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Ballot Bowl 2008

Campaign Happenings

Aired April 12, 2008 - 15:00   ET

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

SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN HOST: Welcome back to CNN's BALLOT BOWL, this is really your chance to hear from the candidate, sometimes it's live, sometimes it's on tape, but it's always unfiltered, it is a chance to hear speeches in long forum, also a chance to hear them take questions from voters, really get a sense of what they're talking about on the campaign trail as they try to convince voters, these up coming contests loom ahead, what are the issues that are important to them and what are the issues that are important to the people who are asking those questions.
I'm Suzanne Malveaux in Philadelphia, joining me at this hour is Jim Acosta. He's out in Indiana, co-hosting with me today. Jim, I know that you're following a lot of developments. Obviously, a lot going on with the Clinton campaign in Indiana today. Jim.

JIM ACOSTA, CNN HOST: That's right, Suzanne. We have a full plate for this hour of BALLOT BOWL on CNN. Let's go over our game plan because there's a lot of ground to cover. Bill Clinton will be campaigning for his wife down in North Carolina, trying to convince voters down there in the Tar Heel state to support his wife coming up in the very important North Carolina primary on May the 6th that follows the Pennsylvania primary. Some of those Clinton surrogates are already chiming in North Carolina on Barack Obama's comments.

And Hillary Clinton, she is in the Hoosier state today where we are in Valparaiso, Hillary Clinton will be here a little bit later on this afternoon. Right now, she is in Mishawaka, Indiana, talking to auto workers there. We should also note we'll have plenty of sound coming from Barack Obama, the senator from Illinois, on the defensive but doing some damage control after describing some blue collar workers in Pennsylvania and across the country as being bitter.

Barack Obama trying to put out the flames on a controversy that he started yesterday on the campaign trail. I want to toss it back now to my colleague Suzanne who has more on this controversy with Barack Obama. Suzanne, Barack Obama handled that last controversy that flared up with his campaign fairly well according to many estimates, the Jeremiah Wright controversy, it will be interesting to see how he does with this one.

MALVEAUX: Obviously the Clinton campaign as well as Senator John McCain, they've been looking for an opening, an opportunity, but specifically the Clinton campaign to see if he might stumble, if there might be something that would cause voters to pause, specifically those here in Pennsylvania where you've got the critical primary just less than two weeks away, I want to give you a sense of what we're talking about here. It was a closed fund-raising event in San Francisco last week. That is when Senator Barack Obama was talking about Pennsylvania voters, he was talking about their frustration with losing their jobs and moving forward, trying to move forward in their lives. Describing some of them as being bitter, there was somebody who was in that meeting in the closed meeting who audio taped this and decided she would put it on Huffington Post, the blog, because she says that she was disturbed by some of these comments. Take a listen for yourself.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SENATOR BARACK OBAMA, (D) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: (INAUDIO)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: Now, since that audio tape was released, there has been fierce debate over the Internet, between blogs over what these comments mean to different people. Whether or not on the one hand, some people see them as being offensive or stereotypical. On the other hand, whether or not they speak the truth about how people are feeling and their condition and how they cope with that. That is a fierce debate that is happening here. It is no surprise that the Clinton campaign as well as John McCain seized, jumped on these comments immediately, because what is important here is the state of Pennsylvania, what is keeping Senator Clinton's lead here, two important groups, older voters and working class blue collar voters who are talking about fear of losing their job, talking about their frustration. So Senator Barack Obama wanting to further explain what these comments meant. Here is how he responded yesterday when all of this developed and erupted into this debate.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SENATOR BARACK OBAMA, (D) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: So people end up, they don't vote on economic issues, because they don't expect anybody is going to help them. So people end up, you know, voting on issues like guns and are they going to have the right to bear arms. They vote on issues like gay marriage. They take refuge in their faith and their communities and their families and things they can count on.

But they don't believe they can count on Washington. So I made the statement, here what's rich. Senator Clinton says I don't think people are bitter in Pennsylvania. I think Barack is being condescending. John McCain said oh how he could say that people are bitter. He obviously is out of touch with people. Out of touch? Out of touch? I mean, John McCain, it took him three tries to finally figure out that the home foreclosure crises was a problem and to come up with a plan for it and he's saying I'm out of touch?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: Senator Barack Obama responding to the criticism from mostly Senator John McCain and almost ignoring Senator Hillary Clinton's criticism there, going directly for the Republican candidate, who he is jumping ahead seeing himself as perhaps the one who will take him on in the general election. Very telling that he went after McCain's criticism, not necessarily Senator Clinton's criticism.

I want to bring in our own Jim Acosta who is covering the Clinton campaign and Jim it has been very interesting following the senator and her comments here. She has really painted herself as someone in Pennsylvania who is one of the people. She always talks about how she's got roots in Scranton, how her grandfather worked at the mill. There's an ad that is here in this state where she said she grew up on pinochle and American dream.

Clearly she has a lot invested in the message that she the one who gets it, that Barack Obama is not, that she of the people here, understands the problems of the working class and perhaps offering those solutions. How is she taking advantage of this? How is she responding to what Barack Obama is saying today? Is she pushing this further?

ACOSTA: She is absolutely jumping on this, Suzanne. She is trying to capitalize on these comments for the reason that you mentioned earlier. Those working class voters are the key in Pennsylvania. Barack Obama, when he picked up that endorsement from Bob Casey and had that bus tour across the state, even though he had those missteps along the way, bowling that 37 or 47 in seven frame, it wasn't exactly a strong performance out there on the lanes, but he did close the gap in many polls. Those poll of polls that we play on CNN showed Barack Obama closing the gap between him and Hillary Clinton over the last couple of weeks.

I'm sure the Clinton campaign has watched that with much concern. And so they see this as going, as this controversy is going right to the heart of where this battle is brewing in Pennsylvania. They are clearly going after those middle class blue collar working class voters. So Hillary Clinton, who is not only trying to appeal to those voters in Pennsylvania, she is also trying to appeal to those types of voters here in Indiana. Because let's face it there are lots of blue collar and middle class workers in Indiana, who have also been displaced, have who have been affected by the global economy. We saw her earlier on BALLOT BOWL talking to auto workers in Mishawaka, Indiana. Earlier today, in the state capital of Indianapolis, she talked about these comments from Barack Obama, calling them demeaning.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HILLARY CLINTON, (D) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Like some of you may have been, I was taking aback by the demeaning remarks Senator Obama made about people in small town America. Senator Obama's remarks are elitist and they're out of touch. They are not reflective of the values and beliefs of Americans. Certainly not the Americans that I know, not the Americans I grew up with, not the Americans I lived with in Arkansas or represent in New York. You know, Americans who believe in the second amendment believe it's a matter of constitutional right. Americans who believe in god believe it's a matter of personal faith.

Americans who believe in protecting good American jobs believe it's a matter of the American dream. You know, when my dad grew up, it was in a working class family in Scranton. I grew up in a church going family, a family that believed in the importance of living out and expressing our faith. The people of faith I know don't cling to religion because they're bitter. People embrace faith not because they are materially poor but because they are spiritually rich. Our faith is the faith of our parents and our grand parents. It is a fundamental expression of who we are and what we believe.

I also disagree with Senator Obama's assertion that people in this country cling to guns and have certain attitudes about immigration or trade simply out of frustration. People of all walks of life hunt and they enjoy doing so because it's an important part of their life and not because they're bitter. As I traveled across Indiana and I talk to a lot of people, what I hear are real concerns about unfair trade practices that cost people jobs.

I think hard working Americans are right to want to see changes in our trade laws. That's what I have said, that's what I have fought for. I would also point out that the vast majority of working Americans reject anti-immigration rhetoric. They want reform so that we remain a nation of immigrants, but also a nation of laws that we enforce and enforce fairly.

You know, Americans are fair minded and good hearted people. We have ups and downs. We face challenges and problems. But our views are rooted in real values. And they should be respected. You know, Americans out across our country have borne the brunt of the Bush administration's assault on the middle class. Contrary to what Senator Obama says most Americans did much better during the Clinton years than they have done during the Bush years. So if we are striving to bring people together and I believe we should be, I don't think it helps to divide our country into one America that is enlightened and one that is not.

We know there is an unacceptable economic divide in America today, but that is certainly not the way to bridge it. The way to do that is to roll up our sleeves and get to work. And make sure we provide, once again, economic opportunity and shared prosperity for all Americans. People don't need a president who looks down on them. They need a president who stands up for them. And that is exactly what I will do as your president.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ACOSTA: So there have you it, Hillary Clinton testing out a new catch phrase for her campaign trail that America doesn't need a president that looks down on them, but that will stand up for them. Hillary Clinton repeating that phrase and will probably repeat that phrase. You'll have to pardon the public address system going off. We're in the process of setting up for a live event here in Valparaiso. So you'll occasionally from time to time hear the sound of folding metal chairs and public address systems going off. So we apologize for that.

But moving forward, Hillary Clinton isn't the only Clinton on the campaign trail. Her husband, Bill Clinton is down in North Carolina. I want to show you a picture of a live event that is getting started during our BALLOT BOWL coverage this afternoon. He is going to be in Deer Run, North Carolina, there you see it there. The event being set up for Bill Clinton in just a few moments. But earlier today, we wanted to mention that Bill Clinton was in Winterville in advance of that big primary coming up in the Tar Heel state on May 6th. Bill Clinton is not who you'll be hearing from here. He was speaking at this event. He was the speaker obviously the speaker that everybody was looking for at that event. But the comments made by the former North Carolina party chairman may be making some news from that event. Tom Hendrickson, the former chair of the Democratic Party in North Carolina had some colorful words for what Barack Obama had to say about working class voters and whether or not they are bitter. And whether or not they cling to their guns because they are bitter. Tom Hendrickson down in Winterville, North Carolina explaining that Democrats in North Carolina, at least some of them, they have guns because they like their guns.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TOM HENDRICKSON, FMR. N.C. DEMOCRATIC CHAIR: My message to Senator Obama is, we are not frustrated. We are not bitter. We turn it our faith because we believe. Amen. We hunt and fish because it's part of our culture and we enjoy it. So Senator Obama, don't pity us and think that we're bitter and frustrated. We're hard working family folks who are smart and we get it. We don't need the pundits to tell us what we think. In the words of that old Hank Williams song, we're country folks and we will survive.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ACOSTA: Now the commentary on Barack Obama's comments about whether blue collar workers are bitter are not just coming from the Clinton campaign, the McCain campaign has released a statement, the senator from Arizona has not gone out in front of the cameras on this yet, but we want to read a statement from one of his spokespersons. And that statement goes as I'm about to read it to you --

Barack Obama's elitism allows him to believe that the American traditions that have contributed to the identity and greatness of this country are actually just frustrations and bitterness. So those are some tough words coming from the McCain campaign directed at Barack Obama. Speaking of John McCain, we're going to have some sound from the Arizona senator coming up after a break on the economy. John McCain, stick with us. This is BALLOT BOWL on CNN.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ACOSTA: Welcome back to BALLOT BOWL on CNN. I'm Jim Acosta in Valparaiso, Indiana, where Hillary Clinton will be speaking in just a couple of hours. We want to make note of the fact that Bill Clinton, her husband, is down in Deep Run, North Carolina, I said Deer Run earlier, I'm sorry about that. He will be speaking to supporters there shortly.

In the meantime, we should switch gears to John McCain. Because John McCain earlier this week had a proposal that he put out to the American folks in North Carolina at an event, not North Carolina, in New York City, with Michael Bloomberg the mayor of the big apple. John McCain has come under criticism for taking sorts of hands off approach in the current foreclosure crisis in this country.

John McCain came out with what he believes to be a solution for the mortgage meltdown in America. He calls it his home plan and it would help voters, Americans out there who are having a difficult time covering their mortgage get help through the federal government. So here's John McCain now on the foreclosure crises in New York City.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOHN MCCAIN, (R) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: There's nothing more important than keeping alive the American dream to own your home. Priority number one is to keep well meaning, deserving home owners who are facing foreclosure in their homes. I'm pleased that the Congress is considering bipartisan reforms to help the mortgage crises. Bipartisan efforts may not make for great political theater but they remain the most effective way to address quickly our nation's problems. Bipartisan efforts are also sometimes less than perfect.

I believe we can improve on the legislation before Congress. I've made my principles clear in this area. Tax breaks for builders, funds to purchase homes in foreclosures and tax credits that are not targeted to where the need greatest do not constitute the federal help that is warranted. In some cases, lenders and borrowers alike were caught up in the speculative frenzy that has harmed the housing market and it is not the responsibility of the American public despair them from the consequences of their own bad judgment, the goal should be to help homeowners who are struggling and only about $5 billion of the present legislation addresses their concerns in any way. I believe we can do better.

We can encourage groups like neighbor works America and others to provide mortgage assistance to homeowners in their communities. And our government can give them the resources to expand their efforts. I also believe that the mortgage lending industry has an obligation to help refinance mortgages. If what I've read about industry-led efforts is true, it appears that a stronger, much stronger effort could be launched. I believe a more robust timely and target effort is my home plan. It offers every deserving American family or home owner the opportunity to trade a burdensome mortgage for a manageable loan that reflects the market value of their home.

This plan is focused on people. People decide if they need help, people decide. They apply for assistance. And if approved, the government under the home program supports them getting a new mortgage that they can afford. There will be qualifications which require the home to be a primary residence and the borrower able to afford a new mortgage, we'll combine the power of government and private sector to find immediate solutions for deserving American home owners, my plan follows the sound economic principle that when markets decline dramatically debts must be restructured.

It's built on the reality that homeowners should have an equity capital stake in their own home. Home owners would end up with a 30- year mortgage and an equity stake in their home. The new lender would receive a federal guarantee of the mortgage. The taxpayer gets a benefit if the sale value ever recovers. The result is a restructured financial arrangement for the home owner over the long-term financial institutions must follow suit writing off losses, restructuring their balance sheets and raising more capital. I also call for an immediate department of justice task force to aggressively investigate potential criminal wrong doing in the mortgage lending and securitization industry. If there were individuals or firms that defrauded innocent home owners or forged loan application documents than the punishment of the markets are not enough and they must answer for their conduct in a court of law.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ACOSTA: And that is John McCain on the economy, on the foreclosure crises in this country there in Brooklyn, New York. We want to report a correction. Last week on BALLOT BOWL, we referred to a student who was directing a question to John McCain as a heckler, when in fact that student was not a heckler. Just before that segment aired, the student was erroneously described to me as a heckler. We just wanted to point out that we made that mistake and we apologize. Stick with us, there's much more up ahead on BALLOT BOWL on CNN. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MALVEAUX: Welcome back to CNN's BALLOT BOWL, I'm Suzanne Malveaux in Philadelphia. We're bringing you live coverage looking out for Bill Clinton in Deep Run, North Carolina. That's a live event. We're looking out for him to speak momentarily, but I first want to go to colleague John King who is in Pittsburgh. There is a special event he is doing at 10:00 tonight. John, I know you've been traveling across this state talking to voters, talking to candidates, give us a little sense of flavor of what your special is all about tonight, John.

JOHN KING, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, we're trying to give people, 10, 11 days out from this Pennsylvania primary, we've been talking about for five weeks, since the last Democratic contest, trying to give them a flavor, not only the issue the two candidates are debating, but also the diversity of this state. In a sense, we have traveled from where you are in Philadelphia up the road to Bethlehem and Allentown, two of the towns that are dealing with the economic transition, former coal and steel communities. If you come west, you come through this spectacular farmland and some of the historic sites of Pennsylvania, whether it be Valley Forge, Gettysburg from Civil War days and Valley Forge from the Revolutionary War.

Earlier this morning we were at Shanksville, where Flight 93 crashed on 9/11, then you come to the Pittsburgh, the former steel town. The pride Pennsylvania had for so long, again, another town dealing with forced economic transition. We're having this conversation, this special programming tonight at a time, a perfect time to consider more and in more detail the controversy you've been discussing all day here on BALLOT BOWL, I heard you and Jim Acosta talking about the back and forth between Clinton and Obama about the remarks Obama made at that fund-raiser that Clinton campaign said are condescending to rural Americans. And you see the McCain campaign jump over this as well where you are in Philadelphia, but also because of that bus tour that increased his numbers. Senator Clinton still needs, but Obama is doing better in current polling among those down scale white working class voters, many of them live in that rural communities. Many of them have guns, many of them yes, are dealing with economic anxiety. But is it frustration, will this remark hurt him in these communities? It is a fascinating question in the Democratic contest, now just 10, 11 days away. And obviously, as you just seen, the Republicans are now trying to seize on it as well, because they believe the reason Al Gore and John Kerry lost two elections is because they were viewed as liberal elitists by such voters in rural America, in West Virginia, in Iowa, in some of the community here in Pennsylvania. So, it is a fascinating issue and of course it is the key debating point in the Democratic race right now.

MALVEAUX: Well, John, we're used to normally seeing you in front of a mouth map all of the pieces and talking about these communities and how you break them down in race and class and things like that, but you've really had a chance to talk to real people, to voters. What are you hearing? Do you get the sense that Barack Obama's comments are truly offensive to a lot of people or is this something that is mainly an inside the beltway debate or blog debate that's taking place?

KING: This is not an inside the beltway debate, the bloggers jumping over this. The Republicans are especially aggressive in jumping over this, because again, they believe at a time when the key question is would Obama, if he is the nominee and the Republicans expect he will be the nominee, how would he appeal? Would he get those Democrats on economic issues, would he do well in the suburbs, especially in a state like this, just outside of Philadelphia or where you are? So, the Republicans are seizing upon this. And you do hear the anxiety, Senator Obama, he calls it bitterness. That is the debating point, right now, there is anxiety, without a doubt, you have seen it here in Pennsylvania, yourself, in Ohio, and so many other places we have been.

The question is can the Clinton campaign turn this? Because as you know, the big question here is, she was way ahead, the polls have closed now to single digits, she has to win Pennsylvania, she has a very, almost impossible rationale for continuing in the race, whether it's from a mathematical delegate perspective or from a psychological perspective, because she needs to make the case, she is a better general election candidate. So, I think the question as we follow the debate about these remarks by Senator Obama, will it affect the margins here in Pennsylvania. He has been closing in.

I was with several of his top organizers in the area, where you are, over the past few day, and they thought they had had a chance to take Pennsylvania away from Senator Clinton. Will this turn white rural voters away from him? Will it cause Senator Clinton to have a bigger margin here in Pennsylvania? And if that happens, how does that affect the race going on to Indiana, many rural communities, North Carolina, many rural communities, West Virginia and Kentucky, still on the calendar ahead. The reason the Clinton campaign is turning up the volume so loud here, is not just about Pennsylvania, they want this to echo in many of the contests still to come. And the challenge now for Senator Obama, he acknowledged this morning, he didn't say it like it like he should have said it, he acknowledged, essentially, this was a mistake, all politicians make mistakes, the challenge now is how does he react to it, can he fix it, Suzanne, and can he fix it fast?

MALVEAUX: Well, I know that you're going to be dealing with all of those questions, a lot of those issues, really looking forward to seeing all of that. That's, your special as "Route 2008," I believe, it's at 10:00 tonight. So, John, we look forward to seeing you then and all of those things and the voters, and speaking with the candidates, all of those issues coming up later this evening. Thanks so much, John.

KING: We'll see you then, Suzanne, thanks.

MALVEAUX: All right, thanks again.

Well, once again, it is called "Route 2008" it is a special election coverage, our own John King traveling across this critical state of Pennsylvania, talking to voters, talking to the political operatives, talking to the candidates about what this state needs, just 10 days away, the primary and looking forward, what does this mean in terms of the fallout, the controversy over some of the comments Barack Obama making about working class voters and whether or not that will have some sort of echo effect, reverberating effect, when you look at the future contests in Indiana and beyond. So, that coming up at 10:00 Eastern, tonight. BALLOT BOWL continues after this break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Hello, I'm Fredricka Whitfield in Atlanta, we'll get you back to BALLOT BOWL after a check of headlines. A breaking story out of Iran, a bomb has exploded at a mosque in the southern city of Shiraz. We're getting conflicting reports on the number of deaths. Iranian reports have anywhere from eight people killed to scores of victims with dozens wounded. Details are still coming in.

And after snow in the Great Lakes and a stormy mess in the South, meteorologist Karen Maginnis joins us now with a look at what's next. I also understand that there are tornado warnings in which to take note of right now?

KAREN MAGINNIS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Fredricka, we do have some breaking weather news and that in North Carolina. Now, they've been under a severe thunderstorm watch, but now there is a local tornado warning that has been issued. It includes Green and Pitt counties in eastern North Carolina. There's one super cell, this particular one, these two areas that are outlined in purple, that's where we have tornado warning. It goes for about the next 24 minutes or so. It does include the city of Greenville.

Now, local law enforcement have reported that they did see a funnel cloud, they reported a tornado rather in Wayne County. The tornado is moving off towards the northeast at just about 60 miles-an-hour. So, if you live in that area it is a Green and Pitt counties in North Carolina. East central North Carolina, they are currently under a tornado warning. Then we have, as Fredericka was telling you about, blizzards all across the upper Mississippi River Valley, and wind was blowing just about 50 miles-an-hour. We're not quite seeing those strong wind gusts right now, but the snow is still materialized across the Great Lakes on the back side of an area of low pressure and as a result they could see between one and three inches of snowfall.

Speaking of snow, in Boston, 52 inches so far this year, it's not a record, but it is so much heavier than what we saw just a year ago. And I want to mention that wind coming out of the east and northeast in southern California will probably drive the temperatures up near record setting levels as we go into Sunday afternoon, not for Saturday afternoon, but for Sunday.

Fredricka, it'll be close to 90 degrees in some areas.

WHITFIELD: Wow, that is sizzling. All right, thanks so much, Karen.

All right, other stories we're following. Child welfare officials are enlisting the help of mental health experts to counsel some of the 400 children removed from that polygamist ranch in Texas. The boys and girls had been forbidden to leave the compound and were told that the outside world was hostile and immoral.

And the nation's largest airliner says it's back in business, American Airlines tells CNN that the FAA has cleared all but three of its jet fleet to resume flying. Some 3,300 flights have been grounded since Tuesday amid safety concerns over bundled wires in the MD-80s.

And that's it from the CNN world headquarters in Atlanta. BALLOT BOWL returns right after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ACOSTA: Welcome back to BALLOT BOWL on CNN. I'm Jim Acosta in Valparaiso, Indiana where Hillary Clinton is due to speak to some supporters here. It will be a big crowd of supporters inside Washington Township High School. We should mention it is the home of the senators and as one of her supporters nudged me there in the ribs earlier and noted to me today, it's the home of the fighting senators. And we are in Hoosier country and we are inside a basketball gymnasium, so we know anything can happen, but Hillary Clinton is not the only Clinton out on the campaign trail today. Her husband, the former president, is down in North Carolina. We should note that we have a live event coming up with the former president in Deep Run, North Carolina. But earlier today in Winterville, North Carolina, the former president was talking about some of the choices in this race, choices facing voters as they head to the polls and select who they think would make the best president and the president conceded there really aren't any slackers in this race.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BILL CLINTON (D), FMR U.S. PRESIDENT: There has been a great deal of focus about the historic nature of the race, but what really matters is who will make the best future for you? You know, and obviously I think the answer to that is Hillary, but this is a big deal. The race is historic. Senator Obama is counted as historic, Hillary is counted as historic and in his own way, Senator McCain's candidacy is historic, too. I mean, he and Hillary are friends and they just disagree about how to best handle Iraq and what should be done on the economy and that's about 90 percent of his race is about. But, let's not ever forget, that man gave about everything he could to this country without dying for it and we show respect to him.

This is an important time, so it's not we got any slackers out here. What we have to do is pick the person who would be the best president. And I think the answer is Hillary for three very important reasons. First of all, she's got the right vision for this country and it's not where we are now. She believes America works best if we look more and work more like we are here today. Just look around, here. Here we are without regard to our race, without regard to our gender, without regard to our age and I can see Muslims, Christians and Jews in the audience, so I know we're here without regard to our religion. We're here knowing that America works better when we work together across the lines that separate us.

That we are best were we're a country of shared responsibilities and shared opportunities and shared prosperity. Where we lead the world toward cooperation over conflict, and we are a long way from that today, aren't we? So, that's the first of all, if you're going to lead somebody, you got to know where you're going. And I believe that's the right vision. That's where we should be going.

Secondly, I think she has by far the best ideas and the best record and the best capacity to turn this economy around and restore the middle class dream, reclaim the future for our kids and guarantee a bright future for America and the best capacity to build a 21st century security policy as commander in chief for the reasons Admiral Owen said.

And thirdly, she's the best change-maker I ever saw. Most people won't talk to you about this, because they just talk about the candidate's personal quality or what the candidate's position on the issues are, but you hire a president to be a change-maker. Not to embody change, but to make change in your lives. Harry Truman, when I was a young man studying the presidency, I was always struck by what he said, he said even were you're president, just because you order something doesn't mean it happens. And he said, sometimes change is slow as molasses running uphill. You got to -- the Congress, I mean the Constitution refers to the president as the "chief executive." Now, if you read that today in modern language, you'd think well that's like being the CEO of the corporation, that's not what it meant in 18th century. What it meant was the president had to execute, he had to turn the good intentions of a campaign into positive changes in people's lives. And that's really important. And it's harder than we often think.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ACOSTA: And there is Bill Clinton in North Carolina talking to supporters there and it's interesting to note that Bill Clinton did not talk about those remarks made by Senator Obama, referring to blue collar work class voters as being bitter. The former president has been reeled in, you might say, by his wife, the candidate the last several days and we want to bring in now our CNN senior political analyst, Bill Schneider to talk about that.

And Bill, I guess there's a reason why the former president has been reeled in. I suppose some might say he's done it again.

BILL SCHNEIDER, CNN SR POLITICAL ANALYST: Well, it appears so, because you know, there was the flap over her trip to Bosnia as first lady which she mischaracterized, she said she landed under sniper fire. That wasn't quite true. She later corrected herself, then former president Clinton brought it up again and described the facts once again inaccurately, he said it was late at night one time when she was exhausted and she misstated and immediately apologized for her misstatement. A lot of those facts were kind of wrong and he blamed the press for it, he said, fulminating about this. Take a listen to what President Clinton said just yesterday.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

B CLINTON: You know that she'd robbed a bank they all carried on about this. And some of them when they're 60, they'll forget something when they're tired at 11:00 at night, too.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCHNEIDER: Actually, she delivered those remarks in the morning and they were part of a prepared speech. And he also report later what his wife said to him in order to try to reel him in.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

B CLINTON: Hillary called me and said, look, I misstated it, you said I misstated it, but you got to let me handle it because you don't remember it either, so I'm going to let her answer it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCHNEIDER: Bill Clinton said that his response to his wife was in two words "yes, ma'am" and he's not talking about it today -- Jim.

ACOSTA: Yes, sir, Bill. I have to ask you the question because it's interesting to see Hillary Clinton seize on these comments from Barack Obama, calling them "elitist" and "demeaning." I wonder, and perhaps you can share with us, how much did Barack Obama talk about the Bosnia situation? It seems to me we didn't hear a whole lot from the Illinois senator when she had that gaffe? But yet, it appears that the senator from New York is perhaps not being as forgiving, that may be because of political realities, I suppose?

SCHNEIDER: The political reality is that she has to convince the superdelegate that it would be risky for them to go with the nomination of Barack Obama and she wants to make the case that the Republicans will use this issue against him in the Fall campaign.

That is a risk. And we're going to see what happens what the superdelegates do, but I would point out it's equally risky, if not more so, for the superdelegates to reverse the wishes of the primary voters, if it turns out at the end of the primary process in June that more of them have voted for Obama than for Clinton. It's very risky for them to say we know better than you do and we're going to nominate Hillary Clinton because we think Obama would be too easy to defeat in the Fall. So, it is really a tough dilemma for those superdelegates and she's bringing up this issue, I think, in part to try to tell them -- to try to warn them they could be taking a risk if they nominate -- if they allow the nomination -- or go with the nomination of Barack Obama.

ACOSTA: If only we could have been a fly on the wall for that conversation between Bill and Hillary Clinton when Hillary Clinton said: Bill, let me handle this. Bill Schneider, thanks very much, we appreciate that. And stick with us, there's more after a break. This is BALLOT BOWL on CNN.

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MALVEAUX: Welcome back to CNN's BALLOT BOWL, I'm Suzanne Malveaux, in Philadelphia. Well, over the last week or so, we have seen the Democratic candidates bowling for votes. First, it was Barack Obama's turn and then Senator Hillary Clinton taking her try at it, as well. Our own Jeanne Moos, not too bowled over by her skills. Let's watch.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEANNE MOOS, CNN NEWS CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Another pin drops in Bowling '08. This time it's Hillary who's not exactly on a roll. Remember all the grief Obama got for bowling a 37? From a mock attack ad on "Jimmy Kimmel Live."

ANNOUNCER: If Barack Obama can't control a 16-pound bowling ball, how can he control our nation?

MOOS: To out and out taunts that a 3-year-old could do better.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Wow, you got a strike!

MOOS (on camera): Yeah, well maybe that 3-year-old bowls better than Hillary, too.

(voice over): Back on April Fool's Day, Hillary challenged Senator Obama

HILLARY CLINTON (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: To a bowl-off. I'll even spot him two frames.

MOOS: But when it came time to put her bowling ball where her mouth was on the Ellen DeGeneres show, Hillary started lowering expectation.

ELLEN DEGENERES, TALK SHOW HOST: You're probably good because there's a bowling alley in the White House, right?

H CLINTON: I know, but I have not bowled since I left the White House. MOOS: Ellen went first. After Hillary had abolished Obama...

H CLINTON: To get out of the gutter.

MOOS: Look where she ended up.

H CLINTON: Oh.

MOOS: Hillary's next and last toss wasn't much better. At least she didn't end up like the elder George Bush did, assuming this YouTube video really is George Bush Sr. Maybe Barack and Hillary should have the kind of bowl off that blows off the steam.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Obama!

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (INAUDIBLE) Senator Hillery...

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You and your (INAUDIBLE) sniveling.

MOOS: And speak of moves, bowling or otherwise, Obama dared to dance, not once, but twice with Ellen. Hillary did not bust a move. We feel we may have stumbled on bowling gate. Did someone tamper with the videotape of Hillary's bowling? Note in the promo she knocked down two pins.

ANNOUNCER: But only Ellen takes her bowling.

MOOS: During the show, she got one. Remember that when you hear Obama insulted.

ANNOUNCER: Barack Obama, he bowls like a woman.

MOOS: Yeah, this woman. Jeanne Moos, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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