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Lou Dobbs Tonight
Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama Join Forces; Seeking Independent Votes; Salmonella Outbreak Still Unknown; Your Government at Work; Solar Energy Freeze; Mexico Drug War
Aired June 27, 2008 - 19:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KITTY PILGRIM, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Thanks, Wolf.
Tonight, the Congress supports a plan to give Mexico $1.5 billion of your money to fight violent drug cartels. Will it make any difference at all? We'll have a live report.
Also, the salmonella outbreak escalates -- government officials are no longer sure that it's linked to tomatoes. We'll have the very latest for you.
And crude oil prices skyrocketing so why is the Bush administration suspending the development of solar power -- all of that, the day's news, much more straight ahead tonight.
ANNOUNCER: This is LOU DOBBS TONIGHT: news, debate, and opinion for Friday, June 27th. Live from New York, sitting in for Lou Dobbs, Kitty Pilgrim.
PILGRIM: Good evening, everybody. Senator Obama and Senator Clinton today made their first joint campaign appearance at a carefully staged event in New Hampshire. Both candidates trying to put their differences behind them, trying not to -- trying to appeal to Independent voters with a message of change, but Senator McCain is striking back as he courts Senator Clinton's supporters, McCain today stepping up his efforts to win over critically important blue-collar workers. We have extensive coverage from the campaign trail. We begin with Candy Crowley in the town of Unity, New Hampshire. Candy.
CANDY CROWLEY, CNN SR. POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: Kitty, this event is the crescendo to unity week. Over the past several days, Hillary Clinton has been urging her supporters to get behind Barack Obama. He has sung her praises, telling his supporters they need her in a very visible place, on the team. So they have been talking the talk, today was about walking the walk.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CROWLEY (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.
HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON (D-NY), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: 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. CROWLEY: He began with full throated praise.
SEN. BARACK OBAMA (D-IL), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: She rocks. She rocks. That's the point I'm trying to make.
(LAUGHTER)
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.
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. I still don't know how she does it in heels.
CROWLEY: Every public moment showed them in sync, 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 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 grass roots and not uniformly among party movers and shakers including some of her fundraisers, but she's pointing 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 camp, the missing man, Bill Clinton.
(on camera): This is the only scheduled event currently on the calendar for Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, but he says he wants to use her in the fall, and she said she'll do it, next on the agenda, Bill Clinton -- Kitty.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
PILGRIM: Thanks, Candy -- Candy Crowley reporting from Unity, New Hampshire.
Well as Candy reported, the good will between the Obamas and the Clintons even extends to money. Now yesterday, Senator Obama and his wife Michelle each donated $2,300 to Senator Clinton to help her pay her debts. Today, the Clintons returned the compliment by giving Senator Obama $4,600. In the end, nothing changed. Senator Obama still has tens of millions of dollars on hand while Senator Clinton remains deeply in dept.
Well one of the key targets for Senator Obama's charm offensive as his supporters in the Hispanic community. Obama tomorrow will address a national association of Latino elected and appointed officials. Senator McCain will also speak to that same group.
Both Senator Obama and Senator McCain support a path to legalization for illegal aliens in this country. It's what we call amnesty. Obama says people who are here illegally should be given what he calls pathway to legalization. Now Obama also supports a guest worker program. One of Obama's strongest allies, Governor Bill Richardson of New Mexico, is also a big supporter of so-called legalization for illegal aliens, and Richardson has been mentioned as a possible running mate for Obama.
For his part, Senator McCain says illegal aliens must earn citizenship, as he puts it. McCain also supports having a guest worker program. Now McCain, though, has been recently emphasizing his support for a border fence and playing down his amnesty agenda.
Senator McCain also stepping up his efforts to court blue collar workers, this is a key group of voters. McCain defended his support of so-called free trade when he met autoworkers in Lourdestown (ph), Ohio, and McCain also tried to address concerns about skyrocketing fuel costs. Dana Bash reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DANA BASH, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): At first glance, this G.M. plant tour in Ohio is all about John McCain's push for fuel efficient cars built here, but it's not just about the cars. It's about the workers, blue collar workers, the kind Hillary Clinton...
(AUDIO GAP)
BASH: ... McCain does need to hold on to Clinton supporters leaning his way.
(AUDIO GAP)
BASH: ... to vote Obama. So when a woman in a Hillary hat asks McCain a question...
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: There are lots of women who feel now disenfranchised...
BASH: He says this.
SEN. JOHN MCCAIN (R-AZ), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: All of us respect not only Senator Clinton, but the race that she ran and she inspired millions of Americans and millions of American women and women all over the world.
(END VIDEOTAPE) BASH: Now, McCain advisers say they're putting a high priority still on courting female voters. In fact, CNN has learned that Meg Whitman (ph), a McCain adviser and former CEO of eBay, is crafting an economic plan tailored toward small business owners. And Kitty, many of those small business owners these days are women.
PILGRIM: Yes, exactly, Dana. Well the women's vote, big constituency for McCain if he can get it. What are the odds?
BASH: You know clearly, a lot higher now that Barack Obama is the Democratic nominee than Hillary Clinton, which is obviously the point and the push inside the McCain campaign. A couple of weeks ago, they had a virtual town hall that was put together in large part by another former high-powered CEO, a female, and that of course is Carly Fiorina (ph), another one of John McCain's senior advisers on his economic team.
But you know it's very interesting. I think maybe the best way to answer that is to see what the Democrats are doing. There is a big full-court press on the Democratic side to try to get the message out to Independent women to Democratic women, what they see is John McCain's stance on some issues like abortion, for example, that they don't think Democratic women realize that John McCain is self described pro life.
They think that women are drawn to John McCain because they see him as somebody who is a maverick, but they also -- Democratic women at least the groups around, are trying to convince Democratic women voters that he's not really as moderate on some of the social issues as he might appear.
PILGRIM: Important group to woo in this campaign. Thanks very much, Dana Bash.
BASH: Absolutely.
PILGRIM: Senator McCain believes that so-called free trade will benefit industrial states such as Ohio, despite evidence that free trade has destroyed millions of jobs in this country. Now McCain next week will visit Colombia and Mexico to push his free trade agenda. He has no doubt that free trade is good for America. Last December McCain said quote, "I'm the biggest free-marketer and free-trader you will ever see", so there you have it.
Still to come, startling new developments in the escalating salmonella outbreak in our food, we'll have the very latest on that.
And the next census could give illegal aliens a much bigger say in Congress at the expense of U.S. citizens, we'll have a special report, "Your Government at Work".
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PILGRIM: One day after rejecting a $46 billion takeover from InBev (ph), Anheuser-Busch (ph) says it will expand its cost cutting program. The maker of Budweiser says the cost will save the company almost $2 billion over the next two years. The company plans to eliminate almost 15 percent of the work force and yesterday, Anheuser- Busch (ph) rejected InBev's (ph) buy out offer calling it financially inadequate. Now if the deal goes through, InBev (ph) would have a virtual monopoly of the U.S. beer market.
We have new developments in the investigation in the massive salmonella outbreak. The Centers for Disease Control said today it had sickened more than 800 Americans. The Food and Drug Administration said it is no longer certain contaminated tomatoes are really to blame. Louise Schiavone has the details.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
LOUISE SCHIAVONE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Gone is the confident assertion from the Centers for Disease Control that a growing salmonella outbreak is linked to tomatoes.
VOICE OF PATRICIA GRIFFIN, CDC: A lot of times, vegetables are all eaten together and trying to trace back one or more of the items in theory could provide the answer, but the trace-backs are very difficult, so it's hard for the trace-backs to provide an answer. We continue to keep an open mind about the possible source of this outbreak.
SCHIAVONE: A list of confirmed cases is up to 810 with almost 100 requiring hospitalization. The outbreak spreads across 36 states and the District of Columbia. Texas and New Mexico are the hardest hit with 342 cases in Texas, 85 in New Mexico. But with inspectors on the ground along a tomato supply path from Mexico and Florida, there seemed to be more questions than before, including the question, are tomatoes really the cause?
VOICE OF DAVID ACHESON, FDA: Essentially, what we have got to do here and what we are doing is to re-examine the whole thing. Looking again, trying to identify new clusters.
SCHIAVONE: The FDA says it has been in a dialogue with tomato growers, but the growers we spoke with were surprised by the government's expressed doubts about the source of the salmonella outbreak. At the Georgia Fruit and Vegetable Association, Executive Director Charles Hall told CNN quote, "The tomato industry is in crisis because of the implication that tomatoes caused this illness. If it turns out it's not tomatoes, it's a crying shame for all these guys who lost so much money. There is no way to recoup that loss", end quote.
This year, tomatoes in Georgia are selling at literally half their usual price, and the California Tomato Council believes that nationwide losses could be $100 million.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SCHIAVONE: Kitty, FDA inspectors together with regulators in Mexico and Florida have been visiting growers and distributors. The FDA has collected some 1,700 tomato samples and not yet found a single case of infection. And officials say it's entirely possible they will not be able to find a smoking gun.
PILGRIM: You know, Louise, I have to say a week ago you suggested and reported that perhaps it was not in the tomatoes. That they were not to blame, what did they say at that point?
SCHIAVONE: At the time we asked the FDA and the CDC if it were possible that the source was not tomatoes and what were numbers two, three, and four on their potential culprit's list, they said oh no, our epidemiological examination of this, our surveys show that it's undoubtedly -- it's no doubt we believe that it is tomatoes. And today when asked about these tomato salmonella outbreaks, the CDC spokeswoman said this is a produce outbreak, so it's very interesting how they have retreated.
PILGRIM: Still no answers, still no recall. What are the business implications here?
SCHIAVONE: It's just such a bad hit for the tomato industry. At least in the United States, we know that it's $100 million. That's what we knew last week. But there are millions and millions of dollars lost, and some people say that they could well go out of business. It's a bad business environment to begin with and to take this hit, it's a really bad time.
PILGRIM: It is a real disgrace. Thanks very much. Louise Schiavone.
Well, time now for tonight's poll. Do you believe the FDA has any idea what is causing the salmonella outbreak that is sickening people around the country? Yes or no. Cast your vote at loudobbs.com. We'll bring the results later in the broadcast.
The Centers for Disease Control says contaminated beef is to blame for an E. coli outbreak in Michigan and Ohio, and so far there are 33 confirmed E-coli cases, 17 of them are in Ohio, 16 cases reported in Michigan. Cincinnati-based Kroger (ph) supermarket chain has voluntarily recalled ground beef sold in those two states.
The Constitution requires that everyone living in the United States be counted in a census. And that includes the country's 12 to 20 million illegal aliens. Critics say this could mean short changing American citizens on congressional representation and federal dollars. Lisa Sylvester has our report.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
LISA SYLVESTER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): For the first time ever, 2010 census takers will ask questions, not only in English, but also Spanish. Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez speaking before the National Association of Latino elected leaders said the goal is to count every person, including millions of illegal aliens. The information collected will not be shared with immigration officers.
CARLOS GUTIERREZ, COMMERCE SECRETARY: This is not a questionnaire designed to check status, to check Social Security numbers. It's a very simple questionnaire, actually. Just to check how many people are living in the U.S.
SYLVESTER: The census data is used to determine how $300 billion in government spending is allocated to local and state governments. It is also used to decide representation in Congress. Four hundred thirty-five House seats are divided among the states based on the census.
According to a preliminary snapshot by the Election Data Services, Arizona, Texas, Georgia, and Nevada, states believed to have some of the largest illegal immigrant populations stand to pick up congressional seats while other states could lose congressional representation. The Federation for American Immigration Reform says that's just wrong.
IRA MELMAN, FED. FOR AMER. IMMIG. REFORM: We have seen in each census since 1980 where some states have gotten extra representation and as a result, people in other states have lost representatives. It violates the principal of equal representation.
SYLVESTER: The National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Leaders worries that recent immigration raids will make illegal aliens reluctant to be counted. They want Immigration and Customs Enforcement to suspend the raids during the 2010 count.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SYLVESTER: The Census Bureau says it will not ask ICE to refrain from raids during the 2010 count. Previous administrations had requested the raids be curtailed and that request was granted, but the Census Bureau says it recognizes that times have changed and new challenges face immigration authorities. Kitty.
PILGRIM: Unbelievable. Thanks very much. Lisa Sylvester.
Still ahead, Congress approves aid to Mexico's government to fight the escalating drug war. Will this have any effect?
And the Bush administration puts a freeze on solar energy projects. We'll have a special report on that. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PILGRIM: If there were ever more stark evidence that our planet is warming at an alarming rate and a dangerous rate, it's this. Before the end of summer, the North Pole might be completely ice free, melted away by global warming. That's according to scientists with the National Snow and Ice Data Center in Colorado.
Last September, the ice retreated to a record low. That's when the Northwest Passage through the Artic Ocean opened up briefly for the first time on record. Unfortunately, the disappearance of ice at the top of the world would be too brief to bring any immediate consequences, but scientists warn the sea ice at the North Pole could be lost through the entire summer season within the next quarter century. The presidential candidates are calling for energy independence in response to skyrocketing oil prices. But instead of developing energy alternatives, the Bush administration is putting a freeze on solar energy projects. Bill Tucker has our special report.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BILL TUCKER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): This is one of only two commercial solar generating plants in the United States, (INAUDIBLE) Nevada, the other is in California. Solar's appeal is simple. It is clean, plentiful, widely available, but cost is a factor. Solar is still expensive.
Solar costs roughly 15 cents per kilowatt, wind 78 cents per kilowatt, compared with coal at 5 cents per kilowatt. To help bring down those costs to help develop solar energies supporters of the technology argued the federal government ought to be aggressively and fully supporting its development.
PAUL SIDLO, SUNRGI: There's many things to look at to get our dependence off of fossil right now. And one of them is solar. And we certainly should be spending the billions of dollars that they're spending on oil and coal to do research on solar.
TUCKER: Instead, the Bureau of Land Management has ordered a freeze on all solar projects on federal land for a two year environmental impact study. The bureau is under pressure from environmentalist, 150 applications already on file will be evaluated and cleared for development. No new ones will be accepted.
Despite appearances, a BLM spokeswoman insists quote "We are going full speed ahead with solar development. The existing applications are for land with the greatest potential for development." The new applications would cover 1,000,000 acres. There are currently no solar projects on any federal land.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
TUCKER: Now, supporters of the technology hold out great hope for solar electricity generation. And there are tremendous technological advances being made with solar energy that are driving down dramatically the cost of solar generation, but critics of the BLM's policy say, Kitty, it's just sending the wrong message at the wrong time, when we are talking about energy independence and appearing to be shutting down the development of a key energy source.
PILGRIM: Well it certainly does. You know Bill, the environmentalists should be on the side of solar power, correct or am I...
TUCKER: You would think so, but no, they're not. I mean there are a group of environmentalists who when it comes down to it basically, they don't want anything moved. They don't want any dirt moved in the desert. They don't want any land disturbed. And they seem to be, at least in my opinion, in denial about energy needs. They don't seem to balance their environmental concerns with our energy needs, so it creates an interesting dramatic tension.
PILGRIM: It certainly does. Thanks very much. Bill Tucker.
TUCKER: Yeah.
PILGRIM: Now most of the land currently under Bureau of Land Management is not available for use in developing solar power, 72 percent of California's desert is unavailable. More than half of that land in Nevada cannot be used. Almost a quarter of the land in Arizona is off limits. Now this land is used for national parks, wildlife reserves, or military bases.
Solar power accounts for only a fraction of one percent of all the electricity generated in the United States. Now according to the Energy Department, coal provides 49 percent of our electrical power. Natural gas, 20 percent, nuclear power 19 percent, and hydroelectric 7 percent. Other renewable and miscellaneous sources such as wind power make up most of the remaining 5 percent of the country's power production.
Coming up, Republicans take aim at Senator Obama on the issue of gun rights. We'll examine the influence of gun rights and the battle in the presidential campaign.
And Congress approves urgent aid for Mexico to fight its war against violent drug cartels. We'll have a live report from Mexico City.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PILGRIM: Mexico's drug cartel violence is continuing tonight along our southern border, threatening American lives. But tonight, the United States is offering aid, $1.5 billion over three years, to help Mexico's government wage war on those drug cartels. It's part of a $1.6 billion aid package approved last night by Congress, it's known as the "Merida Initiative." The package provides equipment and training, but not cash, to fight the drug trade in Mexico and Central America. Now, Democrats initially resisted the plan, they wanted to tie the entire aid package to a promise from Mexico to clean up its human rights record. In a compromise, only 15 percent of the package is tied to human rights.
As the U.S. prepares to send aid, the level of violence rises. Tonight, we're learning more about the latest killings of two of Mexico's federal police officers, including the No. 2 police official charged with leading the investigations of drug trafficking. Harris Whitbeck reports from Mexico City.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS WHITBECK, CNN NEWS CORRESPONDENT (voice over): More bloodshed in Mexico's drug war, the latest, six state police officers in the northern state of Sinaloa, killed during an ambush in the street's of the state capital of Culiacan. State security officials say drug cartel hitmen carried out the attack. Organized crime is also blamed for the killing of one of Mexico's most senior police officers on Thursday. Igor Labastida was gunned down along with one of his bodyguards as he had lunch in a Mexico City coffee shop.
"Just as we had expected," said interior minister, Juan Camilo Mourino, "it is the way organized crime response to the war being waged against them by the Mexican state."
In just seven weeks, Mexico's top two federal law enforcement officers have been killed. Early last month, the head of the federal police, Labastida's boss, Edgar Millan, was killed outside his home. The killings, in broad daylight, a powerful message for the government: You go after us and we'll go after you.
Twenty-thousand federal troops and police officers are on the streets of Mexican cities where the cartels are active. Their orders, direct from President Felipe Calderon, are to stop operations by drug cartels who try to ship cocaine, and methamphetamines to the United States. Those cartels wage bloody turf wars against each other as the government tries to squeeze them out of their strongholds.
Close to 5,000 people have died in drug-related violence since the government began its campaign against the cartels, early last year.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
The Mexican government will soon have more tools to wage that war against drug cartels. The government, here, welcomed that U.S. Senate approval of the aid package, which will include aircraft and technology. The Mexican government says the approval of the package shows Washington is finally recognizing that the drug war is one that should be shared by both countries -- Kitty.
PILGRIM: Thanks very much, Harris Whitbeck.
Well, as Harris just told us, the raging violence of Mexico's drug war is taking a staggering toll, and here are some numbers. More than 4,200 people have been killed since the president Felipe Calderon vowed to crackdown on the drug cartels, that was 18 months ago. And at least 450 law enforcement officers are among the dead. Now, there are serious concerned on this side of the border that the unchecked drug cartel violence will increasingly spread to the United States.
Our border with Mexico is the main battlefield in the war against drugs. Last night's congressional appropriation comes at a time where that violence is escalating and Mexico is considered the largest foreign supplier of crystal meth and a major supplier of heroine and marijuana. And it's estimated some 300 tones of cocaine pass through Mexico to the U.S. each the year.
New developments tonight in the controversy over a Mexican court's decision to release the suspected killer of one of our Border Patrol agents. Homeland Security secretary, Michael Chertoff, says Mexico's attorney general is promising to vigorously appeal the court's decision. More than 1,000 Border Patrol agents and law enforcement officials attended a memorial service for the agent, Luis Aguilar. He was run down in January as he tried to stop suspected drug smugglers fleeing to Mexico. Now, the man suspected of killing agent Aguilar was in jail for less than six months.
Coming up, the presidential candidates talking about guns after the Supreme Court supports the rights of individuals to own firearms. And Senators Obama and Clinton launching their unity tour, trying to shift reluctant Clinton supporters to the Obama camp. Three of the best political analysts on television will be here to discuss those issues and more.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PILGRIM: A big show of Democratic Party unity, today. Senator Hillary Clinton joined her former rival, Senator Barack Obama, at a rally in the town of Unity, New Hampshire. Joining me now, three of the best political analysts in the country, we're joined by Republican strategist and CNN contributor, Ed Rollins. Ed served as White House political director under President Reagan and he recently was Mick Huckabee's campaign chairman. We have Pulitzer Prize winning columnist for the "New York Daily News," Michael Goodwin. Michael is also a CNN contributor, and Democratic strategist and CNN contributor, Robert Zimmerman.
Gentleman, thanks for being with us. Robert, let me ask you, how did the unity go, today?
ROBERT ZIMMERMAN, DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST: Actually, it went well. Especially for Democrats, it went well. No, but I think it was a very important event because this is now the outreach to the constituencies that count. You know, we have had a real focus on political unity amongst the political operatives and political donors, but the real focus has got to be bringing the Hillary Clinton constituency behind the Obama campaign. This rally went a long way to getting that done.
PILGRIM: You know, Ed, it was very interesting to watch her really seamless delivery of the unity speech. I'd like to actually let our viewers hear a snippet of what she had to say, today.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HILLARY CLINTON (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: 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.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PILGRIM: I have to say, I watched this, it seemed very flawless, very, very smooth. What do you think? She had to do this.
MICHAEL GOODWIN, NEW YORK DAILY NEWS: Oh, but I thought she did a very good job. If you remember, this is her third try at it. The first time, she refused to concede. The second time, she kind of held her nose and conced. This was really good speech, today. I think she gave a better speech than he did, and I think it does put the pressure back on him to put her on the ticket. I think that, you see them there together, today, and you realize who is better for him than her for him, at this point? Now, there are obvious problems, Bill Clinton being chief among them. But, I thought she gave a really good perform today, and it was good for both of them.
PILGRIM: Michael, saw that much unity, did you, Ed?
ED ROLLINS, REPUBLICAN STRATEGIST: Oh, I definitely saw unity. I'm going to be really impressed when Robert writes out the $2,300 check for Barack Obama as he did for Hillary, then I'll know it's for real.
(LAUGHTER)
ZIMMERMAN: It's in the mail.
ROLLINS: I think it was -- the irony of this is the conventional wisdom was the Democratic had this knockdown, drag-out primary battle, and the they were going to be damaged. They are not damaged. They're coming together. Our party, that had this thing over early, is still stumbling around, trying to do things we should have done several months ago -- the reaching out to the conservatives, what have you. So, I think all the conventional wisdom was wrong. And the conventional wisdom may be wrong again is with 19 weeks to go, Barack, obviously, is leading in a lot of places, as was Kerry, as was Michael Dukakis, so there's a long ways to go, but our party still has to get this thing going...
PILGRIM: You know, I would like our viewers to listen to something that Obama said, today. And it was a very seamless effort on his part, also. Let's listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARACK OBAMA (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: No matter where we disagree, these are the issues that have always united Senator Clinton and myself. They're the causes that unite both of us as Democrats, and I believe at this moment, they are the causes that can unite us as Americans.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PILGRIM: Now, he's offering to pay off debts, well -- coordinate that.
ROLLINS: He can offer to pay off my debts, that's OK.
(LAUGHTER)
(CROSSTALK)
PILGRIM: But in the $4,600 check, it all seems very nice. Will the voters -- there's still a good bit of animosity in the voters -- voting base, we're hearing from many sources. Robert, do you think that they're going to be able to pull this off?
ZIMMERMAN: That's really the challenge. And I think, as I said, the rally today was an important message to the electorate at large, the 18 million Clinton supporters. It was a great visual, and strategically, it sends out an important theme, that Democrats -- you know, there's an old expression that Republicans fall in line and Democrats have to fall in love. And I think, in many respects, you're seeing Democrats really show the maturity to come together because what's so much at stake, and we perceive so much at stake in this election.
PILGRIM: It certainly was a political event in every sense of the term. Let's look at Democrat/Republican, we do have some numbers. This is the latest CNN Poll of Polls, and it's June 19-26. We have Obama at 45 percent, McCain at 40 percent, and unsure, Obama a slight lead. Michael, thoughts?
GOODWIN: Well, you know, I think at this point, the national polls maybe don't mean so much, it's state by state. And the most recent two different polls covering the seven key swing states have Obama leading in all seven over John McCain. That's an enormous advantage at this stage. Now look, polls are polls and they can change quickly. I do think Obama has had a rough time in the sense he's flip-flopping on a number of key issues: campaign finance, the warrantless wiretapping bill. He said some muddled things on the second amendment issue, the gun ownership stuff, a number of things like that. None the less, he does seem to be leading McCain in the key swing states. And so, Ed's right, if McCain doesn't get it together, this thing could be over, you know, quickly.
PILGRIM: Well, I would like to go back to something Ed said a moment ago, and that's the Republican strategy. You had McCain in Canada, now he's going to Mexico. I don't even know where that falls in...
ROLLINS: Mexico and Colombia. I have no idea why they're doing that. My premise was always when election season, you go nowhere there's not electoral votes. The last time I looked, there's no electoral votes in Mexico.
PILGRIM: Yeah, let's look at that...
ROLLINS: And I think the key thing here is this campaign has stumbled, and I'm not the only one saying this. The important thing is, a lot of veterans have been around him who have been through a lot of campaigns. They're running a Washington insider race with Axelrod and Obama's people are running an outsider race and the McCain campaign will not succeed. It's the same campaign as Dole ran. So, unless they kick this thing in gear and really basically make Obama the issue, and McCain being the safe choice, it's not going to be close.
ZIMMERMAN: You know, Ed's comments are a very good reason why we Democrats are glad he's on this program with us and not giving strategy to the McCain campaign.
PILGRIM: They might be listening.
ZIMMERMAN: That's right.
GOODWIN: So is Mexico.
ZIMMERMAN: But, here's the point. Even when McCain's in the United States, I'm not quite sure what his strategy is. He recently appeared in Nevada and endorsed the development of nuclear power plants. Well, of course, in Nevada, Yucca Mountain is the site where the plan of the federal government to deposit the nuclear waste from these power plants, and the audience was looking at him, shell-shocked as he was extolling the virtue of nuclear power.
PILGRIM: It certainly does seem that the topics they're picking seem off point.
ROLLINS: There's not an overarching theme. The overarching theme was going to be I've got the experience, I've been a leader. This is a young man who, obviously, is new to the game. He may want change, but the change may be what we want at this point in time, it may be too dangerous.
PILGRIM: Let's look at the electoral map. And we have, let's see, if I can read this, 231 electoral votes for Obama to McCain's 194, nine states still in the toss-up, that includes Michigan, Ohio, Florida. Big blue-collar vote, Michigan, Ohio...
GOODWIN: All those states are ones where recent polls have shown Obama leading by good, significant margins over McCain. So, the toss- up states, the battlegrounds, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Florida, Michigan, they're all trending toward Obama. That's the disaster in waiting for McCain.
ZIMMERMAN: I think the bigger disaster is Democrats taking that map for granted and I think that's a real issue, here, because the good news for Democrats, unlike past years, we now have doubled our governors in the Western states and we have increased dramatically our Democratic organizations in the states legislatures, that's helpful. But the reality is, Barack Obama has to be able to -- he's introducing himself for the first time to the American people at large and if the map's going to change, he really has to be able to engage them as providing a real alternative for change.
PILGRIM: You know, I'd like to bring up something that McCain said, today. He was speaking a town hall meeting at an automobile plant in Ohio. Let's listen to what he said.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOHN MCCAIN (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: And I'd just like to remind you something that you all know about, and that is that America is hurting now, the heartland of America is hurting. Manufacturing jobs have left; the automobile industry in America is struggling to compete. For too long, we have let some of these problems sit there while they grew and grew, and now we are faced with an energy crisis... (END VIDEO CLIP)
PILGRIM: Now, this middle class theme is page right out of Hillary Clinton's playbook...
ROLLINS: Well, it's also -- you don't have to go to Michigan and tell autoworkers that the economy is bad. You don't have to go -- and it's not about high gas, it's been about -- it's been a -- American jobs going away for a long, long period of time. And I think to a certain extent, once again, there was not a message there, there was not a stimulus. And then you counter that. I mean, if you want to do that, go talk to blue collar workers, you keep talking to blue collar workers. You go to Pennsylvania's, you go to the Ohio's, you go into that mainstream and you go make that your pitch. You don't go to Mexico and Colombia and talk about NAFTA. NAFTA means nothing to these people that lost their jobs.
GOODWIN: Also, when you contrast the McCain speech with what Obama and Clinton were doing today, it's as though McCain was at a funeral.
PILGRIM: Well, the energy level...
GOODWIN: Yeah, and that's something, particularly on television, but I think for people in the room, too, it's just, you come away from there, well, he's sober, he's saying sensible things, but it doesn't get you out of your seat, it doesn't get you marching to the polls, and that's a big deficit...
PILGRIM: Well, in his defense, it was a town hall meeting versus a big rally, so there you do get a little bit...
GOODWIN: Well, that's sort of typical of his format. Town hall meetings is where he does best. So, if that's his best performance, then I think he's in trouble.
PILGRIM: OK.
ZIMMERMAN: I think it's also how the message is positioned. Barack Obama has had a very consistent and very clear theme to his campaign, and the McCain campaign keeps changes their themes almost weekly. And I think that's a real problem they have, strategically.
PILGRIM: All right, we'll hold it right there. We will be back. We'll have more ahead with our panel. Coming up at the top of the hour, the ELECTION CENTER with Campbell Brown.
Campbell, what are you working on?
CAMPBELL BROWN, ELECTION CENTER: Hey there, Kitty. Coming up on the ELECTION CENTER, putting up a united front wasn't as easy as Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton made it look, today. We're going to dig into the stage craft of the Democrats' unity rally in New Hampshire.
We'll also talk about the guy who was missing in action, former president, Bill Clinton. He was nowhere to be seen, today, but now we're hearing there's a little bit of phone tag going on. We're going to have the details, tonight in the ELECTION CENTER -- Kitty.
PILGRIM: We look forward to it, Campbell. Thank you.
Coming up, our political panel, again. More on John McCain's efforts to court Clinton supporters and Independents -- will his strategy work? Also "Heroes," and tonight, we focus on a Marine captain courageously fighting back after being wounded in Afghanistan. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PILGRIM: I'm back with Ed Rollins, Michael Goodwin, and Michael Zimmerman. Let's talk about the Latino vote. Senators Obama and McCain, both, appearing tomorrow at the annual meeting of the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials. Hispanic vote, very big to this election years. Ed, your thoughts on that.
ROLLINS: It's a very critical vote and it's somewhat up for grabs at this period in time. Obviously, it's focused in many states that are not to be good Republican states, California and some other places, but at the end of the day, it's a very important vote and if this election gets to be a close election, that three or four percent, whoever wins that vote, will basically -- could be a difference.
PILGRIM: You know, I really wanted to ask you about Utah on this topic because Republican voters ousted Congressman Chris Cannon. He had advocated giving benefits to illegal aliens and that was a very...
ROLLINS: The interesting thing is, he's one of the most conservative members of Congress and was ousted for not being conservative enough in the Third Congressional District of Utah -- pressed hard on the immigration issue. I think in fairness to the winner, he was the chief of staff to the governor, who was very popular, and some domestic politics were involved, but I think the bottom line is it shows at any income, even a conservative, can be defeated by a challenger in this election cycle.
PILGRIM: You know, we have been saying in this broadcast that the immigration issue, the Latino vote, these are all huge issues for this campaign. Not everyone believed us when we first started saying this. Michael, this sort of -- this, both going down to talk to this Latino group, tomorrow.
GOODWIN: Right, it will be interesting to see what McCain says. You know, because he's been all over the map, as you guys have reported here on the question of immigration. He obviously supported the big bill in Congress that failed. Said, during the Republican primary, that he got it that border enforcement was key and now lately again has been trending back toward the comprehensive approach to it. So, it will be interesting what he says to this group, because this group is not all for illegal immigration, so he'll have to be careful and I think -- so, we'll be watching that.
ZIMMERMAN: That I think is a very critical point, Mike. Michael's point is absolutely on target. There is not this monolithic Hispanic vote as sometimes the media and political pundits like to focus on. They're obviously focusing on a whole wide range of issues from education to security, to of course, the issue of the rights legal immigrants, too.
And so, I think it's a mistake, politically, to interpret that vote as a monolithic vote. I think there's going to be a very strong independent vote, there and it clearly can be very critical in terms of the electoral map, especially in states like Nevada and Colorado. And that is ultimately going -- I think that vote can be the difference in those two states. So, it's worth watching.
ROLLINS: And could certainly be a difference for John McCain. The court, this week, the Supreme Court basically said, environmental concerns, or what have you, don't matter, you can build this fence. John McCain has promised he will build a fence. The promise become weaker by the day and I think, to a certain extent, certainly Obama and certainly McCain are not going to talk about this, but it's going to be a driving wedge issue.
ZIMMERMAN: Absolutely.
ROLLINS: On conservative Republicans.
ZIMMERMAN: And, by the way, amongst, I think, a much larger electorate, that primary out in Utah is very significant, because it shows the issue of illegal immigration is not defined by border states, it's not defined by states with strong Hispanic populations, it is a national issue. And Democrats make a major mistake if they overlook the issue of border security and also stopping the flow of drugs through the Mexican/American border.
PILGRIM: You know, Ed brought up the Supreme Court, I did wanted to get your thoughts on the Supreme Court ruling, this week, in favor of the second amendment and gun ownership. Michael, you have...
GOODWIN: Well look, it was a 5-4 ruling. I think it was really the first time the court has ever addressed, specifically, the issue of whether an individual has a right. Certainly gun restriction laws are still on the books in many places and probably will stay there. I don't think the court meant to throw every restriction out, in fact, even Scalia said that's not the intent here, it was the Washington, D.C. virtual ban on any gun. So, I think it was an important decision, it was 5-4 split along -- it's really the Kennedy court. Whatever way Anthony Kennedy goes, the court goes these days.
ROLLINS: Critical ruling. For the first time, it has said it's an individual right, it's right with the right of free speech and all the rest of it, as the second amendment should be. And I think it's a very important -- and now for any alteration, is going to take a major overturn and I just don't -- great victory for the gun groups.
ZIMMERMAN: It's a great victory for the gun groups, it's also a tremendous set-back for those of us who believe in the right of individuals to own guns, but also believe in gun safety. You know, this Supreme Court, they report to duty everyday in the U.S. Supreme Court where one is not allowed to carry in weapons. But, that's not the case for most American workers who are exposed to the dangers of individuals carrying guns without restriction. While yes, justice Scalia said there can be restrictions put in the place, he also opened up the door for more court challenges about issues like safety -- mandatory trigger locks on guns, assault weapons, and -- or waiting periods.
PILGRIM: Yes, a very difficult issue, one that will factor also heavily in the campaigns. We will discuss that at the next meeting of this roundtable. Ed Rollins, Robert Zimmerman, and Michael Goodwin, thanks very much.
Still ahead, "Heroes," the inspiring story of Marine Captain Ryan Bolton. Please stay with us, we'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PILGRIM: Now "Heroes," it's our tribute to the men and women who serve this country in uniform. Tonight we have the story of Marine Captain Ryan Voltin. He was critically wounded in a training accident in the Middle East. Barbara Starr has his story from the Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio, Texas.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BARBARA STARR, CNN NEWS CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Marine Captain Ryan Voltin just got a new prosthetic leg and already he's running.
CAPT RYAN VOLTIN, U.S. MARINE CORPS: From the very beginning, you know, all I've really wanted to do is to get back on active duty and go back flying. You know, I still have the passion for it, I still feel like that's where I belong.
STARR: Voltin was on a training exercise in Jordan when his Cobra helicopter was hit by friendly fire. A U.S. warplane on the same exercise accidentally bombed Voltin's helicopter and suddenly the father of three was in the fight of his life.
VOLTIN: I felt like at any second I could have just closed my eyes and just fallen asleep. But I kept thinking, I was pretty sure if I did that, I probably wasn't going to wake up.
STARR: Voltin worries about some of the younger troops, here.
VOLTIN: A lot of these guys are 20, 21 and they don't even have a lot of the family support that I've had, like I've had my wife here the entire time helping me out. A lot of these guys don't have people, you know, at their bedsides.
STARR: Three months after the accident, Voltin's buddies put him in a wheelchair and too him to watch his third child, a son, being born.
VOLTIN: You know, I never really got too emotional or broke down when my daughters were born, but just with everything that had been going on, when I saw my son, I mean, I just, you know, I just broke down.
STARR: Barbara Starr, CNN, Brooke Army Medical Center, San Antonio, Texas.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
PILGRIM: A remarkable young man. We wish him the very best.
Tonight's poll, 64 percent of you believe the FDA has no idea what is causing the salmonella outbreak that is sickening people around the country. We do have time for some of your thoughts.
Glenn in Arizona wrote: "Lou, I am a displeased, disgruntled, and disappointed life long Democrat and now proud to say I'm an 'intelligent Independent' voter, thanks to you, Lou, and all your hard hitting and truthful reporting. Keep up the good work -- America needs your voice."
Lucy in Texas: "Lou, States like Maryland have the right to protect their citizens from dangerous imports since the federal government had decided not to do so."
Bob in Kentucky: "Thanks Lou, for keeping us posted on the goings on at Nielsen. I became so furious I wrote my senators and congressmen of my disgust. It is time we support American workers."
Please join Lou on the radio Monday through Friday, TLS, go to loudobbsradio.com to find the local listing. Thanks for being with us, tonight. Please join us tomorrow. The ELECTION CENTER with Campbell Brown starts right now -- Campbell.
