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Chicago Amber Alert; McCain Volunteer; Headline Legal Cases

Aired October 25, 2008 - 12:00   ET

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

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN NEWS ANCHOR: All right, well, just 10 days to Election Day and today the presidential campaigns turned their attention to the battlegrounds in the West.
Barack Obama is back on the campaign trail after visiting his sick grandmother in Hawaii. Obama is scheduled for stops in Nevada and New Mexico.

John McCain, well he hit the campaign stops in Colorado yesterday and today he turns his attention to New Mexico. All three Western states were once considered solid Republican territory, but all are now still in play.

Senator McCain is in Albuquerque right now to address the voters there. Our Dana Bash is standing by.

So, Dana, there in New Mexico both candidates will be making their appearances, really that mean -- underscores the importance of that state.

DANA BASH, CNN NEWS CORRESPONDENT: It really does. I mean, this is -- there are only five electoral votes in the state of New Mexico, but it has been one of those states that's sort of gone back and forth between electing Democrats and Republicans to the White House over the past 20 years or so, Fredericka. In fact, the last time around, 2004 there was a 6,000 vote difference in 2000, and it was 365. So, you can see why both candidates will be in the state today.

Having said that, Fredericka, some of the polls have shown John McCain is pretty far behind in this state and it leads to another point which is his schedule over the next several days, in fact, I would say over the past three days or so. He was in Colorado yesterday, New Mexico today and Iowa tomorrow.

I talked to several Republicans who were sort of scratching their heads, Fredericka and saying why is he spending time in these states where it doesn't show that he -- public polls do not show he has very much of a chance where he definitely needs some of the important states in the Midwest like Ohio and Pennsylvania and the south in and Florida. Why is he spending time in those states? So, there's confusion as to why he's spending time here and the fact that Barack Obama is also coming to this particular state today shows that it's not just McCain's campaign that thinks there is a possible they he could do OK here.

WHITFIELD: Well, both spending time there, Dana, but as for McCain, is there a particular message that he needs to have crafted it just for New Mexico? We know really from coast to coast the economy is issue No. 1, but has he crafted something different for the voters there?

BASH: You know, my understanding is no. In fact, the point that the McCain people tell me is that they're trying to keep a national message going and that national message is as you said, particularly focus on the economy.

What McCain aides insists, Fredricka, is that their internal data shows that they're making a little bit of headway particularly with the message we've heard for the past week or so, you know, using "Joe the plumber" as a vehicle, as a metaphor to talk about the issue of taxes which really is a tried and true philosophical discussion, really between Democrats and Republicans. He's been saying basically, Barack Obama and the Democrats are going to raise your taxes, I'm going to lower your taxes and also he's been trying to do that to reach over to those blue collar voters that the McCain campaign really thinks are gettable, even some Democratic blue collar voters who may not be comfortable working for Barack Obama. So, that's something I guarantee we're going to hear again today her in NM.

Also the discussion that we've been hearing a little bit more about, particularly as the Election Day gets closer and John McCain's prospects don't look as good. He's been warning more and more, Fredericka of what it would mean if Barack Obama were in the White House and that would mean total Democratic control. That is something that he's been trying to sort of, you know, say to people, wait a minute, you should be alarmed and there will be no Republican in Washington to have kind of a check and balance. So, unclear if that would work, but he's been trying over the past couple of days.

WHITFIELD: OK, well, that's been, beats a failure, but a try, right? All right, Dana Bash, thanks so much in Albuquerque New Mexico. Appreciate it.

All right, well, Senator Barack Obama is pushing for Nevada's vote, today. He got the rally set for -- rather the rally is set for about an hour from now in Reno and then there is another one tonight in Las Vegas and that's where we're going to find our Jessica Yellin, right now, in Las Vegas, to find out exactly what the focus might be there -- Jessica.

JESSICA YELLIN, CNN NEWS CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Frederic Fredericka. Barack Obama will start to deliver what the campaign is calling his closing message today, it's a lot of what you've heard on the campaign trail to date, the focus on the economy and what he calls his middleclass rescue plan, but he will also be posing the question that we heard from Ronald Reagan so many years ago -- are we better off than we were four years ago? He says that is not the question because he'll jokingly say we all know the answer to that.

The question he'll ask is will we be better off four years from now than we are today and he's using that as an umbrella to frame his entire message, to bring together a middleclass economic reform package and a new approach to Washington leadership where he says he'll eliminate or do his best to override partisanship to try to find compromise and work together and then build toward this common optimistic message of hope, building toward a common good.

So, you're seeing start to wrap up the themes we've seen him argue this many, many months on the campaign trail and his closing message that really is focused on the policy issues in his economic package.

Now, as you've said, Barack Obama was off the campaign trail yesterday, but his wife and his vice presidential candidate were out there stumping very hard and aggressively pushing to get out the early vote, that is a key element of their organization and he will be doing that today, encouraging as many people to vote early as they can because they believe they have a very good advantage among newly registered voters who have to be encouraged to get to the polls. So, encouraging them early, they believe helps, the latest CNN poll of polls shows Obama has a four-point advantage here in Nevada and he will continue to stump here and in other red states in the coming days -- Fredericka.

WHITFIELD: All right, Jessica, you mentioned earlier, Obama's wife, Michelle Obama taking an interesting role today by being the voices on the Democratic radio response to the president's address this Saturday and that was rather unusual, but I guess with just 10 days to go, everyone wants to use whatever resources they can.

YELLIN: And they think she's a very effective messenger for particularly, single women voters and younger women voters and military families. She has been going out talking to military families. So, they found a very effective role for her on the campaign season.

WHITFIELD: All right, Jessica Yellin, thanks so much, appreciate it.

In Las Vegas, of course, we're see and hear from Jessica and Dana Bash a lot more in a special 4-hour edition of the BALLOT BOWL, today, live from the campaign trail. Hear from the candidates as they make their case for swing votes in the battleground states. That's today starting at 2:00 Eastern, at earlier than usual, today, this Saturday.

Now on to a very tragic and unsettling story, the killings of the mother and brother of Oscar winner, Jennifer Hudson, and the search for her 7-year-old nephew, now. Our Susan Roesgen is following the latest developments out of Chicago.

What do we know?

SUSAN ROESGEN, CNN NEWS CORRESPONDENT: Well, Frederick, we have some new information now that we just got from the superintendent of Chicago police, Jody Reese. He was here at this church for a community march against crime, an already scheduled walk against crime, not related to the Hudson murders, but we asked him about the latest information and we asked him specifically why the FBI has been call now to assist with the Amber Alert. Here's more from our discussion with Superintendent Jody Reese.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) JODY REESE, CHICAGO POLICE SUPERINTENDENT: We live here in Illinois. You know, you can get into Indiana pretty fast. So, when a certain amount of time passes you have to make an assumption that there could be an interstate aspect to it, so that's why we reached out to the FBI since they have interstate capabilities. There is no indication whatsoever, hard evidence, that the little boy may have been taken overstate line. We're doing that as a precautionary measure in as much as time as passed, and we're in a state not too far from another state, it's simply a precautionary measure.

ROESGEN: Has the person of interest has been able to tell you anything about where the child might be?

REESE: I can't comment on that. That's part of our investigation.

ROESGEN: You said that they're looking over a large amount of forensic evidence that has come to light over the last few hours. What, exactly, are they still pursuing?

REESE: Well, you've got two people who were killed inside a home, that alone will produce a great deal of evidence, so they're going through that piece by piece to see if there's been any clues left behind, any fingerprints, any evidence that would lead us as to who the killer was.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROESGEN: Now, the detectives are questioning a person of interest. They have not released the name, but the name we are talking about this morning, Frederick, a just as a person of interest, not a suspect, is William Balfour; he is the estranged husband of Julia Hudson, the sister of Jennifer Hudson. The reason that his name has come out is because his name was attached to the Amber Alert and his name was attached to the Amber Alert for Julian King, his step son, Jennifer Hudson's nephew is because it was his car, his vehicle that the police thought that the boy might be in, a local Illinois tagged, white SUVs.

So, that's why his name is out there, though the police would not confirm that he is the person of interest. We understand that he is the person that the police are talking to. He has not been named a suspect. And interestingly, Fredericka, one of the things, Superintendent Reese said to me was he could be released at any time. So, we're not really sure where they're going with this investigation. I asked if a weapon had been recovered, the chief would not say that he even knew that a weapon had been recovered, he said that he hadn't talk to the head detectives about that yet, but we are just sort of now hearing a little bit more about this case. We understand that Jennifer Hudson is somewhere in Chicago, we haven't seen her this morning -- Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: So, terribly tragic. And what do you know, if anything, about what was taking place at the house because I understand just reading information on wires that the mother's body was in the living room, the brother's in the bedroom and then what about the sister, the mother of the nephew who is missing, Julia Hudson, where was she? Do we know anything about that?

ROESGEN: Well you know, some of the reports I've seen, Fredericka are that Julia Hudson was not in the house that she was one of the people who was the first to find the bodies. We understand that whoever did find them, went into the house, sought mother on the floor and immediately backed up, immediately got out of the house and called police.

So, we understand that Jennifer Hudson's brother lived with his mother in that house, that was not unusual, but we don't know why the nephew, Julian King or Jennifer Hudson's sister, the mother of the boy, were there or if they were there or whether William Balfour, this estranged husband of Julia, might have had the son there. So, a lot of unanswered questions, still. And again, we don't have a definitive suspect.

WHITFIELD: Yeah, and it's still early in the investigation. It's just so troubling and sad right on the surface. All right, Susan Roesgen, thanks so much from Chicago.

WHITFIELD: And then again, we're continuing to watch the political landscape, right now. You are seeing live pictures of John McCain and Cindy McCain arriving there in Albuquerque, New Mexico. You heard Dana Bash a bit earlier talking about their impending arrival. Well, now they are finally there campaigning there in New Mexico which is turning out not to be a very easy state considering it's the neighbor of his home state of Arizona. We're going to be dipping into that momentarily. I think right now that we're going to take a short break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Well, the story was shocking, but it turns out to be a lie. A McCain volunteer claimed that she was attacked because she supported Obama. Well, her tale unraveled. CNN's Randi Kaye tells us how it fell apart.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RANDI KAYE, CNN NEWS CORRESPONDENT (voice over): This is the face of McCain campaign worker ,Ashley Todd. Notice the bruise under her eye and the backwards "B" sliced into her cheek. Todd told Pittsburgh police a black man attacked her because she had a McCain bumper sticker in her car and she he held a knife to her throat, she said, then knocked her to the ground and carved a "B" into her face using a four-inch blade. That was her story. Police say it was all a lie.

ASST CHIEF MAURITA BRYANT, PITTSBURGH POLICE: It could have really blown up into something, a national incident and I'm glad that we quickly resolved the case.

KAYE: This all began Wednesday night in one of Pittsburgh's middleclass neighborhoods. Todd, a white college student, volunteering at a McCain phone bank said a 6'4" black man approached her at an ATM and demanded money. After she complied with his demand, Todd told police the suspect became extremely angry and violent.

DIANE RICHARD, PITTSBURGH POLICE: She then indicates she's not certain if he may have seen the bumper sticker while he was assaulting her or if he saw a McCain button on her jacket.

KAYE: Pittsburgh law student, Liz Ressler, says she helped Todd after the alleged assault.

LIZ RESSLER, HELPED TODD: She was just a little frazzled, a little out of breath and like holding her face and was upset, but she didn't seem too upset.

KAYE: Todd's claims made headlines. Conservative commentators were talking about it.

HUGH HEWITT, CONSERVATIVE COMMENTATOR: The big story of the afternoon, wolf, is that a McCain campaign volunteer was assaulted in Pittsburgh, had the letter "B" carved in her cheek.

KAYE: Senator John McCain and running mate, Sarah Palin, called Todd to offer support. Barack Obama's campaign issued a statement wishing her well, but her account didn't add up. Investigators were troubled by inconsistencies. Police say the ATM surveillance camera showed no video of Todd from the night of the alleged crime. She took a lie detector test Friday morning, but when asked to draw a sketch of her attacker, her story began to unravel.

RICHARD: At that time miss Todd stated that she made up the story which snowballed and got out of control.

KAYE: Police say she told them she has a history of mental problems and that she has no idea how the "B" was cut into her face. Todd was arrested, charged with filing a false report.

MAURITA: We suspect that she may have inflicted the injuries herself. We don't feel at this time that anyone else was involved.

KAYE (on camera): When asked by police why she did this, Todd told investigators she forgets a lot of things, but she does believe she was the only one in the car and the when she looked in the mirror she saw the "B" on her face.

Randi Kaye, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: There are other legal cases that caught our attention and caught the attention of our legal experts, as well. Avery Friedman and Richard Herman, they're both joining us now from your regular places, right?

AVERY FRIEDMAN, CIVIL RIGHTS ATTY: Absolutely right.

WHITFIELD: Cleveland and New York. All right, so let's get straight to our first case, we're talking about Alaska, Senator Ted Stevens, this case finally goes to the jury. However, Avery, there's a hold up. Why?

FRIEDMAN: Yeah, this was jurors gone wild week. The first one, one juror got out of control and the U.S. District Judge Emmett Sullivan sat him down, calmed him down and right when they went back into deliberations, Fredericka, another juror had a family problem, lost a mom. The judge is saying you've got to break until Tuesday. A little bit out of control, but I think the judge will bring them back and they'll continue the deliberations.

WHITFIELD: But Richard, a case like this, that's why you have alternates, so why wouldn't the judge immediately say OK, alternate No. 1, you fill in?

RICHARD HARMAN, CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTY: Well Fred, they may do that next week, but if they do, then the jury deliberation process has to start from the beginning. They have to start reviewing everything that the jurors previously relied upon. As a defense attorney I'm doing a jig right now because sides are polarizing this jury pool, they're fighting back and forth, they're going to stand their predictions. I'm predicting a hung jury here or mistrial.

WHITFIELD: Really?

FRIEDMAN: Wow!

WHITFIELD: Wow, and if there were a hung jury or if there were a mistrial is this a case where Avery, you would be able to, or the prosecution would be able to say we want to try this all over again?

FRIEDMAN: Absolutely. Oh, my goodness. I mean, if he's right, and I don't think he is, but if he is, there is no question but the U.S. attorney will go back and retry Ted Stevens. This case has overwhelming evidence and the tapes are very powerful, the disparity between the value of what was done and what actually was done is immense. No question that it will be retried, 40 if that happens.

HARMAN: Forty year senator, Fred, it depends on how the vote breaks down. If he even -- it they even 6-6, there will not be a retrial. If it's 10-2, like the Phil Specter case, then there'll be a retrial.

WHITFIELD: Perfect segue...

FRIEDMAN: The best thing that Ted Stevens had was Colin Powell, that's it, as a character witness but the jury will see that evidence...

HARMAN: Pretty powerful witness.

WHITFIELD: OK, Richard, I mentioned perfect segue because I was going kind of really confuse our producers by changing the subject and now we're on the subject of mistrials, but you did that perfectly for me. Let's talk about the Phil Specter case. That was a hung jury, it was 10-2 or something like that?

HARMAN: Ten-2 for conviction, and you know, when it's 10-2 for conviction...

WHITFIELD: And they decided that they're going to pursue it again. Yeah, you're going to be guaranteed a retrial and it's the high profile case and my dear friends are not on this one, Bruce Cutler is not involved on the defense team in this case. You know, 22 -- Lana Clarkson, the defense is she killed herself because she was so distraught. There's a lot of damning evidence against Phil Specter, he's being tried a few courtrooms down from the O.J. Simpson trial. You know? It does not bode well for him. He does not have the celebrity status that we see in California. They don't remember him.

FRIEDMAN: There's another part of this too and I think that it's important to mention and that is that in California, unlike the rest of the world, it takes an eternity to get a jury in to try a case and you know what? Larry Fiddler who's the presiding judge actually put the jury pool together, got the jury selected in less than four days. This case is rocketing through. That's good for the prosecution.

WHITFIELD: Boy, you guys are so perfect and so amazing and now, you know, you, Avery, talking about California being unlike the rest of the world, another perfect segue right into San Francisco.

FRIEDMAN: You are the queen of segue, Fredricka, I got to tell you.

WHITFIELD: No, you all.

HARMAN: We do it all for you, Fred.

WHITFIELD: Well, now we're talking about decriminalizing prostitution in of all places, San Francisco. Why in the world is this going would be a ballot that folks are going to actually vote on?

FRIEDMAN: Well, this is disturbing, actually. Only in San Francisco. But the truth is that the assumption of decriminalizing prostitution is that it's a victimless crime. I represent the sex slave victims. I see what goes on. These are helpless young women who are on drugs...

WHITFIELD: Yeah, I don't know who wants to make that argument that it's a victimless crime.

FRIEDMAN: No, that argument is being made as an underlying premise for "Proposition K." I think it is an outrage. I think Mayor Gavin Newsom is on track, the "San Francisco Examiner" is on track, they're against it. The argument of maintaining an aggressive effort against pimps and Johns as well as the prostitutes has to stay in place there.

WHITFIELD: What's your take? Yeah?

HARMAN: Yeah, the vote only seeks to decriminalize it in San Francisco. It's a statewide law, it's going to have to be voted upon by all of the resident of California. It's just going prohibit the investigation and prosecution of prostitution cases in San Francisco. FRIEDMAN: Actually, Richard, more than that, it prohibits San Francisco police from accepting federal trafficking funds. It's an amazing and outrageous proposition.

WHITFIELD: Wow! Just the beginnings. Something tells me we'll be talking about that one again, maybe even next weekend and then after -- you know, the week -- weekend after next.

All right. Avery and Richard, thanks so much. Always good see you. Have a great weekend.

(CROSSTALK)

All right, appreciate it.

All right, back to presidential politics. Yes, we're still awaiting John McCain to take to the microphone there along with Cindy McCain at his side, there. We're talking Albuquerque, New Mexico, a neighboring state to his Arizona and he does not have New Mexico clinched apparently, that's why he's campaigning across the state. We're going to be listening in and awaiting John McCain's words there at the mike momentarily. Much more straight ahead in the NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: All right. Let's take a walk outside and check on the weather picture. Reynolds Wolf is in the Weather Center.

Oh, there he is. There you are. Hey, how's it going?

(WEATHER REPORT)

REYNOLDS WOLF, CNN METEOROLOGIST: So, expect that possibility of seeing those snowflakes, you might want to get the snow blowers ready and maybe those snow shovels. Fredricka, it's almost that time of year again.

WHITFIELD: Oh my gosh, it is so early. Really? Snow already?

WOLF: Well yeah, you usually see your lake effect activity early in the winter season again, you look at calendar...

WHITFIELD: Poor kids trick-or-treating.

WOLF: Yeah, I know it's tough wearing the costumes when you've got a giant parka on. It somehow takes the joy away.

WHITFIELD: It really does, nobody can see your costume, your getup.

WOLF: There's a reason why the pumpkins are the fluorescent orange, easier to see.

WHITFIELD: Very good. Very good, very clever.

WOLF: There you go. WHITFIELD: Thanks a lot, Reynolds.

WOLF: You bet.

WHITFIELD: Well, let's go to new Mexico where it is not blustery, but they are wearing coats there. John McCain now talking about economics and he's talking about Obama's version of economics.

JOHN MCCAIN (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: ...his tax increase would impact 50 percent of small business income in this country and the jobs of 60 million middleclass Americans who work for those small businesses and by the way whether it's "Joe the plumber" in Ohio or the working men and women of new Mexico, we shouldn't be taxing our small businesses more, as Senator Obama wants to do. We need to be helping them expand their businesses, create jobs.

My friends, America didn't become the greatest nation on earth by giving our money to the government to spread the wealth around in this country. We believe in spreading opportunity for those who need jobs and those who create them and that's exactly what I'll do as president of the United States.

And by the way. Did you see the way "Joe the plumber" was attacked? Isn't that remarkable? I saw this morning where they've accessed into his background. Remarkable. Does that mean Americans can't ask tough questions? Americans have the right to ask whatever they want to ask of our politicians who seek their support.

You know, my opponent's massive new tax increase is exactly the wrong approach in the economic slowdown. Just yesterday, just yesterday we received news that jobless claims have increased by 15,000. Senator Obama's tax increases would put even more people out of work. We've seen this before in other countries, it doesn't work. The answer to a slower economy is not higher taxes, that's exactly what's going to happen when the Democrats have total control of Washington. We can't let that happen.

Are you ready for Obama, Pelosi and Reid? No, I don't think so. We've already seen a preview of their plans, it's pretty simple and pretty familiar.

When Barney Frank, the chairman of the House Financial Services Committee -- here's what he said they're going to do. Here's what he said they're going to do: focus on an immediate increase in spending. Now, we should take him at his word and when he says there are a lot of, "very rich people out there whom we can tax," look out, my friends, it's safe to assume that he's talking about you.

We know it -- we know it means you because the Democratic budget plan they passed just this year with Senator Obama's help called on raising taxes on people making just $42,000 a year and Senator Obama has voted 94 times for tax increases or against tax cuts. No wonder ...

(BOOING) MCCAIN: No wonder they think there are a lot of very rich people out there. Rich for Senator Obama in the Democratic Congress means change in your pocket. Yesterday -- yesterday, Barney Frank again previewed the Democratic Congressional agenda when he proposed cutting defense by spending -- by cutting defense spending by a quarter, slashing defense funding while our troops are at war and our ground forces are already too small.

My friends, we will support our national labs here and Sandia and Los Alamos and we will make sure they have their full funding and they will continue to make those labs make enormous contributions to the security of this nation and I'm proud of everyone who's there and works on it.

(CHEERING)

MCCAIN: Now, here's -- as Lindsay said, Senator Obama guarantees there'll be an international crisis if Senator Obama is elected president. The Democrats answer to the challenges we face is to lower our defenses and raise our taxes. That's not the vision I have for America. I want to strengthen our defenses and lower our taxes.

(CHEERING)

MCCAIN: My friends, I have been tested. They may want to test Obama, Senator Obama. I've been tested, I'm going to test them. They're not going to test me.

(CHEERING)

MCCAIN: The next president won't have time to get used to the office. We face many challenges here at home and many enemies abroad in this dangerous world. I know how to work with our friends and I know how to stand up to our enemies and my friends, I know the world. I know the world and I know how to make it safe.

We can't spend the next four years as we have spent much of the last eight hoping for our luck to change at home and abroad. We have to act. We need a new direction and we have to fight for it. And my friends, I will bring our troops home with honor and victory and never in defeat. Never in defeat.

(CHEERS AND APPLAUSE)

MCCAIN: I've been fighting for this country since I was 17- years-old and I have the scars to prove it.

(CHEERING)

MCCAIN: If I'm elected president, I'll fight to shake up Washington and take America in a new direction for my first day in office until my last. And I am grateful of having the partnership of Governor Sarah Palin who is also ready for the fight and a great leader and a great reformer.

(CHEERS AND APPLAUSE) MCCAIN: Sarah Palin's not afraid of the fight. I'm not ready to -- I'm not afraid of the fight and we're both ready for that fight to shake up Washington.

(CHEERING)

MCCAIN: My friends, I'm not going to spend $750 billion of your money just bailing out the Wall Street bankers and brokers who got us into this mess. I'm going to make sure we take care of the working people who are devastated by the excesses of Wall Street and Washington.

Now, my friends, you know how this -- you know how this crisis started with the subprime lending -- in other words, the housing crisis with the collapse of home values. My friends, we have to keep Americans in their home to realize the American dream. It's time we went out and bought up those bad mortgages, let people stay in their homes and meet the new mortgage payments because if your neighbor's house goes -- is foreclosed, it hurts the value of your home.

And Washington so far has been so worried about bailing out the banks, they haven't taken care of the homeowners of America. I will take care of the homeowners of America so we can realize the American dream.

(CHEERING)

MCCAIN: Friends, I have a plan to hold the line on taxes and cut them to make America more competitive and create jobs here at home. We're going to double the child deduction for working families. We'll cut the capital gains tax, we'll cut business taxes to help create jobs and keep American businesses in America.

(CHEERING)

MCCAIN: Raising taxes makes a bad economy much worse. Keeping taxes low creates jobs, keeps money in your hands and strengthens our economy. If I'm elected president -- when I'm elected president --

(CHEERING)

CROWD (CHANTING): John McCain! John McCain! John McCain!

MCCAIN: I won't spend nearly a trillion dollars more of your money, Senator Obama will and he can't do that without raising your taxes or digging us further into debt. I'm going to make government live on a budget just like you do. That's what government needs to do in America today.

(CHEERING)

MCCAIN: I will freeze government spending on all but the most important programs like defense, veterans care, Social Security and health care until we scrub every single government program, get rid of the ones that aren't working for the American people and I will veto every single pork barrel earmarked bill that comes across my desk. You will know their names and I will make them famous. We will -- I will veto every one of them, my friends.

And when I'm elected president, we're going to stop sending $700 billion to countries that don't like us very much to buy oil. And we'll regain energy independence. You know, I -- I always admired Senator Obama's eloquence and in the debate the other night, he said he would, "consider offshore drilling." He would consider nuclear power. You got to pay attention to the words as well as the rhetoric and you got to pay attention to the rhetoric of the most liberal senator in the United States Senate.

My friends, we -- when I'm president, we will drill offshore and we will drill now and we will ...

(CHEERING)

CROWD (CHANTING): Drill, baby, drill!

MCCAIN: I don't know who thought of that one, but it sure has caught on. You know, Senator Obama will argue to delay drilling for more oil and gas, against building new nuclear plants in America. When I'm president, we'll start drilling now and we will invest in all energy alternatives, nuclear, wind, solar, what better places than Arizona and New Mexico for solar and (INAUDIBLE)?

We will encourage the manufacturer of hybrid, flex fuel and electric automobiles. We will invest in clean coal technology. That will mean a lot. We're sitting on the world's largest coal reserves in America. We will lower the cost of energy within months and we will create millions of new jobs in America.

(CHEERING)

MCCAIN: Now, my friends, let me give you the state of the race today, 10 days out. Ten days to go, we're a few points down. We're a few points down and the pundits, of course, as they have four or five times have written us off. Senator Obama is measuring the drapes and planning with Speaker Pelosi and Senator Reid to raise taxes, increase spending and concede defeat in Iraq.

I will never concede defeat in Iraq or Afghanistan. I will never allow this nation to be defeated.

(CHEERING)

MCCAIN: And you know what, my friends, they forgot one thing. They forgot to let you decided. My friends, we've got them just where we want them. We love being the underdog and we're going to win!

(CHEERING)

MCCAIN: And what America needs now is a fighter, someone who puts all his cards on the table and trusts the judgment of the American people. I have fought for you most of my life and I'm proud of it.

(CHEERING) MCCAIN: There are other ways to love this country, but I've never been the kind to do it from the sidelines. And my friends, a little straight talk. I know you're worried. America's a great country, but we're at a moment of national crisis that will determine our future. Will we continue to lead the world's economies or will we be overtaken? Will the world become safer and more dangerous? Will our military remain the strongest in the world? Will our children and grandchildren's future be brighter than ours?

My friend -- my answer to you is yes. Yes, we will lead. Yes, we will prosper. Yes, we will be safer.

(CHEERS AND APPLAUSE)

MCCAIN: Yes, we will pass on to our children a stronger, better country, but we must be prepared to act swiftly, boldly with courage and wisdom. I'm an American and I choose to fight. Don't give up hope, be strong, have courage and faith!

Fight for a new direction for our country! Fight for what's right for America! Fight to clean up the mess of corruption, infighting and selfishness in Washington! Fight to get our economy out of the ditch and back in the lead! Fight for the ideals and character of a free people! Fight for our children's future! Fight for justice and opportunity for all! Stand up to defend our country from its enemies! Stand up! Stand up! Stand up and fight! America is worth fighting for!

Nothing is inevitable here. We never give up, we never quit. We never hide from history, we make history! Now, let's go win this election and get this country moving again!

Thank you and God bless you and God bless America, thank you! Thank you! Thank you!

WHITFIELD: All right, all fired up there out of Albuquerque, New Mexico. John McCain there to a pretty sizeable, or at least boisterous crowd there, talking about his plans for the economy, for the defense, when he says, he is elected as president.

All right. So, we're going to delve into the housing crisis, massive layoffs. How are people feeling about the presidential candidates' plans to fix the economy?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Hard to believe, but airfare and hotel prices are actually falling, just like the leaves this season. Richelle Carey has more on how to experience nature's best "On the Go."

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RICHELLE CAREY, CNN HEADLINE NEWS CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Amy Farley of "Travel + Leisure" says fall is a great time of the year to take a vacation and the Northeast is the place to be. AMY FARLEY, TRAVEL + LEISURE: The Northeast is such a great destination in the fall because of the landscapes which are especially beautiful once those leaves start changing color.

CAREY: And with the cooler weather, it's good to get outside to experience the beautiful scenery up close.

FARLEY: Fall is a great time for hiking. One great area you can go hiking is the Catskills region which is just up the Hudson River from New York City. This is an area that's sort of an urbanized backyard, so there's lots of funky little boutiques and fantastic little restaurants to explore.

CAREY: Dining spots with great food and a big selection of wine.

FARLEY: The North Fork (ph) has tons of fantastic little vineyards and wherever there are good vineyards, you're bound to find great restaurants and here, there's no exception to the rule.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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WHITFIELD: All right, count down is on, 10 issues in 10 days. Of course, 10 days until the election day, of course. Our issue this morning is the economy and where the candidates stand. Here's something both candidates agree on. They supported the $700 billion bailout bill and want to reform the financial sector.

Well, here is where they differ. Obama supports a $50 billion emergency stimulus package, McCain is proposing a spending freeze. And on the housing mess, Obama supports a 90-day moratorium on foreclosures while McCain wants to spend $300 billion to buy bad mortgages.

Let's check in with our Bill Schneider. He's been talking to folks all across the country and he decided while on the Election Express -- I love that topper, Bill -- to make a stop in Lima --

WILLIAM SCHNEIDER, CNN SR. POLITICAL ANALYST: Thank you.

WHITFIELD: -- Ohio, where he's finding out from people what they think about the economy, what they think about these candidates? And so, Bill, it boils down to what? Have they been pretty forthright about who they would prefer to handle the economy?

SCHNEIDER: Well, actually they have. On every poll that I've seen, everyone I've spoken to, those concerned about the economy are inclined to vote for Obama. Now, that's principally because he's not part of President Bush's party. He's a Democrat and they trust the Democrats more than the Republicans, right -- certainly on the economy.

Right now with the economy unraveling and people feeling very anxious about their economic future, they associate the bad news with the Bush administration that's been in power for eight years. They definitely want change. In fact, they desperately want change and at the moment, they associate the Democrats with change.

WHITFIELD: Well, that's pretty remarkable. And we're hearing a lot from voters by way of polls these days and, Bill, we know that this week alone, we've seen across the country people have been early voting in a very big way. But as it pertains to polls, we took an opportunity.

I was moderating a panel yesterday in New York. "Essence" magazine was leading a panel called "Women Who Are Shaping the World" leadership conference and we talked about presidential politics and the very issue of polls came up in terms of how influential they really are.

Just take a look and then I want to get your take right after we hear from these folks.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: How much is that influencing one who goes to the polls come November 4th?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think it's influencing it a lot. I think for the Republican base right now, they're very dispirited. I live in battleground Virginia, which will be a huge state. It may go Democrat for the first time since 1964.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm a little wary about these independent voters. I don't -- I can't imagine someone doesn't know who they're going vote right now.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Everybody's uses New Hampshire as an example of what happened with the polls. The problem with that is if you study the polls in New Hampshire, the polls in New Hampshire were accurate. The number they said Obama was going to get, he got. The number they said John Edwards was going to get, he got. For the polls to not account for 15 percent of the people deciding on election day who they're going to vote for.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: So the point here, Bill, is that polls are playing a huge role in this election like never before, but who is this good for? The candidates or the voters or both?

SCHNEIDER: Well, the polls will always be with us. You cannot ban them. Even if you tried to ban them, they'd show up on Web sites, they'd be published in Canada or Mexico. Other countries have tried it and it doesn't work. And it's not clear that they have that big an impact.

I mean, if a poll looks bad say for McCain right now, does that mean the McCain people will stay home or that -- will they be more determined, the Republicans to come out to vote to save them? Will that discourage Democrats from voting because they think Obama's got it in the bag? There's no clear evidence. I'll tell you what's happening that we see in the polls right now. Right now, what we're seeing is a real decline in Republican support. McCain's support now is almost 10 points lower than George Bush's was four years ago, but this is what's interesting. Obama's support is just a couple of points higher, two points higher than John Kerry's was.

Why -- what's -- where are all those other voters?

WHITFIELD: Yes, where's the gap?

SCHNEIDER: What they're saying is they're unsure. They're unsure how they're going to vote. We're seeing a real collapse ...

WHITFIELD: I don't even believe that for a second. You know, I don't think people are really unsure, they just don't want to say publicly, you think?

SCHNEIDER: Well, they're unsure. Well, here -- I think so. I think what they're saying is they don't want to vote for the Republicans again, but they're a little unsure about whether they can support Obama.

WHITFIELD: Wow.

SCHNEIDER: They're not quite ready, but in the last few days, they're slowly coming around and more and more of them are supporting Obama. Some of them may just stay home.

WHITFIELD: Great material. All right, Bill Schneider, thanks so much. And again, I love that hat. I know as the sun sets, you're going to be bringing those flaps down to cover your ears because it's cold in Ohio.

SCHNEIDER: That's right.

WHITFIELD: All right, Bill, thanks so much. Appreciate it.

SCHNEIDER: OK.

WHITFIELD: All right, x-rays at the border. It is a controversial new technology, but do the benefits outweigh the risks?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Drive-through electronic scanners at U.S. borders? Well, it is a controversial technology and CNN's Chris Lawrence investigates in this technophile report.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CHRIS LAWRENCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Border agents unroll a carpet and find a grown man hiding deep inside. Another is crammed underneath the seat cushion of a car. But a new technology is making it a lot harder to hide. Just south of San Diego, a drive-through portal scans cars crossing over from Mexico. The car gets bathed in low-radiation x- rays, exposing the driver and everything inside.

This is what the border agents see: multiple images in real-time.

PATRICK SIMMONS, U.S. CUSTOMS AND BORDER PROTECTION: It allows the officers to do a more exact search.

LAWRENCE: Cars and trucks selected for secondary screening will be put through the scanner. Agents started using the machine about a week ago. They've detected one person trying to get smuggled in and more than 3,000 pounds of drugs.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Two kids posing as an adult. Hey, Homer.

HOMER SIMPSON: Hey!

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LAWRENCE: Series like "The Simpsons" have made fun of what x- rays can do. And movies like "Total Recall" have explored the technology's more serious side.

We tested some similar technology that TSA is installing at airports across the country right now.

(on camera): The technology is actually already being used at certain military checkpoints in Afghanistan, in the entrance to the Green Zone in Baghdad.

(voice-over): Privacy advocates have called this kind of screening an electronic strip search. Border agents say their machine is less revealing than the airport scanner and only shows a person's silhouette.

ANGELICA DE CIMA, U.S. CUSTOMS AND BORDER PROTECTION: No details. You can't tell sex, race or anything like that.

LAWRENCE: Officials say you don't have to wear the padded vest you get at the doctor's office because the portal uses low-level x- rays.

DE CIMA: Someone would have to go through this machine more than 2,000 times to get the same radiation you would from a chest x-ray.

LAWRENCE (on camera): Now, there's still going to be some folks who just don't trust this kind of machine. If you don't want to go through it, you can get out of the car and a border agent will drive your car through the scanner.

Chris Lawrence, CNN, Los Angeles.

(END VIDEOTAPE) WHITFIELD: All right, making sense of the financial crisis. We'll get some answers in "YOUR MONEY."

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