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Campbell Brown
Democratic Unity Tour Kicks Off; Bill Clinton's Role in Obama Campaign?; Election Crisis in Zimbabwe
Aired June 27, 2008 - 20:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAMPBELL BROWN, CNN ANCHOR: Hey there, everybody.
Today Democrats got the picture they have been waiting for. After a fierce campaign and a stormy behind-the-scenes negotiation, a sunshine show of unity between Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton. But what's behind the smiles? And where does this beautiful new friendship go from here?
We're going to dig into the stagecraft behind today's big event.
But, first, no bias, no bull, just the real story of what happened when the one-time rivals went all the way to the little town of Unity, New Hampshire, population 1,715, to try bringing the Democratic Party back together.
Senior political correspondent Candy Crowley was on the trip traveling with the two senators today.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CANDY CROWLEY, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): One, two, three, say cheese. It was their picture-perfect day, unity to the side of them, unity to the back of them, as Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama tried to refocus the Democratic storyline from a fractious primary to future possibilities.
SEN. HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON (D), NEW YORK: What we start here in this field in Unity will end on the steps of the Capitol when Barack Obama takes the oath of office.
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
CROWLEY: He began with full-throated praise.
SEN. BARACK OBAMA (D-IL), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: She rocks. She rocks.
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
OBAMA: That's the point I'm trying to make.
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
CROWLEY: And he said the words some of her voters have been waiting to hear, a recognition that sexism still exists, but that she powered through, sending a message to everyone, including his daughters.
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
OBAMA: They can take for granted that women can do anything that the boys can do...
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
OBAMA: ... and do it better, and do it in heels.
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
OBAMA: I still doesn't -- I still don't know how she does it in heels.
CROWLEY: Every public moment showed them in synch, though they insist the color-coordinated outfits were accidental. And their messages have melded. The choice is no longer Clinton or Obama. It's Obama and McCain.
OBAMA: We can continue spending $10 billion to $12 billion a month in Iraq and leave our troops there for the next 20 or 50 or 100 years. Or we can decide that it's time to be in a responsible, gradual withdrawal from Iraq. That's the choice in this election.
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
CROWLEY: Behind the chummy photos, there are still issues, her role at the convention, her debt. And not everyone is on board, not in the grassroots and not uniformly among party movers and shakers, including some of her fund-raisers.
But she's putting money where her mouth is, donating $2,300 to his campaign, the maximum allowed. Also stepping up to the plate with a check for the Obama campaign, the missing man, Bill Clinton.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BROWN: Our own Candy Crowley reporting for us tonight. She's going to join us a little bit later in the show. We will also have much more on the missing man coming up as well.
Earlier this week, Obama said he had tried former President Bill Clinton, and that they had been playing phone tag. Well, now we hear they're trying to schedule to call, so that they can finally have a conversation.
But, first, we want to see -- we want you to see and hear more of what actually happened today in New Hampshire.
And here they are, once again, Senators Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
H. CLINTON: I don't think it's at all unknown among this audience that this was a hard-fought primary campaign.
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
H. CLINTON: We have traversed America making our case to the American people. We have gone toe-to-toe in this hard-fought primary.
But today, and every day going forward, we stand shoulder-to- shoulder for the ideals we share, the values we cherish, and the country we love.
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
H. CLINTON: We may have started on separate paths, but, today, our paths have merged. Today, our hearts are set on the same destination for America. Today, we are coming together for the same goal: to elect Barack Obama as the next president of the United States.
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
H. CLINTON: I was honored to be in this race with Barack, and I am proud that we had a spirited dialogue.
(LAUGHTER)
H. CLINTON: That was the nicest way I could think of phrasing it.
(LAUGHTER)
H. CLINTON: But it was spirited because we both care so much.
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
H. CLINTON: And so do our supporters, each and every one of you. And I am so proud and privileged today, here in Unity, to help bring together the 36 million Americans who supported us to create an unstoppable force for change we can all believe in.
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
OBAMA: What has made her one of the finest senators that New York has ever seen, what has made her a historic candidate for president, an unyielding desire to improve the lives of ordinary Americans, no matter how difficult that fight may be.
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
OBAMA: I have admired her as a leader; I have learned from her as a candidate.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hillary rocks!
OBAMA: She rocks. She rocks. That's the point I'm trying to make.
(LAUGHTER)
I am proud to call her a friend, and I know how much we need both Bill and Hillary Clinton as a party and as a country in the months and years to come. They have done so much great work -- I don't think it's been 40 years, you know, maybe for the last couple, you know?
(LAUGHTER)
OBAMA: But it's amazing how much they got done in five years' time.
(LAUGHTER)
OBAMA: We need them. We need them badly, not just my campaign, but the American people need their service, and their vision, and their wisdom...
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
OBAMA: ... in the months and years to come, because that's how we're going to bring about unity in the Democratic Party, and that's how we're going to bring about unity in America, and that's how we're going to deliver the American dream in every corner of every state of this great nation that we love.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BROWN: And now, for a look at what was really going on behind the scenes, CNN senior political correspondent Candy Crowley just got back from the trip to Unity, New Hampshire.
And, Candy, I know the two of them had a lot of alone time together.
CROWLEY: They really did.
BROWN: What were they talking about?
CROWLEY: Well, it's sort of a state secret for some reason.
But here's what we have been able to glean. They were on the plane seated next to each other. They allowed the photographers to go up, but said, no, no, you can't take microphones. You can send your camera.
But when the photogs were up there, at that point, they were talking about the plane actually, because she had used it as her campaign plane. So, there was a lot of sort of chitchat, as I am told. They had an hour-and-a-half on the bus from Manchester to Unity. I am told that, there, they talked about eating strange foods in foreign countries, just a lot of kind of getting to know you, something like a first date.
But they also spent a half-an-hour of private time in the back of the bus, just the two of them. And that's the one thing I couldn't get the answer to, but I'm working on it. (LAUGHTER)
BROWN: Candy.
(LAUGHTER)
BROWN: And I know you have been talking a lot to the Obama folks. Do they feel like they got what they wanted out of this event?
CROWLEY: They did. You saw those pictures. You heard Hillary Clinton. They think she's been pitch-perfect. She has really been out there, both, you know, in front, but also behind the scenes, pushing her people, her voters to go ahead and vote for him and join the Obama camp, saying, listen, there's so much at stake. You have to come aboard.
So, yes, they really feel like the pictures were great today, from the tarmac in Washington all the way back to the tarmac at Dulles. And they feel as though, in fact, they have accomplished what they did, was that great big picture of unity.
BROWN: All right, the real story tonight from our own Candy Crowley.
Candy, thanks, as always.
So, lots of happy talk today. Everybody's on message. But it was a rough campaign -- let's not kid ourselves -- lots of hurt feelings, bruised egos. So, will Hillary Clinton's supporters fall in line behind Barack Obama? We are going to put that to our panel of top political insiders.
And then the missing man, Bill Clinton, skipped today's unity event. What's up with that?
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BROWN: After all the buildup, was today's Democratic lovefest worth the wait? How much mileage will Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton, for that matter, get out of it?
We have got a top-notch political panel tonight, in Washington, our senior political analyst Gloria Borger, and Democratic strategist, CNN political contributor Paul Begala, who, we should say, was a Clinton supporter. Also with us from Tallahassee, Florida, is Republican strategist Rick Wilson. And he worked on Rudy Giuliani's short-lived Senate campaign back in 2000.
Welcome to everybody.
Paul, behind the scenes, some pretty pictures today, but there are some real questions here about how well the unity fest is actually going. And CNN interviewed one of the fund-raisers inside last night's meeting. He's still not sure he's ready to write a check for Obama.
What's really going on?
PAUL BEGALA, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: Well, it takes some time to heal a party. Hillary and Barack, I thought, were very candid.
I like the fact that, by the way, that they departed from their scripts. They extemporized. And that always makes speechwriters like me nervous. But I liked the way that they kept coming back to these theme of unity, because I think they mean it.
Yes, you will have -- there are some hurt feelings. There's no two ways about it. There is work to do. But Barack Obama's doing the work. Hillary Clinton is doing the work.
I would say I, for one, I have already written my check for the legal maximum for Senator Obama. And I did, as I promised, wrote on the memo line, "for negative campaigning only," because I want -- that's kind of my nature.
(LAUGHTER)
BEGALA: But I think this is about as good as Senator Obama could hope that it could be. And I think it says a lot, frankly, about Hillary Clinton's leadership as well.
(CROSSTALK)
BROWN: But isn't it ultimately a marriage of convenience? She wants to continue to be a player, and he needs her supporters?
BEGALA: You know, it's also about what two people who frankly risked everything to run for president what they believe in.
Hillary Clinton would be physically ill if she saw, as she views it, John McCain take the presidency and continue George Bush's policies. You know, and they actually -- we ought to entertain the notion in the media that sometimes these people actually mean what they say.
BROWN: No.
BEGALA: And I think Hillary Clinton actually believes in these issues and Barack Obama is with her on all the issues. There are stylistic differences, but they agree on almost every issue. And they disagree with John McCain and George Bush on every issue. And I think that is what is motivating them.
BROWN: Rick, how are Republicans feeling today as they see these unity pictures? A scary sight?
RICK WILSON, REPUBLICAN STRATEGIST: Well, look, it lets us get back to our regularly scheduled hating-Hillary programming again.
(LAUGHTER)
WILSON: So, Republicans feel a little more comfortable with the way the world has suddenly aligned itself again. And I think that, frankly, this was a great day for Hillary and a great day for Barack Obama. I'm not going to spin it. There's just no two ways about it. But it's probably the last great day where he doesn't have a distraction, an externality out there to, you know, stop the press from continuing down the line of, why have you flip- flopped on guns this week, on FISA this week? Why have changed your positions on this, this, and this, which is -- he's doing more flip- flops than a Chinese dog in the last couple of days.
The guy is just all over the board on things. So, this was a great story for him to have to close that narrative up, and to have a nice closure to this week. But I think, after this, it gets a little more bumpy, and he has got to get back to the actual work of campaigning.
BROWN: Well, Gloria, what's your reporting on this? Are Democrats one big happy family now?
GLORIA BORGER, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: Well, I wouldn't go that far.
I think that there are a lot of hurt feelings on both sides of this campaign, these campaigns. And I think there are discussions going on that I have been told about, about Hillary Clinton's role at the convention, for example. Obviously, she's going to give a huge prime-time speech. Do you put her name in nomination? Is the role called? Probably not.
How do you work to retire her debt? How can Barack Obama do more to help retire her debt? I mean, these are all issues. But the calls are very amiable, I'm told. And they're working these things through. And everybody agrees today that this went as well as anybody could have anticipated or hoped.
BROWN: But there's still the issue of her supporters.
And, Paul, you know, two longtime Democratic activists just launched New Hampshire Democrats for McCain. Hillary supporters refusing to support Obama are announcing new Web sites almost every day. Why can't she get control of her supporters?
BEGALA: Because it's the Democratic Party. And it's also because this is a free country.
You know, I saw a survey recently, by the way, this week, in fact, today, that said 23 percent of Hillary's voters say they're going to vote for Senator McCain. Now, that's unacceptably high, but it's a lot lower than the 40 percent that we saw a few weeks ago. And I think it will continue to go down.
You can't do this in just a few days. You know, it took Bill Bradley, for example, four months after he was knocked out of the race by Al Gore before he would endorse Al Gore, four months. He didn't endorse Al Gore until July 14. He got knocked out in March.
Paul Tsongas, who was Bill Clinton's probably closest rival when he ran in '92, same thing. He got knocked out of the race in March. He didn't endorse until July 9.
So, Hillary has gone much further much faster than any of the previous Democrats who have lost. And she lost by a much closer margin than any of them.
BORGER: And she also -- Campbell, she also said today specifically to her supporters, if you're thinking of voting for John McCain, don't do it.
And she's going to be out there as much as Barack Obama wants her to be out there saying that very thing. And I think her supporters are very loyal to her, and I think a lot of them are going to listen.
BROWN: All right, guys, stay there. I want us all to take look back at a time when there wasn't all that much love in the air. I will bet you Republicans can remember it very, very well.
We will be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
H. CLINTON: I hope you will join me. I hope you will stand with me. I hope you will work as hard for Senator Obama as many of you did for me.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BROWN: All sunshine today, but it wasn't too long ago that Hillary Clinton was painting a very different picture of Barack Obama.
Let's take a little walk down memory lane.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
H. CLINTON: Senator Obama, it is very difficult having a straight-up debate with you, because you never take responsibility for any vote.
Senator McCain will bring a lifetime of experience to the campaign. I will bring a lifetime of experience. And Senator Obama will bring a speech that he gave in 2002.
I have a big difference with Senator Obama on universal health care. I want to cover everybody. He wants to leave at least 15 million people out.
I don't think he really gets it that people are looking for a president who stands up for you and not looks down on you.
Senator Obama holds up his original opposition to the war on the campaign trail. But he didn't start working aggressively to end the war until he started running for president.
Enough with the speeches, and the big rallies, and then using tactics that are right out of Karl Rove's playbook. Shame on you, Barack Obama.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BROWN: Gloria Borger, Paul Begala, and Rick Wilson, some tough stuff there. It's hard to forget.
Rick, you're a Republican ad maker. Will those Clinton quotes be your best weapon?
(CROSSTALK)
WILSON: I would love to thank Hillary for -- I would love to thank Hillary for providing all of our opposition research for this thing and a lot of the clips. It's fantastic.
I mean, look, this division they have to heal that everybody acknowledges the Democratic Party has to bring together, it's going to be harder to do that when we're pouring acid into the wound every day, saying, remember what Hillary said about him then? Remember what dismissive his supporters were saying about Bill and Hillary, the beloved Bill and Hillary of the base of the Democratic Party?
It may be Barack's party now, but it was their party for an awful long time. And there are a lot of people there who have some very raw emotions. And today was a great day. But a lot of those speeches, you are going to see those recycled, and whether they're viral video, whether they're mail pieces, whether they're television ads, reminding people, don't take our word for it. This is what Hillary Clinton said about him.
And that marriage of convenience she's got now is not going to -- it's not going to overlay that.
BROWN: Paul, what do you think?
BEGALA: I think a tough primary provides a tough nominee. I said that all through the primaries. It's why -- we were always joking about this. I like attack politics, Campbell.
But here's why. That toughened Barack up. He's a better, tougher, smarter, and I think somewhat more populist candidate today because of those shots Hillary took at him, as well as John Edwards, and other people who were punching him around in the primaries.
You know, this is nothing but good. And they can regurgitate that all they want.
BROWN: But...
BEGALA: They can attack Barack Obama no matter what. My goodness, gracious, that's what Republicans do is fear and smear.
So, I'm just not worried as a Democrat. Look, Ronald Reagan had a bitter primary.
(CROSSTALK) BROWN: But, Paul, come on. All of this material is out there now.
(CROSSTALK)
WILSON: ... and San Francisco Nob Hill populism.
BEGALA: Well, what...
WILSON: I mean...
BEGALA: What kind of memory banks are we using? When John McCain was running against George Bush in the primaries in 2000, supporters of George Bush said the most evil, hateful things about McCain, about his mental health, about his wife, about his...
(CROSSTALK)
BROWN: OK, here's the difference, though, not George Bush.
(CROSSTALK)
BEGALA: Oh, baloney sandwich. Who do you think was behind that, Campbell?
BROWN: Well, I'm not saying he wasn't behind it, but I'm just saying that it didn't come out of his mouth.
What you have is Hillary Clinton saying exactly these words that can then be used in Republican ads. Do you think she went too far in attacking him during the primaries? A lot of people made that case.
BEGALA: Oh, as my late Hungarian grandmother would have said (SPEAKING HUNGARIAN) which is Hungarian, I think, for, like, dog's blood. You know, it was nonsense, baloney. No. Come on.
BORGER: No, I think a lot of Democrats -- Paul, I think a lot of Democrats think that she did go over the line, particularly when she said, you know, Barack Obama had a speech he gave one year.
And, you know, I think some Democrats, during the primaries -- you know this -- you were watching them just like we were -- they were getting nervous about it. And, so, they do realize that this is going to be played back at Obama.
However, if Hillary Clinton can be there to defend him, that will go a long way to helping them.
BROWN: OK.
WILSON: The truth hurts, though, Campbell. And the guy's a lightweight in a lot of ways resume-wise. Hillary pointed it out in a tough primary, as she should have.
And the reality is, we don't have a lot of other historical examples where in a primary a candidate is that far out front and leaves that much of a paper trail and a video trail that can be later used to go after the nominee.
BORGER: But you can also use John McCain saying, you know, I don't know that much about the economy. And you can use some of the things that Mitt Romney said about John McCain during the primary. There was a contest on the Republican side.
WILSON: Well, but this reached a whole level -- this fissure in the Democratic Party, unlike the Republican Party, it's been split even in 2000.
BROWN: All right. Guys, we're going to ask you to stay with us.
We have got a lot more ahead, including what you didn't see, or who you didn't see at unity fest today, Bill Clinton, the international man of mystery. Where was he? Why wasn't he there? We're going to talk about that when we come back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BROWN: The trash talk is done, and now Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama are joining in a rousing chorus of kumbaya.
Still, something was missing from the Democratic lovefest today, the campaigner in chief, Bill Clinton. The former president has been an ocean away, in London, ostensibly the celebration of Nelson Mandela's 90th birthday.
But if you have got an independent mind, you might wonder whether Barack Obama just got the brush-off.
Jessica Yellin is with us now.
Jessica, what's really going on?
JESSICA YELLIN, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Campbell, aides to both men tell me that the two have not spoken, and there are no plans for them to campaign together, at least not yet.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
YELLIN (voice-over): It was Clinton/Obama unity day, minus Bill Clinton. The former president was on his way back from a trip to Europe, gone, but not forgotten.
OBAMA: I know how much we need both Bill and Hillary Clinton as a party, and as a country in the months and years to come.
YELLIN: Barack Obama is extending the olive branch.
OBAMA: Bill Clinton is one of the most intelligent, charismatic political leaders that we have seen in a generation.
YELLIN: But, so far, Bill Clinton has yet to give the Democratic nominee a full-throated endorsement. He says he likes Obama's energy policy. BILL CLINTON, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I favor the -- Senator Obama's position, which is to go to 80 percent reduction in greenhouse gases, over Senator McCain's position, which is to go to 70.
YELLIN: Democratic Party leaders insist the former president's absence is not a snub.
DONNA BRAZILE, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: He recognizes that this is Hillary's moment. This is her moment. It was her campaign. She generated enthusiastic support across the country. And he wants to see her on the stage with Barack Obama.
YELLIN: Mr. Clinton's staff tells CNN the former president will "do whatever he can and is asked to do to ensure Senator Obama is the next president of the United States."
And aides to both men insist they will have a conversation at some point. It just hasn't happened yet.
For now, the former president is focused on rebuilding his legacy. Just this week, he received an award from rock star Bob Geldof. Next month, he will be heading to Africa to work on his HIV/AIDS initiative. Also in the planning, two major events for his humanitarian organization, including for the first time an event in Asia.
But top Democrats say we should expect Bill Clinton on the campaign trail eventually.
BRAZILE: He is very popular with Democratic audiences. He can raise money. But, more importantly, he can serve as a validator, to talk about Obama's strength on national -- strengths on national security, on the economy, on bread-and-butter issues. So, I think Bill Clinton would be a very valuable asset to have on the campaign trail.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BROWN: And Jessica back with me now.
Jessica, how much do you think that Bill's absence may have to do with Hillary Clinton? I mean, could it be that she wants him to lay low for a while?
JESSICA YELLIN, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Absolutely, Campbell. Look, it's no accident we're not seeing Bill Clinton on the campaign trail right now. Hillary Clinton needs to raise money to pay down her debt, and that means she needs to win over Obama supporters. And she's more likely to succeed if she's center stage, not her husband. And her advisers know that. So we should all expect to see a lot more of her than her husband for a while -- Campbell.
BROWN: All right. Jessica Yellin tonight, and we want to bring back our panel once again. Gloria Borger, Paul Begala and Rick Wilson. And Paul, even the former president's good friend, Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell, is saying that it's time for Bill Clinton to shake it off. What's he waiting for?
PAUL BEGALA, DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST: Well, he -- I don't know what Ed's talking about. President Clinton has already endorsed Senator Obama. He did very carefully, 90 years ago, arranged for Nelson Mandela to be born right about now. He's at his 90th birthday party. Holy smokes, Campbell. Come on, the whole world.
BROWN: The conspiracy theories.
BEGALA: Those Clintons -- they're so clever.
They're so clever. Look, he is going to do whatever Senator Obama asks. There are some hurt feelings. I think Gloria's right. You know, there are. There were some things said that bothered a lot of folks and on both sides, it's true. But these are all grown-ups, OK.
Bill Clinton, as we say back home, this is not his first rodeo. OK, they're going to make up. And here's what I'm looking for, OK?
I think it's a very impressive symbol that Senator Obama and Michelle have contributed to help pay down Hillary's debt. The next important symbol will be when Senator Obama goes to Chappaqua to go see President Clinton in person. You know, this is the picture a lot of Democrats want.
The cover of "Sports Illustrated" this week is Bill Russell, the Celtics legend of the past, with Kevin Garnett, the legend of today who just won the NBA championship this year. And it's the past and the future together. That's the picture I think Democrats want is Senator Obama go to Chappaqua and he'll have that picture.
BROWN: I mean, this is fascinating to me because you wonder if like the Clintons are always going to be sort of at center stage here. I mean, here's a new nominee, Barack Obama, and we're all still talking about the Clintons.
BEGALA: Well, Campbell, a minute ago, you were talking about how he wasn't there. Now, we're going to complain that he is there.
GLORIA BORGER, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: Right. Listen, I totally agree with Paul. You know --
BEGALA: What you're going to see --
BROWN: Go ahead, Gloria.
BORGER: We were complaining during the campaign, we're seeing too much of Bill Clinton. He's got to get off the stage. He doesn't know how to get off the stage. Now, he's off the stage and we're all asking, where is he? Why isn't he back on the stage?
So I think you have to give him a little bit of time. I think Bill Clinton is a terrific politician. He knows what to do. Obama knows what to do.
And by the way, Hillary Clinton was the presidential candidate not Bill Clinton. Today, she needed to be with Barack Obama alone.
BROWN: Rick, are you --
RICK WILSON, REPUBLICAN STRATEGIST: I think --
BROWN: Let me the get the Republican --
WILSON: I think Gloria is right on that.
BROWN: Yes, but I want -- are Republicans, I guess, salivating at the chance to see him back on the trail? I mean, he was a bit of a loose cannon in the primaries, yes?
WILSON: And look, everyone is going to play this game. It's going to be like criminology back in the '60s. They're going to always be looking for how is Bill Clinton's body language when he is with Barack? You know, is he smiling? Is he grim? They're going to look at all these subtle little signals and infer all these beliefs about what Bill Clinton's position is, vis-a-vis Barack Obama in this thing.
And I think with Bill Clinton, if I were Barack Obama, I would wait to pay down that campaign debt until after Election Day, just to keep Bill Clinton on the reservation for the duration of this thing. Because it only takes one remark that gets misinterpreted or skewed around some way of Bill Clinton's. It doesn't seem like full throated enthusiastic support to turn this into, you know, is this really Clinton's secret agenda. Does he really want to submarine, you know, Obama? Does he really want to sink the campaign, et cetera?
So you're going to watch a lot of very subtle interpretation of what Bill Clinton does and says. And whenever he's on camera, you know, someone once said he's the president of the United States of ambition. And this guy still wants to be center stage. He still wants to be in the spotlight.
BROWN: But let me --
WILSON: And you know, it's irresistible for him.
BROWN: Let me ask you guys all one thing, and Rick addressed this. It's the fact that there has been this huge drama going on, on the Democratic side, involving Obama and the Clintons. And frankly, John McCain hasn't gotten a lot of attention. We haven't given him a lot of attention because of this drama.
Did that end today? Is he now going to be able to capture some of the attention, to be back in the forefront? How does he compete with this?
BORGER: I think -- I think he just --
WILSON: Well, I -- BORGER: Go ahead.
WILSON: I think what happens is that you do get into a dialogue now where this big milestone of Barack and Hillary had their detente today. And I think you've gotten past that milestone where now it really is going to be a dialog between Barack Obama and John McCain, where, you know, the things that could have been skipped over, you know, for the shiny object of a Clinton fight are now going to be focused on between the two guys. You're going to see some policy distinctions...
BROWN: Right.
WILSON: ... and some policy differences between these guys that are really meaningfully discussed at greater length and depth than they have been so far.
BROWN: All right, guys, we're out of time. We got to end here. But Gloria, Rick, Paul, thanks very much. Have a good weekend, everybody. Appreciate it.
Just ahead, picture this. Former adversary, side by side, their political death match long forgotten. But you know that behind the scenes it was a far different story. We'll tell you what really happened coming up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BROWN: Coming up, little known details from behind the scenes of Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton's first public event.
But first tonight, "The Briefing."
Federal health officials are questioning whether tomatoes are really behind the recent salmonella outbreak. The Food and Drug Administration says it's now looking to other ingredients. So far, there have been at least 810 salmonella cases nationwide.
A University of North Carolina student killed earlier this year wasn't carjacked as originally thought. According to court documents released today, Eve Carson was kidnapped from her apartment and forced to give her captors access to her ATM before she was shot to death. 17-year-old Lawrence (ph) Alvin Lovette and 22-year-old Demario James Atwater have been charged.
And North Korea destroyed one of its nuclear reactor towers today meant as a symbolic gesture of the country's attempt to end nuclear activity. The demolition comes a day after officials admitted the facility was used to build nuclear weapons.
And chief international correspondent Christiane Amanpour is in Pyongyang, North Korea.
Christiane, you were there when the reactor's cooling tower was blown up today. I mean, given how skeptical the world has been about any concessions from North Korea, how significant is this really? CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR, CHIEF INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, clearly there are a lot of skeptics, and there always have been, particularly given the history of North Korea and this particular issue. But right now, what we're being told is certainly by the U.S. State Department official who is here to witness this, that this is a significant disablement step.
And the important thing, he says, and other experts are saying, including the administration, that this now sets the stage for the next round of these complex negotiations. What's known as phase two, the handing over the declaration, the removal of North Korea from the terrorism list by President Bush, lifting some sanctions. And now, the blowing up of this cooling tower ends a certain phase and it's the next complicated phase that they're going to get set to start negotiating on, which includes a fully accounting for the plutonium that they've extracted and handing over any plutonium weapons that they have made.
BROWN: All right. Christiane Amanpour for us tonight from North Korea. Christiane, thanks.
And finally, more than 40,000 people packed London's Hyde Park tonight for a concert to celebrate Nelson Mandela's 90th birthday. Celebrity artists included Will Smith, Annie Lennox, Josh Groban and Amy Winehouse. The proceeds from the concert benefit Mandela's aid charity.
At a celebration earlier this week, Mandela also spoke out about the Zimbabwe election crisis, calling it a tragic failure of leadership. Coming up, we're getting new video coming in tonight. Firsthand proof of the violence and torture that many have had to endure in Zimbabwe. A very important story. You're not going to want to miss it. That's next.
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BROWN: Just in tonight, new video of alleged torture victims in Zimbabwe. These people say they were attacked, their bodies burned, their limbs broken, because they didn't support President Robert Mugabe.
As you know, as much as we like on this show to make fun of our own politicians, here on the ELECTION CENTER, I think at the end of the day ultimately, we are about celebrating our democracy. Tonight, the images we're going to show you more of are proof of a system that is essentially the opposite of democracy. Unlike the free and fair elections that we take for granted, in this country, Zimbabweans were asked to vote or face deadly consequences.
Mugabe was the only candidate in this runoff election. His opponent dropped out last week, he says, because his supporters were targeted for violence. And today, you risked punishment, even death if you didn't have this red ink stained finger as proof that you had voted.
Joining me right now to talk a little bit more about this is John Prendergast. He is co-chair of the Enough Project. It's an initiative to end genocide and crimes against humanity.
John, thanks for being here with us tonight. And people, many people may not realize that at one time, Robert Mugabe was actually considered a reformer when he first came to power. And then, he turned into this sort of power-hungry, monstrous leader. I mean, describe for us what conditions have been like under his recent rule.
JOHN PRENDERGAST, HUMAN RIGHTS ACTIVIST: Yes. If this was a novel, people wouldn't believe it. The character arc for President Mugabe has been extraordinary. He started out as someone who was viewed as a reformer, and is someone who wanted to heal the deep divisions in race relations that had occurred -- that were in existence at the time in Southern Africa.
He has melted down into one of the most grotesque dictators that Africa has ever seen. Two thousand people have been tortured in the last few weeks. Five hundred people have been killed directly by political violence, and about 200,000 people have been displaced. That is a heck of a legacy to leave behind. And that's where -- he's in the process of building that legacy now.
BROWN: So John, is there anybody who can stand up to him? Does the opposition there even have a chance?
PRENDERGAST: I don't think so. I mean, I think the opposition tried to stand up to him. Imagine if in this country a president decided suddenly, that was sitting in power to go after the supporters of the opposition party, house-to-house, with lists of people who had voted for the opposition party. Pulling these people out of their houses, beating them.
80-year-old women have been beaten in front of the entire community. People have had their lips cut off, ears cut off. It is a humiliation and a destruction of the idea that one can dissent from the ruling party's ways from support for Robert Mugabe. And so, they really -- I mean, they've tried to stand up to them, and this is the fate.
So now, the opposition and the civil society and the people of Zimbabwe are saying, what is the world going to do about this, because we've tried everything we can.
BROWN: Well, let me ask you about that, John. I mean, President Bush called this election a sham. Nelson Mandela has spoken out against Mugabe. Even Queen Elizabeth stripped him of his honorary knighthood that he was given about a decade ago, but he's been in power for 28 years now.
Do any of these world leaders really have any leverage over him at all? Are we just going to watch this violence continue?
PRENDERGAST: Yes, the leverage is very weak. So, in other words, instead of going after him directly, because I think at this point his ego is so enormous, and he's so distanced himself from reality, that going directly to him wouldn't make any sense. But if we went after some of his closest officials, the military leaders, and the security officials, and the police officials who are implementing the campaign of violence, and ban their travel, froze all their assets, sent the international criminal court to begin to construct cases against them, and started to give them a reason to say, wait a minute, do we want to hook ourselves to this sinking ship or do we want to get rid of this guy so we can have a chance in the future.
We've got to start creating those kinds of divisions inside Zimbabwe. And we really sat on the sidelines and done nothing, except make speeches. And that have certainly as you've mentioned, all these people have condemned what's going on, we've got to start getting involved.
BROWN: Jonathan, an important story. Thanks for coming on and talking to us about it tonight. Really appreciate it. John Prendergast.
And coming up, we turn back to U.S. politics. We're now getting some changes to the political map coming in, and we're going to have that for you.
And then the choreography it took to get Obama and Clinton together for a show of unity today.
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BROWN: "LARRY KING LIVE" is coming up in just a few minutes. And Larry, we hear you're talking body language tonight. I bet we can guess who's body language.
LARRY KING, HOST, "LARRY KING LIVE": Oh, guess who? Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. Is there another topic today? They were united on the same stage, of course. Was it a performance?
We'll get into today's rally from a couple of perspectives, Campbell. And we'll listen to what the former rivals had to say. But we're going to look at what their body language might be telling us. All on "LARRY KING LIVE" next, Campbell.
BROWN: And I was just noting, Larry, that our outfits match tonight, much like Hillary and Obama.
KING: So we are united.
BROWN: We are. We're part of the same unity theme today. I love it. Larry, thank you.
KING: Check out Anderson. Check out Anderson.
BROWN: We'll make him wear purple. All right, we'll see you in a bit.
Coming up next, McCain versus Obama. The latest on who's ahead on the key battleground states. Up-to-the-minute changes coming up.
Also ahead, after months of trash talk, it was all smiling faces at Unity Fest. But just wait until you see what really went on behind the scenes.
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BROWN: We have some breaking news to tell you about. This is out of Iowa. A new line of violent thunderstorms moving through the state at this hour, bringing winds of 70 miles per hour and baseball- sized hail. You see the live radar right now.
The storms are moving across the state from west to east, knocking out power to thousands. And we hear now that there is extensive damage tonight. But these storms are moving so fast, forecasters say there likely won't be enough rain to aggravate the flooding. We're going to keep an eye on this situation and we will be updating you throughout the night.
Right now, we do want to go back to today's big Unity Fest between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. This time, we want to look ahead a little bit.
Senior political correspondent Candy Crowley is back to talk about Obama's strategy going to the finish line. And Candy, Obama essentially closing one chapter today with the Hillary Clinton rally. His campaign entering a new phase. What can we expect? What are you hearing?
CANDY CROWLEY, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: You can expect some time next month, probably in the middle of the month, for him to have some foreign travel here. As you know, he'll be going to Iraq. There is a high suspicion, I can tell you, that, of course, he will go to Europe, that he will do some other things.
A tricky, tricky business because he's going to Iraq as part of a Pentagon trip. So it will not -- they're not trying to make it seem like a campaign trip. Elsewhere, I think it's going to feel a lot more like a campaign trip.
BROWN: All right. And Candy, John McCain was in Ohio today, at the same auto factory where Hillary Clinton once campaigned. He thinks he has a real shot at winning over her working class base, doesn't he?
CROWLEY: He does think he has a shot, and he may have a point. I mean, Barack Obama's leading by about five points. That's not much. Catholic voters are very important in Ohio. Barack Obama has had trouble with Catholic voters, so that's the demographic to watch.
BROWN: Candy Crowley again for us tonight. Candy, as always, thanks.
And next up, the stagecraft behind the Unity Fest.
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BROWN: Today's Hillary Clinton/Barack Obama event was like a campaign stagecraft grand finale. Erasing all those hurt feelings of the long primary battle was a pretty tall order. And Erica Hill is here now to take us behind the scenes. And Erica, I know unity wasn't quite as easy as they made it look today, was it?
ERICA HILL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: No, but they did -- they did everything they could behind the scenes to make sure that it appeared that they were unified. And this was choreographed, as you know, expertly behind the scenes. It also required a lot of negotiation to get everybody in the right place, to get everybody agreeing to do everything.
So this morning we start off the day. Of course, here they are at the airport, getting ready to board that plane, to spend time together. Nothing left to chance here including, as we take a look inside the plane, look at this on their seats.
Senator Clinton, Senator Obama. Just in case there was some confusion as to who's sitting where, yes, those are your assigned seats, which I thought was pretty funny.
So we've got the assigned seats on the plane. The other thing that's interesting is the plane they're sitting on, talk about coming together. It was Senator Clinton's plane during the primary campaign season. Now, it is Senator Obama's plane. Unity right there in the skies.
And as you see, they're sitting here, it's impossible not to notice the brilliant blue tie next to the brilliant blue suit.
BROWN: Exactly the same color.
HILL: Exactly the same color. But as we have been told repeatedly, their campaign staffers insist this was absolutely not planned. This was not part of the stagecraft. It just happened.
(CROSSTALK)
BROWN: Yes, that could happen. Who knows?
HILL: They both woke up and said, you know, it's a good day for blue.
BROWN: And they weren't just headed, of course, to any old town, just in case we didn't get the message.
HILL: No, no, no. Of course, we're headed to Unity, New Hampshire. Fantastic name for a unity event. But there's a little more to this town. It also happens to be a place where during the January primary, each of these two candidates at the time got 107 votes. So a nice split down the middle for them there.
But wow, I mean, talk about an influx of people, 6,000 or so Clinton and Obama supporters coming to town today, which basically tripled the town's population. That's a little interesting tidbit about Unity. The honorary mayor who's Republican said he voted for John McCain in the primary. Now, though, he's thinking about moving over to the Obama bandwagon.
BROWN: So beyond all the symbolism, the matching outfits, the name of the town, are they really feeling the love?
HILL: That's what we all want to know, right? Earlier tonight I spoke with a clinical psychologist. He's a body language expert who took a look at both senators today. And these are shots of them listening to one another speaking today in Unity, New Hampshire. And he said if you look at both of them, they do look a little tense. They're both a little uncomfortable in this situation.
He likened it to the beginning of a relationship where you're starting to date. It's kind of the awkward first date, he told me. So, you know, she's holding on to the chair right there. He isn't really looking at her, even though he usually makes a lot of movements with his hands, really talks with his hands. He's just kind of rubbing his palms together, not really looking at her so much.
They're getting used to it. And I went on to ask and I said -- so bottom line here, do they even like each other? He had an interesting answer for that. I'm going to make you tune in to "AC 360" for the full answer tonight on that one.
BROWN: Oh, geez, geez (ph).
HILL: But I can tell you right here, he said he looks a little tense, Campbell.
BROWN: All right. Erica Hill with a whopping tease to end on. Thanks, Erica.
"LARRY KING LIVE" starts right now.
