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Democratic Candidates Debate Nearing; JFK Terror Plot
Aired June 03, 2007 - 16:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. JOSEPH BIDEN, D-DELAWARE, DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I'm Senator Biden. I'm one of the 800 candidates running for president.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROB MARCIANO, ANCHOR, CNN NEWSROOM: Trying to stand out from a crowd. It's a showdown in the Granite State. What to watch for in tonight's Democratic debate.
VERONICA DE LA CRUZ, ANCHOR, CNN NEWSROOM: Caught in the crossfire, families run for their lives in a showdown with al Qaeda- linked militants in the Middle East.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RAYMOND KELLY, COMMISSIONER, NEW YORK CITY POLICE DEPARTMENT: Once again, would-be terrorists have put New York City in their crosshairs.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MARCIANO: And protecting the home front. We've got the latest on an alleged terror plot aimed at the Big Apple.
Hello, everyone. I'm Rob Marciano.
DE LA CRUZ: And I'm Veronica De La Cruz, and you are in the CNN NEWSROOM.
MARCIANO: Manchester, New Hampshire -- tonight, two hours, eight candidates, one big shot to stand out in a crowded Democratic field.
DE LA CRUZ: The debate in the state with the first-in-the-nation presidential primary. Who will we see? What will they say? First, the who's.
John Edwards, the former senator from North Carolina ran for president back in 2004. He later became the vice presidential nominee on John Kerry's ticket.
MARCIANO: Chris Dodd has represented Connecticut in the U.S. Senate since 1981. A little known fact -- he served in the Peace Corps and the Army Reserves. And Bill Richardson is the governor of New Mexico. He's also worked at the State Department, been a congressman and was U.S. ambassador to the UN.
DE LA CRUZ: Hillary Clinton, the junior senator from New York and former first lady. She has been leading her rivals in the early polls.
The oldest Democratic hopeful, Mike Gravel. Also the first to announce his candidacy. He was a senator from Alaska for 12 years.
MARCIANO: Barack Obama won an Illinois Senate seat in 2004. He then shot to the spotlight after his keynote speech at the Democratic Convention last year -- or that same year. There he is.
Joe Biden, serving his sixth term in the U.S. Senate, representing Delaware. He's run for president before, back in 1988.
And Ohio congressman, Dennis Kucinich. He's also run for the White House. He did so back in 2008. He's a vegan, by the way, and was once a copyeditor of the "Wall Street Journal."
DE LA CRUZ: You learn something every day.
CNN is sponsoring this debate with Manchester's WMUR-TV and the "New Hampshire Union Leader" newspaper. Our Wolf Blitzer is moderating tonight.
And we've got the best political team on television doing wall- to-wall coverage.
MARCIANO: Anderson Cooper will be front-and-center tonight. We'll hear from him in just a few minutes. John King, Candy Crowley also in Manchester and will join us next. And our senior political analyst, Bill Schneider, gives us his thoughts in about 20 minutes.
DE LA CRUZ: And at half past, we will hear from the chair of the state Democratic Party, Ray Buckley, and the chairman of the New Hampshire Republicans, Fergus Cullen.
MARCIANO: But first, let's start with our chief national correspondent, John King. He's been talking to New Hampshire voters, and they've been doing a lot of listening up there. Is there with a lot of reporters and politicians.
Hi, John.
JOHN KING, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT, MANCHESTER, NEW HAMPSHIRE: Hello to you, Rob.
New Hampshire voters admit that they're spoiled, because the state has the first-in-the-nation presidential primary. Candidates for president spends months -- sometimes even years -- coming to New Hampshire to court voters. And they spend a lot of time on the phone cajoling the key activists, trying to get them to sign up. Many sign up early. But others like this tradition. It is a ritual. Some wait and wait and wait, say they're holding out as long as they can.
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KING (voice-over): George Bruno is a living, breathing cliche -- and proud of it.
GEORGE BRUNO, NEW HAMPSHIRE DEMOCRATIC ACTIVIST: I'm in no rush. I'm enjoying meeting the candidates. And I'm trying to be helpful to a number of the candidates. The upcoming debate, I think will be extremely useful.
KING: It's all part of New Hampshire's quadrennial legend -- or myth, depending on your perspective.
Presidential hopefuls spend months courting local activists, looking for endorsements, and more importantly, a network of grassroots supporters.
KATHLEEN SULLIVAN, FORMER NEW HAMPSHIRE DEMOCRATIC CHAIRWOMAN: I am not one who believes that endorsements matter that much in New Hampshire.
KING: Easy for her to say. Kathleen Sullivan recently stepped down as New Hampshire Democratic chairwoman. She led the party to huge gains here and is considered the most influential Democratic activist yet to pick a presidential candidate.
SULLIVAN: Big fish in a small pond. I don't know, maybe a little fish, really, in a big pond. Oh, I don't know about that, but ...
KING: Media attention and TV ads play more of a role now. But former governor, Jeanne Shaheen -- who made her name as an activist back in 1984, when she helped Gary Hart to a stunning upset of former vice president, Walter Mondale -- says the old-fashioned approach can still make a difference.
JEANNE SHAHEEN, D-FORMER NEW HAMPSHIRE GOVERNOR: If you have somebody's name who has a constituency, and who's willing to go out there and get that constituency fired up about the candidate, then it does make a difference.
KING: Which is why the candidates keep courting proven activists like Kathleen Sullivan and George Bruno.
BRUNO: We were on a campaign run one day, before he was president.
KING: Bruno was a big Bill Clinton guy here back in 1992. He speaks fondly of Hillary Clinton, but -- insert ritual here -- says he's on the fence, and listening.
BRUNO: My cell phone rang and it was Senator Obama. And so, I pulled the car off the road and we had a 10- or 12-minute chat about foreign policy.
It's nice living in New Hampshire. New Hampshire is a good place to live.
(END VIDEO)
KING (on camera): You get a sense there that the Democratic activists, Republican activists here are very spoiled. They get a lot of one-on-one attention from the candidates for president.
Once they move on from here, they go to South Carolina, then the bigger states like California and New York, where it's much more about, Rob, single speeches, a lot of money spent on TV ads.
So, they are spoiled here. They enjoy it. And you get the sense when you talk to the activists -- guess what -- they milk it a bit.
MARCIANO: I'm sure they do. It's nice to hear that at least many of the folks in New Hampshire welcome the attention.
John King live from what should be your second home in New Hampshire. Thanks, buddy.
KING: Thank you, Rob.
DE LA CRUZ: Let's bring in CNN's senior political correspondent, Candy Crowley, now, for more on the upcoming debate.
The crowded field makes for quite a few underdogs or a dark horse candidate. So, Candy, whatever you want to call them, these so-called "second tier," they really need to make the most of tonight's opportunity. Right?
CANDY CROWLEY, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT, MANCHESTER, NEW HAMPSHIRE: They absolutely do, because, you know, when you talk about the upper tier and lower tier, you're talking about a lot more than just the numbers that divide them in the polls. You are also talking about the way they campaign.
(BEGIN VIDEO)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hi, Hillary.
SEN. HILLARY CLINTON, D-NEW YORK, DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Hi. How are you?
CROWLEY (voice-over): Upper-tier candidates can't shake all the hands that come their way. In the lower tier, you go looking for hands.
RICHARDSON: Good to see you. Yes, I remember you.
CROWLEY: It is politics at its most basic -- face-to-face, voter-by-voter.
BIDEN: I'm Senator Biden. I'm one of the 800 candidates running for president.
CROWLEY: There are tricks of the trade for the also runnings. First, if you can't draw a crowd, go find one. On Memorial Day, Joe Biden took advantage of a breakfast gathering of veterans.
Second, show up early and often. In January, Republican Tommy Thompson vowed to campaign in Iowa very weekend.
And, if they ask you, you should go.
REP. DENNIS KUCINICH, D-OHIO, DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Hello, New Hampshire!
CROWLEY: Saturday, the day before the debate, five candidates -- Biden, Dodd, Richardson, Kucinich and Gravel, underdogs all -- all showed up at the invitation of the state Democratic Party convention.
BIDEN: My fellow Democrats, this war must end. This war must end.
CROWLEY: MIA from the event -- Clinton, Obama, Edwards. The entire upper tier didn't show. They didn't have to.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hil-la-ry! Hil-la-ry!
CROWLEY: At the top of the field, you can get your people to come, even when you don't.
Down the ladder of the presidential campaign it is hard to find oxygen, known in the trade as free media.
SEN. CHRIS DODD, D-CONNECTICUT, DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: People in New Hampshire don't want to be told by pundits outside who's going to win an election.
CROWLEY: Another rule of the underdogs ...
DODD: Half-measures won't stop this president from continuing our involvement in Iraq's civil war.
CROWLEY: ... if you can't get free media, raise a little money and buy some.
The lower tier can be a lonely place, but not a hopeless one. Before he became a phenom on the presidential trail, Howard Dean was known as the "little-known governor from Vermont." Long before he became president, Jimmy Carter traipsed through Iowa as "Jimmy who?"
RICHARDSON: I don't got to gyms with thousands of people. I go straight to the voter, to their homes. And that's how I'm going to win in Iowa and New Hampshire.
CROWLEY: Anything could happen. The underdogs are banking on it.
(END VIDEO) CROWLEY (on camera): Another rule for the underdogs -- take advantage of these debates as much as you can. Look for a breakout moment.
This is the biggest audience they're going to have. And for the first time -- or for the second time with the Democrats -- they are on an even platform with the upper tier -- Veronica.
DE LA CRUZ: So, Candy, of the five underdogs, who has made the most of their time there in the Granite State?
CROWLEY: Well, frankly, they all have. I mean, I will tell you, if you go by the polls, Bill Richardson has gone from about three to nine in the polls here. It doesn't sound like much, but that's, you know, tripling your poll numbers in about a month.
So, this is the sort of progress they look for. He is far from there, but it's the kind of thing that they can use to say to donors and to activists, "Look, you see I'm coming up in the polls. Come on over on my team."
So, if you had to pick one, it'd be Richardson. But they're still so early on, that it's hard to tell exactly who is breaking through, if anybody.
DE LA CRUZ: Still more than a year away.
All right. Candy Crowley live for us in Manchester, New Hampshire. Nice to see you, Candy. Thanks.
MARCIANO: And the clock ticks closer and closer to the best political team on television. Coming up at 5 Eastern, a pre-game lineup of the players, their weaknesses and who's expected to shine.
Then, at 7 Eastern, Democratic candidates square off. For the first time, they're going to take questions from voters. And when the debate's done, our team tallies the hits and misses.
Join Larry King, Wolf Blitzer, Anderson Cooper, John Roberts and the Democratic candidates themselves -- live for "Raw Politics," a post-debate breakdown. And it all starts right here at 5 Eastern.
DE LA CRUZ: And Anderson Cooper is in Manchester getting ready for the big debate. Wolf Blitzer will join him in a minute.
Anderson joins us now. Hey there, Anderson, what do you have for us?
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR, MANCHESTER, NEW HAMPSHIRE: Veronica, we're in the spin room right now. It is pretty empty here, as you can see. But in a few hours, right after the debate, this place is going to be jam-packed.
We'll show you around in just a little bit, right after this break, Veronica.
DE LA CRUZ: We'll see you shortly.
MARCIANO: Plus, joining us in about 20 minutes from Manchester, Fergus Cullen, New Hampshire Republican Party state chair, and Ray Buckley. He's state chair of the Democratic Party in the Granite State.
You're tuned in to the CNN NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
DE LA CRUZ: Well, we are counting down to tonight's Democratic debate, co-sponsored by CNN. And it is now less than three hours away.
Anchoring our special coverage, CNN's Wolf Blitzer and Anderson Cooper, both live in Manchester, New Hampshire. Hello to both of you.
What's the biggest thing that we're going to be looking for tonight from these candidates?
WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR, MANCHESTER, NEW HAMPSHIRE: Well, I think the first thing is going to be Iraq, first and foremost. That's the biggest issue hovering over these candidates, not only the Democratic candidates, but the Republican candidates, Veronica, who are going to be gathering here Tuesday for a similar process -- two hours uninterrupted by commercials.
I think that's the dominate issue. But there'll be no shortage of other issues -- foreign policy issues, domestic issues -- that'll be raised, as well.
So, there's going to be a wide range of subjects that no doubt will come through.
COOPER: And you've got to remember, Veronica, this is the first debate since the Iraq spending bill was passed. Also, immigration reform is going to be a major topic, no doubt, that Wolf is going to ask some questions about.
It's also going to be really the first debate where actual voters -- New Hampshire voters -- are able to ask questions directly to the candidates. So, that should make it a pretty interesting night.
DE LA CRUZ: All right. Anderson and Wolf there in New Hampshire, we're going to be checking back with you guys soon.
We are less than three hours away from the debate now. We'll see you guys shortly. Thanks.
MARCIANO: Straight ahead in the NEWSROOM, why are we even having TV debates at all?
Well, Bill Schneider's got an answer. Hey, Bill.
BILL SCHNEIDER, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: Hi, there. MARCIANO: All right, Bill, we'll look for your answer. That's what we call a very strong tease -- not saying a word until he's actually on for the full segment.
We'll be back to you in a little bit, Bill.
Also ahead -- also ahead, we want to tell you about the terror plot against JFK, the airport there in New York, the latest twists and turns in the ongoing investigation. A live report straight ahead in the NEWSROOM.
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DE LA CRUZ: Side-by-side and head-to-head, eight Democratic presidential hopefuls will try to outshine each other in Manchester, New Hampshire. Tonight's debate could give some candidates a boost.
But who needs it the most? CNN senior political analyst, Bill Schneider, is standing by to answer those questions for us.
Hi, Bill.
SCHNEIDER: Hi, Veronica.
DE LA CRUZ: All right. So, these debates, let's talk about them.
Do the debates before the conventions have a strong influence on voters? I mean, do they really matter?
SCHNEIDER: They do matter for one particular reasons. A lot of these candidates are not well know. Hillary Clinton, of course, is well known. John Edwards was on the ticket in 2004.
But most of the others -- Barack Obama, he did make a speech at the 2004 convention. Voters don't know a lot about him.
Some of the others are well known in Washington -- Chris Dodd, Joe Biden, Dennis Kucinich. Bill Richardson, of course has been in the Cabinet and was ambassador to the UN. But voters aren't really familiar, particularly here in New Hampshire.
So, the debate puts all of the candidates on a level playing field and allows the voters to size them up next to each other and to get to know them, in many cases for the first time.
DE LA CRUZ: Well, let's talk about strategy for a second. Who really needs to hit a homerun tonight? Which candidates are the most vulnerable?
SCHNEIDER: Well, I'd say, the frontrunner has the most at risk here, and that is Hillary Clinton. She's at the top of the polls. Her lead has been steady, really almost the entire year. And nothing is going to change unless this race shakes up.
So, all the other contenders on that stage -- all the seven others -- are going to try to do something to shake up the race, because none of them has a hope to get the nomination, unless somehow they can knock her off her frontrunner perch, which she has been happily sitting on for quite a while.
DE LA CRUZ: And I understand that she actually has two secret weapons in her back pocket.
SCHNEIDER: Well, she does. One of them is her husband, Bill Clinton, who is very popular up here in New Hampshire. New Hampshire voted for Bill Clinton twice, and a lot of Democrats have fond recollections of the Clinton presidency, wish he were back.
They do not have very good experiences under the Bush presidency, and they are eager to have the election as quickly as possible.
The other is women. Women show a lot of support for Hillary Clinton. They are giving her -- they are really responsible for her lead.
And some of the issues like health care that she specializes in have a lot of appeal to women. So, they're kind of a secret force in this primary.
DE LA CRUZ: So, Bill, what do we need to be looking for tonight? What should we be watching for as these candidates are up on stage?
SCHNEIDER: Well, every one of the candidates coming to this debate has rehearsed sound bites. They have zingers and one-liners.
Because, look. With eight candidates -- eight in a debate -- nobody's going to get a lot of time to elaborate his or her positions. They want to get in a memorable moment in the debate that'll be replayed on the news over and over and over again.
Remember -- you may be too young, but in 1984, Walter Mondale sprung a line on the then-frontrunner, Gary Hart. He turned to him in the debate and said, "One thing we want to know. Where's the beef?"
And with that, Hart was finished. It was played over and over again, because it got to the essence of Hart's vulnerability, which was what was he really proposing to do to help Democrats.
People need a line like that. They need a moment that can captured in the debate, that will really sell them and make people stand up and notice them, for the first time in many cases.
DE LA CRUZ: Yes, and eight candidates, two hours -- it's going to be tough. All right, Bill Schneider.
SCHNEIDER: It will be tough.
DE LA CRUZ: Nice to see you. Thanks.
MARCIANO: Well, tonight it's blue, Tuesday it's red. The Republican presidential candidates tee it up Tuesday night in Manchester. And CNN is co-hosting. Wolf Blitzer will be there as a moderator.
The debate begins at 7 p.m. Eastern time. And just like tonight, there will be a preview and a post-debate analysis. It's all right here on CNN.
DE LA CRUZ: Will their campaigns get a boost, or run into a big granite wall? Democrats try to carve out some votes in New Hampshire.
So, what will it take to impress voters there? Fergus Cullen, is New Hampshire Republican Party state chair. And Ray Buckley is head of the state's Democrats. They wax Granite State politics. That's straight ahead.
Plus, the alleged terror plot against New York's JFK Airport, the latest details and developments in this case.
Jim Acosta is live for us there in New York. Hi, Jim.
JIM ACOSTA, CNN CORRESPONDENT, NEW YORK: Hi, Veronica.
Is there a Caribbean connection to the alleged terror plot on New York's JFK Airport? I'm Jim Acosta. That story is coming up -- Veronica.
DE LA CRUZ: Thanks, Jim. We'll be checking back with you in a bit.
All this and much more on the rundown that is straight ahead in the CNN NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
DE LA CRUZ: Happening now in the news, U.S. health officials say they've contacted more than half of the U.S. passengers on board a trans-Atlantic flight with TB traveler, Andrew Speaker. Speaker is currently being treated in Denver.
A fourth suspect is being sought in Trinidad as part of an alleged plot to blow up New York's Kennedy Airport. Two other men are in custody in Trinidad. One man is behind bars in New York. Officials say the men wanted to blow up fuel supply tanks, pipelines and buildings at the airport.
Well, the Pentagon says 14 U.S. soldiers have been killed in Iraq this weekend. Four were killed when a roadside bomb struck their vehicle northwest of Baghdad.
The U.S. military death toll in Iraq now stands at 3,494.
MARCIANO: Checking news across America now, a car plowed into a crowd of people last night in a street festival in Washington, D.C. Thirty-five people were hurt, seven seriously. Witnesses say everything happened very fast.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: All of a sudden, a car just came flying by. It looked like a bolt of lightning.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I dove through the window. I threw it in park. Do you know what she did? She pushed on the accelerator!
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MARCIANO: The driver, Tonya Bell, has been charged with aggravated assault while armed. More charges could follow. Blood tests will determine if she was under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
DE LA CRUZ: Andrew Speaker is doing fine. That is the word today from Denver hospital officials. Doctors are treating Speaker for a dangerous form of tuberculosis that is highly resistant to drugs.
Speaker remains in isolation. The CDC says it contacted more than half of the passengers who were on trans-Atlantic flights with Speaker and exposed to TB.
MARCIANO: And NASA says the shuttle Atlantis will go up as scheduled later this week, despite worries about a strike. Hundreds of space shuttle workers voted to walk off their jobs, after contract negotiations hit a snag.
NASA says a strike won't hamper Friday's planned launch, but they hope the union will reach a new deal soon.
DE LA CRUZ: And they have got a bicycle built for two, and one grand adventure ahead. Over the next two years, Aaron and Laura Beese plan to peddle their way through America and tour all 50 states. The Oklahoma couple head out tomorrow. They plan to write a book all about their journey.
MARCIANO: Well, New Hampshire looms large in presidential politics. A win in New Hampshire has propelled many presidential hopefuls right into the Oval Office. That's why candidates want to shine in the Granite State for sure.
Joining us from Manchester, Fergus Cullen, New Hampshire Republican Party state chair, and Ray Buckley. He's state chair of the New Hampshire Democratic Party.
Busy gentlemen, I'm sure. We thank you for taking the time to be with us.
Ray, a big night for you, so I'll get started with you.
Besides Iraq, give me two of the top other issues that your party -- the voters of your party and the Independent voters -- are concerned about.
RAY BUCKLEY, STATE CHAIR, NEW HAMPSHIRE DEMOCRATIC PARTY: Well, certainly health care. Health care is very important for all Americans. And the fact that all of our candidates do have really strong positions on health care, I think that the American people are going to look to the Democratic candidates to really solve the health care crisis that's going on here in America.
MARCIANO: Health care for the Dems.
Fergus Cullen, of the Republican Party, how about your constituents?
FERGUS CULLEN, STATE CHAIR, NEW HAMPSHIRE REPUBLICAN PARTY: Well, I think that there's a lot of discussion about making sure that we're moving forward with a strong defense and a strong approach to military affairs.
You know, I think, in the last election, if John Kerry had been president, he might be calling up France when there's an attack and asking them for advice on handling the situation.
So, looking for a strong leader is something that the Republicans are looking for.
MARCIANO: The Democrats go tonight. I mean, is that an advantage, Fergus, for the Republicans? They get two days to kind of look at tape, like a team would before a big game.
Do you see tonight as being an advantage?
CULLEN: I suspect that on Tuesday night, we will see some of the Republican candidates giving, if you will, a rebuttal to some of the comments that some of the Democratic candidates make today. Time for us to start presenting alternative visions for the future of America, Republican and a Democratic philosophy.
MARCIANO: Ray, New Hampshire voters, citizens over 90 percent white population, yet it's the first primary out there. Is New Hampshire, well, it is not necessarily representative to the United States population, certainly not to the Democratic Party, why is this so important in New Hampshire right now for you?
RAY BUCKLEY, N.H. DEMOCRATIC PARTY STATE CHAIR: Well New Hampshire is not the end of the process; it's the beginning of the process. We came out with a very strong and very clear plan over two years ago to increase the diversity in the delegate selection process. Unfortunately the Democratic National Committee and others involved in this process chose do otherwise, what happened is the Iowa and New Hampshire are actually more important and more vital on both sides of both the Democratic and the Republican primaries than ever before.
So they had the exact opposite than what they wanted. We very much want a larger role in the nominating process for people of color. And we believe that our plan, which would have provided for a more sensible calendar would have provided for the candidates to actually go into the larger communities that do have the high population of people of color and it would have given them that voice. It's unfortunate the way they have it now, all front-loaded. We'll have both nominees by Valentine's Day.
MARCIANO: Ray, you mentioned healthcare being probably the number two issues but Iraq assuming it is number one. How high above healthcare is the Iraq issue and what do you expect tonight?
BUCKLEY: I dare say 100 percent of the Democratic voters here in New Hampshire are opposed to the war. They want the war to end. And that's the reason why the latest UNH Polls show that over 70 percent of the independents which are by far the majority voters here in New Hampshire have already determined that they're going to vote in the Democratic primary in New Hampshire, that's a significant number of people that are already going to be in the Democratic column going into the '08 election.
MARCIANO: Fergus Cullen on the Republican Party, I'll let you respond on the issue of Iraq?
FERGUS CULLEN, N.H. REPUBLICAN PARTY STATE CHAIR: Well, you know, we have to understand that we have troops in Germany today, 50 years after the end, 60 years after the end of that war, we have troops on the ground in Korea today a half century after that conflict. We in America have to understand this is a long-term commitment in a new era, as Senator McCain talks about these enemies abroad now will follow us home. I hope that people understand that the Republicans are having a strong approach to our enemies abroad. I'm not sure we're going see that always from our Democratic counterparts.
MARCIANO: Switching to another issue, Fergus, recently your Democratic governor in the news for signing a bill to allow civil unions of the same sex, how do you think that play if at all in the debates tonight and Tuesday?
CULLEN: It may, this was an unintended consequence of the new Democratic majority here in New Hampshire last year that the Democrats have taken advantage of too go too far too fast on a number of issue, including social issues that have nothing to do with the elections last fall but is an issue that the Democrats are likely to applaud and a lot of the Republicans will draw lines of contrast with. So it's a local issue that may inject itself into the presidential race that way.
MARCIANO: Ray how big of an issue is gay rights in your state?
BUCKLEY: Well, the only openly gay state party chair in the entire country, obviously I think the governor did the right thing, the legislature did the right thing. In fact before the Republican Party got involved, we had a bipartisan majority of the house that supported the enactment of civil unions here in New Hampshire. Then the Republicans moved in, twisted some arms and it ended up being a straight party line vote in the state Senate. That's unfortunate because I know personally that nearly a majority of the Republican state Senators favored the enactment of civil unions but because they felt they had to be Republican. That's going to happen Tuesday night.
There's this race to the far right going on in the Republican Party both here in the state and in the country. The reason we had such a landslide in '06 was the Republican Party in New Hampshire and it looks like America are so out of touch with the average plain stream, that's why the independents are looking towards the Democrats for leadership, civil unions I think is the proper thing to do, poll in shows that over 60 percent of the voters of New Hampshire support the enactment of civil unions. If they want it make it an issue that is OK.
We think that ending discrimination, this state has a long history of ending discrimination from the abolitionist movement right on through, we were one of the first states to support the enactment of the
ERA back in the '70s, we've always stood up against discrimination, and once again it just shows the Republicans being out of touch with the mainstream voters here in New Hampshire.
MARCIANO: Fergus, you've already spoke to that so I'm going to switch gears a little bit and talk about what Ray mentioned early, this is kind of the beginning of the process, the end of course at least where the primaries are concerned. Have you guys set an election date yet for the primary?
CULLEN: We haven't. It's up to the secretary of state here. I suspect it will end up being like a British election, if you will, where there will be six weeks notice and there will be a snap election. But as Ray pointed out, one of the consequences of all the front-loading and the compression of the calendar is that New Hampshire ironically is probably becoming more important in the process. I think Ray would probably agree with me that's never been our goal here in New Hampshire. We have a very highly informed electorate, a highly participate electorate, one that takes its roll in vetting and narrowing the field very seriously and has done that historically very well in a way that serves the national interest. I think the Democrats and the Republicans can agree on that.
MARCIANO: Certainly folks who live in New Hampshire are proud of their role, beginning, I suppose it's already began and will continue in the months to come. Ray Buckley for the Democrats and Fergus Cullen the Republican State Chair there in New Hampshire. Thank you both for joining us tonight and good luck as we head down the road.
Don't go away from your TV, there's a lot of action tonight for sure.
VERONICA DE LA CRUZ, CNN CO-ANCHOR, CNN NEWSROOM: Absolutely.
MARCIANO: You're going to want to check out the debate on pipeline.
DE LA CRUZ: It going to be on the pipeline. I'll tell you all about it. There are going to be four pipes at your disposal. The first main pipe will be where the debates will be playing out live, commercial free and then in the second pipe, Rob, I want to tell you about this, we're going to have live analysis with Arianna Huffington and Mike Murphy that is going to be in pipe two. Then pipe three, this is pretty cool, there's going to be a live meter reading of the audience reaction. And then you know how you're watching debates sometimes or you're watching people speak and you want to see the reaction of the other candidates or maybe you want to see the reaction of the audience, right? We're going to haven't an alternate view and that's in pipe four.
MARCIANO: So you may want to have your TV on and then your computer right next to you.
DE LA CRUZ: Exactly.
MARCIANO: And you can toss and turn between four pipes plus the TV.
DE LA CRUZ: Sounds good to me. CNN.com/pipeline is the place.
We are learning more now, we're learning about those suspects who allegedly targeted the fuel supply network at New York's JFK Airport. Friends and family members of the suspects openly question the group's ability to pull off such an attack but authorities are noting how the so-called JFK four did manage to make contacts with a little known extremist group in the Caribbean. CNN's Jim Acosta has more.
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JIM ACOSTA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Suspects Abdul Kadir, Russell Defreitas and Kareem Ibrahim and Abdel Nur are described by relatives and friends as not the types to execute a terrorist attack on New York's JFK Airport. A friend of Defreitas says the man a law enforcement source accused ob being the plot's ringleader just isn't smart enough.
TREVOR WATTS, FRIEND OF RUSSELL DEFREITAS: No, no, not the rest of them, I know he they talk a lot of garbage, but no, he's not that type of person.
ACOSTA: The wife of suspect Abdul Kadir, a one-time politician in the Carribean Nation of Guyana says her husband is a devoted father and grandfather.
ISHA KADIR, WIFE OF ABDUL KADIR: No way at no time we were ever involved in anything of plots of bombing, or any plots against America. We are not a part of that. We have family- both of us, family in America.
ACOSTA: But what does impress authorities, they say, is the group's ability to formulate a plot that stretched from New York to the Caribbean to South America. While Defreitas is a U.S. citizen he's originally from the South American nation of Guyanan as is one of the other suspects, the other two hail from Trinidad just off the South American coast.
According to investigators the suspects met in Trinidad to discuss their plans with members of a radical Muslim group called J.A.M. the extremist organization launched an unsuccessful coup attempt in Trinidad in 1990 leaving 24 people dead. New York police commissioner Ray Kelly says the JFK plot presents a new kind of threat, Caribbean based terrorism.
COMMISSIONER RAY KELLY, NEW YORK POLICE DEPARTMENT: This particular plot is both similar and different to the ones that we've seen in the past. It is different in that it has ties to the Caribbean. And this is an area in which we have growing concern and I think requires a lot more focus.
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DE LA CRUZ: Jim, what's the latest on these suspects?
ACOSTA: Well, Veronica, the man the law enforcement sources calls the alleged ringleader, Russell Defreitas is due back in court for a bail hearing on Wednesday. The two other suspects Abdul Kadir and Kareem Ibrahim are in Trinidad awaiting extradition hearings and that fourth suspect Abdel Nur is still being sought.
Veronica.
DE LA CRUZ: All right. Jim Acosta live for us in New York, Jim we appreciate the update. Thanks.
MARCIANO: President Bush gears up for major trip overseas, CNN's Elaine Quijano will have a live report from the White House coming up.
Elaine.
ELAINE QUIJANO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I am Elaine Quijano live at the White House. President Bush is gearing up for the annual G8 Summit being held this year in Germany. A host of issues on the agenda, I'll have details coming up.
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MARCIANO: German authorities want to make sure this doesn't happen again. Violent demonstrations near the site of the upcoming group of G8 Summit on Saturday left hundreds of police and protestors hurt. Today officers shut down most of the roads and tightened checkpoints near the Baltic Sea Resort where the Summit kicks off on Wednesday.
Well, President Bush and other G8 have a laundry list of controversial issues to discuss at their three-day meeting. For more on that, let's go to CNN's Elaine Quijano she is live at the White House. Pretty big trip for the president, isn't it Elaine?
QUIJANO: It is. And ahead of that trip, President Bush laid out some preemptive initiatives if you will in advance of the G8 Summit during his speech here in Washington, the president was essentially trying to send the message that America cares and that the priorities that are important for G8 leaders are also priorities for the United States. Now among those issues, Sudan as well as more money to fight HIV Aids in Africa, but also the president tried to blunt some criticism on the controversial topic of climate change and he tried pushing back against the notion that his administration has been too slow to act by outlining a new proposal. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: The United States will work with other nations to establish a new framework on greenhouse gas emissions for when the Kyoto protocol expires in 2012. So my proposal is this by the end of next year, America and other nations will set a long-term global goal for reducing greenhouse gases. To help develop this goal, the United States will convene a series of meetings with the nations that produce the most greenhouse gas emissions including nations with rapidly growing economies like India and China.
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QUIJANO: But critics have slammed President Bush's proposal as not going far enough in their opinion, they say it doesn't have any teeth and they question how effective it can be without any enforceable measures. Others say that the proposal upstages a plan already put forward by Germany's Chancellor Angela Mericale. Now the Bush administration insists that was not the intention here, they say they simply wanted to contribute to a dialogue they know is going to take center stage this coming week.
Rob.
MARCIANO: On another note, Elaine, Russian President Vladimir Putin has had some harsh words for the U.S. lately. What is President Bush's message going to be when he meets up with him at the G8 and how concerned is the administration that those relations are going down hill fast?
QUIJANO: Well U.S. officials are very concerned about the U.S. Russia relationship, President Putin has made clear he does not like, is not comfortable with the U.S.'s plan for a missile defense system in Europe he essentially thinks it's aimed at Russia and it makes Russia vulnerable. So President Bush is really going to trying to send the message to President Putin when they sit down this week that that's not the case here. This something that is intended to defend against hostile regimes as the president puts it like Iran. President Bush also taking the unusual step of inviting Putin next month to the Bush family compound in Kennebunkport Maine for a little one on one time essentially trying to repair what has been a very strained relationship in recent months.
MARCIANO: Air Force One start your engines. Elaine Quijano live for us at the White House thanks Elaine.
DE LA CRUZ: All right. Time now to get a quick check of the weather from CNN's meteorologist Reynolds Wolf. Just raining where Elaine was. What was that, the end of tropical storm Barry?
REYNOLDS WOLF, CNN METEOROLOGIST: See there you go, stealing my thunder. Absolutely right though. This is what's left of Barry now moving its way along the eastern seaboard, coming up I'm going to let you know what it's going to mean for the debates tonight in Manchester, that's just moments away. DE LA CRUZ: And later, more familiar sounds from Lebanon. Sunday becomes another day of violence. You're in the CNN NEWSROOM.
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BONNIE SCHNEIDER, CNN METEOROLOGIST: I'm CNN meteorologist Bonnie Schneider with a look at your allergy report for Sunday. As we check out the map, you'll see some improvements in the air quality across Florida and into Georgia as well. The remnants of tropical storm Barry certainly clearing skies out and making for slightly more comfortable conditions after the lack of rainfall there.
Otherwise coast-to-coast, we've got moderate reports in terms of the allergies that you might be suffering from like pollen in the air. Things are looking good across the northern Plains where no reports of this of any kind of pollen or irritants in the air. So good news there. That's a look at your allergy report for Sunday. I'm meteorologist Bonnie Schneider.
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MARCIANO: Time now to go global with headlines from around the world. Lebanon's worst outbreak of violence in 17 years is escalating and spreading. This is new video in from southern Lebanon where security forces say militants opened fire on an army checkpoint. Fighting began on May 20th when the police raids in Tripoli triggered gunfire from militants in a nearby refugee camp.
A suicide bomber with al Qaeda connections is suspected in the failed assassination attempt of Somali's prime minister today. Authorities say an SUV filled with explosives crashed the home's security gate and blew up. It killed six security guards but the prime minister survived the attack. It's the fourth such attempt on his life.
In Germany, a welcome change from yesterday's violent G8 protest, which left as many 1000 people injured. Some 1,500 hundred demonstrators marched peacefully today rallying against agriculture policies of G8 members. The three-day summit begins on Wednesday.
For the first time in four months, Cubans got a fresh look at their ailing communist President Fidel Castro; the 80 year old was shown on state-run Cuban television today visiting with a Vietnamese dignitary. He's trying to recover from an undisclosed health issue. He did cede power to his younger brother Raul in July.
DE LA CRUZ: And it is time now to get a check of the weather ahead of the big debates meteorologist Reynolds Wolf is in the Weather Center, and Reynolds I'm not going to steal your thunder.
WOLF: Not at all.
MARCIANO: But I dare say that Reynolds Wolf is part of the best political team on television.
DE LA CRUZ: Weather team. MARCIANO: Both.
DE LA CRUZ: Sure.
WOLF: We cover all the bases. That's what we have here. Speaking of you were talking earlier about stealing thunder, that's one thing we're not getting a great deal of with what is left with Barry. A few thunderstorm, but nothing severe at this hour at least in this part of the world. As we make our way into back up into parts of Burlington and back over to Manchester, we're going to be seeing a few scattered showers, but for anyone who might be heading out to the debate the heavy rain will come but it's after the midnight hour before the bottom really begins to wash out. So that is going to be a big rainy mess for you. But again well after the debate.
Meanwhile as we make our way back into the Great Lakes, from Cleveland, southward to Fort Wayne, over to Detroit, some scattered storms popping up over in Chicago, things are fine for you now but farther back to the west, you're seeing rain develop there as we head down into parts of Louisiana, Texas, we have a few severe thunderstorm watches popping up, a few bow echoes into portions of Louisiana, some of these will be strong into Baton Rouge in the next half hour.
Back into Texas, two big things to talk about, one will be the tornado watch box, that you see over the Davis and Apache Mountains, over near Van Horn, Texas this is going to remain in effect not just for Texas but also just for extreme south eastern New Mexico until 10:00 Local Time, also a severe thunderstorm watch popping up in portion of central Texas that will remain in effect until midnight local time.
For tomorrow, the rain is going to continue to the northeast, some scattered throughout parts of the Gulf Coast, extreme northern Plains, and from Seattle southward into Portland just north of San Francisco in a Marin County, look for raindrops there as well. That's a look at your forecast, you're up to speed, let's send it back to you at the news desk.
DE LA CRUZ: All right Reynolds thanks so much.
WOLF: Any time.
MARCIANO: Well they provide a glimpse of leadership and also a sneak peek at the candidates of course. But in some cases the debates shape the outcomes of the actual elections, but is it time for a change. Are the debates ready for a little makeover? Details on what could be ahead coming up in the NEWSROOM.
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DE LA CRUZ: Well, televised presidential debates have been a key part of American politics for nearly 50 yours but critics argue it's time to change the way that they're done.
MARCIANO: A look at where they've been and where they may be going from CNN's Gary Nurenberg. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RICHARD NIXON, (ROGERS:) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: You say we'll now have question, gentlemen and then we move over here, right?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Right.
NIXON: Good, excellent.
GARY NURENBERG, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Getting ready for the first televised presidential debate Nixon-Kennedy in 1960, director Don Hewitt had a problem.
NIXON: I think I better shave.
DON HEWITT, EXECUTIVE PRODUCER, CBS NEWS: He looked like death warmed over and he wouldn't wear makeup.
NURENBERG: Nixon's appearance was a factor that night. The demands of television sharing the stage with issue positions as candidates sought to make an impression on millions of voters at one time. Debates have hurt candidates.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There is no soviet domination of Eastern Europe.
NURENBERG: The remark damaged the Ford campaign in 1976.
AL GORE: Here's differences.
NURENBERG: Al Gore's sighs and facial expressions were viewed as a negative in 2000. Presidential debaters remember the lesson.
ROGER SIMON, POLITICO.COM: From their point of view, it's about not screwing up, about making no big mistakes.
NURENBERG: But it may be worth the risk, especially before the field has narrowed.
CANDY CROWLEY, SENIOR POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: A very good performance by somebody attracts attention from both donors and voters.
NURENBERG: Memorable one-liners can mean a good performance. Ronald Reagan disparaging Jimmy Carter in 1980.
GOV. RONALD REAGAN, (ROGERS:) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: There you go again.
NURENBERG: Walter Mondale assessing Gary Hart's policies in 1984.
WALTER MONDALE, (D) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Where's the beef?
NURENBERG: Critics ask where's the beef in the debates? NEWT GINGRICH, FMR. HOUSE SPEAKER: It's silly to try to deal with issues like what's your answer on health care and you have 30 seconds, you can't do it.
NURENBERG: Hewitt says get rid of what he calls the news guys are who are trying to look nonpartisan.
HEWITT: Well if you're not partisan you shouldn't be in a debate. Debates are about partisan, they're not about news conferences.
NURENBERG: Gingrich proposing a series of 90 minute discussions between the two major party candidates concentrating on issues they choose, no reporters, just before the 2008 election, a contemporary version of the 19th century Lincoln-Douglas debates where candidates can answer in depth the key questions?
JAMES STOCKDALE, (I) VICE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Who am I? Why am I here?
NURENBERG: Gary Nurenberg, CNN, Washington.
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MARCIANO: Well, regardless, you're going to get two of the best debates on television tonight and Tuesday night right here.
DE LA CRUZ: Absolutely.
MARCIANO: That's it for us from the CNN Center, I'm Rob Marciano.
DE LA CRUZ: I'm Veronica De LA Cruz. We turn it over now to the special edition of "Lou Dobbs Tonight" he is live in Manchester to begin CNN's special pre debate coverage.
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