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Anderson Cooper 360 Degrees

Bush, Kerry Campaign in Battleground States; 'Facing Your Fears'

Aired October 19, 2004 - 19:00   ET

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

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


ANDERSON COOPER, HOST: Hey, good evening from New York. I'm Anderson cooper.
Halloween is a week from Sunday, but George Bush and John Kerry hope you're already afraid of things that go bump in the night.

360 starts now.

Pounding the battleground states, with two weeks to go, Bush and Kerry make their moves, hoping to lock up the election.

Democrats for Bush? Why are so many Democratic senators up for reelection embracing the president? Are they changing parties, or just playing raw politics?

Murder in sin city. Sex, strippers, gambling, money, drugs, and buried treasure? A real-life murder trial that has Vegas playing the odds.

Facing your Fears, our special series. Tonight, germ phobia. Is your fear of germs ruining your life?

And tonight we go 360 with the always unpredictable George Carlin, talking presidential politics, lying politicians, and why he says he's not voting.

ANNOUNCER: Live from the CNN Broadcast Center in New York, this is ANDERSON COOPER 360.

COOPER: And good evening again.

Two weeks until election day, and while we're not sure who's going to win, we are sure that the candidates want you to be afraid, be very afraid.

Afraid of what? Take your pick. Not getting a flu shot? Losing your Social Security benefits? Or even a terrorist setting off a nuclear bomb in an American city. I don't care if you're a Republican or Democrat, but both the Bush and Kerry campaigns are selling fear big-time.

So lock your doors, turn up the lights, and let's get right to the heart of the matter. Standing by for us in Florida with the president, senior White House correspondent John King.

And in Ohio, senior political correspondent Candy Crowley, with whom we begin tonight. Candy?

CANDY CROWLEY, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: Anderson, think about it, you have two weeks to go, you are challenging an incumbent president. You know you are close, but you are not quite there. The question is, what do you do now?

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CROWLEY (voice-over): (audio interrupt) of undecideds, John Kerry stalks the center now as he pushes the president to the right.

SEN. JOHN KERRY, DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: The president and his friends keep feeding the people at the top, keep walking on by and crossing over to the other side of the street and ignoring those who need the help in America.

I'm going to be a champion for the middle class, for the working votes.

CROWLEY: Kerry promises better and higher-paying jobs, more available, cheaper health care, and Social Security as-is.

KERRY: I will not privatize Social Security, I will not cut the benefits, I will not raise the retirement age.

CROWLEY: In the battleground of Pennsylvania, where 28 percent of voters in 2000 were 60 and older, Kerry enjoys an edge, but not a lock. He has been here 19 times this election season, and this time, pushing hard against the president's plan to let younger workers invest a portion of their Social Security taxes.

KERRY: He wants to be the first president in history to put the greatest retirement program in history at risk.

CROWLEY: In the time left, Kerry's task is twofold, convince fence-sitters that he is nonscary, nonthreatening, nonliberal presidential material, and keep his base wound up by defining the election in the starkest of terms.

KERRY: ... a choice between one candidate who will save Social Security, and another who will undermine it.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CROWLEY: Kerry strategists are dismissing recent polls which give the president a slight but still perceptible edge. "We're very comfortable where we are," one strategist told me, although he did admit that unseating an incumbent president is a difficult task, Anderson.

COOPER: All right, Candy Crowley, thanks for that.

Doesn't it feel like the candidates wish they could do what NASA sometimes does, stop the clock on a countdown? Fourteen days and holding, the PA system would announce. Not possible of course. The clock is ticking, the launch pad ready, and ready or not, come the second of November, this thing is taking off.

From the president's camp tonight, we turn to senior White House correspondent John King.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOHN KING, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Campaigning in must-win Florida, for the president, a day spent largely on defense, answering attacks Mr. Bush calls "cynical fear- mongering."

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: On November the 2nd, the people of America will reject the politics of fear and vote for an agenda of hope and opportunity and security.

KING: At The Villages, a voter-rich retirement community northwest of Orlando, rebutting Senator Kerry's claim that a second Bush term might bankrupt Social Security and bring a restoration of the draft.

BUSH: We will keep the promise of Social Security for our seniors, and there will be no draft as long as I'm the president.

KING: The shortage of flu vaccines is both a health problem and a campaign issue. Senator Kerry blames the president, who calls that charge ludicrous, but nonetheless took time in St. Petersburg to make sure it did not go unanswered.

BUSH: We have millions of vaccine doses on hand for the most vulnerable Americans, and millions more will be shipped in the coming weeks.

KING: The Bush campaign prides itself on knocking the other guy off stride, and Tuesday brought a new line on Senator Kerry's evolving views on the Iraq war.

BUSH: At a time of great challenge in the world, the commander in chief must stand on principle, not on the shifting sands of political convenience.

KING: But the uncharacteristically defensive tone on Social Security, the draft, and the flu was all the more striking. But the rebuttals necessary, Bush aides say, because the race here and nationally is so tight, with just two weeks left.

BUSH: My opponent will say anything he thinks will benefit him politically at the time.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KING: Early voting, of course, already under way here in Florida, including a polling place about a mile from the president's last event here at The Villages today. Anderson, the elderly vote here in Florida and nationally is always critical. Right now, the trend line not so favorable to the president. Six weeks ago he was up 7 points among voters aged 65 and over. Right now, it's a dead heat, Anderson.

COOPER: Interesting. John Kerry -- John King -- you're not John Kerry, John King, thanks very much for that tonight.

We're going to have some more new poll numbers out a little bit later when we talk to the "CROSSFIRE" guys.

The presidential race is not the only one that's being bitterly fought this year. Nationwide, 34 Senate seats are also up for grabs. And if the Democrats have any hope to regain control of the Senate, in some states their best chance might be to sound like, well, more like Republicans.

It's a risky strategy aligning yourself with the enemy, but in a tough election year, swinging both ways, well, that is raw politics. Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER (voice-over): From state to state, voters can be excused for being confused. Their Democratic Senate candidates are running to the right, straight into the arms of President Bush.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, DASCHLE AD)

ANNOUNCER: In our country's hour of need, Tom Daschle made us proud.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, CARSON AD)

ANNOUNCER: And President Bush praised Brad Carson for supporting his tax cuts.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COOPER: Are all these candidates going the way of Zell Miller, the Democratic senator who spoke at the Republican convention?

ZELL MILLER (D), GEORGIA: Our nation is being torn apart and made weaker because of a Democrat's manic obsession to bring down our commander in chief.

COOPER: Not quite. We aren't witnessing political transformations, just political expediency. See, these Democrats are running in bleeding-red territory, Bush turf -- South Dakota, Oklahoma, the Carolinas, Alaska, and Georgia, states Bush carried in 2000, and will most likely carry in 2004.

WILLIAM SCHNEIDER, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: If it means that the Democratic candidate has to keep a distance from John Kerry and perhaps agree with George Bush on some issues, like, say, Iraq, so be it.

COOPER: In these states, Kerry's appeal is limited, and Democratic candidates are distancing themselves from him on issues like gun control and the same-sex marriage amendment. So how did does this jump to the right sit within the party?

SCHNEIDER: All the Democrats really care about is that a senator get elected with a D after his or her name.

COOPER: Proving that proving running from your party's leader toward your party's nemesis for political advantage isn't personal, it's just raw politics.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: Well, more flu shots on the way. That story tops our look at what's happening right now cross-country.

Secretary of Health and Human Services Tommy Thompson says an extra 2.6 million doses of the vaccine will be provided by a French company, but the shots won't arrive until January. Now, that will push the number of vaccines available to about 60 million. Thompson says the FDA is also talking with Canada and other countries to see if they have extra vaccines.

Carmel, California, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger breaks from the GOP, endorsing a bond measure that would fund human embryonic stem cell research. If Proposition 71 is approved on November 2, the state would borrow $3 billion for the research, all of which would have to be paid back by taxpayers and with interest.

Atlanta, Georgia, now, a deadly plane crash. Small plane, private plane it was, slammed into an auto collision shop, burst into flames. Luckily two people in the shop were not hurt, but sadly, two people on the plane were killed. No word yet on exactly what caused the crash.

In New York, Martha Stewart's appeal, sources tell CNN Stewart's attorneys plan to argue her Sixth Amendment right to confront a witness was violated during her trial. Stewart's attorneys couldn't cross-examine her former stockbroker after a damaging audiotape was played, because he never took the witness stand. Stewart's serving a five-month sentence at a federal prison in West Virginia.

And that's a look at what's happening cross-country tonight.

So are you ready for the 360 challenge? Later in the program, we're going to ask you three questions that test your knowledge on today's news. Now, if you watch our show closely, you should be able to get them all right. And if you're the first to e-mail us, all three correct answers, we'll send you (UNINTELLIGIBLE) a C-360 T- shirt. We'll also announce last night's winner. The challenge is coming up.

Also tonight, murder in sin city. A Las Vegas casino executive is dead, and the bookies are laying odds on who committed the crime. Plus, inside a terror attack. Today, for the first time, you see it right there, what it was like inside the Madrid train station when the bombs started going off. All caught on tape.

And "The O'Reilly Factor," is Fox News uses the power of the press to go after his accuser? New court documents filed today. Court TV's Lisa Bloom joins us live.

All that ahead. First, let's take a look at your picks, the most popular stories on CNN.com right now.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: Well, there's always something to see in Las Vegas, but these days, the main attraction isn't on the strip, it's in a courtroom. That's where the biggest murder trial to hit the city in years has returned. The case, say observers, is like a movie, filled with sex and drugs and money. And just like a movie, it now has a sequel.

CNN's Miguel Marquez reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MIGUEL MARQUEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Las Vegas, it's a city with a million stories. This one has it all.

JEFF GERMAN, "LAS VEGAS SUN": Love, betrayal, sex, drugs, buried treasure, and again, and of course, murder.

MIGUEL: Sandy Murphy, former beauty queen, turned exotic dancer, turned trophy girlfriend to casino magnate Ted Bennion (ph) was convicted, along with her other boyfriend, Rick Tavish (ph), of pumping Bennion full of heroin and the antianxiety drug Xanax, then suffocating him. But the defense says Bennion was killed by his own demons.

MICHAEL CRISTALLI, MURPHY'S ATTORNEY: We know for a fact that after Ted lost his gaming license, the only thing he probably loved more than his heroin, he decided to start using more and more and more.

MIGUEL: Thirty-six hours after Bennion's death in 1998, Tavish was caught digging up treasure in the Nevada desert, a wealth of silver Bennion had buried in a vault. And in 2000, Murphy and Tavish were convicted of Bennion's murder.

SANDY MURPHY: And I didn't do anything wrong, and I don't think I should even be here to begin with.

MIGUEL: The Nevada Supreme Court overturned the verdicts last year, saying jurors were overly influenced by an unrelated extortion charge against Tavish.

(on camera): Rick Tavish remains in prison on an unrelated charge, but Sandy Murphy bailed out shortly after the case was overturned, and Vegas insiders say it wasn't long before she was back on the town.

GERMAN: There are these two sides to Murphy, and she's very good at portraying a sweet, innocent public perception. But there's a deeper, more sinister person behind all of that.

MIGUEL (voice-over): Murphy's attorney says his client loved Bennion and was only trying to help him kick his bad habits.

CRISTALLI: It was a relationship that unfortunately got sidetracked by drugs and heroin.

MIGUEL: The retrial of Sandy Murphy and Rick Tavish is expected to wrap up in November. Till then, it may be the most talked-about drama in town.

Miguel Marquez, CNN, Las Vegas.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: Well, new video of the March 11 train attacks in Madrid, Spain, tops our look at what's happening right now in the uplink.

For the first time, security camera, take a look at this. Footage has been aired on Spanish TV showing horrific moments when the bombs actually went off. Unbelievable video. A few weeks ago, some still photos of this tape were released. This is the first time, though, today we're getting a look at this actual moving images. Almost 200 people, of course, were killed in those bombings.

Baghdad, Iraq, now, saved by Google. This man, an Australian journalist kidnapped in Iraq, says he was freed after his captors checked the Internet search engine to confirm his identity. They were convinced he was not a CIA officer or a U.S. contractor. Thanks, Google.

At a zoo in eastern Thailand, bird flu kills 23 tigers. Officials say the animals died after being fed chicken by the zookeepers with flulike symptoms may also be infected. And the bird flu has killed 31 people in Southeast Asia this year. Scary thing.

Seoul, South Korea, now, prostitutes protest, many of them wearing masks to conceal their identities, marched to parliament to rally against a crackdown on the country's sex trade.

And in Lima, Peru, honoring the Lord of the Miracles, tens of thousands of devout Catholics are taking part in this annual procession of the Black Christ. The image was drawn on the wall of a hut and has been worshipped since 1746, when it survived an earthquake while all surrounding buildings were demolished.

That's tonight's uplink.

A one-legged German man is behind bars in Thailand. He says he's just a playboy. That doesn't explain why his face is on posters throughout one town, warning young women, girls, not to have sex with him. He's accused of something more shocking, more sinister, than just being a playboy. But amazingly, there's no law against this in Thailand.

CNN's Aneesh Raman reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ANEESH RAMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It's being called a campaign of vengeance. A 56-year-old German man, Hans Otto Schiemann, accused of deliberately infecting local women in northern Thailand with AIDS. The numbers of alleged victims range from dozens to hundreds. Residents say Schiemann would offer girls, many between 15 and 17 years old, around $100 U.S. for sex.

And with Schiemann now in jail for an immigration violation, they warn that if he's let out, the vendetta will continue.

GREG RAYMENT, NEIGHBOR OF SCHIEMANN: It's important that he be incarcerated, because he'll be a threat to society.

RAMAN: The issue facing Thai authorities is that nobody has come forward to officially accuse Schiemann of the acts. At the moment, he faces only deportation, or two years in jail, and on Monday, he pleaded for release.

"There is no law in Thailand," he says, "there is no justice. I'm being judged without a lawyer."

Schiemann, though, has refused to take an HIV test to confirm that he is, in fact, infected. But his wife, who has full-blown AIDS, says there's no doubt. And on the streets of Chayakum (ph), fear has subsided, at least for now.

(on camera): The motive behind Schiemann's alleged campaign remains somewhat of a mystery. There are suggestions that he himself was infected from a Thai sex worker, sparking his murderous contempt for all Thai women.

Aneesh Raman, CNN, Bangkok.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: Well, 360 next, do you have a fear you haven't faced, like heights or bugs or germs? Our week-long series just might help you face your fears. Tonight, germ phobia and how to overcome it.

Also tonight, Arnold Schwarzenegger on sex and the Republican convention. Find out why he was in the doghouse at home.

We'll also talk politics with the "CROSSFIRE" guys.

And a little later, 360 with George Carlin. Find out why he says he's not voting.

Covering all the angles. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, "AS GOOD AS IT GETS")

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Excuse me.

JACK NICHOLSON, ACTOR: Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, don't touch. Don't touch.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Get a life.

NICHOLSON: Hey, watch it. Don't touch me!

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: That was a classic scene from "As Good As It Gets," a great movie in which Jack Nicholson plays a man with obsessive- compulsive disorder, OCD.

Now, tonight, in part two of our special series, Facing Your Fears, we look at the phobias associated with OCD.

Now, millions of Americans suffer from the disorder, some worse than others. One man had it so bad he wouldn't leave his bed.

CNN's Adaora Udoji has his story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Try touching the sides of the trash can.

ADAORA UDOJI, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The illness consumed 41-year-old Dominick with fear.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Let's go and cross-contaminate your room.

UDOJI: A tormenting fear of germs he's trying to overcome.

(on camera): What do you fear most?

DOMINICK, OCD PATIENT: I just fear something bad is going to happen, and I don't know what it is. So the unknown is very scary.

UDOJI (voice-over): Dominick suffers from obsessive-compulsive disorder. He's fighting anxieties which trigger obsessions and compulsions with no cure.

Dr. Michael Jenike, a pioneer in OCD studies.

DR. MICHAEL JENIKE, OCD INSTITUTE, MCLEAN HOSPITAL: Well, the main symptoms that we see are people that get stuck in things, and they wash their hands excessively, they check doors and light bulbs, and they do it for two or three hours, up to 10, 12, 14, 16 hours a day.

UDOJI: Dominick's problem began 21 years ago. In the Navy, he started washing his hands six to eight hours a day, never feeling clean. Hospitalized, he improved. Later, he became a mail carrier, married, fathered two sons. But this summer, the OCD swiftly resurfaced.

AMANDA, DOMINICK'S WIFE: He was very in pain all the time. He was crying.

UDOJI: He stayed in bed, fearing contamination. His wife says he talked about wanting to die. Family life crumbling, he checked into Boston's Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder Institute, one of only three OCD residential programs.

DOMINICK: I just wish I could be a normal parent, you know, and be able to enjoy my kids.

UDOJI (on camera): Doctors here and across the country estimate that between 2 and 3 percent of the population suffers from obsessive- compulsive disorder. That's 4 to 8 million Americans. And it affects all ages, from children to the elderly.

(voice-over): There is no typical case, though it usually strikes, like it did Dominick, in the late teens or early 20s. Doctors say OCD sufferers have distinctive brain patterns.

JENIKE: They have more activities in the front part of the brain above the eyes in some of the midparts of the brain. It looks like a circuit is activated.

UDOJI: And deactivated, he says, after a combination of antidepressants and behavioral therapy.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Germs from the bathroom, right, are in bed, you're having to sleep with those, right?

UDOJI: Doctors hope Dominick will realize germs are not always bad. That will lower his anxiety levels, and he'll learn to manage his fears.

DOMINICK: I feel like throwing up.

UDOJI: Adaora Udoji, CNN, Boston.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: Well, of course, you don't have to be obsessive- compulsive to experience these kind of fears.

Joining me from Washington to discuss all kinds of phobias is Jerilyn Ross, president and CEO of the Anxiety Disorders Association of America, and author of the book "Triumph Over Fear: A Book of Health and Hope for People With Anxiety, Panic Attacks, and Phobia."

Jerilyn, thanks very much for being with us.

There is hope for people with these kind of phobias, isn't there?

JERILYN ROSS, AUTHOR, "TRIUMPH OVER FEAR": Absolutely. Obsessive-compulsive disorder, phobias, all anxiety disorders are very frightening, and they're something that is -- people don't realize that they have something that is absolutely treatable. About 90 percent of people with these disorders can be effectively treated.

COOPER: Want to talk about how in just a moment. But there are some phobias, I mean, that are pretty far out there, that people don't even (UNINTELLIGIBLE), realize can be phobias. What, what kind of things have you come across?

ROSS: Well, I think all, you know, by definition, a phobia is an irrational, involuntary fear that can hit somebody in do -- in something that they've done maybe all their life without having any anxiety about. So I've had -- so all of them are irrational.

However, I have treated some that sound very extreme. For example, many people don't like driving over bridges. The Chesapeake Bay Bridge here in the Washington area is one that many people are phobic about. I've actually had three patients over the years who, in order to drive across the bridge, they would lock themselves in the trunk of the car and have somebody else drive them across the bridge. I...

COOPER: Wow. What, I mean, what causes something like this?

ROSS: Well, you know, a phobia is a combination of your biology, your genetics, your life experiences, personality.

Usually what happens is, the person is in some kind of a situation, like maybe they're drive -- they've been driving all their life, and all of a sudden they're driving on the highway, and they suddenly feel trapped for some reason, they have this feeling of panic.

They feel like, I've got to get out of here, I'm going to go die, I'm going to go crazy, I'm going to lose control, I've got to get off immediately.

And so they get off the highway. And then the next time they think about getting on the highway, they begin to say, What if it happens again? What if this time they go crazy? What if I die? What if I lose control?

And so the fear of the fear takes on a life of its own. And then they begin avoiding more and more places and situations.

COOPER: So aside from medication and therapy, which I think you probably recommend in a lot of cases, are there things that viewers at home who may be watching this can do in their own lives to sort of look at their own phobias?

ROSS: Well, Anderson, I think the most important thing for people to know is that phobias and other anxiety disorders are real, they're serious, and they're treatable. These are not things, something to be embarrassed about. It's not something that you should feel you have to live your own life and not, and you're not alone, not talk to people about.

The most important thing is taking steps to get help, whether it means engaging a friend, a family member to help you actually gradually confront the situation you're afraid of, or getting professional help.

But for people to realize that as frightening as the feelings are, when they feel they're losing control, they feel something awful is going to happen, as frightening as those feelings are, they are not dangerous. The worst that happens is that they feel really, really frightened.

If they don't get help, oftentimes what happens, they then begin to develop secondary problems, like depression, or turn to drugs and alcohol.

COOPER: Interesting. Well, treatment is out there. Jerilyn Ross, we appreciate you joining us.

ROSS: Absolutely.

COOPER: Thanks.

ROSS: My pleasure.

COOPER: Today's buzz is this. What are you most afraid of? Heights, germs, public speaking, or death? Those are some of the most common ones. Log onto CNN.com/360, cast your vote. Results at the end of the program tonight.

Our series, Facing Your Fears, continues tomorrow. We're going to look at the fear of leaving home. You're going to meet a cable TV star who battled with this phobia for 20 years. She'll tell us how she overcame it.

On Thursday, we'll tackle a fear that affects one in every six people, the fear of flying. And on Friday, how to deal with cockroaches, spiders, and other creepy-crawlies that get under your skin. They certainly get under mine.

Facing Your Fears, all this week on 360.

Democrats for Bush? Why are so many Democratic senators up for reelection embracing the president? Are they changing parties, or just playing raw politics?

And tonight, we go 360 with the always unpredictable George Carlin, talking presidential politics, lying politicians, and why he says he's not voting.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: Well, it's just two weeks to go. Both presidential candidates are reaching for anything to earn the all-important vote that can put them over the top and into the White House next year. Everything from terrorism to race to flu shots is up for grabs. Earlier, I discussed the campaign with "CROSSFIRE" hosts Tucker Carlson and Paul Begala. Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) COOPER: Paul, so John Kerry is using this flu vaccine to attack President Bush or the lack of the vaccine, and he even told some seniors in Florida, quote, that they don't, quote, "Have a prayer of getting a flu shot." Are these just scare tactics and are they going to work.

PAUL BEGALA, CO-HOST "CROSSFIRE": I think people are scared. We only have half the vaccine we need, and we're getting reports that the Bush administration did in fact drop the ball. The British were relying on that same factory. They were warned apparently, we were warned reportedly a year ago. The British scrambled and got more and the Bush administration did nothing, and I think it fits into a pattern that Kerry's trying to (UNINTELLIGIBLE). And President Bush denying reality.

COOPER: Does it play into what other Republicans are saying that John Kerry will say anything, do anything to get elected.

BEGALA: Well, any politics will do or saying anything. I mean, President Bush is playing to fear on issues of terrorism and 9/11. And even showed dead bodies from 9/11 in his ads for goodness sake. This is a real problem, half the people who need flu shots aren't going to be able to get them because the president dropped the ball. I think it's legitimate criticism.

What should he be responsible for, if not the actions of his administration? Or the lack of action in this case.

COOPER: Tucker, Dick Cheney has warned some crowd about a nuclear terrorist strike in U.S. cities -- in U.S. cities, saying that you've got to get your mind around the concept.

Is that a scare tactic?

TUCKER CARLSON, CO-HOST "CROSSFIRE": Of course it is, he believes it, though. I mean, Dick Cheney, is one those members of the Bush administration who really believes there's an imminent threat from terrorists. Leaving aside Iraq, this is what he does. He worries about it all day long. I think it's a completely valid concern. I think it's fair to run on national security as an issue. Of course, if you think your guys not going to keep America safer, why support him? Why flack for him?

COOPER: All right, Paul, lets take a look at this new poll. Percentage of African American's voting for President Bush, in 2000 it was 9 percent, 2004, according to this poll, 18 percent. President Bush just about doubled his approval rating among African-Americans. What's he done right?

BEGALA: Beats me. You know, African-Americans I talked to are strongly supporting Kerry. There was another poll a few weeks before that that showed Bush down from 8 percent last time to just 7. One of his campaign officials in Michigan, said for the record, that the Bush strategy in Michigan was to "Suppress the Detroit vote." Now, Detroit is 83 percent black, what do you suppose he meant by that?

You know, maybe they should rethink their strategy in Michigan in they think Bush is going to better with African-Americans.

CARLSON: Look, I mean, part of it's just the rhetoric on the left has gotten so tired on this question, calling your opponent racist in every single election. I mean, it's just boring. The idea of the NAACP is the one legitimate group is the one group that speaks for all black people. That's like rhetoric out of the '70s, it's tired. I think it's bad for any group, black, white, any group to vote so overwhelmingly for one party. It's like at North Korean levels. It doesn't help that group. And a lot has been written by black journalists on this subject, does it help us as a group to throw our support overwhelmingly, unquestionably behind the Democratic Party? No, of course not.

COOPER: Same poll, John Kerry gets 69 percent of the black vote compared to 90 percent, Al Gore, got in 2000.

What do you make of that Paul.?

BEGALA: Well, African American are traditionally later deciding voters. So I guess if if I'm working for John Kerry, I think there's a legitimate concern among African-American leaders that John Kerry doesn't have the same appeal there that Bill Clinton, did. Very few people do. So, they do have to do more. They do have to work harder. But also, I just know from 20 years in this business that African- Americans often decide much later than, certainly like white conservatives who decide earlier.

CARLSON: I think that's absolutely true, you will -- you will see the Kerry campaign continue to imply that Bush and the people around him are racists. And I just think that's, ugh.

BEGALA: How would you describe that strategy to say suppress the Detroit vote?

CARLSON: It's not a strategy. It's some idiot in the Michigan office said that. They don't want -- they don't want...

BEGALA: It was an official in the campaign.

CARLSON: They know people in Detroit aren't going to vote for Bush. Why would they want to help the turn out there. It's not an anti-black strategy. I'm serious, I'm not defending it, I'm just saying that's what politics is. But it's hard to say that Bush is a racist, and he shouldn't say it.

BEGALA: He's not a racist at all, but that was an outrageous statement.

COOPER: We're going to leave it there. Tucker Carlson, Paul Begala, 20 years in politics, Paul? Oi, I don't know how you did it. All right, see you guys later.

He doesn't look a day over 20.

Iraq may have faded from the campaign a bit in the last couple of days, but the unrest there certainly hasn't weaned. Today near the northern city of Taji, four Iraqi national guard were killed, 80 wounded where their base was hit by a mortar attack. Eighty of them wounded.

And in Baghdad a rocket and mortar attack killed a contractor and wounded an American soldier.

Now remember all that talk about winning Iraqi hearts and minds, you really don't hear that much any more. Now they'd be happy with winning just a little bit of trust.

CNN's Jane Arraf, reports from Baqubah, Iraq.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JANE ARRAF, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A year and a half after the end of the war, there are few Americans talking about winning the hearts and minds of Iraqis. Now they're just trying to earn their trust. Soldiers still throw candy to children, even from helicopters. And they value friendly waving from townspeople.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Right now somebody sees someone throwing rocks at us, they'll using try to drop two bags of toys or candy.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They all do the (UNINTELLIGIBLE).

ARRAF: But the U.S. military's mission here is more complex than anyone bargained for, in an environment more hostile than anyone expected. Increasingly they're aiming at more tangible goals.

LT. COL. STEVE BULLMORE, U.S. ARMY: Can we have trust and confidence in each other, Iraqis and us, and us and Iraqis? I would think that's far easier than have them being of the same heart and of the same mind.

ARRAF: Ralife Salid Abdul Salam (ph), chief of police of Deala (ph) in the Sunni Triangle says trust between military commanders here and the police has built slowly. Now, he says, that has to trickle down to the level of ordinary Iraqis.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): We need time to convince the people of the intentions of the Americans, the intentions behind their presence and efforts for Iraq.

ARRAF: After the war, Iraqis expected peace and prosperity in this oil-rich country. Most have neither, and they blame the United States.

The Americans have brought us nothing concrete, only words, this (UNINTELLIGIBLE) tells us, reeling off a list of complaints.

American psychological operations team still broadcast their messages in towns and cities, but many of those messages are asking for help in defeating the insurgency. Still, the trust they need, sadly military leaders devote a lot of time to talking with local leaders. At the 1st Infantry Division 3rd Brigade they learned they use lesson the ethnic cauldron of Kosovo, primary patience. COL. DANA PITARD, U.S. ARMY: What we learned there for meetings, success is is that you wait everybody out, now you listen to everybody's issues.

ARRAF: Success, he says, won't be making Iraqis like the American presence here, they probably won't ever do that, it will be to gain their confidence and cooperation in building a new Iraq.

Jane Arraf, CNN, Baqubah, Iraq.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: Tough job there.

360 next, new accusations in the lawsuit against Bill O'Reilly. The woman accusing him of sexual harassment, says Fox News is now recruiting a New York tabloid to get back at her.

Also a little later, George Carlin on politics, lying politicians and why he says he's not voting.

Plus in a minute, today's 360 challenge. How closely have been following today's news? We'll also announce yesterday's winner. We'll, take the test in a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: Time now for today's "360" challenge. Question number one, an Australian journalist kidnapped in Iraq was freed after his kidnappers used what Internet search engine to confirm his identity?

Question number two: Martha Stewart's lawyers will reportedly argue her what amendment right was violated? Looking for a number.

And three, the man featured in tonight's 360 special on obsessive compulsive disorder is afraid of what? Log on now to cnn.com/360, and click on the challenge link. Be the first to answer all three questions correctly, we'll send you a 360 T-shirt. The answers coming up. We'll also announce yesterday's challenge winner.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: The war of words and lawsuits between Bill O'Reilly and a female producer accusing him of sexual harassment is getting bigger and uglier. Tonight, Andrea Mackris is not only taking on O'Reilly and Fox News, but she's now setting her sights on "The New York Post." In new court filing, she said Fox is using "The Post" to attack her. Court TV anchor Lisa Bloom broke this story. She joins us now. Lisa, thanks for being with us.

LISA BLOOM, COURT TV: Hi, Anderson.

COOPER: "The Post" -- same company owns "The Post" and owns Fox.

BLOOM: Right. COOPER: And Mackris basically, and her attorney, they're accusing "The Post" of writing an article on Friday that was a retaliation for her lawsuit. And I'm going to put up a quote from the article. The article, quotes someone as saying, "she literally verbally attacked and abused and harassed us at the Peninsula Hotel, like a raving lunatic."

Now, obviously they have the same owner. Is this some sort of evidence of retaliation?

BLOOM: Well, it is, Anderson, because ordinarily when someone raises a claim of sexual harassment, an employer goes out of its way to be very careful not to do anything negative to that employee. Fox has taken the opposite approach, gone on the attack, and she says in these new papers that were just sent out for filing today that Fox News, its parent corporation, as you say, is Newscorp, which also owns "The New York Post." "The New York Post" and Fox News Channel are both in the same building right here in New York City, so you can imagine they're working together.

COOPER: But she (UNINTELLIGIBLE) -- she's imagining it? I mean, you are just saying...

BLOOM: She's imagining what? I don't think...

COOPER: I'm not saying she's imagining it, but she has no actual proof at this point. This is basically just her allegation.

BLOOM: Well, look at the way "The Post" has covered this story, Anderson. Most of us have reported on legal developments and legal filings. They haven't done that. They're run piece after piece, including today, smearing Andrea Mackris. And what she and her attorneys say is this is part of the retaliation against her. They certainly didn't run any negative articles about her before she complained of sexual harassment, and legally speaking, an employer has to be very careful after a claim is raised.

COOPER: But you know, "The Post" is a newspaper, they would say they're covering the news. I want to show you also, you know, there's another article I guess in "The Post" today on Mackris, this one alleging that she bragged about her friendship with Al Franken, talked about taking down Bill O'Reilly. But "The Post's" rival paper, which is "The Daily News," they have a similar article. So doesn't that sort of argue against Mackris' claim that it's only "The New York Post?"

BLOOM: Well, listen, I spoke to Bo Dietl today. He's the investigator hired by Fox News. He claims that he's feeding these stories to the local press, and other press outlets may pick up on these negative stories about Andrea Mackris. But the question is, why is Fox News feeding these stories to the press? You know, another allegation in her complaint that was filed today is that this investigator, Bo Dietl, said openly on national television on Friday that he's going to destroy her credibility...

COOPER: Well, let's put his quote... BLOOM: Send her a message, and beware.

COOPER: Let's put his quote on. This was on TV last week, in defense, Bo Dietl -- he says, quote, "When you file these frivolous lawsuits and you think you're going to get people who are well known to give you money for garbage like this, we're going to investigate you. We're going to uncover things about your life so you're wide open right now. So beware, people."

Now, they say that's a threat, Mackris and her attorney...

BLOOM: Absolutely.

COOPER: ... but I mean, isn't this what private investigators do?

BLOOM: Well, no, Anderson, again, because the civil rights laws protect people who come forward with claims of discrimination or harassment. An employer is not allowed to take any negative action against those employees. We want to encourage people to report harassment and discrimination. When somebody says openly on national television, we're going to go after her, we're going to destroy her credibility, we're going to send a message, beware, that's exactly the opposite of what the law is designed to protect.

COOPER: All right. Lisa Bloom, we will be watching the case. Thanks very much.

BLOOM: Thank you.

COOPER: Well, a spokesman at "The New York Post" declined our request for a comment, saying they haven't yet seen the amended lawsuit.

Well, 360 next, the one and only George Carlin, the comedian and author, stops by, with his acerbic wit, tell us a lot, including plenty on the White House race and why he's not voting, according to him.

Plus, sex, politics and a shut-out. Find out why Arnold Schwarzenegger says he was in the doghouse after the Republican Convention. All ahead. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: Well, politics and families don't always mix well. And California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has been learning that the hard way. When Schwarzenegger spoke before the Republican National Convention back in August, he was of course a big hit with the party faithful -- apparently not with his wife, Maria Shriver, who happens to be a member, of course, of the Kennedy family. Schwarzenegger described the hardship yesterday during an on-stage conversation with former White House chief of staff, Leon Panetta. Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) LEON PANETTA, FORMER WHITE HOUSE CHIEF OF STAFF: So you give this fiery speech at the Republican Convention. How long did it take you before you talked to each other?

GOV. ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER (R), CALIFORNIA: Well, there was no sex for 40 days.

(LAUGHTER)

SCHWARZENEGGER: Everything comes with side effects. That's just the way it is.

PANETTA: Let me move right along here.

(LAUGHTER)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COOPER: Schwarzenegger also said he didn't need to see the presidential debates to watch a smart liberal Democrat argue with a Republican leader. For that, he says he just needs to go to dinner with his wife.

In tonight's "Current," George Carlin. Now he says on the day he was born, God winced. He probably laughed a bit, too. Carlin has a new book out. It's called "When Will Jesus Bring the Pork Chops?" I spoke with him earlier today about this strange political season. He joined me earlier from Washington.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: I've got to start out by asking about the title of the book, "When Will Jesus Bring the Pork Chops?" What does that mean?

GEORGE CARLIN, COMEDIAN & ACTOR: What I like about it is that it really offends all three big religious groups in the world, the Muslims, the Jews and the Christians plus the vegetarians, so you can't beat that.

COOPER: What do you make of what's going on in the world of politics? I mean, every election, I think it can't get any more surreal, any more interesting, and then the next election just gets more surreal and more interesting.

CARLIN: Well, I have long been a fan and a -- you know, a real fan of politics, the electoral variety, not so much the functioning part. And I just love it for the game. It's high drama, it's blood sport and I love it for the spectacle and the game. The strategies of back and forth. This is an interesting one. I think probably the most interesting stories -- and this has been suggested around the block a couple of times -- will be these irregular voting patterns, the methods of voting this absentee, this provisional, this electronic, this paper, this punch card, this machine, all of these -- there's just room for an awful lot of mischief. And as you know there are a lot of legal people just standing by panting, panting to get into it. It will be a lot of fun. Because I like the game. I really don't care about the outcome.

COOPER: What do you mean you don't care about the outcome? You don't feel actually involved in it as a citizen?

CARLIN: No, I don't vote.

COOPER: You don't vote?

CARLIN: No, of course not. It's meaningless.

COOPER: What state do you live in?

CARLIN: Well, in California voting left of center is kind of meaningless, anyway. But even if I lived in Florida and they said, you know, they called me up and said your vote can decide it, I wouldn't do it out of principle, because it's really a game. It's just a game. The owners of this country, the ownership class, they own the whole deal. They run it. They pay for -- they buy and pay for the politicians, the public servants, the judiciary, and you're allowed, I guess, every four years we're allowed to rearrange the deck chairs on the Titanic. I've always loved that figure of speech.

COOPER: You also don't like the term "have a nice day?" You're sick of that.

CARLIN: Well, I have a rather lengthy discussion about my variations on it, which includes -- which are more specific to the time of day. No one can be expected to have a nice day all day long. It's asking too much of the other person, but if I say, have a satisfying midmorning, there's a chance this will happen. Have a challenging pre-dusk. I like to take part of the day and perhaps have a different adjective or adverb.

COOPER: I like that, a challenging pre-dusk. I've got to work on having one of those. You also said that politicians never really admit to working in government.

CARLIN: No, they're serving the nation. I've been serving the nation, I've been in public service, they talk about being in public service, they serve the nation. If you would like a little further understanding of the word "service," just picture what goes on on the stud farm. That's the sort of service we get from these chaps. But they're not to blame because they represent the people. People put them there and people are responsible for them.

COOPER: George Carlin, the new book is, "When Will Jesus Bring the Pork Chops?" Still trying to figure out what it means but it's sure to offend.

CARLIN: Yes.

COOPER: And we appreciate you joining us. Thanks, George.

CARLIN: Thank you so much for asking me over.

COOPER: Yes, have a nice day. CARLIN: OK. Take care, man. Bye-bye, thanks.

COOPER: All right. Well, have a good after post-dusk or whatever.

360 next. You know it's an election year because we keep hearing words from the candidates mouthed only every four years. We're going to take that to the Nth Degree.

And tomorrow afraid to leave home. A cable TV star shares how she overcame her phobia. Part of our special series, "Facing Your Fears."

First today's buzz. "What are you afraid of most? Heights, germs, public speaking, death." Log on to CNN.com/360. Cast your vote now. Results when we come back. We'll also have the results of the 360 challenge and find out if you're a potential winner.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: Time now for the answers to today's 360 challenge. If you're the first to send in the correct answers, you'll get a 360 T- shirt. Question number one, an Australian journalist kidnapped in Iraq was freed after his kidnappers used what Internet search engine to confirm his identity? The answer is Google.

Number two, Martha Stewart's lawyers reportedly plan to argue her what amendment right was violated? It was the sixth amendment.

And number three, a man featured in tonight's 360 special on obsessive compulsive disorder is afraid of what? That answer is germs.

Tune in tomorrow to find out if you are the one to first e-mail us. Last night's winner of the 360 challenge, Megan Griffith (ph) from Tulsa, Oklahoma. Thanks for playing. She'll be getting a 360 T- shirt. We'll also have another 360 challenge tomorrow.

Time now for the buzz. Earlier we asked you, "what are you most afraid of?" It's almost a split vote but the majority, 31 percent are most afraid of heights, fear of death and public speaking not too far behind. Certainly not a scientific poll but it is your buzz. Thanks for voting.

Tonight taking quadrennial language to the Nth Degree. Are you tired of hearing the same words and phrases over and over again every day? Well, just hang in there. Two more weeks and you won't hear them again for another four years. After all there are a bunch of things we only talk about in presidential election years. For instance, the electoral college. Does it have a campus? How come its football team never makes it to any of the Bowl games? What do electoral collegians do the rest of the time?

And then, but only every four years, there's a great deal of talk about litmus tests for judges. If it's really that important, shouldn't we all be tested? Is there a shortage of that vaccine as well?

And margins of error. There's a phrase you don't hear in non- election years, or in real life, for that matter. In answer to the question, are you sure about that? Have you ever had anyone say to you, yes, give or take three percentage points? Good-bye to all that for four more years after the 2nd of November and to commercials that strain the credulity and end with someone saying, I approve this ad.

I'm Anderson Cooper. Thanks for watching. Coming up next, "PAULA ZAHN NOW."

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com


Aired October 19, 2004 - 19:00   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
ANDERSON COOPER, HOST: Hey, good evening from New York. I'm Anderson cooper.
Halloween is a week from Sunday, but George Bush and John Kerry hope you're already afraid of things that go bump in the night.

360 starts now.

Pounding the battleground states, with two weeks to go, Bush and Kerry make their moves, hoping to lock up the election.

Democrats for Bush? Why are so many Democratic senators up for reelection embracing the president? Are they changing parties, or just playing raw politics?

Murder in sin city. Sex, strippers, gambling, money, drugs, and buried treasure? A real-life murder trial that has Vegas playing the odds.

Facing your Fears, our special series. Tonight, germ phobia. Is your fear of germs ruining your life?

And tonight we go 360 with the always unpredictable George Carlin, talking presidential politics, lying politicians, and why he says he's not voting.

ANNOUNCER: Live from the CNN Broadcast Center in New York, this is ANDERSON COOPER 360.

COOPER: And good evening again.

Two weeks until election day, and while we're not sure who's going to win, we are sure that the candidates want you to be afraid, be very afraid.

Afraid of what? Take your pick. Not getting a flu shot? Losing your Social Security benefits? Or even a terrorist setting off a nuclear bomb in an American city. I don't care if you're a Republican or Democrat, but both the Bush and Kerry campaigns are selling fear big-time.

So lock your doors, turn up the lights, and let's get right to the heart of the matter. Standing by for us in Florida with the president, senior White House correspondent John King.

And in Ohio, senior political correspondent Candy Crowley, with whom we begin tonight. Candy?

CANDY CROWLEY, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: Anderson, think about it, you have two weeks to go, you are challenging an incumbent president. You know you are close, but you are not quite there. The question is, what do you do now?

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CROWLEY (voice-over): (audio interrupt) of undecideds, John Kerry stalks the center now as he pushes the president to the right.

SEN. JOHN KERRY, DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: The president and his friends keep feeding the people at the top, keep walking on by and crossing over to the other side of the street and ignoring those who need the help in America.

I'm going to be a champion for the middle class, for the working votes.

CROWLEY: Kerry promises better and higher-paying jobs, more available, cheaper health care, and Social Security as-is.

KERRY: I will not privatize Social Security, I will not cut the benefits, I will not raise the retirement age.

CROWLEY: In the battleground of Pennsylvania, where 28 percent of voters in 2000 were 60 and older, Kerry enjoys an edge, but not a lock. He has been here 19 times this election season, and this time, pushing hard against the president's plan to let younger workers invest a portion of their Social Security taxes.

KERRY: He wants to be the first president in history to put the greatest retirement program in history at risk.

CROWLEY: In the time left, Kerry's task is twofold, convince fence-sitters that he is nonscary, nonthreatening, nonliberal presidential material, and keep his base wound up by defining the election in the starkest of terms.

KERRY: ... a choice between one candidate who will save Social Security, and another who will undermine it.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CROWLEY: Kerry strategists are dismissing recent polls which give the president a slight but still perceptible edge. "We're very comfortable where we are," one strategist told me, although he did admit that unseating an incumbent president is a difficult task, Anderson.

COOPER: All right, Candy Crowley, thanks for that.

Doesn't it feel like the candidates wish they could do what NASA sometimes does, stop the clock on a countdown? Fourteen days and holding, the PA system would announce. Not possible of course. The clock is ticking, the launch pad ready, and ready or not, come the second of November, this thing is taking off.

From the president's camp tonight, we turn to senior White House correspondent John King.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOHN KING, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Campaigning in must-win Florida, for the president, a day spent largely on defense, answering attacks Mr. Bush calls "cynical fear- mongering."

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: On November the 2nd, the people of America will reject the politics of fear and vote for an agenda of hope and opportunity and security.

KING: At The Villages, a voter-rich retirement community northwest of Orlando, rebutting Senator Kerry's claim that a second Bush term might bankrupt Social Security and bring a restoration of the draft.

BUSH: We will keep the promise of Social Security for our seniors, and there will be no draft as long as I'm the president.

KING: The shortage of flu vaccines is both a health problem and a campaign issue. Senator Kerry blames the president, who calls that charge ludicrous, but nonetheless took time in St. Petersburg to make sure it did not go unanswered.

BUSH: We have millions of vaccine doses on hand for the most vulnerable Americans, and millions more will be shipped in the coming weeks.

KING: The Bush campaign prides itself on knocking the other guy off stride, and Tuesday brought a new line on Senator Kerry's evolving views on the Iraq war.

BUSH: At a time of great challenge in the world, the commander in chief must stand on principle, not on the shifting sands of political convenience.

KING: But the uncharacteristically defensive tone on Social Security, the draft, and the flu was all the more striking. But the rebuttals necessary, Bush aides say, because the race here and nationally is so tight, with just two weeks left.

BUSH: My opponent will say anything he thinks will benefit him politically at the time.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KING: Early voting, of course, already under way here in Florida, including a polling place about a mile from the president's last event here at The Villages today. Anderson, the elderly vote here in Florida and nationally is always critical. Right now, the trend line not so favorable to the president. Six weeks ago he was up 7 points among voters aged 65 and over. Right now, it's a dead heat, Anderson.

COOPER: Interesting. John Kerry -- John King -- you're not John Kerry, John King, thanks very much for that tonight.

We're going to have some more new poll numbers out a little bit later when we talk to the "CROSSFIRE" guys.

The presidential race is not the only one that's being bitterly fought this year. Nationwide, 34 Senate seats are also up for grabs. And if the Democrats have any hope to regain control of the Senate, in some states their best chance might be to sound like, well, more like Republicans.

It's a risky strategy aligning yourself with the enemy, but in a tough election year, swinging both ways, well, that is raw politics. Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER (voice-over): From state to state, voters can be excused for being confused. Their Democratic Senate candidates are running to the right, straight into the arms of President Bush.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, DASCHLE AD)

ANNOUNCER: In our country's hour of need, Tom Daschle made us proud.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, CARSON AD)

ANNOUNCER: And President Bush praised Brad Carson for supporting his tax cuts.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COOPER: Are all these candidates going the way of Zell Miller, the Democratic senator who spoke at the Republican convention?

ZELL MILLER (D), GEORGIA: Our nation is being torn apart and made weaker because of a Democrat's manic obsession to bring down our commander in chief.

COOPER: Not quite. We aren't witnessing political transformations, just political expediency. See, these Democrats are running in bleeding-red territory, Bush turf -- South Dakota, Oklahoma, the Carolinas, Alaska, and Georgia, states Bush carried in 2000, and will most likely carry in 2004.

WILLIAM SCHNEIDER, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: If it means that the Democratic candidate has to keep a distance from John Kerry and perhaps agree with George Bush on some issues, like, say, Iraq, so be it.

COOPER: In these states, Kerry's appeal is limited, and Democratic candidates are distancing themselves from him on issues like gun control and the same-sex marriage amendment. So how did does this jump to the right sit within the party?

SCHNEIDER: All the Democrats really care about is that a senator get elected with a D after his or her name.

COOPER: Proving that proving running from your party's leader toward your party's nemesis for political advantage isn't personal, it's just raw politics.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: Well, more flu shots on the way. That story tops our look at what's happening right now cross-country.

Secretary of Health and Human Services Tommy Thompson says an extra 2.6 million doses of the vaccine will be provided by a French company, but the shots won't arrive until January. Now, that will push the number of vaccines available to about 60 million. Thompson says the FDA is also talking with Canada and other countries to see if they have extra vaccines.

Carmel, California, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger breaks from the GOP, endorsing a bond measure that would fund human embryonic stem cell research. If Proposition 71 is approved on November 2, the state would borrow $3 billion for the research, all of which would have to be paid back by taxpayers and with interest.

Atlanta, Georgia, now, a deadly plane crash. Small plane, private plane it was, slammed into an auto collision shop, burst into flames. Luckily two people in the shop were not hurt, but sadly, two people on the plane were killed. No word yet on exactly what caused the crash.

In New York, Martha Stewart's appeal, sources tell CNN Stewart's attorneys plan to argue her Sixth Amendment right to confront a witness was violated during her trial. Stewart's attorneys couldn't cross-examine her former stockbroker after a damaging audiotape was played, because he never took the witness stand. Stewart's serving a five-month sentence at a federal prison in West Virginia.

And that's a look at what's happening cross-country tonight.

So are you ready for the 360 challenge? Later in the program, we're going to ask you three questions that test your knowledge on today's news. Now, if you watch our show closely, you should be able to get them all right. And if you're the first to e-mail us, all three correct answers, we'll send you (UNINTELLIGIBLE) a C-360 T- shirt. We'll also announce last night's winner. The challenge is coming up.

Also tonight, murder in sin city. A Las Vegas casino executive is dead, and the bookies are laying odds on who committed the crime. Plus, inside a terror attack. Today, for the first time, you see it right there, what it was like inside the Madrid train station when the bombs started going off. All caught on tape.

And "The O'Reilly Factor," is Fox News uses the power of the press to go after his accuser? New court documents filed today. Court TV's Lisa Bloom joins us live.

All that ahead. First, let's take a look at your picks, the most popular stories on CNN.com right now.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: Well, there's always something to see in Las Vegas, but these days, the main attraction isn't on the strip, it's in a courtroom. That's where the biggest murder trial to hit the city in years has returned. The case, say observers, is like a movie, filled with sex and drugs and money. And just like a movie, it now has a sequel.

CNN's Miguel Marquez reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MIGUEL MARQUEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Las Vegas, it's a city with a million stories. This one has it all.

JEFF GERMAN, "LAS VEGAS SUN": Love, betrayal, sex, drugs, buried treasure, and again, and of course, murder.

MIGUEL: Sandy Murphy, former beauty queen, turned exotic dancer, turned trophy girlfriend to casino magnate Ted Bennion (ph) was convicted, along with her other boyfriend, Rick Tavish (ph), of pumping Bennion full of heroin and the antianxiety drug Xanax, then suffocating him. But the defense says Bennion was killed by his own demons.

MICHAEL CRISTALLI, MURPHY'S ATTORNEY: We know for a fact that after Ted lost his gaming license, the only thing he probably loved more than his heroin, he decided to start using more and more and more.

MIGUEL: Thirty-six hours after Bennion's death in 1998, Tavish was caught digging up treasure in the Nevada desert, a wealth of silver Bennion had buried in a vault. And in 2000, Murphy and Tavish were convicted of Bennion's murder.

SANDY MURPHY: And I didn't do anything wrong, and I don't think I should even be here to begin with.

MIGUEL: The Nevada Supreme Court overturned the verdicts last year, saying jurors were overly influenced by an unrelated extortion charge against Tavish.

(on camera): Rick Tavish remains in prison on an unrelated charge, but Sandy Murphy bailed out shortly after the case was overturned, and Vegas insiders say it wasn't long before she was back on the town.

GERMAN: There are these two sides to Murphy, and she's very good at portraying a sweet, innocent public perception. But there's a deeper, more sinister person behind all of that.

MIGUEL (voice-over): Murphy's attorney says his client loved Bennion and was only trying to help him kick his bad habits.

CRISTALLI: It was a relationship that unfortunately got sidetracked by drugs and heroin.

MIGUEL: The retrial of Sandy Murphy and Rick Tavish is expected to wrap up in November. Till then, it may be the most talked-about drama in town.

Miguel Marquez, CNN, Las Vegas.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: Well, new video of the March 11 train attacks in Madrid, Spain, tops our look at what's happening right now in the uplink.

For the first time, security camera, take a look at this. Footage has been aired on Spanish TV showing horrific moments when the bombs actually went off. Unbelievable video. A few weeks ago, some still photos of this tape were released. This is the first time, though, today we're getting a look at this actual moving images. Almost 200 people, of course, were killed in those bombings.

Baghdad, Iraq, now, saved by Google. This man, an Australian journalist kidnapped in Iraq, says he was freed after his captors checked the Internet search engine to confirm his identity. They were convinced he was not a CIA officer or a U.S. contractor. Thanks, Google.

At a zoo in eastern Thailand, bird flu kills 23 tigers. Officials say the animals died after being fed chicken by the zookeepers with flulike symptoms may also be infected. And the bird flu has killed 31 people in Southeast Asia this year. Scary thing.

Seoul, South Korea, now, prostitutes protest, many of them wearing masks to conceal their identities, marched to parliament to rally against a crackdown on the country's sex trade.

And in Lima, Peru, honoring the Lord of the Miracles, tens of thousands of devout Catholics are taking part in this annual procession of the Black Christ. The image was drawn on the wall of a hut and has been worshipped since 1746, when it survived an earthquake while all surrounding buildings were demolished.

That's tonight's uplink.

A one-legged German man is behind bars in Thailand. He says he's just a playboy. That doesn't explain why his face is on posters throughout one town, warning young women, girls, not to have sex with him. He's accused of something more shocking, more sinister, than just being a playboy. But amazingly, there's no law against this in Thailand.

CNN's Aneesh Raman reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ANEESH RAMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It's being called a campaign of vengeance. A 56-year-old German man, Hans Otto Schiemann, accused of deliberately infecting local women in northern Thailand with AIDS. The numbers of alleged victims range from dozens to hundreds. Residents say Schiemann would offer girls, many between 15 and 17 years old, around $100 U.S. for sex.

And with Schiemann now in jail for an immigration violation, they warn that if he's let out, the vendetta will continue.

GREG RAYMENT, NEIGHBOR OF SCHIEMANN: It's important that he be incarcerated, because he'll be a threat to society.

RAMAN: The issue facing Thai authorities is that nobody has come forward to officially accuse Schiemann of the acts. At the moment, he faces only deportation, or two years in jail, and on Monday, he pleaded for release.

"There is no law in Thailand," he says, "there is no justice. I'm being judged without a lawyer."

Schiemann, though, has refused to take an HIV test to confirm that he is, in fact, infected. But his wife, who has full-blown AIDS, says there's no doubt. And on the streets of Chayakum (ph), fear has subsided, at least for now.

(on camera): The motive behind Schiemann's alleged campaign remains somewhat of a mystery. There are suggestions that he himself was infected from a Thai sex worker, sparking his murderous contempt for all Thai women.

Aneesh Raman, CNN, Bangkok.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: Well, 360 next, do you have a fear you haven't faced, like heights or bugs or germs? Our week-long series just might help you face your fears. Tonight, germ phobia and how to overcome it.

Also tonight, Arnold Schwarzenegger on sex and the Republican convention. Find out why he was in the doghouse at home.

We'll also talk politics with the "CROSSFIRE" guys.

And a little later, 360 with George Carlin. Find out why he says he's not voting.

Covering all the angles. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, "AS GOOD AS IT GETS")

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Excuse me.

JACK NICHOLSON, ACTOR: Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, don't touch. Don't touch.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Get a life.

NICHOLSON: Hey, watch it. Don't touch me!

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: That was a classic scene from "As Good As It Gets," a great movie in which Jack Nicholson plays a man with obsessive- compulsive disorder, OCD.

Now, tonight, in part two of our special series, Facing Your Fears, we look at the phobias associated with OCD.

Now, millions of Americans suffer from the disorder, some worse than others. One man had it so bad he wouldn't leave his bed.

CNN's Adaora Udoji has his story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Try touching the sides of the trash can.

ADAORA UDOJI, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The illness consumed 41-year-old Dominick with fear.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Let's go and cross-contaminate your room.

UDOJI: A tormenting fear of germs he's trying to overcome.

(on camera): What do you fear most?

DOMINICK, OCD PATIENT: I just fear something bad is going to happen, and I don't know what it is. So the unknown is very scary.

UDOJI (voice-over): Dominick suffers from obsessive-compulsive disorder. He's fighting anxieties which trigger obsessions and compulsions with no cure.

Dr. Michael Jenike, a pioneer in OCD studies.

DR. MICHAEL JENIKE, OCD INSTITUTE, MCLEAN HOSPITAL: Well, the main symptoms that we see are people that get stuck in things, and they wash their hands excessively, they check doors and light bulbs, and they do it for two or three hours, up to 10, 12, 14, 16 hours a day.

UDOJI: Dominick's problem began 21 years ago. In the Navy, he started washing his hands six to eight hours a day, never feeling clean. Hospitalized, he improved. Later, he became a mail carrier, married, fathered two sons. But this summer, the OCD swiftly resurfaced.

AMANDA, DOMINICK'S WIFE: He was very in pain all the time. He was crying.

UDOJI: He stayed in bed, fearing contamination. His wife says he talked about wanting to die. Family life crumbling, he checked into Boston's Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder Institute, one of only three OCD residential programs.

DOMINICK: I just wish I could be a normal parent, you know, and be able to enjoy my kids.

UDOJI (on camera): Doctors here and across the country estimate that between 2 and 3 percent of the population suffers from obsessive- compulsive disorder. That's 4 to 8 million Americans. And it affects all ages, from children to the elderly.

(voice-over): There is no typical case, though it usually strikes, like it did Dominick, in the late teens or early 20s. Doctors say OCD sufferers have distinctive brain patterns.

JENIKE: They have more activities in the front part of the brain above the eyes in some of the midparts of the brain. It looks like a circuit is activated.

UDOJI: And deactivated, he says, after a combination of antidepressants and behavioral therapy.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Germs from the bathroom, right, are in bed, you're having to sleep with those, right?

UDOJI: Doctors hope Dominick will realize germs are not always bad. That will lower his anxiety levels, and he'll learn to manage his fears.

DOMINICK: I feel like throwing up.

UDOJI: Adaora Udoji, CNN, Boston.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: Well, of course, you don't have to be obsessive- compulsive to experience these kind of fears.

Joining me from Washington to discuss all kinds of phobias is Jerilyn Ross, president and CEO of the Anxiety Disorders Association of America, and author of the book "Triumph Over Fear: A Book of Health and Hope for People With Anxiety, Panic Attacks, and Phobia."

Jerilyn, thanks very much for being with us.

There is hope for people with these kind of phobias, isn't there?

JERILYN ROSS, AUTHOR, "TRIUMPH OVER FEAR": Absolutely. Obsessive-compulsive disorder, phobias, all anxiety disorders are very frightening, and they're something that is -- people don't realize that they have something that is absolutely treatable. About 90 percent of people with these disorders can be effectively treated.

COOPER: Want to talk about how in just a moment. But there are some phobias, I mean, that are pretty far out there, that people don't even (UNINTELLIGIBLE), realize can be phobias. What, what kind of things have you come across?

ROSS: Well, I think all, you know, by definition, a phobia is an irrational, involuntary fear that can hit somebody in do -- in something that they've done maybe all their life without having any anxiety about. So I've had -- so all of them are irrational.

However, I have treated some that sound very extreme. For example, many people don't like driving over bridges. The Chesapeake Bay Bridge here in the Washington area is one that many people are phobic about. I've actually had three patients over the years who, in order to drive across the bridge, they would lock themselves in the trunk of the car and have somebody else drive them across the bridge. I...

COOPER: Wow. What, I mean, what causes something like this?

ROSS: Well, you know, a phobia is a combination of your biology, your genetics, your life experiences, personality.

Usually what happens is, the person is in some kind of a situation, like maybe they're drive -- they've been driving all their life, and all of a sudden they're driving on the highway, and they suddenly feel trapped for some reason, they have this feeling of panic.

They feel like, I've got to get out of here, I'm going to go die, I'm going to go crazy, I'm going to lose control, I've got to get off immediately.

And so they get off the highway. And then the next time they think about getting on the highway, they begin to say, What if it happens again? What if this time they go crazy? What if I die? What if I lose control?

And so the fear of the fear takes on a life of its own. And then they begin avoiding more and more places and situations.

COOPER: So aside from medication and therapy, which I think you probably recommend in a lot of cases, are there things that viewers at home who may be watching this can do in their own lives to sort of look at their own phobias?

ROSS: Well, Anderson, I think the most important thing for people to know is that phobias and other anxiety disorders are real, they're serious, and they're treatable. These are not things, something to be embarrassed about. It's not something that you should feel you have to live your own life and not, and you're not alone, not talk to people about.

The most important thing is taking steps to get help, whether it means engaging a friend, a family member to help you actually gradually confront the situation you're afraid of, or getting professional help.

But for people to realize that as frightening as the feelings are, when they feel they're losing control, they feel something awful is going to happen, as frightening as those feelings are, they are not dangerous. The worst that happens is that they feel really, really frightened.

If they don't get help, oftentimes what happens, they then begin to develop secondary problems, like depression, or turn to drugs and alcohol.

COOPER: Interesting. Well, treatment is out there. Jerilyn Ross, we appreciate you joining us.

ROSS: Absolutely.

COOPER: Thanks.

ROSS: My pleasure.

COOPER: Today's buzz is this. What are you most afraid of? Heights, germs, public speaking, or death? Those are some of the most common ones. Log onto CNN.com/360, cast your vote. Results at the end of the program tonight.

Our series, Facing Your Fears, continues tomorrow. We're going to look at the fear of leaving home. You're going to meet a cable TV star who battled with this phobia for 20 years. She'll tell us how she overcame it.

On Thursday, we'll tackle a fear that affects one in every six people, the fear of flying. And on Friday, how to deal with cockroaches, spiders, and other creepy-crawlies that get under your skin. They certainly get under mine.

Facing Your Fears, all this week on 360.

Democrats for Bush? Why are so many Democratic senators up for reelection embracing the president? Are they changing parties, or just playing raw politics?

And tonight, we go 360 with the always unpredictable George Carlin, talking presidential politics, lying politicians, and why he says he's not voting.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: Well, it's just two weeks to go. Both presidential candidates are reaching for anything to earn the all-important vote that can put them over the top and into the White House next year. Everything from terrorism to race to flu shots is up for grabs. Earlier, I discussed the campaign with "CROSSFIRE" hosts Tucker Carlson and Paul Begala. Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) COOPER: Paul, so John Kerry is using this flu vaccine to attack President Bush or the lack of the vaccine, and he even told some seniors in Florida, quote, that they don't, quote, "Have a prayer of getting a flu shot." Are these just scare tactics and are they going to work.

PAUL BEGALA, CO-HOST "CROSSFIRE": I think people are scared. We only have half the vaccine we need, and we're getting reports that the Bush administration did in fact drop the ball. The British were relying on that same factory. They were warned apparently, we were warned reportedly a year ago. The British scrambled and got more and the Bush administration did nothing, and I think it fits into a pattern that Kerry's trying to (UNINTELLIGIBLE). And President Bush denying reality.

COOPER: Does it play into what other Republicans are saying that John Kerry will say anything, do anything to get elected.

BEGALA: Well, any politics will do or saying anything. I mean, President Bush is playing to fear on issues of terrorism and 9/11. And even showed dead bodies from 9/11 in his ads for goodness sake. This is a real problem, half the people who need flu shots aren't going to be able to get them because the president dropped the ball. I think it's legitimate criticism.

What should he be responsible for, if not the actions of his administration? Or the lack of action in this case.

COOPER: Tucker, Dick Cheney has warned some crowd about a nuclear terrorist strike in U.S. cities -- in U.S. cities, saying that you've got to get your mind around the concept.

Is that a scare tactic?

TUCKER CARLSON, CO-HOST "CROSSFIRE": Of course it is, he believes it, though. I mean, Dick Cheney, is one those members of the Bush administration who really believes there's an imminent threat from terrorists. Leaving aside Iraq, this is what he does. He worries about it all day long. I think it's a completely valid concern. I think it's fair to run on national security as an issue. Of course, if you think your guys not going to keep America safer, why support him? Why flack for him?

COOPER: All right, Paul, lets take a look at this new poll. Percentage of African American's voting for President Bush, in 2000 it was 9 percent, 2004, according to this poll, 18 percent. President Bush just about doubled his approval rating among African-Americans. What's he done right?

BEGALA: Beats me. You know, African-Americans I talked to are strongly supporting Kerry. There was another poll a few weeks before that that showed Bush down from 8 percent last time to just 7. One of his campaign officials in Michigan, said for the record, that the Bush strategy in Michigan was to "Suppress the Detroit vote." Now, Detroit is 83 percent black, what do you suppose he meant by that?

You know, maybe they should rethink their strategy in Michigan in they think Bush is going to better with African-Americans.

CARLSON: Look, I mean, part of it's just the rhetoric on the left has gotten so tired on this question, calling your opponent racist in every single election. I mean, it's just boring. The idea of the NAACP is the one legitimate group is the one group that speaks for all black people. That's like rhetoric out of the '70s, it's tired. I think it's bad for any group, black, white, any group to vote so overwhelmingly for one party. It's like at North Korean levels. It doesn't help that group. And a lot has been written by black journalists on this subject, does it help us as a group to throw our support overwhelmingly, unquestionably behind the Democratic Party? No, of course not.

COOPER: Same poll, John Kerry gets 69 percent of the black vote compared to 90 percent, Al Gore, got in 2000.

What do you make of that Paul.?

BEGALA: Well, African American are traditionally later deciding voters. So I guess if if I'm working for John Kerry, I think there's a legitimate concern among African-American leaders that John Kerry doesn't have the same appeal there that Bill Clinton, did. Very few people do. So, they do have to do more. They do have to work harder. But also, I just know from 20 years in this business that African- Americans often decide much later than, certainly like white conservatives who decide earlier.

CARLSON: I think that's absolutely true, you will -- you will see the Kerry campaign continue to imply that Bush and the people around him are racists. And I just think that's, ugh.

BEGALA: How would you describe that strategy to say suppress the Detroit vote?

CARLSON: It's not a strategy. It's some idiot in the Michigan office said that. They don't want -- they don't want...

BEGALA: It was an official in the campaign.

CARLSON: They know people in Detroit aren't going to vote for Bush. Why would they want to help the turn out there. It's not an anti-black strategy. I'm serious, I'm not defending it, I'm just saying that's what politics is. But it's hard to say that Bush is a racist, and he shouldn't say it.

BEGALA: He's not a racist at all, but that was an outrageous statement.

COOPER: We're going to leave it there. Tucker Carlson, Paul Begala, 20 years in politics, Paul? Oi, I don't know how you did it. All right, see you guys later.

He doesn't look a day over 20.

Iraq may have faded from the campaign a bit in the last couple of days, but the unrest there certainly hasn't weaned. Today near the northern city of Taji, four Iraqi national guard were killed, 80 wounded where their base was hit by a mortar attack. Eighty of them wounded.

And in Baghdad a rocket and mortar attack killed a contractor and wounded an American soldier.

Now remember all that talk about winning Iraqi hearts and minds, you really don't hear that much any more. Now they'd be happy with winning just a little bit of trust.

CNN's Jane Arraf, reports from Baqubah, Iraq.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JANE ARRAF, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A year and a half after the end of the war, there are few Americans talking about winning the hearts and minds of Iraqis. Now they're just trying to earn their trust. Soldiers still throw candy to children, even from helicopters. And they value friendly waving from townspeople.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Right now somebody sees someone throwing rocks at us, they'll using try to drop two bags of toys or candy.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They all do the (UNINTELLIGIBLE).

ARRAF: But the U.S. military's mission here is more complex than anyone bargained for, in an environment more hostile than anyone expected. Increasingly they're aiming at more tangible goals.

LT. COL. STEVE BULLMORE, U.S. ARMY: Can we have trust and confidence in each other, Iraqis and us, and us and Iraqis? I would think that's far easier than have them being of the same heart and of the same mind.

ARRAF: Ralife Salid Abdul Salam (ph), chief of police of Deala (ph) in the Sunni Triangle says trust between military commanders here and the police has built slowly. Now, he says, that has to trickle down to the level of ordinary Iraqis.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): We need time to convince the people of the intentions of the Americans, the intentions behind their presence and efforts for Iraq.

ARRAF: After the war, Iraqis expected peace and prosperity in this oil-rich country. Most have neither, and they blame the United States.

The Americans have brought us nothing concrete, only words, this (UNINTELLIGIBLE) tells us, reeling off a list of complaints.

American psychological operations team still broadcast their messages in towns and cities, but many of those messages are asking for help in defeating the insurgency. Still, the trust they need, sadly military leaders devote a lot of time to talking with local leaders. At the 1st Infantry Division 3rd Brigade they learned they use lesson the ethnic cauldron of Kosovo, primary patience. COL. DANA PITARD, U.S. ARMY: What we learned there for meetings, success is is that you wait everybody out, now you listen to everybody's issues.

ARRAF: Success, he says, won't be making Iraqis like the American presence here, they probably won't ever do that, it will be to gain their confidence and cooperation in building a new Iraq.

Jane Arraf, CNN, Baqubah, Iraq.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: Tough job there.

360 next, new accusations in the lawsuit against Bill O'Reilly. The woman accusing him of sexual harassment, says Fox News is now recruiting a New York tabloid to get back at her.

Also a little later, George Carlin on politics, lying politicians and why he says he's not voting.

Plus in a minute, today's 360 challenge. How closely have been following today's news? We'll also announce yesterday's winner. We'll, take the test in a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: Time now for today's "360" challenge. Question number one, an Australian journalist kidnapped in Iraq was freed after his kidnappers used what Internet search engine to confirm his identity?

Question number two: Martha Stewart's lawyers will reportedly argue her what amendment right was violated? Looking for a number.

And three, the man featured in tonight's 360 special on obsessive compulsive disorder is afraid of what? Log on now to cnn.com/360, and click on the challenge link. Be the first to answer all three questions correctly, we'll send you a 360 T-shirt. The answers coming up. We'll also announce yesterday's challenge winner.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: The war of words and lawsuits between Bill O'Reilly and a female producer accusing him of sexual harassment is getting bigger and uglier. Tonight, Andrea Mackris is not only taking on O'Reilly and Fox News, but she's now setting her sights on "The New York Post." In new court filing, she said Fox is using "The Post" to attack her. Court TV anchor Lisa Bloom broke this story. She joins us now. Lisa, thanks for being with us.

LISA BLOOM, COURT TV: Hi, Anderson.

COOPER: "The Post" -- same company owns "The Post" and owns Fox.

BLOOM: Right. COOPER: And Mackris basically, and her attorney, they're accusing "The Post" of writing an article on Friday that was a retaliation for her lawsuit. And I'm going to put up a quote from the article. The article, quotes someone as saying, "she literally verbally attacked and abused and harassed us at the Peninsula Hotel, like a raving lunatic."

Now, obviously they have the same owner. Is this some sort of evidence of retaliation?

BLOOM: Well, it is, Anderson, because ordinarily when someone raises a claim of sexual harassment, an employer goes out of its way to be very careful not to do anything negative to that employee. Fox has taken the opposite approach, gone on the attack, and she says in these new papers that were just sent out for filing today that Fox News, its parent corporation, as you say, is Newscorp, which also owns "The New York Post." "The New York Post" and Fox News Channel are both in the same building right here in New York City, so you can imagine they're working together.

COOPER: But she (UNINTELLIGIBLE) -- she's imagining it? I mean, you are just saying...

BLOOM: She's imagining what? I don't think...

COOPER: I'm not saying she's imagining it, but she has no actual proof at this point. This is basically just her allegation.

BLOOM: Well, look at the way "The Post" has covered this story, Anderson. Most of us have reported on legal developments and legal filings. They haven't done that. They're run piece after piece, including today, smearing Andrea Mackris. And what she and her attorneys say is this is part of the retaliation against her. They certainly didn't run any negative articles about her before she complained of sexual harassment, and legally speaking, an employer has to be very careful after a claim is raised.

COOPER: But you know, "The Post" is a newspaper, they would say they're covering the news. I want to show you also, you know, there's another article I guess in "The Post" today on Mackris, this one alleging that she bragged about her friendship with Al Franken, talked about taking down Bill O'Reilly. But "The Post's" rival paper, which is "The Daily News," they have a similar article. So doesn't that sort of argue against Mackris' claim that it's only "The New York Post?"

BLOOM: Well, listen, I spoke to Bo Dietl today. He's the investigator hired by Fox News. He claims that he's feeding these stories to the local press, and other press outlets may pick up on these negative stories about Andrea Mackris. But the question is, why is Fox News feeding these stories to the press? You know, another allegation in her complaint that was filed today is that this investigator, Bo Dietl, said openly on national television on Friday that he's going to destroy her credibility...

COOPER: Well, let's put his quote... BLOOM: Send her a message, and beware.

COOPER: Let's put his quote on. This was on TV last week, in defense, Bo Dietl -- he says, quote, "When you file these frivolous lawsuits and you think you're going to get people who are well known to give you money for garbage like this, we're going to investigate you. We're going to uncover things about your life so you're wide open right now. So beware, people."

Now, they say that's a threat, Mackris and her attorney...

BLOOM: Absolutely.

COOPER: ... but I mean, isn't this what private investigators do?

BLOOM: Well, no, Anderson, again, because the civil rights laws protect people who come forward with claims of discrimination or harassment. An employer is not allowed to take any negative action against those employees. We want to encourage people to report harassment and discrimination. When somebody says openly on national television, we're going to go after her, we're going to destroy her credibility, we're going to send a message, beware, that's exactly the opposite of what the law is designed to protect.

COOPER: All right. Lisa Bloom, we will be watching the case. Thanks very much.

BLOOM: Thank you.

COOPER: Well, a spokesman at "The New York Post" declined our request for a comment, saying they haven't yet seen the amended lawsuit.

Well, 360 next, the one and only George Carlin, the comedian and author, stops by, with his acerbic wit, tell us a lot, including plenty on the White House race and why he's not voting, according to him.

Plus, sex, politics and a shut-out. Find out why Arnold Schwarzenegger says he was in the doghouse after the Republican Convention. All ahead. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: Well, politics and families don't always mix well. And California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has been learning that the hard way. When Schwarzenegger spoke before the Republican National Convention back in August, he was of course a big hit with the party faithful -- apparently not with his wife, Maria Shriver, who happens to be a member, of course, of the Kennedy family. Schwarzenegger described the hardship yesterday during an on-stage conversation with former White House chief of staff, Leon Panetta. Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) LEON PANETTA, FORMER WHITE HOUSE CHIEF OF STAFF: So you give this fiery speech at the Republican Convention. How long did it take you before you talked to each other?

GOV. ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER (R), CALIFORNIA: Well, there was no sex for 40 days.

(LAUGHTER)

SCHWARZENEGGER: Everything comes with side effects. That's just the way it is.

PANETTA: Let me move right along here.

(LAUGHTER)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COOPER: Schwarzenegger also said he didn't need to see the presidential debates to watch a smart liberal Democrat argue with a Republican leader. For that, he says he just needs to go to dinner with his wife.

In tonight's "Current," George Carlin. Now he says on the day he was born, God winced. He probably laughed a bit, too. Carlin has a new book out. It's called "When Will Jesus Bring the Pork Chops?" I spoke with him earlier today about this strange political season. He joined me earlier from Washington.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: I've got to start out by asking about the title of the book, "When Will Jesus Bring the Pork Chops?" What does that mean?

GEORGE CARLIN, COMEDIAN & ACTOR: What I like about it is that it really offends all three big religious groups in the world, the Muslims, the Jews and the Christians plus the vegetarians, so you can't beat that.

COOPER: What do you make of what's going on in the world of politics? I mean, every election, I think it can't get any more surreal, any more interesting, and then the next election just gets more surreal and more interesting.

CARLIN: Well, I have long been a fan and a -- you know, a real fan of politics, the electoral variety, not so much the functioning part. And I just love it for the game. It's high drama, it's blood sport and I love it for the spectacle and the game. The strategies of back and forth. This is an interesting one. I think probably the most interesting stories -- and this has been suggested around the block a couple of times -- will be these irregular voting patterns, the methods of voting this absentee, this provisional, this electronic, this paper, this punch card, this machine, all of these -- there's just room for an awful lot of mischief. And as you know there are a lot of legal people just standing by panting, panting to get into it. It will be a lot of fun. Because I like the game. I really don't care about the outcome.

COOPER: What do you mean you don't care about the outcome? You don't feel actually involved in it as a citizen?

CARLIN: No, I don't vote.

COOPER: You don't vote?

CARLIN: No, of course not. It's meaningless.

COOPER: What state do you live in?

CARLIN: Well, in California voting left of center is kind of meaningless, anyway. But even if I lived in Florida and they said, you know, they called me up and said your vote can decide it, I wouldn't do it out of principle, because it's really a game. It's just a game. The owners of this country, the ownership class, they own the whole deal. They run it. They pay for -- they buy and pay for the politicians, the public servants, the judiciary, and you're allowed, I guess, every four years we're allowed to rearrange the deck chairs on the Titanic. I've always loved that figure of speech.

COOPER: You also don't like the term "have a nice day?" You're sick of that.

CARLIN: Well, I have a rather lengthy discussion about my variations on it, which includes -- which are more specific to the time of day. No one can be expected to have a nice day all day long. It's asking too much of the other person, but if I say, have a satisfying midmorning, there's a chance this will happen. Have a challenging pre-dusk. I like to take part of the day and perhaps have a different adjective or adverb.

COOPER: I like that, a challenging pre-dusk. I've got to work on having one of those. You also said that politicians never really admit to working in government.

CARLIN: No, they're serving the nation. I've been serving the nation, I've been in public service, they talk about being in public service, they serve the nation. If you would like a little further understanding of the word "service," just picture what goes on on the stud farm. That's the sort of service we get from these chaps. But they're not to blame because they represent the people. People put them there and people are responsible for them.

COOPER: George Carlin, the new book is, "When Will Jesus Bring the Pork Chops?" Still trying to figure out what it means but it's sure to offend.

CARLIN: Yes.

COOPER: And we appreciate you joining us. Thanks, George.

CARLIN: Thank you so much for asking me over.

COOPER: Yes, have a nice day. CARLIN: OK. Take care, man. Bye-bye, thanks.

COOPER: All right. Well, have a good after post-dusk or whatever.

360 next. You know it's an election year because we keep hearing words from the candidates mouthed only every four years. We're going to take that to the Nth Degree.

And tomorrow afraid to leave home. A cable TV star shares how she overcame her phobia. Part of our special series, "Facing Your Fears."

First today's buzz. "What are you afraid of most? Heights, germs, public speaking, death." Log on to CNN.com/360. Cast your vote now. Results when we come back. We'll also have the results of the 360 challenge and find out if you're a potential winner.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: Time now for the answers to today's 360 challenge. If you're the first to send in the correct answers, you'll get a 360 T- shirt. Question number one, an Australian journalist kidnapped in Iraq was freed after his kidnappers used what Internet search engine to confirm his identity? The answer is Google.

Number two, Martha Stewart's lawyers reportedly plan to argue her what amendment right was violated? It was the sixth amendment.

And number three, a man featured in tonight's 360 special on obsessive compulsive disorder is afraid of what? That answer is germs.

Tune in tomorrow to find out if you are the one to first e-mail us. Last night's winner of the 360 challenge, Megan Griffith (ph) from Tulsa, Oklahoma. Thanks for playing. She'll be getting a 360 T- shirt. We'll also have another 360 challenge tomorrow.

Time now for the buzz. Earlier we asked you, "what are you most afraid of?" It's almost a split vote but the majority, 31 percent are most afraid of heights, fear of death and public speaking not too far behind. Certainly not a scientific poll but it is your buzz. Thanks for voting.

Tonight taking quadrennial language to the Nth Degree. Are you tired of hearing the same words and phrases over and over again every day? Well, just hang in there. Two more weeks and you won't hear them again for another four years. After all there are a bunch of things we only talk about in presidential election years. For instance, the electoral college. Does it have a campus? How come its football team never makes it to any of the Bowl games? What do electoral collegians do the rest of the time?

And then, but only every four years, there's a great deal of talk about litmus tests for judges. If it's really that important, shouldn't we all be tested? Is there a shortage of that vaccine as well?

And margins of error. There's a phrase you don't hear in non- election years, or in real life, for that matter. In answer to the question, are you sure about that? Have you ever had anyone say to you, yes, give or take three percentage points? Good-bye to all that for four more years after the 2nd of November and to commercials that strain the credulity and end with someone saying, I approve this ad.

I'm Anderson Cooper. Thanks for watching. Coming up next, "PAULA ZAHN NOW."

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