk about it are hot flashes. And they kind of think that now maybe they're just nuisance symptoms? I mean, so why risk it?

GUPTA: You know what a hot flash is? A hot flash basically is a burst of adrenaline through your body. Men have actually suffered this as well. Men -- women have it most during menopause, but it's that hot flush through your body. People get that sometimes when they're nervous or scared. Obviously it can be debilitating if it happens all the time.

There are some sort of more natural or less medical sort of alternatives. You know, just wearing layered clothing, for example. Avoiding triggers, for example, spicy food, caffeine, alcohol, exercise and relaxation, sometimes easier said than done, Heidi.

COLLINS: Yes, right.

GUPTA: But these are some options.

COLLINS: Yes. There's this thing called black cohosh. Tell us what that is and if, in fact, it really could help for hot flashes?

GUPTA: You know, as we started doing a lot of reporting on this, women would e-mail all the time and say black cohosh. I swear by it. It works absolutely.

COLLINS: It sounds like oatmeal? Hash?

GUPTA: It's a natural herb and we actually did some research on this. There is some data actually on black cohosh and I can't say that there's enough to say absolutely it's going to help with the symptoms of menopause. It's something that maybe worth trying if you have the symptoms or are pretty bad for you.

But we looked at all the NIH data. I mean just not enough to support it absolutely. But you know, look, there are lots of different options out there. Women write to us all the time and send those options. We're going to put some of those on the Web site.

COLLINS: OK.

GUPTA: But there are things that you might want to try if you're particularly concerned about the risks of hormones.

COLLINS: OK. Very interesting.

GUPTA: Yes.

COLLINS: All right, Sanjay, appreciate it.

GUPTA: We'll keep you posted on that.

COLLINS: OK. Good. Thanks.

GUPTA: All right. Thanks.

HARRIS: Hi, Sanjay.

GUPTA: Hi, Tony. How you doing?

HARRIS: I got to say -- and still to come in the NEWSROOM this morning, a lunchtime endorsement on the White House menu today.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MCCAIN: We make the future better than the past. We don't hide from history. We make history.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRIS: John McCain closes the deal with Republicans but he still has challenges ahead. A closer look, straight ahead in the NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ANNOUNCER: The "Opening Bell" brought to you by... Live in the CNN NEWSROOM, Heidi Collins and Tony Harris.

COLLINS: Good morning.

HARRIS: Good morning.

COLLINS: And good morning to you, everybody. Thanks for being with us. I'm Heidi Collins.

HARRIS: And I'm Tony Harris.

Our big story this morning, the race for the White House. McCain clinches, Clinton stages a comeback, Obama counts on the delegates. Presidential politics, where things stand this hour. Could change next hour, Heidi.

COLLINS: Yes.

HARRIS: The Democratic nomination is still up in the air after Tuesday's primaries but Hillary Clinton got her campaign back on track with crucial wins in Texas, Ohio and Rhode Island. And Clinton told supporters, this nation's coming back and so is this campaign. Clinton stopped Barack Obama's streak of 11 straight wins. He racked up number 12 in Vermont. Obama congratulated Clinton on her victories but says he's still ahead where it matters in the delegate count. According to CNN estimates, Obama is 86 delegates ahead of Clinton. Neither is close to the 2,025 needed to win the nomination.

On the Republican side, John McCain swept all four contests to lock up his party's nomination. Mike Huckabee dropped out after losing to McCain in Texas, Ohio, Vermont, and Rhode Island.

HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: John McCain, he's got the delegates this morning and presumably the Republican nomination. Today, he goes to the White House today and tries to rally his big critics, conservatives within his own party. CNN's Dana Bash has the story.

DANA BASH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Eight years ago, George W. Bush was the Republican candidate that prevented John McCain from getting the Republican nomination. And today, George Bush is going to endorse and bless John McCain as the new nominee of his party. And this is something that the McCain campaign is hoping help him in his quest that he's been going on for about a month now. To unite the party especially those conservatives who are still skeptical of John McCain. Those conservatives still very much support President Bush.

Now Democrats say that they are absolutely gleeful about the fact that the McCain's first big photo op is going to be inside the White House with the president that they see as incredibly unpopular and their biggest asset politically when it comes to John McCain.

But the issue of George W. Bush and John McCain, there's one issue that really does unite them and that is the war in Iraq. And John McCain standing in this ballroom made very clear as he accepted the nomination that he is not going to run from that issue. In fact, he is going to try to run against the Democrats on it. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. JOHN MCCAIN (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: We're in Iraq, and our most vital security interests are clearly involved there. The next president must explain how he or she intends to bring that war to the swiftest possible conclusion without exacerbating a sectarian conflict that could quickly descend into genocide.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BASH: Whether it's the war in Iraq or health care or tax cuts or any of the other issues that John McCain tried to lay out as the defining and dividing lines between his candidacy and the Democrats. He's going to get a lot of help now from the Republican Party in making that argument. McCain is going to go from the White House to the Republican National Committee where he is going to immediately be able to adopt huge staff.

That's something that he hasn't had in quite some time. A staff that is going to help with the apparatus of building a fall campaign against the Democrats. And what the McCain campaign is hoping that while the Democrats continue to battle it out that gives them more time to deal with, whatever they have to do, to try to overcome the reality.

The reality right now in this political season is that the Democrats have a lot of enthusiasm. The Democrats -- the Democratic voters really do seem to want change. So McCain and his campaign is hoping, with this time that they have now, that they can try to figure out how to battle that. Dana Bash, CNN, Dallas, Texas.

HARRIS: Let's talk about this a little bit more. You know, they don't live in the United States but they're still part of this historic presidential race. Democrats abroad. That's a group of ex- patriots and we're talking to two of its members.

Right now, Karin Robinson is an Obama supporter and Eileen Taylor backs Clinton. And they're joining us from London. Good to see you both.

Eileen, let me start with you. What do you think of your candidate's bounce back in Rhode Island, Ohio and Texas?

EILEEN TAYLOR, CLINTON SUPPORTER: What a fabulous morning it was this morning. Just thrilling and exactly what we expected.

HARRIS: Really? OK. No, come on. That's not true. You didn't expect this. Did you really?

TAYLOR: Oh, I really expected Ohio and Texas. It's her core support base and I think what I was really thrilled about this morning is that the core support base came back to her even more strongly than it has in the past, past few primaries. So, just a great day for Hillary and a great day for her supporters.

HARRIS: Eileen, I can tell you're following this pretty closely. But let me ask you, why you are a Hillary Clinton supporter?

TAYLOR: I think you know, Democrats abroad are particularly OK with the damage that the current administration has done to our reputation in the world. And there's an awful lot of problems to sort out. We've got two wars, we've got a deteriorating economy, and a really horrendous housing crisis at the moment. And I think the clarity of Hillary's positions are really what attracts me, and I think she's really ready to go...

HARRIS: Wait a minute. Wait a minute.

TAYLOR: ...The day she got in the White House to start dealing with that.

HARRIS: Wait a minute, Eileen. I'm sniffing that perhaps you're a strategist here. I'm not believing that you're just a voter overseas who's just closely watching this. But let me talk to Karen for a second here.

And Karen, if you would, look, your man wins Vermont, but I am curious as to what you think happened last night.

KARIN ROBINSON, OBAMA SUPPORTER: Well, actually, I agree with Eileen. The Ohio and Texas were always going to be difficult for us to win. Hillary Clinton had a 20-point lead in those two states just two weeks ago. It was much closer than that last night. So actually, we and the Obama campaign are feeling quite relax and happy.

We maintained a significant delegate lead. I don't think anything went disastrously wrong for us last night. I think Hillary Clinton had a good night. So, good for her. We've got some good nights due to come up for us in Wyoming and Mississippi. So this race is continuing. Obama, by any stretch of the imagination contains right now. He's got the most votes. He's got the most delegates. He's got the most states.

HARRIS: All right, Karin, let me just...

ROBINSON: So we carry on, but we're feeling good.

HARRIS: Karin, let me jump in here for a second. Boy, you're filibustering me here. Let me jump in and ask you this. Are you at all concerned that your man seems to be doing particularly well in caucus states, not so well in primary states?

ROBINSON: Well, I would dispute that he's not doing well in primary states. He's won a lot of primary states and some very big primary states. The fact that he does well in caucuses is something we're absolutely delighted about. And the reason he does well in caucuses is because of the excellent grassroots organization that he's put in place on the ground in these states.

He has enthusiasm amongst his supporters. I'm certainly one of them. I do grass roots organizing for Obama even over here in London, finding American voters to support him and the enthusiasm is huge. The enthusiasm translates into caucus participation and we're delighted by that.

HARRIS: Hey, Karin, how does the process work? Have you voted yet?

ROBINSON: I've voted. We both voted.

HARRIS: OK.

ROBINSON: For the Democrats abroad primary. It's very unusual. Democrats abroad have a right to vote, as within the party, as a state party, and it went overwhelmingly for Obama. About two-thirds to one- third globally, which we're very excited about but it was a wonderful process. I think we both agree. It was a wonderful process to go through and very exciting to participate from overseas.

HARRIS: And let me get a quick word in here.

ROBINSON: And American voters should know.

HARRIS: Yes?

ROBINSON: American voters should know living overseas especially, that they can go to votefromabroad.org to register their vote and then they could participate in November.

HARRIS: OK. Can I...

ROBINSON: Final plug.

HARRIS: Karin, can I ask a question of Eileen here? Is that all right with you? OK.

All right, Eileen, would you prefer to have a nominee right now at this moment, or do you like the fact that there was a real race going on now, and both candidates are being severely tested right now?

TAYLOR: I love the fact that they're both being severely tested, because I think that puts them in a fantastic position in November to go up against John McCain. And I think the transparency of this and the clarity around, you know, both of these candidates are absolutely fantastic for the Democratic Party.

And Karin and I talked before we started this interview, and we feel very strongly. Whoever the nominee is, we're all going to fall in behind that person and ensure they get to the White House in November.

HARRIS: All right. That's very good. That was my final question and you answered it. You wrapped it up so nicely for me. Karin, we appreciate it. Eileen, thanks for your time this morning. Good to see you.

TAYLOR: Thank you.

ROBINSON: Thank you. Take care. HARRIS: All right. Let's get you to the New York Stock Exchange right now. The opening bell moments ago. So as we get the business day started, the DOW begins today at 12,213 after shedding 45 points yesterday. So, obviously, we're looking for a better day today and we're off to a good start. They're watching oil, gas prices, a barrel of oil closing yesterday at just over $99.

Some economic reports coming in today. Factory orders at 10:00 a.m. Eastern, 10:30 a.m. Eastern. The weekly report on U.S. fuel inventories. We are following the markets throughout the morning with Susan Lisovicz right here in the NEWSROOM.

Florida primary, take two. The Democratic race still tight. Some are pushing for a vote that will count this time.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: We're podcasting huh? It is -- boy, you know, it's so good to be back up here every day. Heidi, I had some weekend duties I had to take care of.

COLLINS: Yes.

HARRIS: So good to be back. We're podcasting later today. We're going to work in a lot of political news, obviously, but we'll work in some general interest stories as well. Don't forget about that. We're working in some of the weird and wacky as well. We're podcasting for you. What you do is you go to cnn.com and you download the CNN NEWSROOM podcast. It is available to you today, every day, 24/7. We're back on our plan again. Right? Podcasting every day.

COLLINS: Totally.

HARRIS: So do it today. No excuses. Download the podcast.

COLLINS: It was the primary that didn't count. With the Obama/Clinton race still close, what happened in Florida to still be part of the political equation? CNN John Zarrella reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOHN ZARRELLA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Democrats voted in huge numbers but weren't happy.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Angry. Very angry.

ZARRELLA: State Democratic Party officials are miffed too.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: 1.75 million voters turned out. And they expect their votes to be counted.

ZARRELLA: Even the Republican governor, Charlie Crist, thinks it's flat-out wrong and supports a primary re-do.

WOLF BLITZER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Are you and the governor ready to let the Democrats have another primary, if necessary, to seat those Democratic delegates at the convention in Denver?

GOV. CHARLIE CRIST (R), FLORIDA: That would be fine with me.

ZARRELLA: When Florida moved the presidential primary to the end of January, a violation of party rules, the National Democratic Party took away the state's 210 delegates. Michigan lost its delegates, too. And the candidates did not campaign in either state.

Now the party's punishment has led to a delegate dilemma. Perhaps not so much in Michigan where only Hillary Clinton was on the ballot but in Florida, of course, where all the candidates' names appeared, state party officials insist the votes have to count.

MARK BUBRISKI, FLORIDA DEMOCRATIC PARTY: It was a level playing field. Was it the best playing field? Of course not. We would have loved to have the candidates campaign here.

ZARRELLA: Senator Obama supporters say that's exactly the point. He lost to Senator Clinton by 17 percentage points. But Obama super delegate Allan Katz insists the result would have been different had Obama actually played on the field.

ALLAN KATZ, OBAMA SUPERDELEGATE: It's clear when he goes into a state and campaigns, the margin shrinks rather dramatically.

ZARRELLA: With Obama ahead, his campaign does not want the delegates counted. Clinton, on the other hand, recently told Texas Monthly...

SEN. HILLARY CLINTON (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I signed an agreement not to campaign in Michigan and Florida. The DNC made the determination that they would not seat the delegates but I was not party to that.

ZARRELLA: With Clinton and Obama neck and neck in the delegate count, it is possible Florida delegates could be difference makers and a fight to seat them at the convention would be on.

SUSAN MACMANUS, POLITICAL ANALYST: I absolutely think Florida delegates will not only be seated but they will be counted. Even if this takes a court order and I'm expecting that this may end up in the courts.

ZARRELLA: Many in the party say it won't happen. The nominee will be decided before the convention. The Michigan and Florida delegates would then be welcomed with open arms. Party unity preserved. Well, that's the hope. John Zarrella, CNN, Miami.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARRIS: Boy, we're talking about some wacky weather in Missouri. A few days ago it was sunny and warm. So what's up with all the white stuff? Eight inches in the southwest part of the state. The snow, clearly, as you can see here, covered lots of roads. But kids loving it, since schools had to close because of it. In Nebraska, the Elkhorn River in Dodge County overflowed. That turned the highway into a running creek. This morning, the same river is threatening to bust open again.

The National Weather Service says two tornadoes actually touched down Alabama. Dozens of homes were destroyed and trees were ripped up. Gusting winds reached across the Carolinas. Homeowners dealing with this mess today. Boy, the storms and wind knocked out power in some places. About 50,000 people in North and South Carolina left in the dark.

COLLINS: Jacqui Jeras is watching a lot of this for us as we look at those maps and everything. Now, it looks like, Jacqui, moving to the northeast, huh?

(WEATHER REPORT)

HARRIS: Hey, my wallet, your wallet. President Bush pushes OPEC. OPEC pushes back. And we feel it. Story, coming up in the NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COLLINS: The nuts and bolts of victory. How Hillary Clinton pulled it off in Texas and Ohio. In depth, in the NEWSROOM.

HARRIS: So you want a bit of a break at the gas pump. President Bush tries to help oil, peace and the Russian elections all part of a busy day for the president. White house correspondent Elaine Quijano wraps it up.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ELAINE QUIJANO, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): With Americans feeling the pinch at the gas pump and the U.S. economy sagging, President Bush criticized OPEC for not boosting oil production to ease record-high prices.

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I think it's a mistake to have your biggest customer, it's economy slow down, or your biggest customers' economy's slowing down as a result of high energy prices.

QUIJANO: The president's comments came after a White House meeting with Jordan's King Abdullah. The focus, Middle East peace. Mr. Bush said he's optimistic, but called on Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, to demonstrate their commitment to peace.

BUSH: I expect these leaders to step up and make hard decisions.

QUIJANO: Despite the latest round of violence in Gaza and the now stalled peace talks, the president insisted his ten-months left in office offer plenty of time to reach a Mid-east agreement.

BUSH: This is a process that, you know, always has two steps forward and one step back, which we got to make sure that it's only one step back.

QUIJANO: In Latin America, amid escalating military tensions between Colombia and its neighbors, President Bush called Venezuela's troop movement to the border with (INAUDIBLE) provocative maneuvers. The president made clear the U.S. supports Colombian president Alvaro Uribe in his efforts to fight leftist rebels.

BUSH: America will continue to stand with Colombia as it confronts violence and terror and fights drug traffickers.

QUIJANO (on camera): President Bush also spoke to Russian's president-elect Dmitry Medvedev against the backdrop of questions about the fairness of that election. Bush aides say the U.S. president did not offer his congratulations. But he did call the new Russian leader saying he looks forward to working with him. Elaine Quijano, CNN, the White House.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COLLINS: Talking in the Middle East, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice announcing today Israeli and Palestinian leaders will get back to peace negotiations. She did not announce a date. This comes despite fierce fighting in Gaza.

Israel responding to rocket attack, launched air strikes that have killed at least 110 Palestinians. Many of them civilians. One Israeli civilian and two soldiers have also died. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas broke off talks, just days ago. He demanding a ceasefire, but Rice says that is not a condition for the resumption of talks.

HARRIS: Hillary Clinton's comeback. What the exit polls tell you about her wins last night.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: A passenger plane back in the air, and heading to Canada after a lengthy and unexpected stop in Florida. Air Transat Flight 477, left the Dominican Republic last night but had to make an emergency landing in Fort Lauderdale, because of eight sick passengers.

They were removed from the plane and taken to an area hospital. An airport spokesman says the passengers were members of a family who ate a meal before the flight. The crew and remaining passenger was quarantined in the plane. About three hours later health officials determined there was no airborne illness. The flight was cleared for departure to Edmonton around 5:00 this morning.

COLLINS: Good morning, everybody. I'm Heidi Collins.

HARRIS: And I'm Tony Harris. Stay informed all day in the CNN NEWSROOM. Here's what's on the rundown.

Hillary Clinton staying alive. She comes up on top in Texas and Ohio. A look inside her playbook for victory. COLLINS: Barack Obama still on top of the delegates pile. Can Clinton catch up. We do the math.

HARRIS: John McCain clinching the Republican nomination. He's got a White House meeting with the endorser today. Wednesday, March 5th, you are in the CNN NEWSROOM.

Our top story, presidential politics. Who's in, who's out, and what's next? Democrat Hillary Clinton mounts a comeback and keeps her campaign alive. She won three out of four contests last night and somewhat argue wrestled away the momentum from Barack Obama. He went in to yesterday's primaries with 11 wins in a row.

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