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Campbell Brown
Obama V.P. Watch Continues; Unity or Disharmony at Democratic National Convention?
Aired August 21, 2008 - 20:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
JOHN KING, CNN ANCHOR: And hi, everybody. Campbell Brown is off.
Just four days to go until the Democratic Convention opens in Denver. Here's the Pepsi Center almost ready. Tonight, all the drama is about Barack Obama's running mate. The Democratic candidate says he has made his pick.
Here's what he told reporters just a little while ago.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. BARACK OBAMA (D-IL), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I did say that I have made the selection. And that's all you're going to get.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KING: All you're going get. So, he's going keep us in suspense for a while.
With the race now a dead heat in potential swing states like Florida and New Hampshire, the pressure is on. Tonight, we will ask, can a V.P. candidate help Obama get his mojo back?
The other story everybody is talking about tonight is what you might call John McCain's housing problem. A reporter asked him what seemed to be a pretty simple question yesterday. How many homes do you have? And he didn't know.
For the record, McCain and his wife, Cindy, now say they own four homes. Democrats say it's seven. And with the country still in the middle of a mortgage meltdown, the McCain camp is scrambling to smooth over a big gaffe.
Also tonight, the return of Hillary Clinton. You didn't think she would keep a low profile, did you? Now the question is, will it be kumbaya or Democratic dysfunction in Denver?
That and more tonight in the ELECTION CENTER.
We begin, though, with the question on the lips of political junkies everywhere. Just who will be Barack Obama's running mate? One person knows for sure, that, of course, Senator Obama. But he's running out of time to make the big announcement, a whirlwind tour of five states planned this weekend leading up to the Democratic Convention kickoff on Monday. So who will it be? And when will we know?
Candy Crowley has been checking with her sources. She's out in Chicago.
Hi, Candy.
CANDY CROWLEY, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: How are you, John?
Listen, what do we know? We know that time is running out, as you said. Just by process of elimination, we're looking at tomorrow and Saturday. Saturday, we expect him to be in Springfield with his vice presidential candidate. We expect that that will be preceded by a text message to all those people who have gotten on the list.
So we're looking at Friday on Saturday at the latest. And that's only because time has pass, because inside the campaign, they have been very, very tight-lipped about this. And what they have said really has been just the obvious.
So what we know also is that this campaign is sitting inside its headquarters here in Chicago very, very happy with how this is going. Remember, we started this in a very intense way looking at who the possible vice presidential candidates could be before Barack Obama went to Hawaii.
It's only intensified since then. So, it's really been almost two and half weeks of straight play on this story. They love a mystery in the Obama campaign. They love a surprise. And this is really something that they have been wanting for. And it's working.
KING: Well, they have got a mystery. You're right about that, Candy.
As we wait and as those on the short list wait for that phone call up or down, we're left to read the tea leaves. And Obama did do that newspaper interview today. Did he give us any hints?
CROWLEY: Well, certainly he gave us more than we had before, talking about it publicly. He was talking to "USA Today."
And he said this first about the economy and about what he wanted. He wants, he said, "a partner with me in strengthening this economy for the middle class and working families."
It should not go unnoticed that Barack's speech on the economy has begun to sound an awful lot like Hillary Clinton's. And he also said this: "I want somebody who's independent, somebody who can push against my preconceived notions, and challenge me, so we have got a robust debate in the White House."
Well, this has set everyone off again, John, as you might imagine, on the Hillary Clinton path. But it pretty does describe others that he's been looking at, Joe Biden, no slouch in the department of wanting a vigorous debate. Even Bayh was for Hillary Clinton to begin with. So anybody that you look at right now could fit into that.
But we have so very few clues that this has really just added to the conversation today and certainly brought up Hillary Clinton's name again.
KING: And we will keep making the phone calls, sending the e- mails and waiting for that text message.
Candy Crowley for us tonight in Chicago -- thanks, Candy.
So we don't know the name of Barack Obama's running mate, but we do know a few things about him or her. Our experts are here to tell us more and help us go back through those tea leaves.
CNN senior political analyst Gloria Borger, she's already out in Denver. Democratic strategist Bob Shrum, an adviser to John Kerry's campaign back in 2004, and Republican consultant Alex Castellanos.
Gloria, let me start with you, because I know you have been doing some reporting, and you're going to tell us who it is, right?
(LAUGHTER)
GLORIA BORGER, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: Wrong. Wrong. I'm not even going tell you when it is, because we're getting conflicting signals on that, too, John.
KING: How about you, Bob? If you're Barack Obama right now and you're looking at a race the Democrats had hoped would be 10, 12 points right now, and it's a dead heat, and you're Barack Obama, does that influence your choice?
BOB SHRUM, FORMER KERRY CAMPAIGN SENIOR ADVISER: Well, I think he's made his choice. So, I don't think that the polls that come out today or yesterday make that big a difference.
But the one reality of this, John, having been deeply involved in it twice is, I have a rule. Those who know don't talk, and those who talk don't know. So, we don't really have any idea. There's always the outside chance he could give us a surprise.
KING: And, Alex, we look at this and we hyperventilate over this, especially in these 24 hours or 12 hours or six hours, whatever it is, every four years. Does it matter? You're on the Republican side -- 10 -- 20 years ago -- excuse me -- what many thought was a debacle, the rollout of Dan Quayle. George H.W. Bush went on to win 40 states in that election. Does it matter?
ALEX CASTELLANOS, CNN POLITICAL CONTRIBUTOR: Well, it matters. It's the spare tire on the car. And you want to have one that works in case you get a flat. So, it's an important decision.
But, right now, the candidate who has had the best couple of weeks going into the convention is not Barack Obama or John McCain. It's Hillary Clinton. And I still count her as a candidate. When you have surveys showing that Obama is running either even or behind McCain, when you have other research saying that Hillary Clinton would do better against McCain than Obama would, when Obama still has a problem with working-class Democrats and Republicans, working, blue- collar Americans, the case for Hillary Clinton is getting stronger every day.
KING: Well, I want to read you something...
(CROSSTALK)
KING: Hold on one second. Hold on one second. Everyone will get another chance in here.
But Rush Limbaugh today said this on the radio. I want to read you what Rush said, because I will ask you about what Republicans think really matters.
Here's what Rush said. He said: "I really hope it's Biden. You don't want to say that too loud, but I really hope that it's Joe Biden, because we've got a mountain of archival audio on Joe, plus the arrogance factor times two. Biden and the messiah would just be delicious."
Bob Shrum, just a rant from Rush Limbaugh or does he have a point?
SHRUM: It's a rant from Rush Limbaugh.
I think Joe Biden would be a terrific choice, his depth of knowledge on foreign policy, his capacity to go out there and campaign, to really go after the Republicans.
And I detect in Alex a kind of yearning to see if he can do something to try and divide the Democratic part. I think we're going come together in Denver. I think Senator Clinton is going to get up there and do everything she can to push Barack Obama.
KING: And, Gloria...
(CROSSTALK)
BORGER: I think she's going to do that as well.
I think you underestimate Hillary Clinton if you think she's not going to do that. But I can tell you a little bit about the debate that is going on in the Obama campaign. And also somebody close to Obama said to me today this has been going on in the senator's head.
Do you pick a vice president who reinforces your message of change or do you think pick somebody who reassures the public that, yes, you have got those national security credentials, the foreign policy credentials that maybe they think you're missing?
And, so, that's what he is struggling with or struggled with. And that's the debate that has been going on. And you have got lots of candidates that do different things.
KING: All right, Gloria, Bob, Alex, hang tight.
Coming up, the Democrats pounce on John McCain's housing problem.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
I understand that Senator McCain was asked yesterday this question: How many houses do you own? And he couldn't answer that question. he couldn't count high enough apparently to even know how many houses he owned.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KING: When we come back, we will take a look at an issue the Obama campaign thinks they can exploit big-time. But the McCain campaign -- no surprise -- is fighting back.
Plus, Hillary Clinton. As Alex Castellanos has just said, many people are saying. Her stock is rising again. Her supporters hear that talk and are ready to take action. Just what action? Well, we will talk about that.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KING: For the first time in weeks, the McCain campaign is off message and on the defensive today, as Barack Obama and the Democrats pounced on what you might call the senator's memory lapse.
During an off-camera interview with Politico.com yesterday, McCain was asked how many homes he owns. And he couldn't remember.
Here's some audio of that clip. Listen for yourself.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
QUESTION: How many houses do you and Ms. McCain have?
MCCAIN: I think I will have my staff get to you. I will talk to you about that.
(CROSSTALK)
MCCAIN: It's condominiums ownership. It's further. I will have them get to you.
(END AUDIO CLIP)
KING: McCain's staff eventually did get back with an answer, four homes. Tonight, Obama and the Democrats are saying it's actually seven. And they're acting like they're on to something big here.
Ed Henry is watching all the back and forth, which is getting nastier with every exchange.
Ed, McCain gives a huge opening here, and they seem to jump right in it on the Obama camp, don't they? ED HENRY, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Absolutely, especially in the middle of a foreclosure crisis. This is right up Barack Obama's alley to try to push this during an economic crisis.
And you're right. The irony is that John McCain has been scoring big time against Obama recently by really staying on message almost for the first time in his political career. And then here he veers dramatically off message. And it's like manna from heaven for Obama, because he has got two big problems. He has got nervous Democrats saying here we go again. We have got another John Kerry, who is not pushing back against Republican attacks.
And, secondly, Obama himself has been called an elitist. So, now he has this golden opportunity. He's more than happy to try to turn that label around on McCain. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
OBAMA: If you don't know how many houses you have, then it's not surprising that you might think the economy was fundamentally strong. But if you're like me and you got one house, or you are like the millions of people who are struggling right now to keep up with the mortgage so they don't lose their home, you might have a different perspective.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HENRY: Now, in the grand scheme of things, this may just be another campaign blip. They're going to charge and countercharge. But it has potential to get politically explosive for the fact that the economy is in tough shape right now. It could blow up on McCain on a bit, John.
KING: And you mentioned that he has been remarkably disciplined for a guy who has a history of going off the reservation. But on the specific issue of the economy, where the McCain people know they have work to do to convince voters they get it, it's not the first stumble, is it?
HENRY: Absolutely.
You remember a few weeks back, Phil Gramm, a close friend of John McCain, had made a comment about how, well, the economy is not really doing that bad. The problem is America is a nation full of whiners right now.
Well, he obviously had to distance himself from the campaign. The McCain campaign doesn't need another moment like this. It starts building and building. So, that's why we saw the pushback. And there is some risk here, which should point out, for Barack Obama. Once he raised this issue of the houses, that gave the McCain camp an opening.
And about the only thing they can push back on here is the fact that Barack Obama has a questionable real estate deal of his own. And so the McCain camp is jumping on this as an opportunity to say, wait a second. Let's bring that up as well -- John. KING: Thanks, Ed henry.
It used to be, how much does a gallon of milk cost? I guess now the political gotcha question is, how many homes do you own? Thanks, Ed.
(LAUGHTER)
KING: And our political panel is ready now to dissect the McCain misstep.
With me again, Gloria Borger, Bob Shrum, and Alex Castellanos.
Alex, let me start with you. You're the Republican consultant in the group.
You have to bang your heads off the wall when your candidate does something like this. How many homes do you know own? How can he not answer that question?
CASTELLANOS: Well, all of John McCain's homes would fit in John Kerry's home. So...
(CROSSTALK)
KING: Let's get to John Kerry in a minute.
(CROSSTALK)
CASTELLANOS: Let me say what Obama is trying to do here.
He has had a rough month. He is trying to put the spotlight back on McCain, because it's been on him all August and it's not gone well for Obama. And Obama has a problem with working-class voters. And he's not healed that wound yet from Hillary in the primaries. He's the elitist candidate in this race.
So, what is he trying to do? The classic attack you make on Republicans. Why, they're the candidate of business and too much money.
And the problem with that is, John McCain is just not your country club Republican. He's a beer-drinking fighter pilot married to a hot chick who owns a beer distributorship. He's kind of a working-class hero. And I think this attack by the Democrats -- John McCain is a glass already full. The American people know him, as opposed to Obama, who is still kind of empty. I don't think this is a very productive line, other than shifting the spotlight.
(CROSSTALK)
KING: I'm going to jump in here. You keep saying the Democrats are seizing on this. There would be nothing to seize on if John McCain could have answered what would seem to most Americans, I think, to be a pretty simple question. How many homes do you own?
Bob Shrum, you're the Democrat. How do you exploit this and make it count? Alex says it's a gimmick and a stunt. What is it to you?
SHRUM: I would have thought McCain would have known because his key ring must be very large.
(LAUGHTER)
SHRUM: Look, this is somebody who married not just a hot chick, which is not how I would describe her and probably not how Alex wishes he had described her, but he married $100 million.
He's a son of an admiral. He performed service for this country. But the notion that somebody in that position is calling Barack Obama, who was raised by a single mom and by his grandparents in Hawaii and Kansas, and who worked his way up, elitist is ridiculous.
This was tried in the primary. It didn't work in the primary. And those working-class Democrats Alex only cares about it when he's trying to trick them into voting the wrong way are all going to come home.
(CROSSTALK)
CASTELLANOS: We should note that it did work pretty well in primaries. Hillary Clinton beat Barack Obama pretty hard on that in a lot of states, and the big states that a Democrat needs to win.
(CROSSTALK)
KING: Let me jump in here.
(CROSSTALK)
KING: I'm the closing attorney at this transaction. Hang on just one second here.
Gloria, I want to read you the McCain's campaign response. And they have gone up with an ad that is very similar to this tonight. We will see how much they spend on it. But they're trying to change the subject back.
And here is what McCain spokesman Brian Rogers says: "Does a guy who made more than $4 million last year, just got back from vacation on a private beach in Hawaii, and bought his own million-dollar mansion with the help of a convicted felon really want to get into a debate about houses?"
Now, it was a John McCain gaffe that started this debate. Is this the response that's going to get the Obama campaign to quiet down? Or will they keep coming?
BORGER: No. No, I think the Obama campaign is going to continue on this. And this is clearly one of the messages -- the problems the Republicans have with John McCain, because he's a candidate who has a difficult time staying on message. They find themselves, over and over again, sometimes, trying to kind of say, oh, well, he didn't really mean to do that. This is a problem.
Alex, you have got to say that the campaign would really have rather that this didn't happen right now.
CASTELLANOS: Oh, of course.
BORGER: Because they had a little bit of momentum going, as you pointed out earlier. Obama hadn't had great week or two. And now he's having a fun day.
(CROSSTALK)
CASTELLANOS: Look, defense is not as good as offense. And clearly a misstep like this makes it -- the attention is back on, is McCain ready? So, clearly, in that sense, it's a debility for the campaign.
But the idea that somehow Obama is going to be successful in making McCain an elitist I don't think is going to be a very productive line of attack for him.
(CROSSTALK)
BORGER: I think the debate is going to be over tax policy.
(CROSSTALK)
KING: We have got to take a time-out. Hold on, everyone. Hold on.
You can tell we're only 10 weeks away from the election. Everyone has got plenty of energy. Hang tight, one second.
Barack Obama now telling crowds he won't let the Republicans do to him what they did to John Kerry and Michael Dukakis. What does he mean? And what is he going to do about it?
And, later, the stagecraft behind the big Denver convention, what we will see, and why they will trade a hockey rink for a football stadium.
Stay with us. This is the ELECTION CENTER.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KING: That man in the red baseball cap, white T-shirt and blue jeans is none other than John McCain, who is off the campaign trail and home in Arizona for three days. His only public appearance was a trip to Starbucks near his home in Sedona. He likes Starbucks.
Barack Obama, on the other hand, put in a full day of campaigning in Virginia. Obama is trying to assure his supporters that he can stand up to a attacks from McCain and the Republicans, not collapse, like so many Democratic nominees before him.
Here's a piece of what Obama said just a little while ago at a rally in Chesapeake, Virginia.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
OBAMA: The Republicans, they can't govern, but they know how to run an election. They can't run the country, but they can run an election. That's just -- that's a fact.
So, John McCain, who says he's a maverick, he's been resorting to the same old politics. He hired all of these folks who used to work for Karl Rove. And there's nothing new about what he's doing, because we saw it four years ago, eight years ago, 12 years ago, 16 years ago, 20 years ago. They're trying to take the focus off you and put it on me.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KING: Those reassurances aside, I want the ask our political panel if Obama is already suffering from what many Democrats call the August curse that always seems to hit their nominees.
Here again, Gloria Borger, Bob Shrum, Alex Castellanos.
Gloria, you're in the convention city. The Democrats coming there feel pretty upbeat. The fundamentals are in their favor this year. But many of them are a bit anxious. They have seen the tightening of the polls. Some of them don't think Obama is tough enough. What's your sense from your reporter?
BORGER: Yes, I think some of them are nervous, although lots of folks I talk to say, look, this is a divided country. You have to understand that it's going to continue to be a divided country. They're a little worried that Obama is running behind the Democratic brand, whereas John McCain is running ahead of the Republican brand.
But one thing the Democrats have going for them heading into this convention -- you see this in all the polls, John, is enthusiasm. There is no enthusiasm gap in the Democratic Party. There is in terms of Republicans and John McCain, a little less enthusiasm. Democrats really want to elect a Democrat.
KING: Bob Shrum, you have lived this history. I remember Dukakis up 17 points coming out of Atlanta in mid-July. Poof. George H.W. Bush comes back. John Kerry was up in some polls four or five points at the beginning of August in 2004. By September, the "TIME" magazine poll had George H. -- George W. Bush -- excuse me -- up 10 points.
What is it about August that causes many Democratic nominees to wilt?
SHRUM: Well, first of all, that "TIME" magazine poll was, as you may recall, John, a complete outlier at that time.
These tactics barely worked in 2004 against Kerry at a time when, as you suggest, the fundamentals went completely in the opposite direction. Look, what happened in 2004 is simple. And Barack Obama has avoided it. John Kerry decided to take federal funding in the general election. He would now say that was a mistake. It meant he had an entire month when he couldn't do what Bush was doing, which was spend tens of millions of primary dollars fighting back.
As soon as we got onto an even playing field, we fought back. And we lost. We lost by a little wee bit. And you pay a heavy price for that, and the country has paid a heavy price for that. But I have no doubt that Obama is going to fight back and fight back hard. And the fundamentals make this election look to me a lot more like 1980 than any of the other years you have mentioned, where Ronald Reagan was a little behind, a little ahead, a little behind, a little ahead, and then at the end it all opened up, because people wanted a new economy. They wanted a different foreign policy. They wanted real change.
That is what I think is happening this year.
KING: Alex, I want you to jump in, but first I want to read to you a piece of advice from none other than Mark Penn, who of course was the top strategist for Hillary Clinton's campaign.
He says this about Obama: "Obama's temptation will be to do what has worked so far, emphasize his personal biography and general themes, such as change, as the answer to the challenges facing the country. Kerry did that, and it cost him his real opportunity. This is Obama's chance to tell Americans how he will solve their problems."
Essentially, Mark Penn saying substance, substance, substance. You agree?
CASTELLANOS: Of course. And that I think has proved to be a real challenge for Barack Obama. He seems to have been wandering all over the board.
August's been a tough month for Democrats, but it's been for elite, liberal Democrats, the Dukakises and the Kerrys, who -- the middle act is the hardest thing to write in show business, they say, the second act, because that's where you do have to lay out your plans, your policies, and what you do for the country. And Obama has been all over the board on this.
(CROSSTALK)
SHRUM: It's not true, but go ahead and say it.
CASTELLANOS: This campaign has changed in a tremendous way in the last couple of weeks. The conventional wisdom was that John McCain would have to attack Barack Obama and bring him down to earth to even have a shot in this race.
But this race has been close all along. And I think McCain's attack, as well as Obama's stumbles the past few months, have now made this such a tight race, that now it's going to be about whether Barack Obama can bring down John McCain and attack him.
And we have seen a much more aggressive Obama this past week. KING: All right, we need to call this segment quits for now.
Gloria and Alex, thanks.
Bob, we will get back to you just a little bit later.
Earlier, we heard Barack Obama say he's chosen a running mate. But, no, he's not telling, not yet, at least. So, up next, the secrets of making the big pick from a political insider who helped Al Gore do it.
Later, Obama won't be the only one under pressure in Denver. For Bill and Hillary Clinton, the stakes are enormous. We will game out their options.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KING: You're looking at the Pepsi Center in Denver, site of the Democratic Convention. And, tomorrow, we'll take you inside. We'll tell you what to watch for when the convention gets underway on Monday.
And, of course, we're all over Barack Obama's running mate deliberations. The ELECTION CENTER is your choice for campaign news.
Now choosing a running mate can be a political minefield for any candidate and the stakes have really been as high as they are for Barack Obama.
Roy Neel knows what goes on behind the scenes. He's a senior adviser to Al Gore and helped him pick a running mate back in 2000. Roy joins us from Nashville.
Roy, it's good to see you. Take us behind the curtain and peel it back at this moment in time. Barack Obama has made his decision and he's sitting by the phone deciding when to call. He obviously knows who. What happens at that moment?
ROY NEEL, SENIOR ADVISER TO AL GORE: Well, he's got his people setting up for whatever the -- whoever the eventual running mate is going to be. They're trying to plan it so they get the maximum impact of whether it's tomorrow morning or the next day or whatever, before the convention.
And, of course, all of those potential running mates are just sitting there because no one really knows. It's in the head of Senator Obama and a few very close aides. They want to make sure that this doesn't leak out so they can get all their pieces in place and roll this out in the best way possible.
KING: You were at Al Gore's side when he was vice president and when he was the nominee for president. But what about before?
I want to flashback to 1992. You were not only an aide to him when he was in the Senate but a close friend as well. And he was on the receiving end of the phone call then, but until you get it, you don't know. What's it like when you know you're on the short list but you don't know if you're the pick?
NEEL: Well, it's a real surreal experience. In 1992, about this time, we were all huddled in Carthage, Tennessee, at Al Gore's farm waiting for the call just as a number of other folks were around the country. And there were about 20 TV trucks at the bottom of the drive of Al Gore's farm in Carthage, and we had binoculars looking at them and they were looking at us. We had no clue. And so, it was until we got the call around 11:30 at night that we had an idea that this was going to actually happen.
KING: So, Roy Neel, you're still a close friend and adviser to Al Gore. We've heard Biden, we've heard Bayh, we've heard Sebelius, maybe Tim Kaine. What if the phone call goes out late tonight to a guy named Al Gore? And Barack Obama says I need you, your country needs you. You want to get global warming addressed on the global stage, give me four years.
NEEL: Well, that's a pretty interesting scenario, John, but it's not going to happen. Al Gore made it clear that this would not be the right thing for him. He's had an extraordinary time and extraordinary post politics career.
What he's done on global warming is just nothing short of phenomenal. So he's got another role to play right now, one that he's very comfortable with and is enjoying it.
KING: Assuming he's not guy on the other end of that phone call, he's still has a very tough job in Denver. He has to go to Invesco Field, 80,000 people there, and he essentially has to warm people up for Barack Obama. We got to bring the laptop. We got to get the "Inconvenient Truth" presentation on the big screen out on the football field?
NEEL: Well, believe me, if he does that he'll bring the house down. But seriously, he'll be honored to speak and so it's a great honor to speak at a convention. And he's had wonderful conversations with Senator Obama not only about climate change but about this campaign. And it's going to be an exciting time.
I think the Democrats are going to come out of the convention with a real burst of energy. I think 1992, by the way, is maybe a better precedent than even Bob Shrum mentions about 1980. There sure wasn't any August relapse then.
We were all -- the Clintons announced Al Gore as the running mate. They got a bump then. We went into New York, had a great convention, had that phenomenal bus trip and never looked back. So there was no August bounce backward then. And so, I think Obama has the opportunity to do the same thing.
KING: I remember that bus trip well. I also remember that night in Carthage when you were huddled around the phone.
NEEL: Yes.
KING: Roy Neel, thanks. If you get that phone call by surprise, you know where to find me. Otherwise we'll see you in Denver.
And if you think you know who's getting the vice presidential nod, go to CNN.com/election center and click on the veepstakes link. You can predict a winner and check the political fortunes of every possible running mate.
For the Democrats tonight, Delaware Senator Joe Biden and Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius are the top choices.
And for the Republicans, Mitt Romney is still a leader followed by Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty.
Even if Hillary Clinton isn't Barack Obama's choice for a running mate, she'll still be a featured speaker at the convention, and so will her husband.
Coming up, the Clinton-Obama dance in Denver and what it could mean for all three of them.
And later, Team Obama has the convention planned down to the very minute from who sits where to who speaks when. We'll break down the stagecraft.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KING: Still ahead, the extreme stagecraft Democrats in Denver are planning for the big show -- next week's convention.
Right now, though, Erica Hill is here with tonight's "Briefing."
ERICA HILL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: John, Casey Anthony, the mother of a missing Florida girl, is out of jail tonight. She was released on $500,000 bail. She is charged with child neglect and lying to police. Her 3-year-old daughter Caylee was last seen in June. Police say Anthony did not report Caylee's disappearance for more than a month.
President Bush declaring a state of emergency in Florida. For Tropical Storm Fay, the storm has been lingering over the state for four days now dumping more than two feet of rain in some areas. Forecasters predict Fay will slowly move toward the Florida panhandle and the Gulf of Mexico.
In a crowded Knoxville, Tennessee high school cafeteria today, police say a student shot and killed a 15-year-old classmate. Relatives say the victim, Ryan McDonald, had alopecia which made him go bald and that he was constantly teased. Police have arrested a 15- year-old suspect.
And Canadian investigators say tainted meat is blamed for one death in Ontario. Inspectors say deli meat produced at a Toronto plant was contaminated with Listeria. The company delivers to nursing homes, hospitals and McDonald's throughout Canada. Sixteen people got sick but that cold cuts, John, are now being recalled.
Scary, yes. KING: It is scary, indeed. Erica, thanks very much.
Every four years, Republicans and Democrats throw a big party. The political conventions are elaborate and very expensive, and you pay part of the bill. We'll show you how they spend your money and just how big the price tag is.
And later, Hillary Clinton. Her loyal supporters and the drama in Denver that has every political junkie holding their breath.
This is the ELECTION CENTER.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KING: For the next two weeks, it's party time for the politicians at the multimillion dollar conventions. And it's very possible that you sent a gift to help pay for it, maybe without knowing it.
CNN's special investigations unit correspondent Drew Griffin is live in Washington to explain.
Hi, Drew.
DREW GRIFFIN, CNN SPECIAL INVESTIGATIONS UNIT CORRESPONDENT: Hi, John. You know, this is a little checkoff that could make a lot of taxpayers ticked off. And come tax time next year, you and I and everybody else may think twice before checking a box on your tax return.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
GRIFFIN (voice-over): If you check that little box on your tax return pledging $3 to presidential elections matching funds, you are contributing a lot to this.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I didn't know that. No, it does surprise me actually.
MUSIC: Let's all celebrate and have a good time.
GRIFFIN: It surprised us, too. Hold on to your goofy convention hats. The Federal Election Commission will give $34 million of your money, $17 million to each party to help pay for the party.
SHEILA KRUMHOLZ, CENTER FOR RESPONSIVE POLITICS: And you have to wonder what that buys us. The taxpayers are footing the bill for essentially four-day long campaign ads for the parties and their candidates.
GRIFFIN (on camera): So who came up with that idea? Come on, you already know, don't you?
SCOTT THOMAS, FMR. FED. ELECTIONS COMMISSIONER: It was an act of Congress. GRIFFIN (voice-over): Yes, an act of Congress, of course. Former Federal Election Commissioner Scott Thomas says the idea was noble at the time. Back in the 1970s amid concerns over corruption, the push was to get private money, big donors out of presidential elections and equal the playing field for little known candidates. In a compromise, Congress decided each taxpayer could even choose to contribute by simply checking that box.
THOMAS: With the checkoff, the concept is, you know, only if citizens are actually willing to basically earmark at that time, a dollar of their taxes to go to this program. Will it get there?
GRIFFIN: But here's what Congress never bothered to tell you about that check box. It hasn't replaced private money or big donor influence. It doesn't give enough to even the playing field for lesser known candidates and nowhere does it say "check here to pay for a party."
(on camera): It sounds like the voters are getting hoodwinked on this thing.
STEVE ELLIS, TAXPAYERS FOR COMMON SENSE: Certainly I think that most people when they're checking that box have no idea that they're paying for party conventions in Denver and St. Paul.
GRIFFIN (voice-over): Steve Ellis, with Taxpayers for Common Sense, says no matter how you look at it, it doesn't make sense.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
GRIFFIN: And that's not all the taxpayer money we're sending to these conventions. John, the Department of Justice kicks in another $50 million each in tax money to pay for all that security.
KING: Security more every time around.
Drew, some of that money though does go to the campaigns. Who gets the most?
GRIFFIN: Yes. And here's the real kicker to this story. Who do you think got the biggest share of that money for the 2008 primary season as a candidate to get these matching funds?
Well, turns out it was John Edwards. The multimillionaire picked up nearly $13 million in matching funds, more than twice that of the next candidate in the field who was John McCain. You see the other top four there. Barack Obama, he has chosen not to be part of this whole thing because, apparently, John, as you know, he's got so much money, he really doesn't need ours.
KING: Probably can't count it all.
Drew Griffin, thanks. And Drew's investigation into political money and your tax dollars continues on "AC 360" tonight at 10:00 Eastern. But next, here in the ELECTION CENTER, all eyes on Hillary Clinton. She was out today on the stump dutifully campaigning for Barack Obama.
Next week, she gets her star turn in Denver. And the pressures on. We'll discuss the stakes for Clinton and for Obama.
Plus, the stagecraft of the Democrat's big convention production. The party is going all out to put Obama in the spotlight.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KING: We're waiting for word on just who Barack Obama has picked as his running mate and so is "LARRY KING LIVE." American politics and "American Idol" in a jam-packed hour that starts in just a few minutes.
Larry, tell us more.
LARRY KING, HOST, "LARRY KING LIVE": You got it, John.
Obama says he's made his selection, but who is it? We'll dive into all the possibilities, rank the frontrunners. And could it end up being Hillary? When is he going tell us?
We'll tell you what Obama said today, and we're catching up with the American idols. They're in the middle of a 50-city tour.
That's all ahead on "LARRY KING LIVE" -- John.
KING: Can't wait, Larry. Thanks.
And when we come back, the dynamics of the Democrats. Obama is getting some campaign help from Hillary Clinton. The question is, how much does he need her and how much does she need him?
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(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. HILLARY CLINTON (D), NEW YORK: We are going to the convention next week and hear some great speeches, and have some good fellowship. And then, we will leave Denver united as a party, ready for the fight ahead in the fall.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KING: That was Hillary Clinton on the campaign trail, Boca Raton, Florida, today, campaigning for Barack Obama. She'll have a high profile role at next week's convention. Maybe a little higher than the candidate himself might like.
But that raises a big question. Just how much does Barack Obama need Hillary Clinton to win the White House?
Joining me now to talk about that, Kiki McLean, a former senior adviser to the Hillary Clinton campaign. And back again, Democratic strategist Bob Shrum.
Kiki, let me start with you. They've gone way out of their way to publicly say to all of their supporters in Denver, remember, we want to celebrate, but this is Barack Obama's big night. What does Hillary Clinton think is her most important goal in Denver in terms of when you look at the polling and see, here's a Barack Obama weakness, maybe she can help? Here's another one, maybe she can help. How does she do it?
KIKI MCLEAN, FMR. SR. CLINTON CAMPAIGN ADVISER: You know what? She's a leader in our party and she's going to talk about the issues that have been near and dear to her, that are part of the platform and part of Barack Obama's agenda. The economy -- she's going to focus on what we need to do as a party to put a Democrat back in the White House.
You know, this will not be her first campaign effort for him. She's been on the road. She's been in Nevada, to Florida, this very day today campaigning for him. And that's what this is going to be about. She's a party leader who's a leader in our nation. She's helping our country have this conversation, and she's going to help move us forward.
KING: Bob Shrum, you know how this works. Everybody's speeches get vetted. Does a former first lady who's a senator, who got 18 million votes and a former president, do they get an exemption from that or will the Obama campaign get to see every word?
BOB SHRUM, DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST: Oh, I'm sure they'll get to see the words but they're going to largely let anything that she wants to say be said. I don't have any doubt and I think Kiki would agree with us, Hillary Clinton is going to give a magnificent speech and she's going to make a strong case for Barack Obama.
And, yes, they'll look at the speech probably. But I wouldn't be surprised if Obama said to her, look, I trust you. You just go up there and give the speech you want to give.
KING: Let me take a peek at the political situation right now. Kiki McLean, if you look at the polling, this is an NBC/"Wall Street Journal" survey.
Hillary Clinton supporters, 52 percent of them said they'll vote for Barack Obama; 21 percent of people who voted for Hillary Clinton in the primary say they're going to vote for John McCain. And 27 percent, nearly three in 10 of them, are still undecided. That is proof positive to me, Kiki, that Barack Obama has a problem.
MCLEAN: It's not a problem. Barack Obama is in a tight race with John McCain. This should not be shocking to anyone who's been around for the last three election cycles. These races have tended to be tight.
I'm a former Clinton supporter who is now supporting and will gladly and excitedly vote for Barack Obama, and there are a lot of us. That's what campaigns are for. In the fall, you get out and you make your case. And I think Barack Obama will do that well.
I think Denver will be a great chance for Barack Obama and everybody else in the party to lift up what it is we care about, the differences between these two candidates and what they see in the leadership for America, whether it comes to the Iraq war, whether it comes to the economy.
Today we've got John McCain saying, he doesn't know how many houses he owns. Well, you know, isn't that a high class problem for him, probably not for most Americans.
KING: That's too --
MCLEAN: So I think we're going to step up on those important issues and I think that this is going to work out well for Barack Obama.
KING: Let me ask you both this question. Definitive answers, no wiggle, no waffle.
Kiki, you get it first. Do you see any chance Barack Obama will be making that vice presidential phone call to Hillary Clinton? Any chance at all?
MCLEAN: I don't jump guess the man I believe is going be president of the United States, John.
KING: Bob?
SHRUM: I think there's a strong case to be made. I think there'll be problems that would have to be overcome. I doubt in the end that it will be her. But one thing you got to understand about Obama and he's not going to be knocked off stride by a day-to-day poll, a tracking poll -- something like that.
As he showed during the primaries, he's got a lot of cool. He's got a lot of strength. He's got a strategic discipline that's very real that we're seeing in this vice presidential thing.
And I agree with Kiki. This convention is going to unfold in a way that's going to show the American people that Barack Obama can be president. And then in the debates, I believe he's going to show that he can be commander in chief in a way that's really persuasive.
KING: Kiki and Bob, thanks. We'll talk to you more about this as we go on.
And coming up, Barack Obama's planning a rock star finale to the Democratic Convention. Could an exhibition football game this weekend shake up those plans?
That stagecraft when we come back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KING: The Democrats are on pins and needles tonight wondering about a couple of big things. One, who Barack Obama has chosen for a running mate. And two, what will happen at next week's big convention in Denver.
We can help you with the second one. Erica Hill is on hand to show us the stagecraft they're planning tonight.
HILL: Because as you know, John, from having attended so many of this, so much planning goes into this convention. Here we are. Here's where the bulk of the festivities, if you will, will take place.
This, of course, is the Pepsi Center, and inside is where it will all happen. In Denver, I should tell you, 17,000 hotel rooms are booked. There are 21,000 volunteers who are going to be on hand. And to cover it all, 15,000 journalists, including our own John King from 130 countries. So pretty good representation there.
One other thing that I thought was interesting is you see all of these bikes lined up in this room here. One of those perhaps will be ridden by our own John King. A thousand bikes being made available for delegates to get around. You could call it perhaps a crafty way to deal with the price -- the high price of gas.
KING: And going green. Nine, nine specifically I've been to so far. And more and more over the years, they get more scripted. They have every minute of the program filled out.
They know who the speakers are going to be. They're chosen for a specific message. Walk us through some of that.
HILL: Well, the message is, as you know, so important. So we'll walk you through night by night.
Starting on Monday, and the message on Monday, I think we have it for you, is "One Nation." Two speakers, former President Jimmy Carter, and then in prime time, Michelle Obama.
Well, we move on to Tuesday. The theme there on Tuesday is "Renewing America's Promise." Hillary Clinton is going to speak on that night, but she is not the prime time speaker. In fact, that honor is going to go to former Virginia Governor Mark Warner.
We move on to Wednesday. Some more big names coming down the pipes. "Securing America's Future". Bill Clinton, John Kerry speaking, and this person. Is it a man? Is it a woman? We don't know because that is the other question we all need answered. Who is Barack Obama's vice presidential pick?
KING: The candidate.
HILL: So that person will also be out there on the stage on Wednesday.
On Thursday, everything moves over to Invesco Field, which is where Al Gore will speak, and, of course, the big moment, the big show where Barack Obama will accept the nomination of his party. KING: Well, let's bring Joe Johns in for a little bit more on that very point. Joe is already out there in Denver.
And, Joe, this is the first time since 1960, right, they're going to split venue?
JOE JOHNS, CNN SENIOR CORRESPONDENT: That's right. This is the first time since 1960. That was John F. Kennedy's big convention. The bulk of his convention was held indoors, of course. And then they moved the entire thing outdoors to the Los Angeles Coliseum.
So what's Barack Obama going to do? Well, this people want to showcase his speechmaking abilities. Their decision is to have the bulk of his convention inside the Pepsi Center then move everything a short distance away to Invesco Field. But there's a couple of problems there.
Number one, there's no plan B in case of rain. So you could have 70,000 people who get pretty wet depending on what Mother Nature does. And then there's a second question, what about the stadium?
Well, the people over there at Invesco Field right now, they're really not thinking about Barack Obama because they've got football on their minds. There's an NFL preseason game scheduled inside that football stadium between the Green Bay Packers and the Denver Broncos, of course. And after that's over, that's when they'll start thinking about Barack Obama's big moment. So it's a logistical nightmare -- John.
KING: A lot of stagecraft going into that. Joe Johns out in Denver, thank you. Erica Hill here. That's a lot of work. Thanks.
And that's all from the ELECTION CENTER tonight. Thanks for sharing some time with us. A big day tomorrow. Come on back.
But for now, "LARRY KING LIVE" starts right now.
