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Ballot Bowl '08 - Second Hour; McCain Remarks; Clinton Remarks

Aired February 02, 2008 - 15:00   ET

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

CANDY CROWLEY, CNN SR POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: To get in to see this event here with Hillary Clinton, again, a great place to hold a rally, if you're going to. Brings in young people but it also brings in citizens from around and you could have a really picturesque place to make your pitch. Of course, California, huge, 370 delegates are at stake here. Hillary Clinton has spent the past couple days here. Part of her overall Super Tuesday strategy.
As you mentioned more than 20 primaries. You can't get to all those states and many of these people can't advertise in all these states. It is enormously expensive. So, the fact of the matter is when the they looked at it they said New York. She represents New York, New Jersey, neighboring New York. California, because so many delegates here, the Clintons are very popular out here and Arkansas, where of course, where she was first lady. That's the basis of their Super Tuesday strategy.

Again, we are waiting for Hillary Clinton here. We talk about those talk-up speeches still going on. We want to throw it back to John, John we will stand here and wait.

JOHN KING, CNN HOST: Candy, back to you momentarily but stay with us because I want to bring in Suzanne Malveaux. You mention the Clinton strategy for Super Tuesday and Suzanne has been traveling with the Obama campaign and she is in Minneapolis now and Suzanne how does the Obama campaign deal with that. Senator Clinton for all of Obama's gains and success in recent weeks and months, Senator Clinton still has at a state-by-state level especially going in to Super Tuesday the advantage. As the Obama campaign tries to contest those delegates and stay relatively close to Senator Clinton0, what is their strategy?

SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN CORRESPONDENT: John, it is one of the reasons why these, this state is so important when it comes to these delegates. Some 72 delegates in this state and the reason why, it's not only strongly Democratic, but it also leans independent. This is a state that put Jesse Ventura into office and also a place where the independents and voter tend to swing both ways here. It's a very rich voter rich kind of place where they can actually move towards, not only the Democratic base, but as well as some of those folks, the Republicans, the independents, they think that they will perform much stronger that Obama has that sense of lead, but, clearly, this is a race to the very end.

The delegates, this is something that they know they're trying to do as quickly as possible. One of the things that they're focusing on, as well, California, the mother load of all delegates, some 370 or so. That's why you'll see Oprah Winfrey back on the trail. She'll joining Obama's wife Michelle, as well Caroline Kennedy, all of the them a big rally trying to drum up the female support, the female voters, that is one of the groups that he has performed weakest on. They have to get those numbers up.

But, John there is a lot of enthusiasm and they want to make sure that they're not only reaching those young voters and the new voters and the Democratic base, but also those Republicans and those independents, the people they feel they can draw support from here in Minnesota, as well as others. John.

KING: And, Suzanne, I was talking to Candy earlier about Hillary Clinton is stressing that her health care plan is universal and Obama is not and I noted that he likes to make the point that he was against the Iraq war from the beginning and that she was not in the debate the other night, as you so well remember. He said not only ready on day one, but right on day one. Meaning in his opposition to the war. Is that a theme he is stressing heading into Super Tuesday?

MALVEAUX: Absolutely. If you look at Missouri, I mean it is really a very big anti-war state anti-Iraq war and just got this endorsement from moveon.org that is a big plus when it comes to the folks that are paying close attention. Economy is the top issue, but right below that, a lot of people still talking about what would Hillary Clinton do, what Barack Obama would do say if there was a situation in dealing with Iran or another state that has deemed some sort of threat that he would be the one to reach out and use diplomacy, so that moveone.org endorsement key and the places that he's going trying to tap into that anti-war sentiment as well, John.

KING: Suzanne Malveaux in Minneapolis. Dana Bash who rejoins us from Nashville, Tennessee. Dana, you have been listening to Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama and describe the strategy in those campaign. Senator McCain believes increasingly that he is the Republican nominee and expresses more and more confidence that he will be the Republican nominee. How is he changing his message to contrast himself with the Democrats?

BASH: It's interesting, he's talking more about them, subtly and not so subtly making it very clear more and more that he believes that he is the best person to beat either Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama. Interesting as for in the primary season where it is critical for John McCain to get Republican votes in almost all of these Super Tuesday states, that is the name of the game for him. But he has also got an eye towards the general election and trying to remind reporters, frankly, that it's certainly he has an issue and a problem with some conservative, but he's trying to remind reporters that it is a benefit for him and for the Republican party that he is somebody who traditionally reaches out and gets independent votes.

And, that is sort of, it's very difficult balancing act because he's appealing to Republican voters in the primary and sort of talking about the general election at the same time. But it is an interesting strategy that they're trying to sort of talk about here. The national idea that he is somebody who can do well, not just because of the issues where whether it is national security, he believes or tax cuts, fiscal policy but also because of the kind of Republican that John McCain tends to be because he, you know, does bring in some of those voters that sometimes, particularly in a year where it is so anti- Washington and there's so much Bush fatigue that many of these independents would go to Democrats. John McCain is saying if I'm the nominee, perhaps they would go to me, the Republican.

KING: Dana Bash in Nashville, Tennessee. Suzanne Malveaux in Minnesota and Candy Crowley out in Los Angeles. Where we are waiting for Senator Hillary Clinton to speak at an event there, the introductions still under way. We'll bring you Senator Clinton live when the CNN BALLOT BOWL '08 continues. Please, stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KING: Welcome back to the CNN BALLOT BOWL. This special edition of BALLOW BOWL. I'm John King reporting live in Birmingham, Alabama. We do this when we can so you can see what we see on the campaign trail. The candidates in extended forces of their speeches talking about the issues from health care to the Iraq war, increasingly to the struggling economy here in the United States.

We're showing you all the candidates; John McCain will be live here in Birmingham in just a few moments. We were with you earlier telling you a long list of introductions under way at a Hillary Clinton event out in California that is one thing we will spare you, but Senator Clinton has just taken the microphone and we want to go back now to my colleague Candy Crowley out on the campus of Cal State University out in Los Angeles. Candy.

CROWLEY: John, as I mentioned thousands of people lined up for a couple of hours to get into this gymnasium and they waited another hour to hear Hillary Clinton speak. It's really the beauty of BALLOT BOWL that our viewers don't have to stand in line. We can take them to these speeches just as we see them, just as the crowd sees them. So, here you go. The senator from New York, Hillary Clinton.

HILLARY CLINTON, (D) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: -- Maxine Waters and Supervisor Gloria Molina and let me also thank members of Congress, Brad Shoreman, I am so grateful that Diane Watson, also, we have Dolores Werta and the farm workers who are here. America Ferrera, Sally Field, Brad Witford and Mary Steenburgen and Ted Danson. It is so exciting. Laura Richardson. Where's Laura? Right there. So exciting. Let's give another round of applause to these tremendous Californians.

Now, you heard some pretty good speeches already. You heard a lot of the passion and the advocacy and the arguments on behalf of my candidacy. And I am grateful to each and every one of you. I was told that people were here late last night and early this morning waiting to get in. And I think you're here because you know how important this election is. You know, some people running for office think only about the next election. I am thinking about the next generation.

Leaders come along every so often in our country who mobilizes all of us to knows we can be better than we are. It's particularly important for young people and students here and people starting out in your lives and careers. Because part of what America has always meant is that every generation leaves our country better off for the next. It's like leaving the light on. Or the key under the mat to welcome you into a limitless future of potential.

One of the main reasons I decided to run for president is because I will not stand by and sees our country break faith that we would leave America worse off than when we found it. There is no guarantee that we remain a great country. It is up to each of us in our own way and our own time to make the contributions to set the goals and achieve them together. I know we can do better than we have and I am convinced that this election will give us a spring board back into a positive, optimistic future.

You know, 40 years ago Bobby Kennedy came to east L.A. to south L.A. he brought in Maxine Water's words, not just hope, but the promise of help. He said we're going to tackle these problems from poverty to injustice to inequality. And I was very proud to know that that campaign and gender so much excitement and passion. Around the same time, there was another leader here in California, Caesar Chavez. Who against all the odds believed he could bring justice and fairness, dignity and respect. To people who did some of the hardest work that any of us know of.

And it wasn't easy and it didn't happen overnight, but he persevered and we're all the better for it. I was so honored when Bobby Kennedy Jr. And Caesar Chavez's grandson decided they not only wanted to support me, but they wanted to speak out and make clear that what we need today is what Bobby's father and Caesar's grandfather knew had to be part of the promise of change. That is we need a doer, we need a fighter and we need a champion, once again, to get up every day in the White House and make sure that the people of our country are the ones who are in charge, who are taken care of.

This campaign has come down to two candidates and I was as proud sitting there as you were watching. To know that whichever one of us emerges, we will make history. We will change America's future. But it's not just about making history in a symbolic way; it is about changing lives for the better. It is about whether we can fix the problems, meet the challenges, and seize the opportunities that wait. I offer in this campaign a record of making positive change, of standing up with those who are voiceless, powerless, and hopeless, year after year after year after year after year after year.

CROWLEY: Senator Hillary Clinton making her pitch at Cal State L.A. We're going to continue to monitor this. We're going to bring you more of this. We're also going to go live to Birmingham, Alabama, and a John McCain rally. We'll be back with BALLOT BOWL right after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KING: Welcome back to the CNN BALLOT BOWL campaigning live as we speak. Senator Hillary Clinton out in California, the biggest prize on Super Tuesday, almost a national primary, more than 20 contests for the Democrats and the Republicans. Senator Clinton campaigning live out in Los Angeles.

Here in Birmingham, Alabama. Senator John McCain, the Republican front-runner who believes with a convincing win on Super Tuesday he will be his party's nominee even though he is likely shy of the delegates necessary to clinch the nomination, 48 delegates at stake here in the Republican contest in Alabama and Senator McCain, according to local Republicans at the moment leading at that race. Let's dip in and listen to Senator John McCain in Arizona campaigning here in Birmingham, Alabama.

SENATOR JOHN MCCAIN, (R) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Thank you for your service to our country.

My friends, I'd like to give you straight talk and say, again, thank you, how important it is for me to be here with you. This is an important state next Tuesday. This is important to the future of America. I will win here in the state of Alabama with your help. We will get the nomination of this party, we can do it and we can win with your help and your support. And I'm grateful. And I'm grateful for it. And I'm grateful for your turnout today.

The first thing I need to talk to you about today, I am sure you have seen the very disappointing job's report yesterday. Our economy is not the strong one that we want. Where there are challenges and we're going to fix it, the fundamentals of our economy are strong, but we've got some challenges to go through. The first thing we need to do is have the Senate to stop fooling around and pass the president's stimulus package so we can get some of that done.

The second thing we've got to do, and restore some confidence on the part of the American consumer. The second thing we have to do is make the Bush tax cuts permanent, my friend. That goes back permanent so that the American people and businesses will not experience what is a tax increase, not that long from now. My friends, there's a terrible threat to American families and a lot of people don't even know about.

The alternate minimum tax. If we don't appeal it, 25 million American families will be subject to it. Let's do it right away. My friends, the highest corporate taxation in the world, the second highest is the United Sates of America. Corporations leave America, jobs leave America, business leaves America, we need to cut corporate tax rate from 35 to 25 and become competitive in the world again.

And, my friends you don't have to tell you here in Alabama, I don't have to tell you what you saw when the text tile mills closed and went overseas. We can't leave people behind. We have to have displaced worker programs that work. We have to take care of those people who have been displaced by competition with foreign countries and, my friends, the best way to do that is to go to our community colleges and have them design and implement education and training programs so that no worker is left behind in America. We're a better nation than that.

We will train and equip and educate these workers. And I'll tell you something else we have to do, my friends. One of the major reasons why we're in the trouble we are today. Stop the pork barrel out of control spending that has corrupted this nation and we have to stop it. We have to stop it. My friend, let's have some straight talk. We Republicans came to power in 1994 to change government and government changed us and we presided over one of the biggest spending sprees in history and it's wrong and it caused our Republican base to become desperate. My friends, I will stop the pork barrel spending and earmarks. I will veto those bills.

Now, it's good for America when the consumer spends money and citizens invest in their future and they buy things. It's bad for America when your tax dollars are used to pay for a bridge in Alaska for $233 million to an island with 50 people on it. That will stop. That will stop. That will stop. My friend, I've stole a lot of lines from Ronald Reagan, one that I stole a long time ago I use it all the time. Ronald Reagan use to say Congress spends money like a drunken sailor, but I never know a sailor drunk or sober with the imagination of members of Congress. That goes over pretty good. I'm not making this up when I tell you.

About six months ago I received an e-mail from a guy that said as a former drunken sailor I resent being compared to members of Congress. You can't blame the guy. You can't blame him. And I want to say to you, again, I will veto these bills. And, my friends let me put it in ways that perhaps we can better understand it. The president of the United States signed into law two years in row total bills and totaled $35 billion, "b" billion dollars in pork barrel and oil projects, $3 million to study the DNA of bears in Montana. I don't know if that was a paternity issue or a criminal issue. But it was your money.

That $35 billion in pork barrel project, my friends, could have meant $1,000 tax credit for every child in America. Now, what do you want? A bridge to no where or a tax credit for every child in America? That's why we have to stop it. That's why we have to stop it. I'm proud, I'm proud to stand before you of 24 years as a member of the United States Congress. I have never asked for it or received a single earmark or pork barrel project from my state and, my friends, my state is doing pretty well and I'm proud of that record and I'll make sure that other members of Congress imitate that record, as well.

Look I know what a family-valued state this state is. I know how patriotic it is and, by the way, the service of the Alabama guard and service is incredible in this war. I know you are so proud of him. And I just want to assure you, again, of my pro-life record. For 24 years I have voted in favor of the rights of the unborn. I have struggled for them around the world; you can count on me to protect the rights of the unborn in this country. So, so let me talk to you just for an empty about why I'm running for president. I want to restore trust and confidence in the government.

I want to make sure that our economy gets better. I want to do a lot of things, but, my friends; I believe the transcended challenge of the 21st century is the threat of radical extremism. My friends it is an evil, it is an evil proportions and nature that we don't quite comprehend because we are a Christian-valued nation.

My friends, in case you missed it, just yesterday, just yesterday or the day before, these evil al Qaeda people took two women who are mentally disabled and put explosive vests on them, sent them into a marketplace and then by remote control detonated those vests, killing so many innocent people.

Now, my friends, people that will do that will do anything. Few months ago Lindsay will tell you there was a car that went through a checkpoint in Baghdad and there were two infants in the back seat. They waved them through and stop, parked the car next to the market and the two men got out of the car and blew up the car. My friends, this is evil. These people cut off the heads on the Internet, cut off the head of a person because he happens to be American and Jewish.

My friends, this is a transcendant evil and it will be with us for a long time. If right after 9/11 you had said, gee, these are people who stand on a street corner and taken into madrases and taught to be Jihadists, you would have said it's unlikely that there is a bunch of doctors in Scotland, educated people that get into this terrible message and get on the Internet and become suicide bombers and want to go to the airport in Glasgow, Scotland, and blow themselves up as well as the airport.

My friends, this is evil. And as General David Petraeus said, the central battleground is now in Iraq in the battle against Islamic extremism and we are winning there. And we are winning there. We are succeeding.

KING: That's Senator John McCain speaking, there. Senator John McCain campaigning here in Birmingham, Alabama, stressing his support for the troops in Iraq, there, talking about the war on terror. Just a moment before that he stressed his life-long career voting record against abortion in the United States Senate, stressing his pro-life anti-abortion record here in a culturally conservative state of Alabama.

I want to bring my colleague Dana Bash back into the conversation. She was in Nashville, Tennessee, where Senator McCain was earlier today before he moved on to Alabama. Both Tennessee and Alabama, Super Tuesday states.

And Dana, it is striking that right off the top of this speech, John McCain, a man with a reputation on national security issues, is emphasizing the economy. A dramatic change in terms of the order of the message, anyway from Senator McCain.

DANA BASH, CNN NEWS CORRESPONDENT: That's right. He did the exact same thing just before Alabama, here where I am in Nashville. Started out talking about the economy. Specifically, what was unavoidable in the newspapers and in the yesterday which is the jobs report that came out this month, he's saying that -- to leave 170,000 jobs have, excuse me, 17,000 jobs have disappeared from the economy. That is bad news and certainly some of it, as I said, he cannot avoid.

So, as much as he wants to talk about national security, and as much as his campaign says that he is the candidate who will be the best commander-in-chief, the fact of the matter is, the economy is a dominant issue, it really has been for the past month as each day it has become a bigger issue during this primary season.

Mitt Romney is trying very, very hard, as he has been for the past couple weeks to make the case that John McCain simply does not get it on the issue of the economy, that he has brought up quotes from him in the past which Senator McCain says out of context, but nevertheless quotes, from Senator McCain essentially saying that he needs to be educated more on the economy.

So, this is something, another way that John McCain is essentially trying to blunt Mitt Romney's attempt to stop his momentum by talking about the economy, talking about the fact that he does have a plan, he says he has a stimulus plan in order to jumpstart the economy and makes the case that he thinks that Congress, of course, he isn't one of the members of Congress, that Congress should, in fact, get the president's stimulus plan passed and that this should be a top priority for them because he understands that the economy is absolutely unavoidable, it is one of the issues that voters are looking towards in terms of how they pick a candidate.

KING: Dana Bash for us in Nashville, Tennessee, tracking the Republicans. Dana will be with us throughout the afternoon as our BALLOT BOWL coverage continues.

When we return, Hillary Clinton still campaigning out in the state of California for the Democratic nomination.

Also, Mike Huckabee, the former Arkansas governor, it has been a month since his big win in the Iowa caucuses, he is hoping to get back on track through some of the Southern contests on Super Tuesday. Please, stay with us. You're watching a special edition of the CNN BALLOT BOWL.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CANDY CROWLEY, CNN NEWS CORRESPONDENT: Welcome back to CNN BALLOT BOWL '08. Hillary Clinton has just ramped up her rally here at Cal State, L.A. in it, she made a pitch that she believes a presidential candidate ought to bring not just hope, but help. That, of course, directly at Barack Obama, the Clinton campaign has long tried to frame him as not ready for the job.

She talked about being a doer, a fighter, a champion and in some ways channeling John Edwards, who dropped out of this race earlier but had good appeal to those, a populous appeal to those who felt that there was a growing rich class, a growing poor class. She brought up Bobby Kennedy, as we all know. Teddy Kennedy, the senator, just recently endorsed Barack Obama, she mentioned that Bobby Kennedy, Jr., the son of the late Bobby Kennedy, has endorsed her, so, a real appeal from Hillary Clinton trying to link the needs of America to her expertise as a policy walk. We want to take you back to Birmingham, Alabama, now and John King.

KING: Thanks, Candy. We'll be checking back in with you in a bit. Senator John McCain campaigning here in Birmingham, but he does not have the state of Alabama to himself. As we mentioned a short time ago, it has been a month since the former Arkansas governor, Mike Huckabee, surprised and shook up the Republican field with his dramatic victory in the Iowa caucuses. It has been much tougher sledding for Governor Huckabee since then, not able to succeed in the other contest down in Florida, in South Carolina, a disappoinlnting second place finish to senator McCain, there. He is hoping to revive his candidacy and get some momentum and at least a decent chunk of delegates in the Super Tuesday contest in the southern states, Alabama, of course, one of those states. Forty-eight delegates at stake here in Alabama, Governor Huckabee campaigning a bit earlier in Huntsville.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GOV MIKE HUCKABEE (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: ...for in this country the boss is not the guy who gets elected, the boss is the guy who gets the electing. It is about we, the People, not me, the candidate, and we sometimes forget that in this country. It's as if people, when they get elected and get to Washington, somehow think it's all about them.

One of the reasons that I believe that you need to get behind us and help us win this candidacy is because, frankly I don't think we need more folks from Washington running Washington because they've had a chance and the result has not been very pretty.

(APPLAUSE)

Spending is out of control, a $9 trillion debt, our borders are still not safe and secure, it's harder to get on an airplane in Huntsville, Alabama, than it is to get across an international border. I'm president, that gets fixed, we'll secure the border, we'll build a fence and do it within 18 months and we'll have security in this country.

(APPLAUSE)

If you elect a president, you want to not always agree with him on everything, but you want to trust him. You want to be able to know that when he says something he says what he means and he means what he says. And even if you don't always agree with it, you want him to at least agree with himself.

(LAUGHTER)

There's something quite scary about a candidate who every time he runs for a new office has a different position on issues of importance. How can you live your life and not know what you believe about the sanctity of a human life?

(APPLAUSE)

That is an issue that ought to make very clear in each of our consciences. I believe life begins at conception. I believe it is the purpose and duty that we would protect human life and I want to explain why. It's not a political issue for me. And if this issue would be one that you would say, well, I wouldn't vote for you because of your pro-life position, then fine. It would be easier for you to find another candidate than it would be for me to find another view on the sanctity of human life. I mean, even Mitt Romney can't start a business with that many people with all his money. It's got to start smaller than that. He may buy one, but he can't start one like that.

Now, my point is that there's something wrong when the government of the United States becomes the biggest roadblock and obstacle to the success of an enterprise in the free market system. And today many small business owners will tell you that their toughest competion doesn't come from the guy across town, across the state, across the country or across the world, their toughest competion comes from their own government who excessive taxation, regulation, litigation and stagnation and strangulation leads to job migration. We're losing jobs to China that we ought to be keeping, not because China is better, but because our government is worse. That's what has to be fixed.

(APPLAUSE)

One way that we can help change this country's economy and its future and get government off the backs of small business owners and give them a chance to be big business owners, is to create a tax system that doesn't strangle them in paperwork.

You know, today, there are 66,000 pages of tax code and not even the IRS understands it. There is a better way. Several years ago a group of economists were commissioned with the idea of finding a tax system that we could live with and actually help grow our economy rather than crush our economy. And they were given carte blanche, they weren't given instructions on what it would look like, they were just told go figure out the best way that we could finance this government that would actually improve and stimulate our economy.

Well, these were the top economists from Harvard, from MIT, from Boston University, from Stanford, people who set, talked, thought about it, worked on it and came back with the plan and said here's how it ought to work.

Now, I know government is not often given to doing things like it ought to be, but here's how it ought to be, and this is what we'll be when I become your president, because I believe the American people are tired of attack system that chokes them to death and I believe Americans are tired of an Internal Revenue Service that says you're guilty until proven innocent when even in the criminal justice system you're innocent until proven guilty.

(APPLAUSE)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KING: The former Arkansas governor, Mike Huckabee, campaigning earlier today in Huntsville, Alabama. Vintage Huckabee, there. His populous economic message distinguishes himself from the other Republican candidates, Mitt Romney and John, where if you're listening just a few moments before that, more vintage Mike Huckabee. He has struggled since his win in Iowa a month ago, but as he campaigns now stressing his cultural conservatism, including his opposition to abortion, governor Huckabee often taking that opportunity to criticize Governor Romney, saying he is someone who changed his position on abortion as he decided to go from being the governor of a more Liberal state, Massachusetts, to running for the conservative nomination of the Republican Party. That is a significant factor in this race, even though Governor Huckabee has been struggling, just when Governor Romney is trying to draw a more conservative contrast with John McCain, Governor Huckabee is saying it is absurd for Governor Romney to paint Senator McCain as Liberal.

So, Governor Huckabee still a factor and hoping to get back into the delegate chase with some wins and delegate wins here in the Southern contest on Super Tuesday. Much more of our BALLOT BOWL coverage ahead. When we return, back out to my colleague Candy Crowley on the West coast and analysis from our senior political analyst, Bill Schneider. Please stay with us. You're watching the CNN BALLOT BOWL.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CROWLEY: Welcome back. This is CNN's BALLOT BOWL '08 where we bring you all these presidential candidates, Republican and Democratic, live, unfiltered and taped. So, we are trying to give you a real chance to see what we see when we are going state to state and watching all these candidates.

Right now, I want to bring in our senior political analyst, Bill Schneider, because a couple of interesting things are going on out there and we want to get his take on what's happening.

First, Bill, let me, since we're both in California at this point, let me ask you about the "L.A. Times" endorsements, yesterday. First of all, how significant are they just in terms of the "L.A. Times" doing it and let's start with John McCain and what that might mean to him out here, if anything?

BILL SCHNEIDER, CNN SR POLITICAL ANALY: Well, first of all, keep in mind the "L.A. Times" has not endorsed any presidential candidates since 1972. In the past they've always argued presidential campaigns get a lot of publicity, the voters are familiar with the candidates, we don't need to endorse. But, this time they decided to endorse a Republican, John McCain and a Democrat, Barack Obama in the California primary on Tuesday.

Now, you asked about John McCain. The "L.A. Times" editorial department has reputation of being very Liberal and so, a lot of Republicans don't like it, don't trust it. So, the endorsement of McCain can be a mixed blessing. A lot of Republican voters in California are going to look at that endorsement and say, wait a minute, John McCain is the candidate of the "L.A. Times" and for that matter, the "New York Times" how conservative can he be?

CROWLEY: And the other one was Barack Obama. And I'm wondering whether this one particularly in L.A. has some resonance or is this kind of a bragging right?

SCHNEIDER: Well, It is, of course, a bragging right because this is that first endorsement, but here in California, you know, Barack Obama has a base, not just among African-American voters, but among younger, more affluent white voters. There was a field poll recently that showed the white vote, the Anglo vote in California, split between Clinton and Obama. Clinton was leading in the poll because she had so much support from Latino voters, out here. But the "Los Angeles Times" has a big reading and a big followership among Anglo voters, here in the Los Angeles area and it could really have some influence in boosting Barack Obama's support.

CROWLEY: So, you think that this particular newspaper endorsement could shift the race for McCain one way or the other, but particularly for Barack Obama on a positive way?

SCHNEIDER: Yeah, I think it could help Barack Obama. I think it'll help make this race more competitive. The "L.A. Times," though, is not widely read in the Latino community, they don't have a Spanish language edition, so I'm not sure it'll shift many Latino readers, which is a very big part of the Los Angeles area vote, I'm not sure it will shift many of those voters, who seem to be pretty solidly in the Hillary Clinton camp.

CROWLEY: Let me just shift a little bit and sort of take a wider country view. And that is, what are we learning from the polls right now, the latest ones?

SCHNEIDER: The latest poll came out from Gallup, they're doing a tracking poll, nationwide. Now, keep in mind, there is no national primary, but it is a kind of virtual national primary because 24 states are going to be voting on Super Tuesday, next week. So, it makes some sense to look at whether there's any national trend or momentum.

What their poll shows is between Clinton and Obama, among Democrats nationwide, it's Clinton 48, Obama 41 in a poll that was concluded just yesterday. That's a very narrow margin, just barely significant. Clinton is seven points ahead of Barak Barack Obama and that indicates that Obama is beginning to close the gap, though he hasn't quite closed it yet, as we approach Super Tuesday among Democrats, nationwide.

Among Republicans, nationwide, another very interesting story. McCain has a very big lead, 20 points. McCain 44, Romney 24, Huckabee 16. Now, that looks like a pretty solid win for McCain among Republicans, nationwide. What's interesting there, is f you add the Romney number and the Huckabee number, you get 40 percent. So, you get 40 percent supporting the two candidates who claim to be the most conservative in the race and who have strong support from conservative voters. McCain, of course, also claims he, too, is a conservative on abortion and other issues he is, of course, has the very conservative record, but some conservatives oppose McCain.

Well, if you look at the two conservatives together, 40 percent, McCain 44 percent that suggest if Huckabee were not still in the race and Romney got most of his support, which is a big if, the race might be a lot closer.

CROWLEY: Bill Schneider, our senior political analyst, thanks so much, Bill, out of our L.A. Bureau.

BALLOT BOWL is going to continue right after this.

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TONY HARRIS, CNN NEWS ANCHOR: And hello everyone, I'm Tony Harris from the CNN headquarters in Atlanta. More of BALLOT BOWL '08 in just a moment. But, first, news right now.

Police are on the scene of a fatal shooting at a shopping center near Chicago. The "Chicago Tribune" reports four people were shot and killed at a Lane Bryant store in a Tinsley Park strip mall, right now no word of an arrest.

The second of two Amtrak passenger trains is back on the move through California's Sierra Nevada Mountains. It was stuck overnight after a snowplow fell and blocked the tracks. Last night, the other train had been towed away and its passengers redirected. The Chicago- bound train is now back en route, some 16 hours behind schedule.

The City by the bay is warning people not to go into the water. Nearly three million gallons of treated sewage spill under to a tributary of the San Francisco Bay, Friday. Officials are telling the public to avoid fishing or any activities in or around the contaminated area.

A day of grieving in the Iraqi capital as dozens of victims of yesterday's market bombings are buried. Iraqi officials say two mentally disabled women were strap with explosives, if you can believe it, which were then detonated by remote control killing at least 99 people.

A volatile situation in the capital of Chad with the city coming under rebel attack. The African nation's ambassador to the United States insists the government is still in control, but we're hearing there has been heavy fighting around the presidential palace. There are conflicting reports, right now, about the whereabouts of the country's president. Some say he's holed up inside the palace, others claim he has fled the country.

French president Nicolas Sarkozy is now, again, a married man. Today he tied the knot with former model Carla Bruni in a small private ceremony in a palace in Paris. Mr. Sarkozy divorced his wife of 11 years in October.

Our next hour of BALLOT BOWL starts right now.

KING: I'm John king in Birmingham, Alabama. Welcome back to our special edition of the CNN BALLOT BOWL '08, our chance to see the candidates as we see them, as we travel the country as they campaign for the Democratic and the Republican presidential nominations. Live events as they talk about the issues from economy to healthcare to Iraq, also taped speeches so that you can hear the candidates and perhaps as they're campaigning for your vote. Some 20 states, plus at stake on Tuesday, Super Tuesday essentially national primary from New York in the East to California in the West, critical contests in both the Democratic and the Republican side.

And as we continue our coverage, this hour, I'm joined by our Dana Bash in Nashville Tennessee. Our Suzanne Malveaux, she's with the Obama campaign in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Our senior political correspondent, Candy Crowley on the West coast, out in California where Senator Hillary Clinton is campaigning this hour. Much, much more to bring you, but we begin this hour in Nashville with Dana Bash and the continuing campaigning of Senator John McCain, once written off in the Republican race, now seen by many as the frontrunner with a chance to take a commanding lead in the Republican race if he can mount a string of victories together on Super Tuesday.

California, obviously, the biggest prize, Dana, Senator McCain running ahead in the big state of New York, as well. But he's also looking to prove himself in the more conservative Republican states, like Alabama where I am and Tennessee where you are.

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