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Maryland Politics Getting Personal; Blog Buzz; Politics of Iraq
Aired October 29, 2006 - 22:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome to the NEWSROOM, your connection to the world, the Web, and what's happening right now. I'm Carol Lin. You've been busy today, so let's get you plugged in.
Let's start with the headlines. The spiritual leader of Nigeria's 70 million Muslims was on board an airliner that crashed in the capitol city of Abuja today. He was one of 97 people killed when the Boeing 737 went down just after take-off. The cause of that crash still unknown.
And you're looking at the celebration at Gallaudet University. The mostly deaf student body protested for more than a month, opposed to the incoming president. Well they got what they wanted. Today, the board took back the controversial appointment.
Utility crews are on the job all night. They're trying to get the lights back on to thousands of homes on Long Island. Weekend winds and snowstorms hammered upstate New York. And there's more on the way. We've got a full forecast coming up.
And in a makeshift field chapel, California firefighters mourn the death of four of their own. They died battling a raging blaze near Palm Springs. It consumed 40,000 acres. California's governor was in the fire zone today.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER, GOVERNOR, CALIFORNIA: What you see here is that within a short period of time, within days, a fire was totally out of control. And then to have it now 70 percent contained, it just shows you the kind of coordination and hard work that's going on here.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LIN: And 26 miles, 32,000 runners. It was the 31st annual U.S. Marine Corps Marathon. Sweet repeat for the winner, a corporal in the Mexican Navy, his second time winning this event.
One sad footnote to report, though. One man collapsed and died during the race.
Hey, now, it's your turn to choose the news. Is there a particular story that you want to hear more about? E-mail us your questions at weekends@cnn.com and we're going to get you the answer within the hour. LIN: Well, there are just nine days left until Americans head to the polls. And if you haven't given next Tuesday's election much thought, well tonight's a good time to start.
For the first time in over a decade, Democrats have a real chance to take control of the Congress. Now why should that matter to you? Well, because whether it's a Republican or Democratic majority, they will chart the course when it comes to Iraq, the economy, and even your taxes.
Now tonight, we're tracking the most competitive Senate races around the country, eight states where voters could change the nation's political landscape, which means they could have a big impact on you wherever you live. It doesn't really matter.
CNN has the best political team in television. We're in more than half those key states. Our correspondents will be checking in with us tonight from across the country.
Our first stop is going to be Virginia. Republican George Allen was cruising toward re-election. He was even looking ahead to a possible run for president. Well, now, he's in the fight of his political life against Democrat Jim Webb.
Our Dana Bash joins me now on the telephone from Charlottesville. Dana, this has to be one of the nastiest races yet. And it looks like George Allen is trying to get out from under the whole macaca controversy.
DANA BASH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: You're right, he very much is. And it is just getting nastier and nastier here in Virginia, Carol.
You know, one of the interesting things to watch for many Republican candidates, but especially having been with George Allen all day today here on Sunday in Virginia is watching him try to do a couple of things.
First of all, try to energize the conservative base. And the way that he has been doing that is by talking about nonstop -- something that's on the ballot in Virginia, but something that he really hopes will appeal to his conservative voters. That is a same-sex marriage amendment. That's something that he's talking about incessantly.
Interestingly, Carol, that is something that he is bringing into the African-American communities. You mentioned the now infamous and controversial macaca comment by George Allen, that really sent his chances spiraling back in the summer. That is something that he spent today talking to African-Americans in their churches about, because that's one of the things that he calls a potential bridge to that community.
It's going to be interesting to see if it does help him in the community because he has actually for a Republican done OK in the past. He's trying to repair the damage. And he actually had one of his old friends and NFL Hall of Famer Deacon Jones with him all day today. And it's not lost on anybody. They're not even hiding why he's bringing him around to try to, again, repair the damage with the black community here in Virginia.
LIN: Right. So the message for that campaign is that George Allen is not a bigot. But in the meantime, we'll see if that strategy works.
But you're going to be traveling with his opponent Jim Webb tomorrow. At any point, are the candidates actually going to be talking about more specific issues?
BASH: About the issues? You know, that was the question that came up so many times today, Carol, with Senator Allen is why is it that this campaign has devolved and moved away from the issues into these personal attacks, you know, over the past several days? The question that was put out by the Allen campaign was about these novels, these military novels that Jim Webb, the Democrat, wrote, which have some very sexually explicit language in them.
The idea that Senator Allen said repeatedly today that he's trying to convey is that well, maybe that says something about Jim Webb and how he feels about women, because women are a very important vote in this state.
The - and then he'll sort of do that and then talk about the issues that he wants to talk about, whether it's tax cuts or reducing government, so on and so forth.
But one thing I can tell you that is still very much on the minds here as it is, Carol, all over the country, that is Iraq. Jim Webb has made that part of his -- a big part of his campaign. And George Allen has changed his tune like other Republicans, not saying stay the course, instead making it very clear that things are going to have to change. Very different to hear if you're a Republican like George Allen talk about that.
LIN: All right, Dana, we'll be hearing from you after you cover Jim Webb on the campaign trail. Thanks very much. Dana Bash reporting in from Charlottesville.
Now Democrats have high hopes in the Missouri Senate race. One new poll shows Democratic challenger Clara McCaskill running neck and neck with Republican Senator Jim Talent. And also, there is Hollywood star power trying to influence the outcome.
Our senior political correspondent Candy Crowley joins me by telephone with an update. Candy, when we say close, how close is close?
CANDY CROWLEY: I don't think it gets any closer than that. A new poll today in "The St. Louis Post Dispatch" had it at 47-47 Senate Republican Jim Talent versus his Democratic challenger Claire McCaskill. So it doesn't get any closer than that. And it's the reason this state has always been a battleground.
This race, as you mentioned, has been colored by several factors. But the largest among them is the stem cell initiative, which would change the Missouri constitution and guarantee the use in Missouri of any federally allowed stem shell research and treatments.
This has brought a lot of outsiders into the state, at least via the airwaves. First we saw Michael J. Fox, the actor who suffers from Parkinson's, coming out and supporting Claire McCaskill, the Democrat, saying that she supports this stem cell research, and that Missourians should vote for her.
Then they responded, the anti initiative people responded with a couple of local heroes. One of them, Kurt Warner, who is a quarterback, was with the St. Louis Rams, led them to two Superbowls. He's now with the Arizona Cardinals, but he's really popular here.
And one of the pitchers from the St. Louis Cardinals, who just won the World Series. So these are two very well-known figures here in Missouri. And they came out against the stem cell research.
What is interesting here is who does that initiative bring to the polls? McCaskill has embraced this initiative. Talent has not. He is along the lines of I don't support cloning. The opponents of this have said, look, this is cloning.
So the McCaskill voters tend to say that they're going to the polls because of Iraq and the economy. Talent may benefit from this poll initiative simply because conservatives, particularly conservative Christians in the state, are opposed to this particular amendment. And that may bring them to the polls, where the feeling is they would mostly vote for Talent. So who this initiative brings out is key to who wins this race.
LIN: All right, and a very tight race indeed. Candy Crowley, thank you so much.
Now Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum is one of the most endangered Republicans. He's even called in First Lady Laura Bush to campaign on his behalf. CNN's Bob Franken has an update from Philadelphia.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BOB FRANKEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: If the polls are to be believed, this is a Senate seat that is slipping away from the GOP. But the Republicans, of course, choose not to believe them.
The latest result of "Philadelphia Inquirer"/Temple University poll shows that Rick Santorum, who's the number three Republican in the Senate has now got a 16 point deficit. This is a result that came out over the weekend.
He got some potent support over the weekend when the First Lady Laura Bush came to the Philadelphia area to campaign for Santorum. Santorum presents himself as the protector against many of the world leaders, who are considered against the United States. Santorum is viewed by Democrats, however, as ultra conservative.
And the Democrats have a candidate who also has a well-known name, Bob Casey, who is campaigning in a different part of the state. Casey is the son of a former governor. And like his father, the two of them were both anti abortion, which has caused some of the Democratic support to be lukewarm, but there's a unity within the party that Santorum must be replaced.
There is a little bit over a week that is left in this campaign. The Republicans say they can make up the deficit. They're going to take out a big, big ground effort in the last days of the campaign to try and get people to come out and support their candidate. Right now, things are looking bleak for the Republicans.
Bob Franken, CNN, Philadelphia.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LIN: Now I'm going to have more on the Pennsylvania Senate race in about five minutes. Rick Santorum is going to join me live to talk about his tough battle for re-election.
But right now, we want to hear from you. Tonight's last call. What is the most important race to you and why? Give us a call at 1- 800-807-2620. We're going to air some of your responses later in this program.
Now next, Senator Rick Santorum on the campaign to keep his job. And then later e-mails, videos, blogs, getting you the candidate's messages without leaving home. Choosing the candidates, definite or difficult? For African-American voters the decision is not clear-cut, but they can make all the difference in these races. And getting a handle on a hot fire. Now can police catch the arsonist? You're in the NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LIN: We are all over the day's top stories on cnn.com. Here are the most viewed video reports. Captain underpants shot down at a New York high school. You can weigh in on the debate over whether a spirit week costume left too little to the imagination.
And freak fest in Madison, Wisconsin. Far fewer people and far less trouble at the annual notorious Halloween party. It's all over for another year.
And what race with Jesus of Nazareth? We have an interview with the first American director to depict the biblical Messiah as a black man. See all the most popular videos for free at cnn.com.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. RICK SANTORUM (R), PENNSYLVANIA: Too often, this is what it seems like in Washington. But to get things done, you've got to work together. I teamed up with Joe Lieberman to make college more affordable for low income families. And Barbara Boxer and I wrote a law protecting open space. I'm even working with Hillary Clinton to limit inappropriate material in children's video games. (END VIDEO CLIP)
LIN: That is the latest from U.S. Senator Rick Santorum in his fight to keep his job. He has the wrestling metaphor right. Democrats only need six Senate seats to take over control of the Senate for the first time in 12 years. And the latest poll shows the Pennsylvania Republican is down 16 percentage points against his opponent Bob Casey.
Now we invited Mr. Casey on for a debate, but his campaign manager said his schedule would not permit. So joining me now is Senator Santorum. Senator, good to have you.
SEN. RICK SANTORUM (R), PENNSYLVANIA: Hey, thank you, Carol. It's great to be on. I wish I could have had my opponent on, but that's pretty common occurrence. He doesn't show up for many appearances.
LIN: That's what I understand.
SANTORUM: Yes.
LIN: Playing it low key, but interesting strategy.
First, let's talk about the wrestler's ad. OK?
SANTORUM: Yes.
LIN: Very interesting metaphor, but perhaps even more blatant -- linking yourself with Hillary Clinton and Joe Lieberman, but not President Bush. Why is that?
SANTORUM: Oh, well, I think my opponent does a pretty good job of linking me with President Bush. And all -- he only says two or three sentences. New direction, 98 percent of the time he votes with George Bush. And we need change.
LIN: Is that true?
SANTORUM: Well, if you look at it, he looks at -- the analysis is based on 21 percent of the votes I cast last year. And of those, 60 percent were nominations.
So I mean, I think it's a pretty selective view of my view of President Bush. Sure, I support the president, but I just -- for the record, I was in Washington before the president was in Washington. And I'd like to think that the president supports me that percentage of the time.
LIN: As well he might should because you were in charge of helping getting him the votes, the key votes back in 2004 in the presidential race. And noted political analyst Larry Sabato says that this race that you're in right now is more about -- a vote against Rick Santorum is a vote against President Bush. Do you feel that the Bush administration policies are working against you right now as you're trying to be re-elected? SANTORUM: Well, I don't know. I mean, look, what I've tried to do is run a campaign that talks about, you know, what I've accomplished just like this ad. My opponent hasn't run a single positive campaign in this entire election. He has run all negatives.
And again, as Larry, I think your analyst said he's tried to link me to the president whose numbers are not particularly popular here. What I've tried to do is talk about someone who's going to fight hard to keep families here in Pennsylvania safer against the war on this Islamist fascists and other threats around the world. Trying to keep us safe from predators on the Internet. Trying to keep us safe from gang violence and a whole lot of other things that are important to people all across our state.
And that's been the effort. I've talked about positive things, how I'm going to make things different.
LIN: Sure.
SANTORUM: And my opponent has talked about nothing, to be honest with you, except...
LIN: I'm trying to figure where you stand, though.
SANTORUM: OK.
LIN: I'm trying to figure out where you stand with the current Republican majority and with the president of the United States. Newt Gingrich tonight released an e-mail, an announcement calling for the party faithful to rally. The political director at the White House, Sarah Taylor says that the - well, the president is loved by his base, that they support him. Do you believe that to be true?
SANTORUM: Well, I mean, the president has a very solid base of support without question. And I think, you know, we do, too. And it's a substantial one here in Pennsylvania.
You know, I heard you talk about that poll 16 points down. The majority of polls that are out have us within single digits, as close as five points. And we know that this race is very close. We have a lot of energy here. Our base is energized because they understand that the choice between someone who understands the threats that face us, understands how to keep this economy going, and someone who simply isn't prepared to do this job, who is hiding from the people of Pennsylvania, who's not answering any of the questions, much less the tough questions.
He does two campaign appearances a week. This is a guy who's trying to ride his name in. He's trying to use -- inherit this job instead of me working for the job as I have for the last 12 years.
LIN: But sir, some have said that that is a specific strategy because your reputation and your affinity for the president is ammunition enough.
SANTORUM: Yes, well, I think the people of Pennsylvania are smart enough to figure out that they want someone who's going to be a fighter, someone's who's going to go out and be honest with them.
You know, they may not agree with everything I say, but they know that I'm going to tell it from the heart. And I'm going to tell them exactly what I'm going to do.
With Bob Casey, I challenge the people of Pennsylvania. What have you heard Bob Casey say over the past year that he's -- year plus he's been a candidate, that gives you any idea what he wants to do as the United States senator except give you a "new direction?"
LIN: All right.
SANTORUM: Well, new direction on the economy is bad. The economy is doing well. And this is a guy who gives us no specifics.
LIN: All right. Well, it appears, though, that the war is on many people's minds, senator. Senator Santorum, I want to let our audience know that Bob Casey's people said that there was a scheduling conflict.
SANTORUM: Yes, I think you offered to do a taped recording, a taped thing.
LIN: And he could not.
SANTORUM: Yes, well, he's had a scheduling conflict this morning. He has scheduling conflicts every day. He doesn't want to talk to the people of Pennsylvania.
LIN: All right, well, the vote is scheduled for November 7th. We'll see what the outcome of this race is.
SANTORUM: Thank you, Carol. Appreciate the time.
LIN: Senator, thank you very much for joining us tonight.
SANTORUM: Thank you.
LIN: Now you can get all of your America votes 2006 information by just logging on to cnn.com/ticker.
Coordination you might say, hard work, relief, and grief. The many sighs of the California wildfire story next.
SHANON COOK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: And hi, I'm Shanon Cook with a look at world headlines. Scattered debris near an airport in Nigeria. It may appear that no one could have survived this deadly airplane crash in. Coming up, we'll tell you how many people did. CNN NEWSROOM will be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GOV. ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER: Each one of the firefighters did the fighting here. They're true heroes. They're the true heroes because these are the people that are risking their own lives to save other people's lives.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LIN: This wasn't California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger's first stop of the day. Instead, he came to this makeshift command post in southern California after attending a church vigil for the four firefighters killed battling a massive blaze.
Now at least the fire is nearly out. Almost 2900 firefighters have been working around the clock to beat back a 63-square mile wall of flames.
And the loss is staggering. And while 34 families are now without homes, other families lost much more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
LIN (voice-over): Firefighters began their day with a prayer and a question.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We ask you why?
LIN: Why were four men dead, another fighting for his life?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We pray, the families of Jason, of Mark, of Jess, Daniel, and Pablo. We thank you that we can come together and honor these precious fallen brothers.
LIN: At the Arrowhead Medical Center, Pablo Cerda's family waits, hoping the 23-year-old firefighter has the strength to survive the burns that cover 90 percent of his body.
Cerda was part of a five-man team trying to protect this mountain home. His four colleagues perished. His own future? Uncertain.
Up on the mountain, firefighters began their fourth day of battling the Esperanza fire. With weather is helping to slow the fire's process, mop up operations could begin in burned out areas. For the second day in a row, some homeowners were allowed brief visits to retrieve belongings.
MARTHA SCHENK, HOMEOWNER: Thank you so much, you guys. I'm so sorry for what happened, but thank you. You're amazing heroes on this earth, let me tell you.
LIN: Martha Schenk's home was saved from the fire. Many of her neighbors weren't as fortunate.
SCHENK: Some are doing OK. Some aren't doing very well at all. I mean, it's horrific. I mean, it's you know, I mean, you're in shock. It's unbelievable. It doesn't matter that my house is standing. It's still like very bizarre.
LIN: California's governor toured the burned area and delivered an expression of gratitude for the more than 2,000 firefighters. GOV., ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER, CALIFORNIA: Thank you for the great work that you're doing. Thank you for the bravery that you're displaying.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LIN: And there was a devastating scene at the airport in Nigeria's capitol city. A plane goes down in stormy weather. Shanon Cook has more details on that - Shanon?
COOK: Hey, there, thank you, Carol. And unfortunately, it's becoming an all-too familiar scene in Nigeria. For the third time in the past 12 months, a commercial airliner crashed in the country.
This one happened near the Abuja Airport. An ADC airliner, that's a Nigeria airline, went down minutes after takeoff and burst into flames. At least 97 of the 104 passengers on board were killed. Hospital officials say they're treating seven survivors, one whom is in critical condition. Among those killed was the spiritual leader of Nigeria's 70 million Muslims. That's him there. Nigeria's president has called for a full investigation into the crash.
And for the past three days, riots have been -- have claimed 19 lives in Bangladesh. Officials say 500 people have been wounded. The unrest began when opposition groups rejected the first choice for a caretaker leader. That person was intended to oversee upcoming elections and make sure they're fair. Hoping to end the deadly riots quickly, the country's president tapped himself for the post. And he was sworn in today.
Voters went to the polls in the Democratic Republican of Congo. It's a high stakes runoff. And the first democratic vote in more than four decades. Incumbent Joseph Cabilla is expected to win. He took power in 2001. He's the one on the left. Took power after his father and then president was assassinated. His challenger is former rebel leader and multi millionaire Jean Pierre Bimba. Results not expected for several days.
And Carol, voters, of course, are hoping that the election will help stabilize a country that has been racked by conflict and corruption for years.
LIN: All right, thanks, Shanon.
Now Republican, Democrat, liberal, conservative, they've all courted the black vote. But will their efforts pay off? A debate you don't want to miss is next.
DANIEL SIEBERG, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I'm technology correspondent Daniel Sieberg. Can you remember a day when the Internet wasn't part of politics? It's hard to imagine such a time existed. Coming up, we'll take you through the rapid rise from e-mail to youtube.
LIN: Thanks, Daniel.
And don't forget tonight's last call. What is the most important race to you and why? Give us a call at 1-800-807-2620.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: Right here in the NEWSROOM is where you can find the headlines tonight and tomorrow.
Twenty-nine killed in 24 hours. It has been yet another bloody Sunday in Iraq. Insurgents focused on Baghdad, Baquba and Basra, but beyond that, 31 bullet-riddled bodies were found strewn across Baghdad.
Still ahead, the Iraq election faster.
In Jamaica, an arrest in the death of former heavyweight boxing champ Trevor Berbick. A 20-year-old man is behind bars tonight. Police aren't releasing his name, but he and Berbick are said to have been locked in a land dispute. Berbick was found bludgeoned near his home yesterday.
Students win and a would-be university president is out. Jane Fernandes won't be taking over as the new president of Gallaudet University in January. The school's trustees took back her controversial appointment today after the mostly deaf student body protested for more than a month.
And "Saw III" has a killer opening at the box office. It's the number one movie in the country. The series has held the top spot in ticket sales every Halloween weekend for the past three years. "The Departed" held tight at number two, and last weekend's champ, "The Prestige," fell to number three.
More now on the battle for control of Congress and how those races affect all of us. The most polarizing figure in the Maryland Senate race isn't even on the ballot. In fact, it sometimes seems like both Democrat Ben Cardin and Republican Michael Steele are running against President Bush.
CNN's Gary Nurenberg is in Silver Spring.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
GARY NURENBERG, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): An NAACP forum in Baltimore Saturday...
MICHAEL STEELE (R), MARYLAND SENATE CANDIDATE: A lot of talk, no delivery. I laid out a very strong plan...
(APPLAUSE)
NURENBERG: A talk show Sunday...
BEN CARDIN (D), MARYLAND SENATE CANDIDATE: Look on his Web page. Try to find his positions on Iraq -- 168 words. That's all he devotes.
NURENBERG: The campaigning for an open Maryland Senate seat between Republican lieutenant governor Michael Steele and Democratic congressman Ben Cardin has become increasingly personal.
(on camera): Is it a fair reading to say that you guys don't like each other?
CARDIN: It's fair to say that we differ on the issues dramatically.
MICHAEL J. FOX, ACTOR: George Bush and Michael Steele would put limits on the most promising stem cell research.
NURENBERG (voice over): It seemed personal when a Michael J. Fox criticizing Steele for his position on stem cell research was rebutted by Steele's sister who suffers from multiple sclerosis.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Mr. Cardin should be ashamed.
NURENBERG: In his television ads...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Michael Steele has been working for George Bush.
NURENBERG: ... in campaign literature, in every speech...
CARDIN: Well, he was recruited by George Bush.
NURENBERG: ... Cardin tries to link Steele to President Bush.
STEELE: All I have heard for the past year of this campaign is George Bush, anti-George Bush...
NURENBERG: In blue state Maryland, Steele rarely mentions the president, rarely mentions he is a Republican...
STEELE: We've spent a lot of time focused on labels. And when we focus on the labels nothing gets done.
NURENBERG: ... and tries to distance himself from this party.
STEELE: When my party is wrong I'm not standing with it. I'm not voting with it.
NURENBERG: And there is this...
STEELE: You've got an African-American candidate running against a white candidate.
CARDIN: I think the African-American vote is going to be critical.
NURENBERG: Cardin defeated black Democrat Kweisi Mfume in the primary.
NORM ORNSTEIN, AMERICAN ENTERPRISE INST.: It was a close contest and the white Democrat won. Now with a black Republican, the Republicans have been hopeful that they can crack through with the minority vote. NURENBERG: Some disappointed black Democrats may skip voting in the Senate race.
A Sunday "Washington Post" poll gives Cardin an 11-point lead. But political analyst Charles Cook now labels the race a tossup.
(on camera): That means a big get-out-the-vote effort for each side, because in this race turnout will be key.
Gary Nurenberg, CNN, Silver Spring, Maryland.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LIN: African-American voter turnout will be crucial on Election Day, especially in these tight races. In Maryland, blacks make up 30 percent of the electorate. And last weekend, Jim Webb, the Democrats' U.S. Senate candidate in Virginia, crammed in visits to 12 black churches. But recent polls show the African-American vote may not be there for anyone.
A Pew Research Center report found a whopping 29 percent of blacks say they have little or no confidence that their vote will be accurately tallied. Only 8 percent of whites feel that way.
Joining me is Republican strategist Tara Setmayer and syndicated columnist Roland Martin from "The Chicago Defender".
Good to have both of you.
ROLAND MARTIN, SYNDICATED COLUMNIST: Glad to be here.
LIN: Let me begin with you, Roland. Why the disparity in trust? Why don't African-Americans feel that their vote literally would be counted?
MARTIN: Because votes have been suppressed for quite some time. African-Americans have always had to fight for the right to vote. Here in Chicago, in a previous election, the state senate president, he ordered that machines turned off in Cook County, as opposed to a better way to count votes.
Many people said that there were more ballots rejected in Cook County alone than were rejected in the state of Florida, primarily because this is a largely Democratic and also highly concentrated black population. And so African-Americans have not had lots of trust.
With the Georgia voter ID law going on there as well -- and so you have efforts to suppress the vote, and that is unfortunate on both sides, Republican and Democrat.
LIN: I was going to ask you about that, the voter I.D. card, Tara. Several states are requiring some kind of government I.D. Several -- a lot of poor people don't have that, and they would have to may the money to get a government I.D.
Doesn't this amount to a poll tax?
TARA SETMAYER, REPUBLICAN STRATEGIST: Well, no. Absolutely, you should have identification in order to vote. That cuts down on fraud, with illegal immigration.
In this country in this day and age you can't do anything without an I.D. In the state of Georgia, as a matter of fact, I hear the argument all the time that, well, some of the elderly or some of the poor, it's not fair because they can't afford this.
The Congress passed this year the Real I.D. Act, which allows for states to be reimbursed by the federal government in order to ensure that people have access to getting state-issued identification. And Georgia already was willing to not only pay for it, but to come to your home to bring it to you.
So people shouldn't look at this as going back in the past. We're moving forward. We're moving forward with forward progress...
MARTIN: No, no, Tara.
SETMAYER: ... and suppressing the vote, which does happen -- but what I'm saying, though, is that having identification is nothing like the poll taxes and what took place...
LIN: All right -- Roland.
MARTIN: But hold on. But Tara, you skipped over something very important.
In Georgia, if you are a student at Georgia Tech, a public university, then your student I.D. is valid to allow for you to vote. Yet, if you are a student at Moorehouse or Spelman, private colleges in Atlanta, in Georgia, you cannot use your student I.D.
And so the issue is not just you need an I.D. to vote, the problem is when you say, well, one I.D. is good enough, but another I.D. is not good enough. That's where the problem comes in.
LIN: All right. Tara...
SETMAYER: But you need a government-issued I.D. I mean, that's -- that's the bottom line. A government-issued I.D. so you can cut down on fraud. That's the bottom line. And by no means is that going to discourage people from voting.
MARTIN: Yes, but it's also unfair at historically black colleges there.
LIN: All right.
Tara, I want to ask you about a different subject, something that you said. You've actually written that the Democratic Party has a -- and I'm quoting here -- "soft bigotry of low expectations."
What do you mean by that? SETMAYER: Well, that was one of the greatest lines uttered by President Bush, and it rings so true. Oftentimes the Democratic Party sets a very low bar. Their policies have been devastating in the black community in a number of ways.
LIN: Well, be specific.
SETMAYER: From welfare reform, to the great society in the '60s which took the father out of the home. We have a moral depravity issue in the black community that Democrats oftentimes dismiss. And I think there's a certain culture of victimhood that has perpetuated that allows for these -- for -- to keep people, groups of people, particularly minorities, enslaved.
(CROSSTALK)
LIN: Are you saying that the black community has its hand out and the Democratic Party plays into that, Tara?
SETMAYER: No. What I'm saying is that the Democratic Party takes -- number one, takes the black vote for granted because they believe that there's such an overwhelming support there that they cast it aside and take it for granted, number one.
Number two, the policies that Democrats put forth with higher taxes, not allowing for school choice, not allowing for welfare reform, was a huge one. It was taking the father out of the family and letting the government run people's lives.
LIN: All right. Roland's shaking his head.
MARTIN: No, of course.
SETMAYER: These are policies that are devastating to black Americans, and that's why Republican policies have more success.
LIN: Roland.
MARTIN: Oh, but, look, here's the whole deal. Tara's been intellectually dishonest on this particular issue.
You have both parties who utilize race to their advantage. It was the Republican Party who used effectively the southern strategy, and that is to separate folks based upon race. And so when you talk about policies, you have both folks doing that. And that's what it boils down to.
Now, when people make these comments that Democrats take blacks for granted, the reality is both parties look at their base and say, OK, you're going to come out to vote for us regardless. And so, when they don't cultivate that base, then they have problems.
Right now George W. Bush and the Republicans are having a problem with white evangelicals. They are afraid that they are going to stay at the polls come November 7th because they have not been attentive to their concerns. LIN: All right.
MARTIN: And so, each party goes through that, but that's a little charade by saying, well, you know, Democrats, low expectations. Republicans -- Democrats may have low expectations, Republicans have no expectations.
LIN: All right. We're going to have to leave it there.
Roland Martin, Tara Setmayer, appreciate the time.
Tara, you get the last word next time, OK?
SETMAYER: That's OK. Thank you.
LIN: All right. Pleasure to have both of you.
MARTIN: Thanks a bunch.
LIN: Well, 40 years ago he stood with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., trying to ensure that African-Americans got their right to vote. Well, this weekend he is celebrating his milestone birthday.
Hundreds of dignitaries gathered in Chicago to toast the Reverend Jesse Jackson turning 65. And CNN's Don Lemon was at the festivities and asked Jackson about his thoughts on next Tuesday's election and the black vote.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REV. JESSE JACKSON, RAINBOW/PUSH COALITION: If we vote in great numbers on November the 7th, the members of the U.S. congressional leadership will be changed in the most important way. You'll have people in positions of power to help determine the judiciary, to determine the nation's intelligence and homeland security priorities, and so we really are in a very strong position.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LIN: For Don Lemon's complete interview with the reverend Jesse Jackson, Senator Barack Obama, and his wife Michelle, make sure you tune in this week for CNN NEWSROOM at 1:00 p.m. Eastern.
Well, from handshakes to e-mails, personal appearances to videos, up next, how the Internet influences you in this year's election.
And then the war zone -- bombs, bodies and your ballot.
You're in the NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LIN: It used to be it was all about kissing babies and shaking hands, but these days voters are better educated and getting smarter all the time, thanks to a key battleground.
CNN Technology Correspondent Daniel Sieberg joins me with an electronic twist.
Daniel, on the campaign 2006?
DANIEL SIEBERG, CNN TECHNOLOGY CORRESPONDENT: Yes. And that would be the Internet. But it's the different scopes, the different elements of the Internet that's evolved over the last several years or so. And we're going to take a quick trip down information superhighway.
We're going to start back in '99, 2000, just to bring people up to where we are now.
You remember presidential Web sites? They seemed sort of basic back then.
You can see Bill Bradley had one back then. Of course, Al Gore, George W. Bush. He even had some video on his Web site back then during the primaries.
And one particular candidate at that time actually really tapped into the idea of having a Web site and even incorporating some video at the time, and he also charged some money. He got the idea of fund- raising going.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. JOHN MCCAIN (R), ARIZONA: I hope the Congress of the United States will pass a law which I would sign as president of the United States -- president of the United States, permanently banning sales tax over the Internet.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SIEBERG: So that was Arizona Senator John McCain back in 2000. He actually charged people $100. About 500 logged on to this Web cast. So he made about $50,000, talked about a number of things, including he actually predicted that the next presidential campaign would be really won or lost on the Internet.
Now, he could not have predicted the idea of blogs, but you can see there some of the blogs back in 2004 -- John Kerry, Howard Dean and George W. Bush. But also, the pundits got involved with the idea of blogging. Nowadays they're sort of everywhere, the idea of people creating their own blogs, getting the word out.
It also led to quite a number of grassroots movements, some community groups. And one of them talked about at the time got popular, especially after the invasion of Iraq.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HOWARD DEAN (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Like moveon.org, we seek to build a community of millions and strengthen the voice of our people.
(END VIDEO CLIP) SIEBERG: You can see Howard Dean talking there about moveon.org. This was actually started back in about the year 1998, but it really got prominence after that.
And, of course, in this political season we're talking about sites like YouTube, the video-sharing Web site where anybody can post video, including political candidates.
This from actually Dick Cain, an Illinois state representative. He posted his ad there. It's cheaper, it gets out to a lot of people. It's got sort of a built-in distribution model.
Also, MySpace. Here you see Phil Angelides, the Democratic challenger out in California for the governorship out there. And he's actually got a MySpace page where people can go and read about him and post their comments.
So really, Carol, it's -- you could say that if you decide to get involved in the Internet as a political candidate you're not necessarily guaranteed to win. But you ignore it at your own risk.
LIN: Yes. And it's all about image, too, you know?
SIEBERG: Exactly.
LIN: The future.
All right. Thanks very much, Daniel.
SIEBERG: You bet.
LIN: Well, more than 100,000 people are without power from Maryland to Maine after a weekend storm just crippled the Northeast. Air travel has certainly been a mess.
So let's check in with CNN meteorologist Jacqui Jeras to see if tomorrow's flight forecast is more promising -- Jacqui.
JACQUI JERAS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: So much better.
(WEATHER REPORT)
LIN: Coming up, we're going to be talking about the fear factor, fear of more violence, more death. Iraq and the upcoming election, next in the NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LIN: Saddam Hussein's chief attorney makes a dire prediction in a letter he sends to President Bush. He warns of increased bloodshed should his client receive a death sentence in his trial for war crimes. Now, the verdict could be announced one week from tonight, just two days before the U.S. midterm elections.
Well, that verdict and the ongoing violence, Iraq, of course, is the big issue looming over next week's vote. CNN White House Correspondent Ed Henry has more on how the Iraq war is shaping the political debate.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ED HENRY, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT (voice over): With violence in Iraq front and center in the midterm elections, Republican candidates continue to barak with the president on conduct of the war. Michael Steele, the Republican contender in the hot Maryland Senate race, was asked, does he think Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld should resign?
LT. GOV. MICHAEL STEELE (R), MARYLAND SENATE CANDIDATE: Let's put it this way: he wouldn't be my secretary of defense. And ultimately, that's going to be a decision that the president of the United States makes.
HENRY: But House Majority Leader John Boehner joined the president in offering a ringing endorsement of Rumsfeld.
REP. JOHN BOEHNER (R), MAJORITY LEADER: I think Donald Rumsfeld is the best thing that happened to the Pentagon in 25 years. This -- this Pentagon and our military needs a transformation. And I think Donald Rumsfeld is the only man in America who knows where the bodies are buried at the Pentagon, has enough experience to help transform that institution.
HENRY: Fuel for the Democratic mantra of change.
REP. CHARLES RANGEL (D), NEW YORK: It's true President Bush may not be on the ballot, but people like Boehner and people who support Rumsfeld and Cheney and Bush, they're on the ballot. This is a referendum on the war and the incompetency of the Bush administration.
HENRY: Republicans insist key races will turn on local issues, not Iraq. But just in case they're once again pointing out some Democratic plans to withdraw U.S. troops.
SEN. ELIZABETH DOLE (R), NORTH CAROLINA: We're trying to find a way to -- to -- to complete this war and to get our troops home as soon as possible. The Democrats appear to be content with losing. And by losing, I mean, you know, if you don't complete the mission and you pull out, then there is going to be an eruption in the Middle East.
HENRY (on camera): The president hits the campaign trail again on Monday. First a stop in Georgia, and then his home state of Texas, the district of former House majority leader Tom DeLay, who resigned under an ethical cloud, turning a once-safe Republican seat into yet another race up for grabs.
Ed Henry, CNN, the White House.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LIN: CNN is your source for political news. Join the best political team in television all this week in a special two-hour "SITUATION ROOM" every weeknight. Wolf Blitzer and Paula Zahn will be talking with all the correspondents, as well as analysts, and the politicians themselves.
That's this week at 7:00 p.m. Eastern.
And earlier we asked for stories you wanted to know more about.
Well, Jason in Tampa Florida understandably is concerned about this year's hurricane season.
Now, should you take down your shutters yet, Jason? Well, probably not. Technically, we're still in the hurricane season, which lasts until the end of November.
Now, compared to last year, yes, this season has been almost tranquil. Only nine named storms so far, and none have hit the continental U.S.
So keep your fingers crossed, Jason, and so will we.
Thanks for writing in.
A check of the hour's headlines is after the break. But first, your responses to our "Last Call" question: What is the most important race to you and why?
Here's what you had to say.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm not voting for any of them. I'm a Democrat, but I won't vote for any of them because of the campaign ads they've run and wasted all that money when kids could have gotten health care.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The most important race to me is the Missouri race between -- for governor between McCaskill and Talent, and the reason why is because Claire McCaskill is standing up and trying to get the minimum wage increased and Jim Talent is against it.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Tennessee is the most important to me because Harold Ford is a much, much better candidate, and we want to see -- I want to see if the people of Tennessee will recognize that.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The Santorum-Casey race is the most important election for me. Being a recent college graduate, I think it's about time for Rick Santorum to see how it's like to be unemployed with a college degree trying to find a new job.
So good luck finding a new job, Rick.
(END AUDIO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
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