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Ballot Bowl 2008

More Coverage of Pre-Pennsylvania Campaigning

Aired April 19, 2008 - 16:00   ET

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

JESSICA YELLIN, CNN, ANCHOR: Welcome back to CNN's BALLOT BOWL on this Saturday, April 19th. As the candidates are crisscrossing Pennsylvania this last weekend before the primary. I'm watching them along with my co-anchor Suzanne Malveaux who is right there in Pennsylvania in the thick of it. Suzanne.
SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN, ANCHOR: Hey, Jessica, well, it's really what you call abundance of riches. We've got two live events that are happening simultaneously here so obviously viewers can take a look at both Senator Clinton in York, Pennsylvania, addressing crowds there and Senator Barack Obama in Downingtown, Pennsylvania. Both of these candidates obviously crisscrossing the state trying to get those 158 critical delegates on Tuesday, the primary. This is really a do or die contest for Senator Clinton. She needs the momentum and she needs those delegates. Barack Obama looking at this potentially to see whether or not this actually going to stall his own momentum and if they can make that argument to the superdelegates, who gets these big states, who gets the big prizes. Let's take a listen to Barack Obama.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. BARACK OBAMA (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Downingtown, we have a choice. We've had choices before. At every juncture in our history, we had choices. The democratic party, we've also had choices. We've always been at our best when we lead not out of calculation but out of conviction, when we lead not by polls but by principles, when we summon the entire country around a common purpose, a higher purpose, when you think not just about how to win but why we should.

That's the kind of party America needs us to be right now. That's the kinds of party I want to lead. I want a party that's reaching out to independents, reaching out to disaffected republicans and saying, join us, get on board the change train. It is time for us to reclaim this country. It is time for us to reclaim this government. I am absolutely convinced that we can do it.

There is a moment in the life of every generation when that spirit of hopefulness and that spirit, that conviction has to come through, no matter how hard it is. We decide we roll up our sleeves and we all come together, black, white, Hispanic, Asian, Native American, young, old, rich, poor, gays, straight. We all come together and we start changing this country block by block, county by county, state by state. This is our moment. This is our time Downingtown if and if over the next four days, you are willing to work with me and organize with me and vote for me, I promise you we won't just win Pennsylvania, we will win this nomination, we will win this general election. And you and I we will give the next generation the same chances that our founders gave us. We will change this country and we will change the world. Thank you so much, Downingtown, I love you. God bless you! God bless America.

MALVEAUX: Here we go, guys, sorry.

That's Barack Obama. He is calling this on track for change tour really crisscrossing going through southeast Pennsylvania today on this train, he's been having a lot of fun with this, pulling the whistle, riding the caboose saying all aboard. But in all seriousness, he is also trying to reach out to those working class voters. A fierce competition over that particular group with Hillary Clinton who has done so well with them. It may make or break essentially her campaign, how she does in Pennsylvania. This is where he is headed. He started off in Philadelphia then Wynnewood on to Paoli then Downingtown where he is now, He's going to be moving on to Lancaster and then Harrisburg. All of these in an effort to reach out to as many voters as possible leading up to that critical primary on Tuesday in Pennsylvania.

YELLIN: And Senator Clinton, Suzanne, is also barn storming the state. She is on her third stop of the day, speaking in York, Pennsylvania. We listened to her earlier. Let's take a look - I guess, she just finished her speech. There she is mingling with the crowd there in York, Pennsylvania. She hit a few of the themes we heard her mention before. She's ready to take control. That she is ready to solve America's problems immediately. But she also drove home a very populous message that she will take on the oil companies, she will reform NAFTA and help all those blue collar workers who have been suffering in tough economic times. We both notice Suzanne, that this has taken a rather, a more pointed and personal turn and you have been there in Pennsylvania throughout this week. Can you talk a little bit about how the tone changed, especially after the contentious debate on Wednesday.

MALVEAUX: Well, really both of them going after each other. But it was interesting because in that debate, Senator Clinton really did follow up. There were questions about Barack Obama's patriotism, whether or not he wears a flag pin on his lapel, questions about his controversial pastor as well as questions about his own comments that he made at a closed fundraiser sometime ago in California when he called small town Pennsylvanians bitter, clinging to guns and their religion.

Senator Clinton really seized upon that in the debate and afterwards, really painting herself as the woman who is of the people, that she is from -- well her family is from Scranton. She has roots there. And if there's an ad that's here in Pennsylvania that she says she grew up on Pinochle and the American dream. She talks about her grandfather working at a mill, really trying to reach out to those voters, the working class voters and calling Barack Obama an elitist. And then also what you heard from Barack Obama, essentially trying to portray and put out his own message, his own history to get people to really know him that he has not an elitist he says. And he tries to explain those words, what he meant about those small town Pennsylvania voters, critical really to both of them and Barack Obama also having to address Senator Clinton going directly after him over the issue of toughness, whether or not he was a fighter.

You saw on that debate that he really didn't take the swings, and punches that he could have with Senator Clinton. She acknowledged that she did not tell the truth when it came to coming under sniper fire in Bosnia. She apologized for that. Turns to Senator Obama and did not take the opportunity to actually exploit that, rather, he just said, well, we all have misstatements from time to time. So, there is this back and forth, really aggressiveness going after Barack Obama. Jessica.

YELLIN: And Suzanne, we're seeing the sharp pointed exchanges long distance exchanges from the stump. There's also an ad war going on. Right now, Barack Obama has released a new ad highly critical of Senator Clinton's health care plan and Senator Clinton's team has come out quickly with e-mails to reporters refuting the ad point by point. There is yet again, as we've reported many times, there is a war of conference calls today with both campaigns calling reporters, asking reporters to tune in for different sides of various stories today. And of course these candidates themselves crisscrossing the state aggressively going after every vote they can get.

We saw Senator Clinton step down from the podium there in York, Pennsylvania but we have queued some tape of her comments earlier. Let's listen to what she was saying on the stump just moments ago.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. HILLARY CLINTON (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: When you're a leader, you're supposed to try to solve people's problems, you're supposed to understand what folks are going through and bring your best efforts to bear and try to make a difference. I remember really well coming here on the bus tour in 1992. That was one of our very first stops after Bill got that nomination. And I still I still can shut my eyes and envision the central market where I went early that morning to kind of look around -- was anybody at the central market that day all those years ago?

Well, we came to York, the city of the white rose, and we said, if you will give Bill Clinton a chance, he will work and try to turn this economy around. Try to produce jobs again, to solve a lot of our problems, to get us out of debt and he did. And we were the better for it. Well, I'm back in York to say the same thing. And I'm telling you, we got to have the same kind of election, where we elect a president who knows how and cares enough to make it happen so that we can produce the results that York and Pennsylvania need again. I have no doubt, I have no doubt in my mind we can make this happen. And I think that there's a certain historical pattern here. It took a Clinton to clean up after a Bush. It's going to take a Clinton to clean up after a Bush.

When you think about it, the contrast is so stark. You know, during the 1990s, 22.7 million new jobs. More people lifted out of poverty than any time in our country's recent history. Folks really given a chance to get into the middle class and make a difference for themselves. We moved toward a balance budget with a surplus. Why was that important? Because as we pulled ourselves out of debt there was more money to invest in new jobs and make sure we put Americans to work building the kind of goods that we need to have a strong economy.

The typical American family and it was true in Pennsylvania, saw their incomes go up $7,000 during the 1990s. Now, during this campaign, I know that from time to time I hear people criticizing the 1990s and that's fair. That's part of a campaign. But I always wonder, which part didn't they like, the peace or the prosperity. Because we're going to bring back both!

(END VIDEO CLIP)

YELLIN: Senator Clinton stumping in York, Pennsylvania. She had just wrapped up that even and heads from there to California, Pennsylvania as she continues to barn storm that state. Now, as this day has progressed, a new back and forth has developed between Obama and Clinton. I mentioned it just a moment ago over health care. Senator Obama's campaign has released a new ad critical of Senator Clinton's health plan. Let's listen to it and then I'll tell you the Clinton camp's rebuttal.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hillary Clinton is attacking but what is she not telling you about her health care plan. It forces everyone to buy insurance even if you can't afford it and you pay a penalty if you don't. Barack Obama believes it's not that people don't want health care, it is that they can't afford it. That's why the Obama plan reduces costs more than Hillary's, saving $2500 for the typical family. Health care we can afford. Vote for change we can believe in.

OBAMA: I'm Barack Obama and I approved this message.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

YELLIN: Now Senator Clinton's campaign, as you might expect has e-mailed reporters refuting each element of that ad saying an independent expert disputes that her plan would cost more or that it would force everyone to buy insurance, even if you can't afford it and goes through each point with a reputation. Senator Clinton also addressed it saying that I hear my opponent has put up an ad attacking my health care plan. She says that's kind of curious because my plan covers everyone and his leaves out 15 million people.

Not surprisingly, Obama disagrees with that claim. And she said, instead of attacking the problem, he chose to attack my solution. Well, I suspect we're going to be hearing a lot more about this in the coming hours and in the days leading up to the primary. Suzanne Malveaux is right there in Pennsylvania and she has been hearing Barack Obama go after Senator Clinton quite aggressively today. Suzanne.

MALVEAUX: Jessica, we really heard it from both sides but Senator Barack Obama as well. You know, following that debate he went after her essentially saying that she was twisting the knife and that she was in her element if you will, talking about this kind of ugly Washington politics and focusing on the trivial. He said that he really felt much of the substance, the kind of issues that voters care about was not addressed in the first 45 minutes of the debate and he really said that he thought Senator Clinton was taking every opportunity to exploit that, to exploit those kind of controversies.

Senator Clinton came back during the week saying, if you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen and that she was very comfortable in the kitchen. That's a line that she used before but particularly pointed because this week because this thing has gotten quite heated, Jessica. As you know, both of them addressing the issues. It's interesting that they came out fighting over their health care plans, it's one of the small differences between their plans and their policies there.

What we've heard over the last week or so, the weeks has really been not only been about Iraq and about health care, but they've been focusing on things like character and integrity. Which one is more honest, who is distorting whose words, who's associated with controversial figures? Those kinds of things. Hoping will make a dent. We've seen Jessica, very interesting that it really hasn't make all that much difference when it comes to the polls. It seems as if this is still a very very close race. Jessica.

YELLIN: It really is and Barack Obama saying earlier this week that he's taking it all in stride by wiping that dirt off his shoulder, a reference to a Jay-Z song, if anyone missed that. One of my favorite lines of the week. When we come back, we are going to check in with the other candidate in this race, John McCain. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

YELLIN: Welcome back to CNN's BALLOT BOWL on this final weekend before the Pennsylvania primary. We've listened to an awful lot of Senators Clinton and Obama as they crisscross that state. But there's another candidate in this race, John McCain who has some clear sailing right now without a primary opponent. He could focus on hitting the democrat. Earlier this week speaking in Pittsburgh, he took aim at democratic tax proposals and he's offering something different, a simplified tax plan. Let's listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. JOHN MCCAIN (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: In the same way, many in Congress think Americans are under taxed, they speak as if letting you keep your own earnings were an act of charity and now they've decided you've had enough. By allowing many of the current low tax rates to expire, they would impose overnight the largest single tax increase since the second World War. Among supporters of a tax increase are Senators Obama and Clinton, both promise big change and a trillion dollars in new taxes over the next decade would certainly fit that description.

Of course, they'd like you to think only the very wealthy will pay more in taxes but the reality is quite different. Under my opponent's various tax plans Americans of every background which see their taxes rise, seniors, parents, small business owners and just about everyone who has even a modest investment in the market. All these tax increases are under the fine print of the slogan hope. If you want to raise your taxes by thousands of dollars a year and they have the audacity to hope you don't mind.

They and others argue that the tax increase is necessary in part to finance social security and Medicare. Unfortunately, this claim only serves to remind us of Congress's consistent failure to repair both of these programs even under the best of circumstances for years. For years, Congress has been buying time and leaving the great challenge of entitlement reform for others to deal with. And now the two contenders in the other party have even proposed enormous new federal commitments before the old commitments have been kept. Trusting that others somewhere down the road will handle the financing and make all of the numbers come out right.

There will come a day, my friends they'll come a day when the road dead ends and the old excuses seem even more hollow and it won't be politicians who bear the sequences. It will be American workers and their children who are left with worthless promises and multitrillion dollar debts. We cannot, we cannot let that happen. And you have my pledge as president, I will work with every member of Congress, republican, democrat and independent who shares my commitment to reforming and protecting Medicare and social security, you have my commitment.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

YELLIN: Senator John McCain earlier this week addressing what is the number one concern of American voters, their economic tough times. John McCain is on tape for us here at BALLOT BOWL because he is actually down this weekend. No public events for John McCain. He is having a quiet Saturday and Sunday in Washington, D.C., but we know both Senator Clinton and Barack Obama are stumping hard and we are looking at them, getting live pictures of them throughout the afternoon.

As we come back, on the other side of this break. we're going to listen to Senator Clinton at an event she held with renowned poet Maya Angelou. That's coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SEN. BARACK OBAMA (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: All right, everybody, thank you, remember, vote on Tuesday. Vote for change, the train is leaving the station. I need your help.

MALVEAUX: You're watching Barack Obama on his "On track for change" tour. Basically, going across southeast Pennsylvania before that critical primary on Tuesday, making several stops trying to meet as many voters and really cover as much ground as possible before that critical race. Obviously, trying to compete with Senator Clinton. We're also keeping a close eye on her with all of her live events as she does the same this weekend. Both of them barn storming across the state really trying to look at Tuesday as a do or die race for Senator Clinton, her campaign really trying to get that momentum back and get those wins until we move forward to convince the superdelegates, those that can decide either way, Barack Obama or Hillary Clinton at the party convention that she is the one who can win those big states like Pennsylvania.

If she can make that case to them, then she can make that case then perhaps they will go ahead and say, yes we'll support you and she'll have the numbers and she'll have the nomination. That at least is their hope. So, she is not just leaving this up to Pennsylvania. She is looking ahead. That's why we saw her in North Carolina this week. Just yesterday in North Carolina, at Wake Forest University. She was with the poet and professor Maya Angelou and she was talking about a number of things, private personal stories but also policy as well, the economy, Iraq and things like that. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. HILLARY CLINTON (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I've been very committed to what I have tried to do as senator and what I will do as president. First of all, we have to get rid of every single benefit that still remains in our tax code.

MAYA ANGELOU, POET: Thank you.

CLINTON: That goes to any business that moves a job from North Carolina to another country. I mean, that is fundamentally unpatriotic. I mean, why would we be subsidizing the export of jobs. It's a free country. If you want to go create jobs in some other country, that's fine. But just don't expect to do it with our tax dollars subsidizing you. And I'm going to make that a key demand. We also have to get back to having a tax code that is much fairer to working people. It is so tilted towards those that are already doing very well.

In fact, it is absolutely inexplicable that some of the people I represent on Wall Street who make $50 million a year pay less as a percentage of their income in taxes than you would find a nurse or teacher or truck driver that makes less than $50,000 a year right here in Winston, Salem or Charlotte or Raleigh or anywhere else. So, part of the challenge is to begin to reward work again because people have to feel that their work is actually going to lead them somewhere. That they're going to be able to accumulate wealth.

And I always remember what you know, my grandfather, who was a factory worker in Scranton, Pennsylvania, always told us and raised you know, his family working from the age of 11 until he retired at 65, that this was the greatest country in the world because if you worked hard, your hard work would be rewarded. But there are too many people right now in North Carolina or in New York who don't believe that. They feel like they are working harder and harder but the American dream is receding farther and farther.

We also have to reemphasize manufacturing. You know, it is not something that I think we can just give up and see move off our shores because if a country doesn't make things, that the country as big and diverse as ours is, it's harder and harder to really have a strong economy. And those jobs, which are good jobs are not there in enough abundance for people who need them. And I also want to invest in creating new jobs in America, right here in North Carolina.

I have a plan, please go to my website, hillaryclinton.com because we can't possibly talk about all of the details here this afternoon. But I have put forth a comprehensive plan for clean renewable energy jobs. I think we can create at least 5 million of them over the next ten years. And the way I envision it, these are jobs that won't be outsourced.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: You'll have an opportunity to hear much more of Senator Hillary Clinton on Monday. She is going to be appearing on "LARRY KING LIVE." She's going to be doing a one on one sit down with Larry King. That's at 9:00 in the evening Eastern time. Obviously, making her case on the eve of the Tuesday Pennsylvania primary with our own Larry King.

And coming up, much, much more news when BALLOT BOWL continues, including the pope's visit to New York City today. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, I'm Fredricka Whitfield in Atlanta. CNN's Ballot Bowl returns right after a look at these headlines. Pope Benedict is at St. Joseph Seminary in Yonkers, New York, right now, following this morning's mass at St. Patrick's Cathedral. He'll meet with young men who are studying for the priesthood. Thousands of young people are expected for a rally and prayer service later as well.

A Texas judge says children seized from a polygamist sect will be held in protective custody for now. The judge is ordering DNA tests on all 416 children to determine the identity of their parents. The next hearing on custody and abuse allegations is scheduled for June 5th.

(WEATHER REPORT)

WHITFIELD: Well, remember, just moments ago I mentioned how the pope is making his way through various parts of the New York area, well, right now he's officially arriving in Yonkers there where he'll be meeting with a number of young people at the St. Joseph Seminary, particularly a lot of young priests to be.

He'll be meeting with them and you can see the large crowds of folks who have turned out to get a quick glimpse of the pope. He has had a pretty full day after starting out the day at Mass at St Patrick's Cathedral in Midtown Manhattan and then parading through 5th Avenue and now here at the seminary.

And his weekend in New York is far from over. Tomorrow he'll be starting the day at Ground Zero, meeting with a number of 9/11 victims and survivors and their family members. And then at 2:00 Eastern time tomorrow at Yankee Stadium, he'll be conducting mass there, being attended, of course, by thousands of people. And CNN will be covering that live in the 2:00 hour tomorrow. So you don't want to miss it. So at any moment now in one of these vehicles, the pope will be emerging to meet and greet the number of people who are there, no matter where he has gone, whether he has been in New York or perhaps in the first leg of his journey to the U.S.

In D.C., there have been huge numbers of people, Catholic and otherwise, to await the pontiff. This is a historic visit for him. And by the way, today is actually the third-year anniversary of his papacy. And this at the end of a week that he has celebrated his 81st birthday, and there he is right there, Pope John -- Pope Benedict XVI, still getting used to the new papacy here, three years into his term.

A large number of folks turning out. The St. Joseph's Seminary is one of 25,000 young Catholics from throughout the United States. But he apparently will be meeting with just a handful of young priests to be as he emerges there in the halls of St. Joseph's Seminary, and now the entrance as well. And even inside you can hear the applause. This is about what it has been like for the pontiff for now five days.

Let's take listen in.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

(MUSIC PLAYING)

WHITFIELD: Again here at St. Joseph's Seminary there in Yonkers, the pope has arrived. And what you're seeing are his personal visits and touches with about 50 disabled young people and of course their caregivers. And that is in addition to the some probably thousand seminarians who are there in attendance for this special greeting here, a greeting that has been filled with a lot of cheers.

You heard the organ and of course the music now. A very special greeting for the papacy there. And later on he'll be meeting as well with the number of priests to be there at St. Joseph's Seminary. And of course, his journey through New York is not over yet.

Tomorrow it will reach another high point, a Mass at Yankee Stadium, 2:00 p.m. Eastern. CNN will be covering that live. Special coverage on CNN with Soledad O'Brien, 2:00 Eastern tomorrow from Yankee Stadium. Pope Benedict XVI leading Mass. And of course, we'll continue to follow the developments of the papacy there in New York throughout the evening as well.

Meantime, onto other news, food and gas prices, rising pretty fast. They are forcing more and more people to turn to the nation's food banks, indeed.

CNN's Don Lemon takes a look.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: She had surgery when she was born. She is a lot better but she still has breathing problems, you know? It's like, yes, table food. DON LEMON, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Crystal (ph) and Arianna (ph), like some 16,000 other Atlanta-area families, depend on the Atlanta Community Food Bank for help. The fourth-largest food bank in the country was founded 28 years ago by Bill Bolling. He says his agency has never seen a higher demand and from people who never needed his services before.

BILL BOLLING, ATLANTA COMMUNITY FOOD BANK: Actually we're seeing almost half the people who are coming to our member agencies having a job, sometimes two jobs, and not being able to make ends meet.

LEMON: Joann Cainion (ph) uses the services. She has no health insurance. And even with two jobs, doing domestic work five days a week and alterations, she still can't afford to put food on her table. Add to that the spiraling cost of driving across town to work.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's sickening. But, see, if your gas keeps going up and your paycheck don't go up, you'll just be working to pay gas.

LEMON: Mark Wilson (ph), a brick layer, mows lawns to make ends meet. He can't find a construction job, but he says he and his four children still have to eat.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you very much.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You're very welcome.

LEMON: America's working poor, feeling the economic downturn, with food banks coming to the rescue.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Thank you.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You're welcome.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Thank you.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Thank you so much.

LEMON: Don Lemon, CNN, Atlanta.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: And for more stories impacting your world, log on to cnn.com/impact. You can share your stories on the site and find out how you can help others. And we'll be right back with "Help for Her."

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Live pictures in Yonkers here at the St. Joseph Seminary. The Archdiocesan Deaf Choir performing for Pope Benedict XVI right now. He has just gone around the room and blessed some upwards of 50 disabled children and their caregivers who are here and then later on he'll be in prayer and then be meeting face to face with a number of priests to be. They are studying at the seminary. And then tomorrow morning, the pope will be going to Ground Zero in Lower Manhattan, meeting with a number of 9/11 survivors and family members of 9/11 victims. And then at 2:00 Eastern, he'll be leading Mass for thousands at Yankee Stadium. CNN will be covering that live, you don't want to miss it, tomorrow at 2:00 Eastern time.

Well, now to an issue many women need help with, coping with menopause. In our "Help for Her" segment, CNN's Judy Fortin looks at why some women experience brain fog when they go through the change.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JUDY FORTIN, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): For women of a certain age, there's actually one more certainty in life besides death and taxes, and that is menopause. But when it hits, it's entirely a numbers game.

DR. SUJATHA REDDY, GYNECOLOGIST: Every woman is born with as many O-sites (ph) or eggs in their ovaries as you're going to have for the rest of your life. In your adolescence, these eggs wake up and start making estrogen. In your 50s, these eggs sort of have lived their lifespan and now start to essentially die off and stop producing estrogen. You stop ovulating, the ovaries shut down and essentially go to sleep.

FORTIN: For some this ovarian slumber is no big deal. But for others, that internal shift has some big side effects. Hot flashes, weight gain and estrogen and mood swings are some of the most common menopausal tag alongs. Another worrisome but often misunderstood ailment is the one commonly referred to as brain fog.

REDDY: Most of my patients who are coming in for menopausal issues ask about lack of memory or confusion or difficulty concentrating. I think those are real things that happen in menopause. A lot of times people can't remember the exact word they are looking for, perhaps concentrating if they can't, like, pay attention to the same task as much as they used to.

FORTIN: Researchers believe the drop in estrogen production and sleepless nights may be to blame.

REDDY: If you add hot flashes and night sweats to that, maybe where you used to be able to function on six hours of sleep, now you're only getting four, your concentration and your ability to focus is definitely going to be affected.

FORTIN: To clear up this fog, women are urged to talk to their health care providers to see what options be available.

Judy Fortin, CNN, Atlanta.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: And coming up in the BALLOT BOWL, the pope and politics, how Catholics just might influence the primary scheduled for Tuesday in Pennsylvania. I'm Fredericka Whitfield. See you again next hour. Now back to more of the BALLOT BOWL as we look as these closing pictures of the pope in Yonkers at St. Joseph's Seminary.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

JESSICA YELLIN, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Welcome back to CNN's BALLOT BOWL. I'm Jessica Yellen in New York. We've just been watching the pope on a visit to a seminary in Yonkers. And it occurred to us this might be a nice time to check in with CNN's Josh Levs, who has been following the influence the Catholic vote.

There are nearly 4 million Catholics in the state of Pennsylvania and they could be highly influential in Tuesday's Democratic primary. Josh is joining us from Atlanta with a look on how the Catholic vote might shake things up -- Josh.

JOSH LEVS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, that's right. Jessica. You know, I'll tell you, a lot of people make a lot of assumptions in general about where Catholics stands on major issues. But the truth is, when you start to look into it, you'll find that there are actually a lot of Catholics who, on certain social issues, disagree with the pope.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

LEVS (voice-over): It's a historic visit against a political backdrop. The nation's 70 million Catholics are heavily desired voters. They've sided with the winner in eight of the last presidential nine races, actually all nine if you go by the popular vote in 2000, a slim majority went with Al Gore. In 2004 Catholics chose President Bush over John Kerry with some citing their opposition to gay marriage.

All three major candidates are reaching out to Catholic voters. Exit polls show that among Democrats, Clinton has had an edge but Obama is trying to catch up.

SEN. BARACK OBAMA (D-NY), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: The first school I went to in Indonesia was a Catholic school.

LEVS: He's touting the support of Senator Bob Casey, who is popular among Catholics opposed to abortion rights. But on that and other social issues, Catholics are split. A Pew Forum survey found 51 percent of American Catholics believe abortion should be legal in all or most cases; 52 percent of Americans in general shared that view; 55 percent of Catholics said they support stem cell research compared to 51 percent of all those polled; 42% of Catholics said they support same sex marriage, compared to 36 percent of all those polled.

The survey found those who go to church more lean more conservative. But Catholics, like most Americans, say social issues are not top concerns in this election. Only 31 percent said social issues are important; 76 percent said the Iraq War is; and 82 percent said domestic issues are.

So in the election, winning over Catholics may not be much different from winning over anyone else.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LEVS: And now there's a change in the Catholic community that's having some real political ramifications. And that's the growing number of Latino Catholics, someone we talk about often here. They vote overwhelmingly Democratic. So that gives the Democratic nominee some hope for the Catholic vote in November.

But on some issues Latino Catholics lean a bit more conservative, which, Jessica, could in the end, help a Republican make some inroads into the Catholic community.

YELLIN: And, Josh, how important is it to Catholic voters that the next president have strongly held religious beliefs?

LEVS: You know what, that's a place where they are pretty much all on par. Most Americans feel that that is very important. And so do most Catholics. This same survey from Pew Forum says 70 percent of Catholics believe the next president should be someone with major religious beliefs, with very strongly held religious beliefs.

And when they asked all Americans, it was the same thing. So you do find that in general, that is something a lot of people share and Catholics as well share. It's just on those divisive social issues that have gotten a lot of attention, particularly in the last presidential election, that you find there, Jessica, that they really are on some split half and half.

YELLIN: All right. Josh, thanks so much. That's CNN's Josh Levs reporting from Atlanta. And we're going to head back out to the campaign trail. We will hear from senators Clinton and Obama as they crisscross Pennsylvania in this crucial weekend before the Pennsylvania Primary. That's on the other side of this break.