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Chicago Double Homicide; Election Countdown; Can the Democrats Increase Congressional Majorities?
Aired October 25, 2008 - 11:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BETTY NGUYEN, CNN ANCHOR: Hello everybody. You are in the CNN NEWSROOM. The news is unfolding live on this Saturday, the 25th day of October. Good morning, I'm Betty Nguyen.
T.J. HOLMES, CNN ANCHOR: Hello there, I'm T.J. Holmes. Let's start first with a double homicide police are investigating in Chicago that has to do with the family of an Oscar winning actress Jennifer Hudson. Also right now her nephew a seven year old boy is missing right now, an amber alert out for him. We'll give you details in just a moment of this story.
NGUYEN: Here's something else that we're also looking into. How long are Barack Obama's coat tails and do people want just one party in charge? We will delve into that.
HOLMES: Also, a picture. You don't see that often, do you, those two together in this campaign season. We will take a look at the almost invisible man they're calling him out there in the race for the White House. You are in the CNN NEWSROOM.
Like I just mentioned, we are following a story that is really fast developing overnight and this morning, the killing of the mother and brother of Oscar-winning actress, Jennifer Hudson. And a search on now for her 7-year-old nephew. Susan Roesgen in Chicago this morning with the very latest. Susan, kind of put this together for us. We are hearing this young man who was in custody is a suspect, is not a suspect, please put this together for us and let us know has he actually been charged yet?
SUSAN ROESGEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Actually, we don't know yet T.J. I have spoken to some of the police officers here at a small community church. This is another neighborhood, it's not the Hudson neighborhood, but is where Mayor Daley had already scheduled a press appearance this morning and we're going to ask him about the case.
The spokeswoman for the police department is on her way here, we understand that she will clear that up, whether the man in custody, William Balfour, is actually a suspect or whether they're just questioning him at this point. Mayor Daley is going to come here. He had a previously scheduled appointment but we are going to ask him about this case.
A case that has really rocked Chicago because even though this is a city with quite a few murders, Jennifer Hudson is a hometown girl here and when the word got out yesterday that her mother and brother had been found shot to death in her mother's home, her family home, people were really shaken by this. Her mother Darnell Donnerson was found shot, her brother Jason Hudson was found shot. The police are questioning a man named William Balfour who apparently is separated from Jennifer Hudson's sister, Julia. William Balfour's mother, Michelle, spoke to reporters last night and she believes that the focus should be on Julian King, the 7-year-old nephew, the stepson of William Balfour, the person in custody. She believes the focus is not being directed enough at him. Here is more from Michelle Balfour.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MICHELLE DAVIS BALFOUR, SUSPECT'S MOTHER: I just want the Chicago police department to quit harassing my family. To quit harassing my friends, quit doing this to my family. I had to leave work in order to come home and my goddaughter had to leave work. We are being victims of something they don't even know the real truth of what's going on with this story. Just bring that -- bring the baby home. Just bring her son home. Then, we can go to step "b." Let's first get to "a." Let's bring this baby back home, let him bond back with his mother. I don't know what's going on, I don't know why are they so focusing on this so hard. Focus on this baby. Where is this child at? Where is her son, that's all I want to know.
(END OF VIDEO CLIP)
ROESGEN: That is what everybody wants to know here. We believe, T.J. and Betty that Jennifer Hudson is here in Chicago. We haven't seen her. Of course she apparently rushed back when she heard the news. Everybody wants to find that nephew of Jennifer Hudson, 7-year- old Julian King. That's where the search is right now. We will have more information after the mayor comes here and the police department spokeswoman comes here a little later this morning.
HOLMES: Just real quickly here and again, I know a lot of information is not coming out. We have you on the ground. We want to ask you, at least, first, any idea have of a possible motive here and also do they have reason to believe that the 7-year-old is in immediate danger, if you will?
ROESGEN: Boy, T.J., I know that they have put out an amber alert for this child. Certainly people are very worried about him. If he was taken by William Balfour, his stepfather, then we don't really know why he is being questioned by police but no one has seen the child. William Balfour is separated from Jennifer Hudson's sister, Julia. But we don't know whether that had anything to do with this or what the motive might be. T.J.?
HOLMES: All right Susan, we certainly appreciate you know there's a lot of information that's not out there yet, but we appreciate you tracking this down for us this morning. We'll check in with you.
NGUYEN: In the meantime, just 10 days left until the election and the presidential candidates they are heading west today. Senator Barack Obama has just returned from Hawaii where he visited his grandmother, who is gravely ill. He is appearing at rallies in Reno and Las Vegas today. Meanwhile, Senator John McCain stumping in New Mexico to speak to crowds in Albuquerque and Mejia. Yesterday, he had three stops in Colorado. The key battleground states still considered up for grabs and they are Nevada, Colorado and New Mexico.
HOLMES: Well, 10 issues in 10 days. We're counting down to Election Day, breaking down the issues you care about most and telling you what the presidential candidates want to do about them, the problems, the plans, education, healthcare, homeland security. We kick things off today with issue number one, the economy of course, 10 issues, 10 days. You can only catch those right here on CNN. Today, Michelle Obama giving the Democratic response to the president's radio address this morning. We listened to the president a short time ago, he gave it earlier this morning, you heard that here live on CNN, talking about the economy there as well. Michelle Obama has been out there campaigning for her husband while he was visiting his grandmother in Hawaii. Let's listen in to her now giving the Democratic radio address.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
VOICE OF MICHELLE OBAMA, BARACK OBAMA'S WIFE: I'm Michelle Obama. Nine days from now millions of folks across this great country will head into the voting booth and cast their ballot for the next president of the United States. When I do, I'll of course be thinking about my husband, Barack, but I'll also be thinking about my dad. He was my rock, he was a blue collar city worker who never missed a shift in hopes that he could give my brother and me a better life. He was also a precinct captain who believed that the right to vote was one of the most precious gifts of our Democracy. Some of my earliest memories are of tagging along with him as we walked door to door and helped folks register to vote. We would sit in neighbor's kitchens for hours and listen to their opinions, their concerns and the dreams they had for their children. Before we left those kitchens, my father would make sure that everyone could get to the voting booth on Election Day, because he knew that a single vote could help make their dreams reality. That's the opportunity you have in just nine days. November the 4th is our chance to begin building a better future for our families, our communities and this country that we love. Each of us has our own reason for voting. I'm a wife, who believes with all my heart that my husband will be an extraordinary president. I am a mom whose girls are the center of my world. They are the first thing I think about when I wake up in the morning and the last thing I think about when I go to bed at night. Their future and all our children's future is my stake in this election. That's why, for me, the issues at the heart of this election aren't just political, they are personal. I know they are for you too.
Maybe you are a student who wonders if you will be able to pay off your loans or find a good job after you graduate. Maybe you are a small business owner unsure of whether you can pay your employees next month. Maybe you're a mother who puts off taking your child to the doctor because you can't afford the co-pay. So we all have a choice to make. When you look at the issues, and the candidates and their plans for our future, the choice is clear. There is only one candidate in this race who can bring about the change we need, restore our economy, and rebuild our middle class. That candidate is Barack Obama. His leadership and his policies are the change we need in the White House. But, first, we have got to send him there. That's why your vote is so important. Because if you don't vote, you're saying that you're fine with the way things are and you cast an equally powerful ballot for four more years that looks just like the last eight. In 2004, 16 million Americans who could have voted didn't, yet the election was decided by just 59,000 votes in Ohio. This time, we can't wake up November 5th only to discover we fell short and didn't elect Barack Obama and Joe Biden. We can't look back and think about what might have been. Visit your neighbors. Listen to their concerns. Tell them what's at stake. Then, take them with you to vote. In most states, you can vote early and avoid long lines on Election Day. To find the early vote location most convenient for you, go to vote for change.com and then go vote today. If you do, we will win this election. We will put Barack Obama in the White House and we will change this country and fulfill the hopes of all those like my father who worked so hard to give their children a better future and guarantee that the American dream endures. I'm Michelle Obama. Thank you for listening and I hope you and your families have a great weekend.
(END OF AUDIO CLIP)
HOLMES: Michelle Obama there delivering the Democratic radio address this week. Very personal address there for her talking about her husband and her hopes for the future and of course in support of her husband, 10 days away from Election Day. Meanwhile, the president was on the radio himself today, his weekly radio address, focused on the economy there. President Bush said he understands American's deep fears about what's going on right now and that congress and the world are focused on solutions. But he also defended free market economy, economics rather.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
BUSH: -- Focused on responses to our short-term challenges. Our nations must also recommit to the fundamentals of long-term economic growth, free markets, free enterprise and free trade. Open market policies have lifted standards of living and helped millions of people around the world escape the grip of poverty. These policies have shown themselves time and time again to be the surest path to creating jobs, increasing commerce and fostering progress. This moment of global economic uncertainty would be precisely the wrong time to reject such proven methods for creating prosperity and hope.
(END OF AUDIO CLIP)
NGUYEN: Well as we mentioned a little bit earlier, Albuquerque, New Mexico, playing host to both John McCain and Barack Obama today. So it's a good thing that we have our Dana Bash stationed there this morning. All right Dana, what's on the agenda?
DANA BASH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: What's on the agenda is this state actually Betty is quite interesting. It has gone back and forth between Democratic and Republican hands in terms of who they voted for, for the White House. In fact, the last time around it was pretty close but George Bush took this state. It is a state that presumably John McCain should be doing well in, in fact it's his neighboring state, obviously he's from the state of Arizona. But there hasn't been a lot of reliable polls recently. But the last polls did show that Barack Obama is doing quite well here. It was one of those things that in talking to Republicans, Betty, from watching John McCain's schedule, it has been a little bit perplexing I'll have to tell you. This is a state that he is unclear if he can really win. He is going to the state of Iowa tomorrow, which is the state that he is very, very far behind. Yesterday, he was in the state of Colorado that is a reliably red state but he is down there by six points.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BASH (voice-over): Coming to Colorado may be more symbolic than politically practical. John McCain's attempts to defy the perception that red states like this are out of his reach.
SEN. JOHN MCCAIN: We are going to win Colorado.
BASH: But his campaign is clearly less optimistic. They reportedly slashed their Colorado TV ad spending this week in half. Across the board, Republicans are increasingly pessimistic.
ALEX CASTELLANOS, REPUBLICAN STRATEGIST: He has to change the national environment, change the national conversation. To do that in two weeks when you haven't been able to do it in two years is going to be very tough.
BASH: Still, McCain aids insist to CNN their internal data shows traction in key swing states thanks to Joe the plumber and attacks on Obama's tax plan.
SEN. JOHN MCCAIN, (R) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Senator Obama may say he is trying to soak the rich but it's the middle class we're going to get through the ringer.
BASH: McCain is now trying to lure voters by warning about Democrats in charge.
MCCAIN: The answer to a slowing economy is not higher taxes but that's exactly what's going to happen when the Democrats have total control of Washington. We can't let that happen.
BASH: McCain is also trying to inject national security back into an election dominated by the economy after months of unsuccessfully trying to convince voters that Obama's inexperience makes him risky, he's trying again using Joe Biden's words with this foreboding ad.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're going to have an international crisis. (INAUDIBLE) I guarantee you it's going to happen. It doesn't have to happen, vote McCain.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Believe it or not, I am still undecided.
BASH: But independent Colorado voter, Erin Wently, who came to see McCain, tells us that argument doesn't sway her at all.
ERIN WENTLY, UNDECIDED VOTER: They are both risky to be honest. They're both risky.
(END OF VIDEO CLIP)
BASH: Now, John McCain, Betty, did not seal the deal with that particular undecided voter. She told us that after she listened to McCain she still isn't really sure how she is going to vote. But McCain aides tell us just the fact that undecided voters do still seem to be coming to his rallies, that gives him hope that despite the long lines, and they do admit there are long lines right now, and that perhaps there is a chance that they still can pull this off. But I have to tell you, people are gathering behind me here at this Albuquerque rally. Looks like it's a pretty small crowd here. We have a little bit of time for people to gather, but not a lot of people out at this point this morning for John McCain here.
NGUYEN: That's just today but then the election is only 10 days left. Those undecideds need to make up their minds. All right, thank you, Dana, do appreciate it.
HOLMES: All right, well as Joe Biden trying to help some of those undecideds make up their minds here at a rally in Suffolk, Virginia. Let's listen in.
SEN. JOE BIDEN, (D) VICE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: -- investment in alternative energy, wind, solar, biofuels, clean coal, you have to invest in building America's infrastructure, our roads, our bridges, our water system, including broadband and the infrastructure for the future. If we do that, we estimate we will create 51,000 new high- paying jobs right here in the old dominion. To build the middle class, you need affordable, available health care. Equally as important, I say to the young people here, we need a commitment to our young people. It's very simple. Here is what an Obama/Biden administration will promise you. Beyond the tax cuts your parents will get, tax credits for sending you to college, beyond that, here is the promise we make to you. If you serve our country, not just in the military but in the underserved communities, hospitals, schools, we will help you get to college. Folks, that's how you rebuild the middle class, tax cuts, small business, infrastructure, alternative plans, education. That's how we rebuild the middle class, that's how we rebuild the nation. Ladies and gentlemen, but ultimately, it's about jobs. It's about jobs, good, decent-paying jobs. But in a sense, in a sense, it's about even more than jobs. It's about dignity. It's about respect. It's about understanding what so many of our fellow Americans are going through right now.
You know, when a job is lost, or a house is foreclosed on, it's not just an economic loss. It's so much more than that. It's emotionally devastating. It rips families apart sometimes. It's about having to make that longest walk up a short flight of stairs to your daughter's bedroom or your son's bedroom and say, honey, I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry, but you're not going to be able to finish school here. You're not going to be able to stay in the neighborhood, honey. We have to move. Daddy or mommy lost a job. I know you don't know what it means to foreclose baby but it means we are going to lose the house. We have to move. We're not sure. It's a conversation ladies and gentlemen that's taking place in 62,000 Virginia homes this year. 62,000 homes in Virginia this year. I don't know if they all had children but a lot of them had children. Ladies and gentlemen, it was announced two days ago that foreclosure notices for last month went out to 237,000 additional Americans. Ladies and gentlemen, you have to remember why we are in this in the first place. If you can help Wall Street, we sure in heck ought to be able to help Main Street. Folks, Bobbie and I have talked about this. That's why when we get back in November, Bobbie, we can't wait until, god-willing, we're sworn in on January 20th. We can't wait. We in the congress have to take action and the first thing Barack and I are calling for, which will change the lives of Americans who are so full of stress. There are so many Americans just hanging on the edge right now. Ladies and gentlemen, we think this should be a flat three-month moratorium on all housing foreclosures in the United States of America. Why? To give an opportunity for this so-called rescue plan to put in place the thing that is not in place yet, allowing them to go renegotiate, to stay in their homes. These are hard-working Americans who played by the rules. So, ladies and gentlemen, look, at the end of the day, if we want to strengthen the middle class, if we want to regain our place in the world, we have to do one thing more. We have to unite this country. Now, if you would hold a second just to hear this one thing. One of the reasons why it is so important in my view, this is just Joe Biden here. I am not speaking for Barack or anybody else. This is just Joe Biden. One of the reasons why I think it's so important we do well here in the old dominion, that we do well in the rocky mountain west, that we do well in other parts of the south, is I am so tired of seeing a map that is all blue on the edges and red in the middle, not because -- we can theoretically win by that staying the same. But it's not enough, ladies and gentlemen. This country is too divided.
Recently, in North Carolina, Governor Palin said, quote, "She was happy to be in, quote, a pro-American part of the country." Folks, just the other day, the beginning of this week, one of John McCain's advisers called some parts of this state, the state of Virginia, the real Virginia, as if the rest of your state was not the real Virginia. Look, folks, I was just in North Carolina. I am going back to North Carolina. We think we're in play here, but ladies and gentlemen, it is a deeply patriotic state. So is my state of Delaware. So is Pennsylvania. So is California. So is Texas. So is Montana. So is Illinois. All Americans are patriotic. Ladies and gentlemen, here is Virginia. You know that your commitment to our country doesn't depend on what part of the state you live in. More than half the people in the state of Virginia, when asked, considered themselves part of a military family. You hear that now? You have 6,800 Virginians who are currently serving in Iraq and Afghanistan just like my son is headed to and Sarah Palin's son and John McCain's son has served. Ladies and gentlemen, there has been 136 fallen angels right here in this state of Virginia, 136 of your sons and daughters have given their lives. So folks, it's time to end this stuff. It's time to end it. We all love our country.
HOLMES: Joe Biden there in Suffolk, Virginia, a red state that Barack Obama is hoping to turn blue and some of the polls certainly leaning his way right now. But Suffolk, Virginia is the site there, listening to Joe Biden talk about the economy a little bit but also talking about, as you heard there, the divide in this country, some of the outer edges, as you look at the map sometime, electoral map, are blue, some of the more liberal Democratic areas and in the midsection and south of the country often seen as red states, they're talking about that doesn't need to be the case any more. But we will continue to bring you the latest from the campaign trail. And as we always do, letting you hear from the candidates themselves.
NGUYEN: Absolutely today, a special four-hour edition of "BALLOT BOWL," live from the campaign trail. Hear the candidates as they make their case for swing votes in the battleground state. That's today starting at 2:00 eastern.
HOLMES: We have a financial mess, we know that now, and we're trying to get it fixed. But a lot of people still want to know now, let's blame somebody. We have to blame somebody.
NGUYEN: And?
HOLMES: Congress wants to know whose fault it is as well.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: Let's talk about your money now, the financial meltdown and a call for new global rules and world cooperation to stabilize this economy. That's what's come out of a two-day summit of Asian and European leaders. That's taking place in Beijing. The summit calls on a statement in fact which they say for more supervision and regulation of the financial system. They also want those who run it to be kept accountable. Summit nations also called for world cooperation to stabilize the financial markets and promote growth. Leaders will take those concerns to the next financial summit set for November 15th in Washington.
HOLMES: We have growing demands to know who exactly is responsible for making this financial mess. Once we find them, make them pay. CNN's Lisa Sylvester reports, some members of congress are asking the FBI to do more to find the culprits.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
LISA SYLVESTER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In a letter sent to FBI director, Robert Muller, Representatives Mark Kirk and Chris Kearney called on the FBI to triple the resources devoted to investigating corporate fraud. According to FBI records, there are 261 FBI agents in the corporate and securities fraud unit. Not enough says Congressman Kirk.
REP. MARK KIRK, (R) ILLINOIS: Only 260 agents I think is inadequate given the opportunities that criminals have had in the last couple of months. With the enormous drop the in the market, it's clearly a signal that a number of things were concealed from small investors and pension funds.
SYLVESTER: In fiscal year 2003, the FBI had 436 pending mortgage fraud cases. Today, there are more than triple that number, more than 1,400 cases. The FBI is also looking into Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, AIG and Lehman Brothers. At a recent hearing FBI Director Mueller said the bureau will investigate corporate excesses as it did during the savings and loan crisis.
ROBERT MUELLER, FBI DIRECTOR: The FBI will pursue these cases as far up the corporate chain as is necessary to ensure that those responsible receive the justice they deserve.
SYLVESTER: Among the areas of investigation, accounting fraud, failure to report and potential market manipulation.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We are talking about tens, if not hundreds of billions of dollars of shareholder losses that have taken place in the course of the last six months. Yes, it is quite appropriate for investors to ask the question, was I defrauded?
SYLVESTER (on camera): The FBI responded to the congressional letters saying it would hire more agents if it had more money from congress saying, quote, our field offices have been working fraud cases diligently over the last few years. We can always use more resources for our programs. Lisa Sylvester, CNN, Washington.
(END OF VIDEOTAPE)
NGUYEN: New polls show if Americans vote Senator Barack Obama into office, he may enjoy a majority Democratic congress. But some aren't so sure that that is a good idea. Senior political analyst, Bill Schneider, explains.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
WILLIAM SCHNEIDER, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST (voice-over): This looks like a throw the bums out election and the Republicans are the bums. The evidence, only 38 percent of voters believe most members of congress from both parties deserve to be reelected. We are a bunch of bums. But not all bums are the same. Only 36 percent believe most Republican members of congress deserve to be reelected. While a substantially higher number, 50 percent, want to see most Democratic members reelected. Asked how they intend to vote for congress this year, voters give the Democrats a 12-point lead nationwide. That's bigger than Obama's lead in our poll of polls, which suggests a big Democratic tide that could sweep in Obama and bigger Democratic majorities in congress or more precisely, a tide sweeping Republicans out to sea. Democrats argued that big congressional majorities will help get things done.
SEN. CHARLES SCHUMER, (D) NEWYORK: We're going to bring change. It's going to be mainstream change, it's going to be thoughtful change, but it's certainly going to avoid the gridlock that every single thing you want to do is filibustered.
SCHNEIDER: But do voters really want to give one party that much power? Slightly more voters would rather see the White House and congress controlled by different parties than by the same party. Republicans are beginning to warn about giving the Democrats a blank check as in this Republican ad in North Carolina, warning voters about voting for the Democratic senate candidate.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No checks and balances, no debate, no independence. That's the truth behind Kay Hagan. If he she wins, they get a blank check.
SCHNEIDER(on camera): The Republican senatorial committee has sent out an email signed by Senator Orin Hatch that says quote, "If we don't act now to defend our senate firewall, conservatives will be powerless to stop Barack Obama's rule by fiat." The assumption seems to be that Senator Obama is going to win the election. Bill Schneider, CNN, Washington.
(END OF VIDEOTAPE)
NGUYEN: For the latest on the presidential campaign trail and analysis from the best political team on television, check out your home for politics online, that, of course, being cnnpolitics.com.
HOLMES: We are going to continue with politics now staying on the campaign trail with our Josh Levs. Josh Levs and the truth squad. Let's see if we can get some truth out of him coming up here.
NGUYEN: Fact or fiction.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: Ten days left, that's it for the candidates to make their case to the voters out there. It seems like they're not necessarily making a case but it's a race to see who can get in the last jab if you will.
NGUYEN: Those punches. That means a little rest for the CNN truth squad. CNN's Josh Levs joins us now. You haven't got much sleep lately, have you?
JOSH LEVS: No, we are not planning to. Like I said, I have a barrel of red bull over there. Hopefully it will last the next two weeks. This is an interesting one we're looking at right now, it's about outsourcing of jobs overseas. Now the other day, John McCain did an interview with CNN and it was after that, that Barack Obama said this on the stump.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. BARACK OBAMA, (D) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: More tax cuts for jobs outsourcing. That's what Senator McCain proposed as his answer to outsourcing. He said, that's quote, "Simple, fundamental economics."
(END OF VIDEO CLIP)
LEVS: Here is why we're declaring that one false. He supports a tax cut for all corporations from 35 percent down to 25 percent. His argument is that it could help keep jobs here and prevent outsourcing and this is what he said in that CNN interview.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. JOHN MCCAIN, (R) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Guess what? If they go to Ireland, they are only paying 11 percent. So where are they going to go where they can create wealth and create jobs? It's simple, fundamental economics.
(END OF VIDEO CLIP)
LEVS: McCain is not proposing anything that would qualify as more tax cuts for outsourcing. You can get more details here at cnn.com. Two more pieces of business guys, first, coming up later this hour, we're going to look at McCain's assertion that Obama would not help the unemployed. And second, finally, Betty and T.J., we just have to be on the record with this thing, we have to take care of this. A few minutes ago, you guys were pounding on me. There is an exciting new special tonight with D.L. Hughley, right, and I said he was right about Barack Obama having a cholesterol level of 173. You guys pounded on me. Let's see what we have on the board, shall we? How about if we consider Dr. Sanjay Gupta our source, there you go, Paging Dr. Gupta, on line, Barack Obama, cholesterol 173. Does that teach you to challenge the truth squad.
HOLMES: Josh, a thousand apologies to our producer. We need to correct you now, because if you roll that clip, go listen, D.L. Hughley said this week his medical records were released.
NGUYEN: This week.
LEVS: He's accurate about that. This one comes -- it was re- released October 20th. It was released, 173 right there, enough of this.
NGUYEN: But which one was released this week. That would be Joe Biden.
LEVS: You're right, it doesn't change. Fair enough, it does not change, fair enough.
HOLMES: All right, we'll get back to you.
LEVS: See you guys.
HOLMES: Viewers like what's going on.
NGUYEN: You know where the real truth squad is right here.
HOLMES: Get him out of here.
NGUYEN: See you later, Josh.
Who is the one person we haven't heard much from during this campaign? The head of the party stays off the stump. We're going to have the latest on that.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK) NGUYEN: Coming up on 40 minutes past the hour. Here is what's happening right now. Chicago police investigating the murders of Jennifer Hudson's mother and brother. An amber alert also being issued for the Oscar-winner's 7-year-old nephew. Here is a picture of him right there, Julian King. One suspect currently in custody. So we'll have the latest on this case. We'll be following it throughout the day.
Meanwhile, John McCain spending the morning in New Mexico drumming up support in a key battleground state. We're going to bring you his rally from Albuquerque next hour. And, Barack Obama, back on the main land. He spent Friday with his ailing grandmother in Hawaii. But today, it is back on the campaign trail with stops in Nevada and Mexico.
HOLMES: It is quite possible that Senator John McCain has made more appearances with Barack Obama than he has with President Bush. You may have noticed that lately as well. And as our Elaine Quijano reports now, there is a good chance it's by design that these two have not been out on the campaign trail together.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ELAINE QUIJANO, CNN WHTIE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): This is a picture we have only seen once this election season. The president on the campaign trail with the man he has endorsed to be his successor on a tarmac after a Phoenix fund-raiser in May with only seconds together before the cameras. With a 27 percent approval rating, a global finance crisis and wars overseas, President Bush has stayed off the stump.
MARK PRESTON, CNN POLITICAL EDITOR: John McCain right now is trying his best to distance himself from the Bush administration and certainly from the policies of the last eight years.
QUIJANO: The president has been relegated to raising money for Republicans largely behind closed doors. Of the four McCain fundraisers the president has attended, none have been open to reporters. Last month, cameras did capture the two in the same room during a White House summit on the financial crisis. Both McCain and his opponent, Senator Barack Obama, were in seats away from each other and the president.
SEN. JOHN MCCAIN, (R) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: The last eight years haven't worked very well, have they? I'll make the next four better.
QUIJANO: In the closing weeks of campaign 08, one journalist has dubbed President Bush, the invisible man on the trail, as McCain has tried to separate himself even more.
MCCAIN: Senator Obama, I am not President Bush.
QUIJANO: Giving comedians ample fodder.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A vote for John McCain is a vote for George W. Bush.
QUIJANO: Meantime, Bush aides have tried to balance defending the president with staying out of the campaign.
DANA PERINO, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: All I say is that the president stands by his policies, he also stands by John McCain.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Does President Bush take it personally at all?
PERINO: No he doesn't.
QUIJANO: President Bush and the first lady plan to be here at the White House on election night and hope to watch the candidate they voted for, Senator John McCain, win. Elaine Quijano, CNN, the White House.
(END OF VIDEOTAPE)
NGUYEN: With all the information out there, which candidate is telling the truth. We'll have that.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: We ask you the question this morning, hearing from a lot of you. Many of you are concerned that you could lose your job.
NGUYEN: On the campaign trail, John McCain is criticizing Barack Obama for failing to help the unemployed. CNN's Josh Levs, with the truth squad, joins us with the latest on that. Is that claim true?
JOSH LEVS: Well, we are going to take a look at that. You guys know we have the e-mails earlier today. So many emotional stories. So it is interesting that unemployment is at the core of one of these claims. Let's take a look at that and you guys will see the judgment of the truth squad along the way.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MCCAIN: Just yesterday, we received news that jobless claims had increased by 15,000 and yet just this week, Senator Obama announced that his plan would have a work requirement, meaning that those who are unemployed, will receive no help under the Obama plan.
(END OF VIDEO CLIP)
LEVS: You see our ruling on that, that one is misleading. Now here is the deal. McCain is referring to Obama's plan to help people with mortgages which he calls a universal mortgage credit plan and Obama added a work requirement to that. Meaning you can only get it if you are employed. The McCain campaign had criticized it the old way suggesting that it amounted to welfare. Well the Obama campaign said Obama changed it to ward off those attacks and then of course it's politics, so when he made that change, McCain criticized. Take a look at what happened.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MCCAIN: This week we learned that Senator Obama is concerned that his plan for wealth redistribution is seen as welfare. So he just added a work requirement.
(END OF VIDEO CLIP)
LEVS: Now, Obama does have policies designed to help the unemployed. Let's zoom in here for a second, you can see he talks about investing in the manufacturing sector, creating 5 million new green jobs. He calls for a $210 billion plan over 10 years that he says will help create jobs in construction, especially environmental industries. That's why guys our ruling says misleading. Narrowly applied to just that mortgage credit he's talking about is true, but it's not true in general of Obama's economic policy to say that he's not offering help to those who are unemployed. There you go.
NGUYEN: Ok, thank you, the truth squad right there, appreciate it.
HOLMES: All right, this sounds good, doesn't it.
Want to know how to lose 75 pounds without spending a whole lot of time and a whole lot of money? Got my attention. Wonder if it has yours. Stay tuned.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: So you need some inspiration to get out and take a walk today, our Dr. Sanjay Gupta introduces us to a woman who turned her health around the old fashioned way. She is part of our Fit Nation.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DR SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Barbara Aldrich had always been overweight. But as the years flew by, the pounds added up. And as she edged towards 50 years old, her doctor made it clear that it was time for a change.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Got to the point where my doctor told me that I was borderline diabetic and when it gets to be bad for your health you've got to make the right decisions.
GUPTA: Determined not to be a burden on her family, Barbara took action right away.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I just made the decision that I'm going to find a program that worked for me.
GUPTA: A balanced diet, daily exercise and a multi vitamin. The pounds came falling off.
BARBARA ALDRICH, LOST 75 POUNDS: It just seemed to just come off, eating right. I mean I wasn't hungry. I wasn't starving myself. It was all store-bought food. For me, I would lose sometimes four to five pounds every week. So it was like 20 pounds a month. GUPTA: Now, looking back on her experience, Barbara says she looks better, feels better and she's proud that at even age 50, she could reach her goal weight.
ALDRICH: It's just a good feeling to know that I accomplished that. I did it on my own. Yeah I had to wait until it was medically necessary but that's the way life is. My name is Barbara Aldrich and I've lost 75 pounds.
GUPTA: Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN reporting.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: The NEWSROOM continues at the top of the hour with our good friend, Fredricka Whitfield. Hello.
HOLMES: Hello there.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHO: Hello, good to see both of you and everybody out there.
All right. You're passing the baton to me. I see you have had a great morning.
We have a great hour coming up too.
NGUYEN: All right.
WHITFIELD: Good. In our noon hour we're going to talk legal briefs, among the items we're going to be talking about the oldest profession in the world possibly becoming legal in San Francisco. You know what I'm talking about. You'll have to tune in to hear a little bit more from our legal guys. Also Bill Schneider is on the road, our political analyst and of course, as we're just, what? Ten days away from Election Day, the economy front and center, he's going to be talking to people in the battleground state of Ohio. And then yesterday I was in New York and talking to a number of political analysts about the presidential election, the Essence Leadership Conference taking place there and we talked about the importance of polls and how influential or possibly how effective are the polls as we lead up to November 4th. You'll want to tune in and listen to what all these analyst had to say.
NGUYEN: I love it.
Listen, you have prostitution, politics and polls. What more would you want?
WHITFIELD: That's right.
HOLMES: Wow!
WHITFIELD: That alliteration of p's. And T.J. --
HOLMES: I'm done.
WHITFIELD: I was going to say, T.J. is silent right now?
NGUYEN: A change, that doesn't happen often. He has a lottery ticket today.
HOLMES: Thank you. We'll see you in a second.
NGUYEN: What is a political trail without "Saturday Night Live"?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I want to be there for you, John, for the next eight years.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The next 16 years.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Let's get a safety.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think I blinked on that last shot. Thumbs up, everybody.
(END OF VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: There's so much more to come, don't miss it, straight ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: All right. During times like these we all need a little comic relief and in the final days of the campaigns everybody is busy fighting for our attention, your attention as well.
HOLMES: Well one big winner that's getting our attention, "Saturday Night Live." Alina Cho has the latest now from that humor front.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hello my fellow Americans.
ALINA CHO, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Former SNL cast member Will Ferrell is back to play one of his best-known roles, George W. Bush.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I come to you tonight in the midst of a very important election between two very qualified candidates. The hot lady and the Tiger Woods guy.
CHO: Ferrell as Bush, clueless about his sinking approval rating brags about his endorsement of McCain and Palin.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Unfortunately, Senator McCain, upon hearing you wanted to give him a super public endorsement, cannot be found.
CHO: He then goes on to endorse the VP candidate.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The president can do nothing without checking with the vice president. That is why Sarah Palin --
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Actually, Mr. President, I don't want to go all Katie Couric on you, but I think it's actually the other way around. I think the vice president reports to the president.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Really?
CHO: Found Darryl Hammond as John McCain finally gets that endorsement.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A vote for John McCain is a vote for George W. Bush.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You're welcome. I want to be there for you, John, for the next eight years.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The next 16 years!
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Live from New York "it's Saturday night."
CHO: Ratings for "Saturday Night Live" are up 50 percent this season, thanks to this closely-watched election and a fake VP candidate who is a dead ringer for the real ting.
LORNE MICHAELS, EXEC. PRODUCER, SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE: She looks so much like Tina Fey.
CHO: The audience cast her.
MICHAELS: Yes, the audience cast her.
CHO: On Thursday the joke is on us, too, CNN.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Ok, let's get right to the mega map.
CHO: Well, we call it the magic wall.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The country can be moved up and down like so. Also, don't forget, we can also shrink it so you can put it in your pocket if you need to.
CHO: Fred Armanson tells me he based his fake report on our John King's real ones.
JOHN KING, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: I'm very worried about my job security. I do have bartending skills so there's something for me after this election if Fred takes my job.
CHO: Until November 4th, there's plenty of material for King and for SNL. Alina Cho, CNN, New York.
(END OF VIDEOTAPE)
NGUYEN: I don't know, John. I think you cornered the market with that magic wall of his. HOLMES: He is good with that thing Fredricka. Nobody can do it like John King on that map. It's time for us to hand it over to Fredricka Whitfield, there she is.
WHITFIELD: I'd say he has job security. Nothing to worry about, John King.
NGUYEN: He won't be bartending anytime soon.
HOLMES: Awesome guy.
NGUYEN: We may have some trouble.
WHITFIELD: You have no problems either. You guys have a great day.
