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Ballot Bowl 2008

Candidates React to Bailout Plan; Obama Has Slight Lead in Polls

Aired September 20, 2008 - 14:00   ET

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

MARY SNOW, CNN ANCHOR, BALLOT BOWL: Hello and welcome to CNN's BALLOT BOWL. I'm Mary Snow live with the Election Express right outside Cincinnati, Ohio. This is your chance to hear directly from the candidates, sometimes live, sometimes on tape, always unfiltered. Joining us is my co-anchor, Suzanne Malveaux, who is in Jacksonville, Florida, with a look at what's in store.
Hi, Suzanne.

SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN ANCHOR, BALLOT BOWL: Hi, Mary. We have a busy, busy hour. I want to outline the game plan here. Obviously, we are waiting for Barack Obama, who is going to be here in Jacksonville, Florida.

Florida, as you know, a critical state here; 27 electoral votes and the latest CNN poll showing 48 percent McCain , 48 percent Obama . So obviously, he's going to talk a lot about important issues that are of concern to voters.

First, I want to bring you to Coral Gables Florida, this was just yesterday. We followed Obama to the University of Miami. That is where he was addressing a women's rally, but he was also specifically talking about the economy. He was talking about, essentially, the huge government bailout of Wall Street, and his own economic plans to bring work to families. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SEN. BARACK OBAMA (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Now, our government and the Federal Reserve have already taken unprecedented action to prevent a deepening of the crisis that could jeopardize the life savings and well beings of millions of Americans. But it's now clear that even bolder and more decisive action is necessary.

In recent years I have outlined plans that would have helped prevent the problems we face now. And yesterday I proposed the outlines of the plan that would establish a more stable and permanent solution to strengthen our financial system. Today I support the effort of Secretary Paulson and Federal Reserve Chairman Bernanke to work in a bipartisan spirit, with members of Congress, to find a solution in the coming days. (APPLAUSE, CHEERING) And I will closely examine the emerging details of their proposal. As I do, I will be making sure it includes some basic principles that I and my economic advisers discussed this morning. I will make sure we don't just have a plan for Wall Street. We need a plan for Main Street.

(APPLAUSE, CHEERING)

I'll be asking Senator McCain and President Bush, Republicans and Democrats, to join me in supporting an emergency economic plan for working families. A plan that would help folks cope with rising gas and food prices, and spark job creation through repair of our schools and our roads and our bridges, and help states avoid painful budget cuts and tax increases, and help homeowners stay in their house and provide retooling assistance for the American auto industry. That's the kind of help that folks need right now. And we should be acting and not just talking.

(APPLAUSE, CHEERING)

I also want to be sure that we're not rewarding particular companies or irresponsible borrowers or lenders or CEOS, some of who helped cause this mess in the first place. It's unacceptable when they walk away with multimillion-dollar golden parachutes while taxpayers are left holding the bag. We are not going to stand for that.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MALVEAUX: That was Barack Obama yesterday in Coral Gables, Florida, addressing the economic crisis. We are told by the Obama campaign and his economic team, which he met with yesterday, are finalizing what they are coming up with, their own detailed specific plan, Barack Obama 's vision of how to get out of this economic crisis, this mess.

Mary, all of this really came after Barack Obama sat down with really a brain trust of economic advisers, former secretaries of the Treasury as well as billionaire Warren Buffett. They say they will soon have those details that a lot of people are looking for - Mary.

SNOW: And, Suzanne, this is certainly Wall Street's crisis this week changing the landscape in this campaign with the economy, of course, really catapulting to the top. Senator John McCain taking a bit of a different approach. He was out campaigning yesterday in Green Bay, Wisconsin.

One of the things that he proposed, in terms of the government bailout, is to establish a new government trust that would prevent a financial meltdown like we have been seeing. Here is Senator John McCain in his own words talking about the crisis yesterday in Wisconsin.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOHN MCCAIN (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I have proposed, and will sign into law, an economic recovery plan for working Americans that is directed to the middle class. It will grow this economy, create millions of jobs, and bring opportunity back to Americans.

You will get a tax policy that creates family prosperity and allows you to save for the future. I won't raise your taxes on income or investments. And we will simplify the tax code so people can understand it and do their tax returns themselves. Wouldn't that be wonderful?

I will give every family, every family in America, a $5,000 refundable tax credit to buy their own health insurance policy and let them choose their own doctor. This will make insurance affordable to every American. I will double the child exemption from $3,500 to $7,000 to help families pay for the rising cost of living. Under my plan, a married couple with two children making $35,000 will get $5,000 to pay for health insurance and additional medical expenses. This family would get another $1,050 from my child exemption. That adds up to over $6,000.

That's a lot more than what any hard working middle class family gets under the Obama plan. Business taxes -

(APPLAUSE)

Business taxes will be cut from the second highest in the world, 35 percent. Business taxes are the second highest in the world, to 25 percent. Tax incentives - a

(APPLAUSE)

Tax incentives will spur investment in new plants and equipment, research and development incentives will keep companies on the cutting edge of their industries. Health care costs will diminish.

Companies will stop sending jobs overseas to low cost, low-tax countries and start creating jobs here in Wisconsin, in America. I will expand markets for our goods and services. One in five of all jobs in this country are linked to world trade. In five states alone, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Colorado, over 5 million jobs depend on trade. My economic recovery plan will create millions of jobs in America, instead of driving them overseas.

I will adopt an "all-of-the-above" energy policy, which expands our use of oil, natural gas, clean coal, and nuclear facilities. We will embark on a national mission to build an alternative energy base, creating millions of new jobs. We will create the most diversified energy economy in the world. (APPLAUSE)

And I'll return to the American economy the $700 billion we send overseas every year to buy foreign oil.

(APPLAUSE)

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SNOW: That was Senator John McCain yesterday in Green Bay, Wisconsin, laying out his economic plan going forward. Of course, this week's financial crisis really putting the candidates to the test.

Suzanne, you hear also the candidates trying to make the case that they would be the best person in charge going forward. But also a lot of blaming going on for who is to blame for what happened this week. MALVEAUX: Mary, we are hearing a lot from the Obama camp, that the blame is squarely on President Bush, the Bush administration over the last eight years, saying their economic policy has failed the American people. We have heard that same line from Joe Biden. Obviously, Obama 's running mate out of Sterling, Virginia, just yesterday. He is said this is kind of a cowboy mentality, in his own words, that have led to the financial crisis. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. JOE BIDEN, (D) VICE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Ladies and gentlemen, there are two things, two things that are clear that we have to do and we have to do it now. One relates to a short-term need to staunch the bleeding. Because if, in fact, we continue to bleed like we are today, even though it's the big guys, everybody down the line is going to be in real, real trouble.

So, folks - so, folks, the first thing we have to do is immediate and short turn is to stabilize the world economy as well as - as well as keep things from getting worse. We have to require emergency authority granted to the Federal Reserve and the Treasury to see to it that people can stay in their homes, to help them protect their life savings, to deal with their retirement. And we will have to give - we will have to give some significant authority to be able to do that.

But equally as important, once we staunch the bleeding, we have to have a major, major, major overhaul of how the financial system works.

(APPLAUSE)

Ladies and gentlemen, there's all kinds of ideas and Barack and I are putting together a plan, but you can't do this, you can't do this haphazardly. It's important to be done thoughtfully so we never repeat this again.

(OFF MIC REMARK FROM CROWD)

It would be useful. It would be useful. It would be useful.

But I tell you what, part of the solution is ending the cowboy mentality -

(APPLAUSE, CHEERING)

The cowboy mentality of the Bush/McCain era. These guys ripped away - they ripped away the consumer protections that were designed to help you in your investments. They shredded, they actually had a ceremony, you remember, with a chainsaw, showing how we are cutting through these regulations. They actually denied, as a matter of law, the attorney general of Virginia, the attorney general of Delaware and California, et cetera, under the Bush administration, with McCain 's support, could not sue national banks for predatory lending. They took away the authority.

Ladies and gentlemen, these guys have worshipped, they have worshipped at the shrine of deregulation. John McCain proudly said not long ago on Wall Street, and I'm quoting, "I'm always for less regulation." Well, something happened to John on the road to Damascus. I watched him the last three days. 10:00 a.m. on Monday he said -- 9:00 a.m. on Monday he said, literally, the fundamentals of the economy are strong. 11:00 a.m. he said, we're in crisis. Like I said, there's been a conversion on the way to Damascus. The boy fell off his horse. But, guess what? He got back up on the same horse. You have got to change horses, folks.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MALVEAUX: Senator Joe Biden, as well as Barack Obama making the case they believe John McCain has flip-flopped when it comes to his positions on regulation, deregulation, as well as the economy.

Mary, I know that both the running mates, they play that role of attack dog rather well. I know that you have been watching Sarah Palin.

SNOW: Yes, Suzanne. We heard earlier this week, Sarah Palin going on the attack against Senator Joe Biden, but also against Barack Obama . And she was in Iowa on Thursday. Let's take a listen to what she had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SARAH PALIN (R), VICE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: John McCain , he's going to get our economy and he's going to put it back on track. And the people of Iowa know it's our small businesses like, in my family, our commercial fishing business. Or my sister's new gas station business, or Todd's folks, they own a hardware store. It is the small businesses all across America that actually create most of the jobs in this great country. Our family knows -

(APPLAUSE)

Our family knows that the best way to help small business is to take less from them, and leave more for them, so that they can expand and jobs can then be created. That's exactly what we are going to do in Palin and McCain administration.

Now, our opponents, they have some strange ideas about raising taxes. To them, raising taxes -- and Joe Biden said it again today -- raising taxes is about patriotism.

(CROWD BOOS)

To the rest of America, that's not patriotism. Raising taxes is about killing jobs and hurting small businesses and making things worse. This isn't about anyone's patriotism. It's about Barack Obama 's poor judgment.

(APPLAUSE, CHEERS)

He wants to raise income taxes and raise payroll taxes. And raise investment income taxes, and raise the death tax, and raise business taxes. He wants to raise taxes by hundreds of billions of dollars, and at a time like this, that will make today's bad economy seem like the good old days. To grow our economy and bring new jobs to Iowa and to save the jobs that you have today, John McCain and I will bring tax relief to hard-working taxpayers and small businesses all across America.

(APPLAUSE)

Now, what we need is serious reform on Wall Street. Huge financial institutions are going under because of their own bad practices, and now they are asking the public to bail them out. And federal agencies are not defending the public interest in this. Reckless CEOS - this is what's happening - reckless CEOs, they are walking out with multimillion dollar severance bills through all of this.

If you look at the record, Iowa, you will see two years ago, there was one man who stood up and warned us about the problems at Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. And in this race, there is one man of action, one proven reformer who will clean up Wall Street and fix our economy and that man is John McCain.

(APPLAUSE, CHEERS)

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SNOW: That was Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin, speaking to a crowd in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, on Thursday.

We have a lot more coming up, including the very latest polls and how the race is playing out in some key swing states. Stay with us. You're watching BALLOT BOWL.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SNOW: Welcome back to CNN's BALLOT BOWL. I'm Mary Snow with CNN's Election Express, right outside Cincinnati, Ohio. And joining me is CNN's Senior Political Analyst Bill Schneider with the very latest polls.

Bill, good to see you.

WILLIAM SCHNEIDER, CNN SR. POLITICAL ANALYST: Sure.

In terms of the natural polls, what is the latest?

SCHNEIDER: What we are seeing in the national polls is Obama moving slightly ahead. And there's been real movement, slow but discernible movement, over the past few weeks since the conventions. After the two conventions, after the Republican convention, McCain for the first time was in the lead. Then last week the race was all tied up. Now our "Poll of Polls" across the country shows Obama leading by 3 points, 47 percent, Obama , 44 percent, McCain . That is still very close. But polls do show Obama moving into the lead and that may be related to the economic crisis that has Americans very anxious.

SNOW: Still too early to tell, though, exactly why that moved, right? SCHNEIDER: Yes. I mean, we're not certain. It could be two things. The economic crisis, or something that always happens, the fading of the convention bounces.

SNOW: How about the states, are they showing the same kind of results?

SCHNEIDER: Yeah, the states are similar, particularly the battleground states. We have a poll of polls, which means several polls, in three important battleground states. The first one is Ohio. You may remember that Ohio was the real critical state in 2004.

SNOW: Yes.

SCHNEIDER: If John Kerry had won Ohio, he would have won the election. Instead he lost it by two points. But Ohio right now in our poll of polls, Obama, 46 percent, McCain, 45 percent . Which means it is very close in the poll of polls.

Michigan, now that's a state that Democrats expect to carry. They have carried it the last four elections. They are still ahead there, although it is close. The poll of polls shows Obama, 47 percent , McCain, 42 percent .

The big surprise would be Indiana. Now Indiana is a solid Republican state. Indiana has not voted for a Democrat since Lyndon Johnson in 1964. Where is it now? Well, it's tilting Republican but only by two points. McCain, 47 percent , Obama, 45 percent . If Indiana is that close, then the Republicans are in real trouble.

SNOW: Really fascinating. I guess in some of these state polls, it's too early to know but the economy, obviously, Michigan and Ohio , the unemployment rate is 7.4 percent , which is well above the national average.

SCHNEIDER: They have very battered economies and the Democrats are counting on the economy to deliver those states for the Democratic ticket.

SNOW: All right. You will come back later with the electoral count?

SCHNEIDER: Right.

SNOW: All right, see you later. Thank you very much, Bill Schneider.

SNOW: Getting back to the campaign trail, we will head back to a campaign event by Republican presidential hopeful, Senator John McCain . He was in Wisconsin on Thursday, of course, the economy dominating the headlines. And Senator McCain has gone on the attack against Barack Obama on whether or not he's ready to lead the country in terms of the financial crisis we have been seeing. Let's take a listen to Senator McCain .

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MCCAIN: I have taken on my own party. I have even, from time to time taken on my own administration. Senator Obama has never made the kind of tough reform we need today. His idea of reform is what his party leaders in Congress order him to do. We tried for bipartisan ethics reform and he walked away from it, because his bosses didn't want real change. I know how to make that change, Senator Obama and this Congress is afraid of. I have fought both parties to shake up Washington, and I'm going to do it as president of the United States.

(APPLAUSE, CHEERS)

A vote for me will guarantee that the forces that have brought down our economy will be out of business. I will end the corrupt practices on Wall Street in back room deals in Washington, D.C. I will hold accountable those responsible for the oversight and protection of consumers, taxpayers and homeowners.

A vote for Senator Obama will leave this country at risk during one of the most severe challenges to America's economy since the Great Depression. And that's straight talk, my friends. You see -

(APPLAUSE, CHEERS)

You see, when it comes to growing the economy and protecting you from the corruption of Wall Street and Washington, Senator Obama just doesn't get it. Americans have had enough of business as usual. Americans have had enough of the cozy relationships between politicians and power brokers. The days of me first, country second will end on November 4th with me and with Governor Sarah Palin.

You see, we already made the tough choices that make us unpopular in our own party from time to time. I was not elected miss congeniality again this year in the United States Senate. We will never forget who we work for. We work for you. And that's how -a

(APPLAUSE, CHEERS)

And that's how we see this election. Country first or Obama first? And I have a feeling -

[CROWD CHANTING: Country first! Country first! Country first!

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SNOW: That was Senator John McCain speaking on Thursday in Wisconsin. As you can see, has some pretty stinging words for his Democratic rival as the economy became focused. And Senator McCain also trying to, at one point during the week, trying to distinguish himself from the Bush administration by calling for the firing of the SEC chairman.

He also, yesterday, came out saying that he wanted to develop a government trust. An economist said it was similar to what the Treasury Department had come out with yesterday. Certainly, Suzanne, a lot of attack going back and forth on how this -- how the candidates would handle this government bailout.

MALVEAUX: Mary, not only Barack Obama 's talking about the economy as well as this huge government bailout, he's really directly trying to reach out to female voters, specifically white females. It was earlier today, Daytona Beach, Florida, he held what is called another women's rally. He called Hillary Clinton his friend, saying he thanked her for the 18 million cracks in the glass ceiling. He also used a new line about his wife Michelle Obama , saying that she was really the embodiment of Chaka Kahn's song "I'm Every Woman." So, Barack Obama, obviously, reaching out to females and in doing so, casting John McCain as one of the good ol' boys. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDETAPE)

OBAMA: He called the United States of America, another quote, "a nation of whiners." There's only one candidate whose campaign is being run by seven of Washington's most powerful corporate lobbyists. And, folks, it isn't me. I don't take a dime from Washington lobbyists and special interests. They do not run my campaign. They will not run my White House. And they will not drown out the voice of the American people when I'm president of the United States of America.

(APPLAUSE, CHEERS)

So - so when John McCain says that lobbyists won't even get past the front gate at his White House, my question is, who is going to stop them? Those seven lobbyists that are running his campaign? His campaign manager? His campaign chairman? The economic adviser who got a $40 million golden parachute when she was fired as a CEO? Or maybe the 26 advisers and fundraisers who lobbied for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

I mean, give me a break. My opponent attacked me for being associated with a Fannie Mae guy who I met once and talked to for maybe five minutes. He did a TV ad saying this guy was my adviser. The guy actually had to send out a letter saying, that's not true. I actually don't really talk to the guy. The same day he did that, the head of the lobbying shop at Fannie Mae turned around and said, wait a minute, when I see photographs of Senator McCain 's staff, it looks to me like the team of lobbyists who used to report to me.

This is what the head of lobbying at Fannie Mae said. Folks, you cannot make this stuff up. So -

(APPLAUSE)

So, it is silly season. So when you hear John McCain talk about taking on the old boys network in Washington, know this, on the McCain campaign, this is called a staff meeting.

(APPLAUSE)

And this defining moment, when the stakes could not be higher, we need real change. Change that's more than just a slogan. I know John McCain 's been taken on my sign that says change.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MALVEAUX: Barack Obama , obviously, talking about John McCain there. We are waiting for Barack Obama here in Jacksonville, Florida. As you know, Florida, a key state, battleground state, 27 electoral votes and a virtual tie between Barack Obama and John McCain . Now coming up after a quick break, we are going to bring their running mates, Joe Biden and Sarah Palin after this quick break. Stay with us. You're watching BALLOT BOWL.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WILLIAM SCHNEIDER, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: I'm Bill Schneider for BALLOT BOWL, just across the river from Cincinnati, Ohio. Ohio is the mother of all battleground states. Joe Biden was in Ohio on Wednesday of this week, speaking in Worcester, Ohio. He asked American voters to use their imagination. And notice how he ratchets up the rhetoric, instead of saying enough is enough, he's now saying, enough is enough is enough. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOE BIDEN, (D) VICE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Why have we not been able to imagine a country that encourages companies to grow and stay in the United States instead of giving a $20 billion tax cut to go abroad, pay $20 billion to keep them here and create jobs! Imagine a country -- imagine an administration where we only go to war when it's the absolute last resort. I guarantee you, I guarantee you, Barack Obama and Joe Biden will end this war in Iraq. [Applause] A war -- they say we're a nation at war. We're an army at war. Very few families -- very few families are making any sacrifice. 4,160 dead, 30,324 wounded, more amputees on a per capita basis than any war since the civil war. Over 14,000 of our kids coming home requiring medical health care that is expensive for the rest of their lives. Ladies and gentlemen, enough is enough is enough! Imagine a country -- imagine a country where everyone who is qualified to go to college is able to go to college. Where you can graduate -- where you can graduate unlike my children with something other than $30,000, $40,000, $50,000 in debt. A debt -- a debt that makes it harder for you to make the life choices that reflect your values. Imagine, imagine if we broaden our notion of service, getting millions of young Americans to serve, not just in our military but also in our communities and our schools, and giving them their tuition in return.

My son graduated in Georgetown and did a year at the Jesuit Volunteer Corps, running an emergency service shelter for $85 a month stipend. My daughter is a social worker. Imagine those kids who are in high school who don't have the luxury of having a father and mother who can afford to send them to college, who in return for service to their country, are guaranteed their college is paid! [Applause] And finally, and finally just imagine. Some of you have had the opportunity to study abroad. Some of you had the opportunity and some of you adults in here have traveled the world. Some of you who aren't in college have been all over the world. Well, ladies and gentlemen, just imagine, imagine a country that once again is the most respected country in all of the world. Imagine a country where we lead -- we lead by the power of our example and not by the example of our power.

(END OF VIDEO CLIP)

MARY SNOW, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That was Joe Biden earlier this week in Ohio. Now, the number two on the republican ticket, Sarah Palin, was campaigning in Wisconsin. In the later part of this week on Thursday, she was in Green Bay. Her message, she is sticking with a message of reform. Here's Sarah Palin earlier this week.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GOV. SARAH PALIN, (R) VICE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: First I want to tell you that I'm going to help lead a reform effort. John and I are the only candidates in this race with a track record of actually making change happen. And our opponent, he likes to point the finger of blame but ask has he ever lifted a finger to help? Has he ever reached out a reformer's hand to the other side of the aisle? In order to get others to say yes to change, has he ever told his own party no? [Crowd chanting no]

When it comes to reform, has he ever once said we did instead of I will? Now, earlier today our opponent told his supporters to go out and argue with those who disagree with him. He told them to get in your face. You know, that doesn't sound like the politics of hope or the politics of change to me. [Applause] What that sounds like is the worst of politics. And earlier today, when some protesters in another rally, they try to do exactly that, John McCain said, and I quote, "The one thing that Americans want us to do is stop yelling at each other." Now that is leadership. Ok, the second thing I will be leading in a McCain/Palin administration is the mission of energy independence. Here in Wisconsin, high gas prices. They are making a full tank at the pump feel like a luxury. And the cost of living is going up. And the cost of groceries is going up. Everything's going up. But the value of your paycheck is going down. And that's all because of energy costs. People are blaming Washington for doing next to nothing on this one, and they have got that right. Our opponent says he wants to help Americans who are struggling with high energy costs, but time and time again he sided with special interest and come out against solutions that would help Americans heat their homes and fuel up their tanks and pay their energy bills. And maybe if he had been the governor of an energy-rich state, he would get it. And maybe -- [Applause] and maybe if he had been on the front lines securing our nation's energy independence, then he'd understand. As governor of Alaska, I have overseen a very large portion of our U.S. domestic production of oil and through a heck of a lot of competition and hard work, I have secured agreements to build a nearly $40 billion natural gas pipeline to get our clean, green natural gas down to hungry markets like here in Wisconsin. I know what works. And I know that America needs this. We need it.

(END OF VIDEO CLIP)

SNOW: Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin, continuing her attacks against Senator Barack Obama. But she actually had something in common with Barack Obama. Both are making a pitch toward women voters. We will have more from both of them coming up. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Welcome back to CNN's BALLOT BOWL, I'm Suzanne Malveaux in Jacksonville, Florida. We are waiting for Barack Obama, who is going to speak to this rally momentarily. But I first want to take you to Coral Gables, Florida. This was yesterday. He is talking about women's issues, so-called women's issues, health care, equal pay. He is talking about his wife, his mother, his grandmother. All of this that appeals to that critical voting block, the female voter. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. BARACK OBAMA, (D) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: So many of the challenges you face, equal pay, childcare, balancing work and family, these aren't just women's issues. When a job doesn't offer family leave that also hurts men who want to help care for a new baby or a sick parent. When there's no affordable childcare or after-school programs that hurts children who wind up in second-rate care or in front of the TV, or out getting into trouble. When women still make 77 cents on every dollar that men make, black and Latino women making even less, that doesn't just hurt women, it hurts families who find themselves with less income and have to work even harder just to get by. So you think we would all be in agreement at this point on these issues. You'd think that solving these problems would be a high priority for anyone running for president in this country. Well, you haven't met my opponent, John McCain. Now, it's not that Senator McCain doesn't care about what's going on in the lives of women in this country. I'd like to think that it's just that he doesn't know. Because why else -- why else would he oppose legislation to help women get equal pay and suggest that the reason women aren't paid fairly isn't because of discrimination on the job but because they need more education and training. He must not understand -- he must not know. Why else would he say that Roe vs. Wade is a flawed decision, and run away from a platform -- and run on a platform to outlaw abortion? Even in cases of rape and incest. Why else would he propose a health care plan that actually taxes your health care benefits for the first time in history and gives insurance companies free rein to discriminate against women of histories of breast cancer and heart disease and other illnesses? He must not know.

(END OF VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: Barack Obama in Coral Gables, Florida, specifically trying to address concerns of women and trying to specifically win over white women voters. Barack Obama trying out a few new lines, calling Hillary Clinton his friend. Also saying that his wife, Michelle Obama is the embodiment of Chaka Khan's song "I'm Every Woman." Mary, obviously trying to reach out to women overall. And one of those woman who made an impact in this race is Sarah Palin. Mary?

SNOW: Yeah, absolutely. And certainly the McCain campaign is hoping that Sarah Palin is their campaign's opening to women voters. This Thursday -- this past Wednesday, that is, Sarah Palin did her first question-and-answer session with voters. This took place in Grand Rapids, Michigan. And during that session, she took a question from one person in the audience who asked her about balancing whether she could handle the job of being vice president and being a mom. Let's take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: As a mother, I just wanted to hear your response to the people out there that have said that you can't be a mother and the vice president, which, of course, you can.

PALIN: Well, let's prove them wrong. I thank you for that question. I'm very, very blessed to have this opportunity to show that, you know, people had asked the question. I was pregnant when I was a governor, and they asked, how are you going to be the governor and have a baby in office? And I said, the same way that every other governor has brought up a family, had a baby in office. Granted they were men. Maybe that was the difference. But we're going to be able to do it. And I thank you for the question. And you have the most beautiful family. And I congratulate you. And thank you so much for recognizing, though, that this is the maverick who would have even chosen such a candidate to partner up and this is the party that embraces the change and the progress that America and American women are creating and deserving.

(END OF VIDEO CLIP)

SNOW: That's Grand Rapids, Michigan on Wednesday. And something that was a first because Sarah Palin there taking questions from the audience. When we come back, we're going to take a look at Senator John McCain, an emotional moment this week on the campaign trail. We will be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SNOW: Welcome back to CNN's BALLOT BOWL. I'm Mary Snow. Outside Cincinnati, Ohio with CNN's election express. Senator John McCain not on the campaign trail today. He's actually attending a football game at Annapolis, where his son is a senior. But earlier this week, he had been on the campaign trail in Green Bay, Wisconsin. And on Thursday came an emotional moment at one point he began talking about a woman who had given him the dog tags that her son had worn. Take a listen to Senator John McCain earlier this week.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. JOHN MCCAIN, (R) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: You know, there's been a lot of negativity in this campaign. There have been a lot of attacks and there have been a lot of things that -- that have gone on that, frankly, sometimes make it difficult. And every once in a while, you have an experience that's very helpful to put into the right priority what this campaign is all about. And that just happened to me a few hours ago. When Sarah and I landed at the airport here, and a woman was there to greet us amongst some other women. She handed me an envelope and I thanked her. Then I got back on the bus and I saw this envelope, and the envelope was from Cheryl Lee Patrick of Lady Smith, Wisconsin. And on the front of the envelope it says, "To Senator John McCain, my son Staff Sergeant Patrick Lee Libert, KIA June 21, 2006, Afghanistan." And then the note goes on to say, "Please remember and support our troops in Afghanistan. God bless you, Cheryl Patrick." And then I open up the envelope, and there were the dog tags. [Applause] So -- so, my friends, so, my friends, so, my friends, Cheryl Lee Patrick, our hearts, our thoughts and our prayers go out to her and all of the families who have made such a great sacrifice. And I will do everything I can, and I know I can make sure that his sacrifice was not in vain because I will always put my country first. Thank you and God bless you. And God bless all of you. Thank you.

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SNOW: An emotional moment earlier this week in Green Bay and a bit of a break from the increasing attacks between both campaigns. We are waiting for Senator Barack Obama to begin speaking in Jacksonville. We will be right back. We're taking a quick break.

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MALVEAUX: Welcome back to CNN's BALLOT BOWL. I'm Suzanne Malveaux in Jacksonville, Florida. We are waiting for Barack Obama to begin this rally. It is going to start momentarily. We also want to remind our viewers that the first presidential debate is going to be happening on Friday. That is September 26th. You will be able to see that live on CNN. That is this Friday, the first presidential debate. We will take a quick break and then right after the break, we will be back with the CNN BALLOT BOWL and Barack Obama.

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