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Primary Do-Over in Florida?; President Bush Endorses John McCain; Political Web Sites Buzzing After Presidential Contests

Aired March 05, 2008 - 14:00   ET

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

DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: Some people said it would be over by now, but you can consider this the first day of the rest of the Democratic race for president. After yesterday's wins by Hillary Clinton, it's a wide-open race for at least another month and a half.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Well, not so for the Republican race. The day after reaching a mathematical milestone, John McCain picks up the presidential seal of approval.

Hello, everyone. I'm Fredricka Whitfield at the CNN World Headquarters in Atlanta.

Kyra Phillips is on assignment.

LEMON: And I'm Don Lemon. You're in the CNN NEWSROOM.

All right. Texas primaries decided. Hillary Clinton wins that. Texas caucus still undecided. So today, the counting has resumed.

At last check, Barack Obama maintained a four-point lead in the Texas caucuses, but still, the day is young, anything could happen. And we're continuing to follow the developments.

You can see at the bottom of your screen the kinds of results we are getting in from last night, after a big day of four primaries. And, of course, we'll be updating you on this Texas caucus as well.

It's all part of that Texas two-step. You know about that. Well, it exists in presidential politics as well.

LEMON: And as Fred just made mention of, we're still showing election results on the bottom of your screen, because the counting from yesterday's Texas Democratic caucuses, well, it is still going on. And you can bet Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama are both watching.

Clinton tells CBS their tight Democratic race may be heading toward a so-called dream ticket of her and Obama, but the only problem, who would lead/ Well, Clinton says it should be her.

And here is where all the all-important delegate count stands right now. Obama leads in over delegates with 1,520. Clinton has 1,424 -- 2,025 delegates are needed to secure the Democratic nomination.

It is a wrap on the Republican side. In yesterday's four-primary sweep, John McCain gained more than enough delegates to clinch the GOP nomination.

Well, as Clinton and Obama battle on, every delegate obviously counts, so what about the ones that would have been awarded in Florida and Michigan if those states had not been shut out of the nominating process in a tiff over timing? Well, in Florida, there is talk of a Democratic primary do-over -- a do-over. CNN's John Zarrella joins us with that.

I'm going to say it again, John -- a do-over?

JOHN ZARRELLA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I didn't think you could have do-overs in primaries, but you know what? If you're the candidates, if you're the Democratic Party, you're looking in your rearview mirror right now, and you are seeing two freight trains coming at you. One is Florida and one is Michigan.

And the problem right now is, not only is there talk of perhaps a do-over of the primary, but the question, of course, with that is, who is going to pay for it? And in Tallahassee, the state legislature just met.

Now remember, this is the legislature that back a year or so ago decided to move the Florida primary up, which is what caused all of the flap, which is what ended up making its delegates null and void, because they violated Democratic Party rules by moving up the presidential primary; thus Florida was stripped of its delegates by the Democratic National Committee.

Now we have been hearing from more than one legislator that there is talk -- and it's just talk on both sides of the aisle, which is kind of a good thing -- they are actually talking -- that perhaps they would try to pass some sort of legislation that would force the Democratic Party and, to a lesser extent, the Republican Party, to seat the delegates or else.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NAN RICH (D), FLORIDA STATE SENATE: Legislation that would basically say that any national party that did not put -- count the delegates would not be able to put the nominee on to the ballot. That is one option.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ZARRELLA: Now, we have been told that -- by legal scholars that that is probably unconstitutional, it may be a bluff. But the bottom line is that there is so much concern in Tallahassee that the votes have not counted and that the votes may not count, particularly on the Democratic side, if something can't be worked out, that they are trying to come up with some way to force the hand of the Democratic committee.

Now, we also talked with Senator Bill Nelson today. And Senator Nelson says maybe you consider another primary, but the bottom line, it would cost $18 million, and who is going to pay for it?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. BILL NELSON (D), FLORIDA: Now the DNC has itself in a fix. And it's got to figure out what to do. Now, what I would suggest is, you certainly can't undo an election with a caucus. And Florida has no history of a caucus.

So, if the DNC wants to talk about another Florida presidential primary, but not paid for by the taxpayers of Florida -- they have already paid $18 million for the presidential primary that was held. If the DNC were to pay for another election, then that might be considered.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ZARRELLA: We have got calls out to the Democratic National Committee. So far they have not responded. The Democratic National Committee has not yet responded to our calls about all of these things that are going on today in the state of Florida.

LEMON: John...

ZARRELLA: And we'll wait -- Don.

LEMON: John -- yes, I hate to interrupt you. We need to get to John McCain. He's in Washington speaking now to chair of the RNC.

Let's listen in.

SEN. JOHN MCCAIN (R-AZ), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: We will be contesting all over America. I look forward to it. And I think that we will give the American people -- and I am committed to a respectful and vigorous debate on the issues so that the American people will make an informed decision. And I firmly believe that this will be a very, very exciting and very difficult race, but I am confident at the end of the day, we will prevail.

Any questions? Yes.

QUESTION: Senator, what do you say to appeal to Independents who are sour on the war and perhaps sour on President Bush, having seen you together at the White House so close together?

MCCAIN: Well, I say to them, that I am always proud to be in the presence of the president of the United States, and the leader of my party. And I say to them also, that I am very pleased to see very recently that more and more Americans believe that the surge is succeeding and more and more Americans are realizing that to do what the Democrat candidates want to do -- and that is to set a date for withdrawal -- will be a date for al Qaeda to say they have defeated the United States of America.

I will say again what I have said many, many times -- I would much rather lose the political campaign than lose a war. But I am very pleased to note that more and more Americans realize and appreciate that, thanks to the enormous service and sacrifice of our brave men and women in uniform that -- led by one of the greatest generals in American history, David Petraeus, we are succeeding in Iraq.

And the option that both Senator Obama and Senator Clinton propose would be a recipe for greater chaos, genocide. We'd return to the region and we would be making a much greater sacrifice. I am very satisfied to wage this aspect of our debate in the decision-making process of the American people.

Campaign Carl (ph)?

QUESTION: Hi, Senator. Thank you very much.

You got questions at the White House and again today suggesting that Mr. Bush is going to somehow be a drag on your campaign.

MCCAIN: I did.

QUESTION: Over the course of your career, of course, you got a reputation of being a maverick and an independent, and you've had differences with President Bush. I wonder if you think back, the criticism isn't perhaps a little misplaced.

MCCAIN: All I can say is that on the fundamentals and the principles of our Republican Party, and most of the specifics of our shared conservative philosophy, President Bush and I are in agreement. There are specific areas that we have of disagreement, and I think that is normal and natural, but I have, for the last eight years, worked for and with President Bush, who has been our president and leader of our party, and I would understand why some people, especially the opposition, may try to either exploit or point out some of those differences in specific policy.

I understand that. But as I said before, I am very grateful and appreciative of the support and the commitment of President Bush to this campaign.

Yes, sir?

QUESTION: Senator McCain, given Senator Clinton's victories last night, it looks like we might have another two months of Democratic primaries, if not longer. What does a prolonged Democratic primary fight mean for your strategy? Is it a good thing, bad thing? How do you get your message out here on out?

MCCAIN: I don't know if it is a good thing or a bad thing. I obviously have no control over it. There are some who say that it's probably to some advantage to me to see an extended contested primary. There are others, as I saw Karl Rove point out last night, that this keeps their visibility and attention on their campaign. So I have no idea how frankly this is going to play out.

What our job is going to be is to take the message to the American people, campaign vigorously, and get our base, our base activated and engaged. Our Independents -- we need to attract Independents, as we have been doing, and we even need to find the Reagan Democrats that we value and appreciate so much.

Michael?

QUESTION: How much money does the RNC have right now that it can lend to the effort? And how will it go after Democrats? Will it go after Obama and Clinton at the same time?

MCCAIN: Frankly, I have not discussed that with the chairman, but I don't -- yes, what would you like to say?

MIKE DUNCAN, RNC CHAIRMAN: At the end of February, our FEC report will show that we have over $25 million cash on hand.

MCCAIN: Could I just say -- on the strategy, Michael, I have already discussed this with the chairman. We are going to have a respectful campaign. We're going to have a respectful campaign. And as you know, there has already been an incident that respect wasn't shown, and I intend to make sure that I do not associate this campaign -- and I know the chairman agrees with me.

Americans at town hall meetings and gatherings that I attend all over America, people say, we appreciate the respectful campaign you waged in the primary, and we want you to wage that same kind of campaign in the general election. I am committed to doing that.

Yes, sir?

QUESTION: Senator, does your control -- does your campaign's control of the RNC effectively begin today? And have you appointed anybody to sort of lead the integration effort?

MCCAIN: No, I view this relationship as a partnership. We are working together as a team. And obviously, our common goal is the -- is the election in November. But I view this as more of a team effort.

We have a great staff here and a great team together, and we don't intend to disrupt that. We just intend to integrate our efforts more closely, and I am confident we can do that.

Yes, sir?

QUESTION: Senator, my question is for the chairman, too.

Can you talk a little bit about how the RNC is prepared staff- wise to help with the McCain campaign, which I know has been in a hiring freeze for several months? So, what kind of staff do you have to lend to the campaign?

DUNCAN: We're here to be of service to the campaign, and we'll be doing that. We have been preparing for the past several months.

We've been raising the money. We've been doing the research that's necessary. We've been writing the victory plans that will be necessary to win the electoral votes. We've been putting the staff together. And all of that is available to Senator McCain as our presumptive nominee as of today. QUESTION: Senator, in the conversation with President Bush earlier today, what advice did he give you in terms of what your first order of business should be now that you've clinched the nomination?

MCCAIN: I don't -- I don't think he -- as I recall, I don't think that that was -- we talked about a lot of issues in general. We talked a lot about many of the national security challenges we face.

Obviously, we talked about Iraq and other national security challenges. We talked a bit about previous campaigns, and -- but I don't -- in our conversation we mainly discussed the things that you might expect us to discuss, and that is general overall strategy, as well as the issues that we see confronting the country now, and between now and the election.

It was a very pleasant conversation, and I appreciated the allocation of his most precious asset, which is his time.

Thank you all very much. Thank you.

WHITFIELD: All right. John McCain there talking about how his candidacy will be proceeding this moment forward after clinching and becoming the presumptive nominee now.

Now, it's interesting, too, that all of this took place just less than an hour after he was in the Rose Garden with President Bush. It wasn't that long ago that they were rivals, so to speak. Well, now they have come together for the sake of the party, for the sake of the campaign, for the sake of the White House. Much more on John McCain a bit later.

LEMON: And rush hour, Fred, on the information superhighway. Political Web sites are buzzing after the latest presidential contests. We'll hear from some bloggers.

WHITFIELD: And a refuge from the horrors of war. We'll take you to a place where Iraqi children can escape from the terrible things going on all around them.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BUSINESS REPORT)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: OK. The blogs are on fire today with the results of yesterday's primaries. And the possibility of a joint ticket for Democrats -- Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama.

Joining us from Washington, Charles Ellison, editor of blackpolicy.org -- hello to you -- and co-host of XM Radio "POTUS '08." And Morra Aarons, political director of blogher.com.

Good to see you as well.

MORRA AARONS, BLOGHER.COM: Hey, Fredricka. How are you? CHARLES ELLISON, BLACKPOLICY.ORG: Hi, Fredricka. How are you doing?

WHITFIELD: I'm doing pretty good. OK. I know there was great anticipation of what was to take place March 4, but nobody predicted even this.

So, Morra, you know, Hillary Clinton is back in a big way. She really dug in her heels. She really kind of came out of her skin, didn't she? And there were some analysts who said, maybe this isn't such a good idea. But you know what? It paid for her -- three out of four primaries that she clinched. What are the bloggers saying?

AARONS: Yes. Not only that, she won late-deciding voters with her new strategy. The question for her now is, how negative and for how long? I mean, is she going to be negative for 10 weeks? That's going to be really hard. But what I am hearing from bloggers -- and you may not like this -- is that the contest was never decided.

The media said it was decided. Hillary had been up in Ohio and Texas. She has long roots there. She was an organizer among Latino farmers in Texas way back. She has a long history there. She was never, ever, ever behind. It's just that the media said she was.

WHITFIELD: Well, it's interesting, Morra. You use the word "negative."

And Charles, you know, is it negative campaigning that she was in the middle of, or was this just Hillary Clinton saying, I want to set the record straight?

ELLISON: Right. I think there was a confluence of things that happened. One, is you had sort of a classic machine politics versus movement politics. You were in states like Ohio, for example, rust belt state, working class, a lot of white working class, union- dominated voters that were there in Ohio.

Also, you look at a place like south Texas, where you have a lot of those city machine politics at work. And so, you know, it was sort of that network that Hillary Clinton has already been tapped into. She has been there for a while, and so she was able to take advantage of that.

Yes, you know, there was a lot of messaging going on. There was some religious messaging, some racial code stuff that had been going on. And also the stuff as far as NAFTA. You know, the report about his economic policy adviser meeting with the Canadian Embassy.

That didn't really help him. And now he has to figure out a way in which he can attack her back, he can sling some mud, without looking too dirty at the same time.

WHITFIELD: Well, OK. Well...

AARONS: And not only that. I have to say one thing, though, is that Hillary's organization in states like Ohio and Texas... WHITFIELD: Yes.

AARONS: ... could very well win the Democratic candidate the nomination. You have to win those states to win the general. And so I think that although you may call it machine politics, Charles, that is the kind of thing that gets candidates elected in a general election.

WHITFIELD: Well, let's talk about something that sort of made news today with this morning on CBS, Hillary Clinton being interviewed. She had this to say about the two sharing the ticket.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HARRY SMITH, CBS: We talked to a lot of people in Ohio who said there really isn't that significant a difference between you two and they would like to see you both on the ticket.

SEN. HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON (D-NY), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Well, that may, you know, be where this is headed, but, of course, we have to decide who's on the top of the ticket. And I think that the people of Ohio very clearly said that it should be me.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: So, Morra, how are people responding to that notion of the two actually sharing the ticket, being the dream team, as some analysts have put it?

AARONS: Well, you know, I think it really would be a dream team. Of course, the Clinton campaign was very quick to send out a note to reporters and bloggers saying, oh, no, no, no, we are not hinting at any kind of joint ticket.

You know, I mean, I think that people are kind of very -- they're confused now. We had euphoria last night that Hillary is still in the game for many voters, but now we are looking ahead to 10 long weeks and thinking, do we really want to do this? Do we really want to have infighting and sparring and money spending in the Democratic Party...

(CROSSTALK)

WHITFIELD: Well, Charles, is it confusion, or it is excitement over the fact that it is not called yet, these candidates are still very much alive?

ELLISON: I mean, this is where it turns into a really nice double play for John McCain. You know, one, he's got the resources of the entire Republican Party, and also the White House political machine.

WHITFIELD: All right. And we heard he's got $25 million in which to play with.

ELLISON: Exactly. WHITFIELD: But, here is the difficult thing for John McCain. He has got to figure out, who does he go after, Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama? Instead now, he has got to, you know, cast the net pretty wide. He's got to go after both of them. That's pretty exhausting for his campaign.

ELLISON: Exactly. And even more important than that, he has got seven to 14 weeks potentially to craft his message without having to worry about either Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama coming after him.

As far as a Clinton/Obama ticket, I think the Clinton campaign is looking more forward to that than the Obama campaign. Personally, I see where you're going to have a situation, particularly if this thing goes all the way Denver...

WHITFIELD: Yes?

ELLISON: ... where essentially Clinton is going to ask Obama, and Obama is going to say no. You know, Bill Clinton is going to suck up all of the air in the White House, I don't want the deal with that.

WHITFIELD: Oh boy.

ELLISON: But, you know, as far as Obama, I don't think Obama is going to ask her. But she needs Obama at this point because Obama is the one...

(CROSSTALK)

WHITFIELD: Look, Morra, do you see this being decided during the convention?

AARONS: You know, I don't think many people want that. And I think we're dealing with a Democratic Party that needs to get its talking points straight.

WHITFIELD: Yes.

AARONS: You know, if Hillary wins Pennsylvania, I don't know that it will necessarily think be Obama's call to make about who takes the number two slot either. Let's not get ahead of ourselves.

WHITFIELD: If they come together.

All right. Morra Aarons, Charles Ellison, thanks so much for joining us from Washington. Good talking to you.

ELLISON: All right. Thank you.

AARONS: Thanks, Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: All right -- Don.

LEMON: Hillary Clinton's surprising victories, the end of Barack Obama's winning streak. So what happened? We will hear from a "TIME" magazine political expert. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: It is a kids' TV show that reminds children it's OK to play. It's kind of like "Sesame Street," but this one, though, this one is in a war zone.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MILES O'BRIEN, CNN CHIEF TECHNOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENT CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Kim Carrington's (ph) trash is Patricia Ray's (ph) treasure.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This is the camera, and this is the battery and this is the charger.

O'BRIEN: Patricia is walking away with that camera without reaching for her wallet. The transaction made possible because both women belong to a Web site called freecycle.org. It's like eBay or Craiglist minus the money.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's all about giving and receiving.

O'BRIEN: Freecycle is like putting your unwanted clutter out on the street virtually.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: A lot of times we have items and we have no use for them. Offer it up to someone else, and I'm quite sure somebody can put it to good use.

O'BRIEN: The idea was hatched about five years ago in Tucson by Darren Beale. What began with 30 to 40 of his friends has blossomed into a worldwide phenomenon -- four million members in 75 countries.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We are keeping three hundred tons a day out of landfills, four times the height of Mount Everest if you stack that in garbage trucks.

O'BRIEN: Think of all the resources saved by giving that unwanted stuff a new lease on life.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I see so much waste in this world. It is just astounding.

O'BRIEN: What may be most astounding is this simple idea is helping turn some of our wasteful ways into good deeds for the planet, one unloved camcorder at a time.

Miles O'Brien, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: John McCain goes the distance after the latest round of presidential contests. He is the presumptive Republican nominee. For the Democrats, a campaign revived, the winning streak broken. Hillary Clinton celebrates three out of four primary victories over Barack Obama. But will it really change the race for the Democratic nomination?

Well, across the pond and beyond, people are interested in U.S. politics and with an eye on the impact in their own backyard. What is the reaction to the latest U.S. contest on the streets of Kenya, Iran or even Spain?

Our David McKenzie and Aneesh Raman and Al Goodman get some answers.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DAVID MCKENZIE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I'm David McKenzie in Kaberistam (ph) in Nairobi. People live a hard life here and there's been much violence since the disputed elections in Kenya. But that doesn't stop them from being excited about the U.S. primaries.

People vote along tribal lines in Kenya, but they're united behind one man here, Senator Obama; even naming a beer after him. A few people want Hillary Clinton in office, but there's no mention of the Republican side.

ANEESH RAMAN, CNN MIDDLE EAST CORRESPONDENT: I'm Aneesh Raman in Tehran where within the Islamic republic, they are of course aware there is a U.S. presidential election under way. But they are not paying close attention just yet.

The first reason is that they have their own elections coming up, big ones, March 14 for Parliament. And also, a lot of Iranians tell me whether it has been a Democratic or Republican president, the policy toward Iran has been the same. So they will wait for a new president with a new policy before they put any hope in what is to come.

AL GOODMAN, CNN MADRID BUREAU CHIEF: I'm Al Goodman in Madrid. In the historic Old Town, and across the nation, Spaniards are getting ready for their own elections this Sunday. A close race between the socialist prime minister and the conservative challenger. '

But the excitement of the U.S. elections has, again, overshadowed the race here; Spanish media leading with the news that Senator Hillary Clinton has won in Ohio and Texas, reviving her campaign, they say, against Senator Barack Obama. Also reporting the news that the Republicans have chosen Senator John McCain.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LEMON: In our next hour, we will find out what people are saying about the latest U.S. election results in Japan, Afghanistan and Great Britain.

WHITFIELD: Bombs, bullets and barbed wire. Millions of the youngest Iraqis have never known anything else. Our Kyra Phillips on special assignment in Iraq has discovered a place where children can forget about the war, at least for a short time. Good to see you, Kyra.

KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: All right, Fred. I want to know if you remember what show you watched as a child. Can you remember?

WHITFIELD: "Sesame Street," "Zoom."

PHILLIPS: OK. Very good.

WHITFIELD: You don't want me to go on.

PHILLIPS: OK -- "Zoom?"

WHITFIELD: "Electric Company." Tony Harris remembers.

PHILLIPS: Oh, yes, "Electric Company." All right.

WHITFIELD: Remember that?

PHILLIPS: Yes. What about "House of Rock" or "Schoolhouse Rock"?

WHITFIELD: Oh, yes, I do.

PHILLIPS: OK. The hardest thing to memorize, the three branches of government. We thought that was tough, right?

WHITFIELD: Right.

PHILLIPS: Well just meet these Iraqi kids and look at how they are trying to balance cartoons with the chaos of war.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS (voice-over): For these Iraqi children, "Kids on Air" is not just a TV show. It is a refuge, a circle of trust.

(on-camera): These kids have to grow up so fast in this environment. Does this allow them to be a child again?

"It is hard for them to have a childhood" the show's host, Waleed Haboosh, tells me. "They lack it in this war. They are deprived of parks, city sports and their hobbies. I'm just trying to give them something normal."

PHILLIPS (voice-over): So for one hour, these kids forget about war and remember what is it like to just be a kid.

(on-camera): What was your favorite dance?

NOOR, IRAQI CHILD: My -- Pokeymon.

PHILLIPS: You like Pokeymon?

(voice-over): But don't let Noor's sweet youth deceive you. Within this war comes wisdom. "To win the satisfaction of my parents will win the satisfaction from God and that will sustain the universe."

(on-camera): Very good. Can we clap for her.? Yes.

(voice-over): Noor is eight. I am simply in awe.

Kids call in from all over Iraq. They are fascinated with their folklore, what looks so simple goes so much deeper. 11-year-old Doha (ph) chants her favorite poem.

"We'll erase discrimination in Iraq and find spirit of unity."

PHILLIPS (on-camera): Is it hard to see what is going on in your country right now?

"I feel sad, but we will never leave our dear Iraq."

PHILLIPS: Why do you want to stay?

"Because we have been created here and we will die here in its soil. I am not going to die in another country's soil."

PHILLIPS (voice-over): How these kids balance death with Disney is beyond me. But it is working. Rami Ahmed is Pokeymon.

"I will certainly make them delighted" he says. I think I will drive out all of their sadness.

PHILLIPS (on-camera): Outside, you see the barbed wire and the blasted walls and the guards. Then you come in here and it is Pokeymon and Spiderman and such a comfort zone. What do you make of that; these two different worlds?

"Our escape is doing the show. It helps us overcome the real atmosphere outside. It can't last forever, Iraqis believe in that."

PHILLIPS (voice-over): And so, too, do these children.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS: Now, Fred, you are a mom. I'm an aunt, a godmother, a big sister. And you love to spoil your kids, but at the same time, you want them not to be hooked on material things. When I asked these Iraqi kids what they wanted most, none of them mentioned anything of a material nature.

It was all about security, being with their family. And their biggest wish, just wanting to go out on the playground. It was pretty humbling.

WHITFIELD: So sad.

Meantime, tomorrow, you have got another special story that you are submitting. What is that all about? PHILLIPS: Well, this one is a bit of a heart-wrenching story as well, but I think you will smile once you meet our main character. We went to the school for the blind, the only one of its kind in Baghdad. And we met these kids; they are smart, they are resilient. They are learning Arabic, English and Braille.

And I have to admit, Fred, I fell in love with this one is 11- year-old boy, Murtada and it happened just after we did this mic check before the interview. Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MURTADA, 11-YEARS-OLD: One, two, three, four, five. Six, seven, eight. Nine, ten. Eleven, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25 --

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: That is so sweet.

PHILLIPS: Fred, he had everybody -- yes, he had everybody in laughter. And also, he is one of the smartest kids in the class. He said he wants to be an English translator after he gets his degree from college.

WHITFIELD: Wow.

PHILLIPS: So you will meet him, and the rest of the students, in the school tomorrow.

WHITFIELD: And something tells me that he could do it even before he were to get that degree in college. We can't wait to meet him.

PHILLIPS: Can you believe he is only 11-years-old?

WHITFIELD: No. No. Very precocious. All right.

PHILLIPS: Thanks, Fred.

WHITFIELD: All right. Thanks so much, Kyra -- Don.

LEMON: Meantime, we've got some news happening. It's about Iraq; it's happening here in the United States.

Barbara Starr, just out of a briefing -- Barbara, what did you find out?

BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Well, after seeing those Iraqi kids it is kind of hard to turn back to the Pentagon here and talk about the politics of war. But that is what has been happening here this afternoon.

The Secretary of Defense, Bob Gates, and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, Admiral Michael Mullen, have just finished a press conference here in the Pentagon. They are trying to stay out of the presidential campaign, but inevitably that is the subject on the podium.

They are well aware Senators Obama and Clinton are talking about timetables for withdrawal from Iraq. That is not U.S. military policy, right now. Admiral Mullen was asked about that today. He was asked if there is a new president, and there is a timetable for withdrawal from Iraq, would he support that.

Here -- Admiral Mullen said -- quoting -- "I think precipitous withdrawal sacrificing gains in Iraq would concern me."

I followed up, Don, by asking him very bluntly: Are you against a timetable for withdrawal from Iraq? And he said, yes. So there is the answer from the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff who will be the senior military adviser the day the next president takes office.

He is against a timetable for withdrawal, as many on the Democratic side have been proposing -- Don.

LEMON: Barbara Starr. Thank you Barbara.

WHITFIELD: All right. Back to politics here. Hillary Clinton's surprising victory, surprising to a lot of people except her. The end of Barack Obama's big winning streak. So what happened? We'll hear from a "Time" magazine political expert.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: John McCain goes the distance after the latest round of presidential contests. He is the presumptive Republican nominee.

As for the Democrats, a campaign revived, a winning streak broken. Hillary Clinton celebrates three out of four primary victories over Barack Obama. But will it really change the race for the Democratic nomination?

Mark Halperin joins us now from New York with some of the stuff that will keep him busy for at least the next few weeks. He is "Time" magazine's senior political anaylst.

Good to see you, Mark.

MARK HALPERIN, TIME MAGAZINE SNR. POLITICAL ANALYST: Great to see you, Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: All right. Well let's take a look at one of the latest polls which indicates how some of the Texas and Ohio voters made their decisions. Within three days of the March 4 primaries, some either changed their minds or perhaps their minds were solidified about Clinton and Obama.

So you have to wonder, if Senator Clinton's ad campaigns, that got a little criticism about the call in the night, actually paid off for her. So, if that is indeed the case, does she maintain that kind of strategy?

HALPERIN: Well, look, this is not science; it's art. And that is one of the things that happened at the end that seemed to put Senator Obama on the defensive. But a lot went wrong with him in those last 72 hours --

WHITFIELD: Like what?

HALPERIN: Well, he also had this controversy over whether he and his campaign were telling the truth about contact between his top economic adviser and a Canadian official. He also had the bad luck of the start of the Tony Rezko trial, his former fund-raiser and associate, starting in Chicago. And he had a press conference, for first time that many reporters remember, where the press corps was pretty contentious and aggressive and asked him about some of these controversies.

He also had, at the end of last week -- he was not just being attacked by Hillary Clinton on the question of his credibility on national security, but by John McCain and President Bush. Those are three pretty big hammers coming down on him on his biggest vulnerability.

WHITFIELD: And so in the end, out of the four primaries, Hillary Clinton wins, but we still got the Texas caucus, part of this Texas two-step, and it seems to, I guess, be more favorable for Barack Obama. Does that make a difference when it comes down to the overall picture?

HALPERIN: Look, all that matters is who gets the most delegates. Barack Obama has the most delegates now, he had the most delegates two days ago. He is likely to have the most elected delegates, not those superdelegates who are party officials, but the most elected delegates from primaries and caucuses all of the way through, almost certainly.

She has to figure out a way to stop those superdelegates from going to him. Because, she can only win if they come to her and argue that her wins in those big states yesterday give her the calling card she needs to say, don't endorse Obama, watch to see how I do the rest of the way -- and hope the she can somehow wrestle the nomination away from him down the road.

WHITFIELD: Ohio is important historically. You win Ohio, you win the White House. Is that antiquated or is that still applicable?

HALPERIN: No, look -- in 2008 the story is going to be pretty similar to the last couple of elections. Ohio and Florida will be the keys; whoever wins those will likely win the White House. And, she showed more strength in Ohio than he did.

He doesn't have the excuse he used in some other states, he spent a lot of time there. He certainly spent a lot of money there. He went head-to-head with her. He was not able to win. That isn't what this is about.

It is not about a contest about winning Ohio. But she does, again, have that talking point to try to freeze those superdelegates to say, I won California, New York, Ohio, New Jersey, Texas, think about at least what I can do in a general election. That is all she can ask for right now, is that holding pattern, because he is still ahead.

WHITFIELD: All right. And now, the Republican, or Republicans, once foes, now friends. We saw just a couple of hours ago, President Bush officially endorsing John McCain.

President Bush his words, "every candidate has to say change. But McCain won't change when taking on the enemy."

So, it sounds like we are talking about Iraq, we're talking about Afghanistan. Shouldn't the concern be, if you are in the McCain camp, that much of America is saying we don't want more of the same.

HALPERIN: Well, look, that is going to be one of the challenges that John McCain has, not just because of association with President Bush, but because he has supported the current policy in Iraq. John McCain is willing to lose this election, both on principle and as a matter of politics, on having that debate.

He welcomes it, particularly with Barack Obama, if he is the Democratic nominee. So while the Iraq war -- depending on how you ask the question, it is certainly an unpopular thing. McCain is going to stand and say, this is the right fight to have. It was unpopular in 2004 and President Bush was able to get re-elected. McCain is hoping he can do the same thing.

WHITFIELD: Mark Halperin, senior political analyst, "Time" magazine. Thanks so much. Good to see you.

HALPERIN: Thanks.

WHITFIELD: Don?

LEMON: Meanwhile, we've got some breaking news. We're going to take you live now to Plum, Pennsylvania. And all of the debris you are looking at -- this is the result of a home that exploded.

WHITFIELD: Oh, boy.

LEMON: A large home, we are told, it exploded, destroyed here. It's in Plum, Pennsylvania. Now here is the very latest that we're told -- we people are being taken to the hospital. They were being transported to a nearby school and then helicoptered to a hospital.

Firefighters, you can see, on the scene there, sorting through this debris, on the ground and trying to extinguish the remaining flames. But again, this is a house in Holiday Park neighborhood of Plum, Pennsylvania, destroyed in the huge explosion, happened this afternoon. At least one neighboring home also sustained damage here.

The UPMC, Mercy Hospital is the hospital in the area, they said they are preparing to receive two injured people. And again, a hospital is transporting the victims from parking lot of the Holiday Park Elementary School where they are being treated by paramedics.

That is the very latest we have for you. As soon as we get more information, we will update you right here in the CNN NEWSROOM. WHITFIELD: All right. That is very sobering.

Meantime, we are going to talk about politics again when the NEWSROOM comes back. Hopes dashed; Mike Huckabee faces reality and bows out of the Republican race for the White House. We will have the latest from Little Rock.

BROOKE ANDERSON, CNN ENTERTAINMENT CORRESPONDENT: I'm Brooke Anderson in New York. An "American Idol" finalist used to be a stripper. I'm going to tell you who he is and if it will hurt his chances on the show, next in NEWSROOM.

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WHITFIELD: All right. Again, here are some pretty dramatic images here out of Plum, Pennsylvania. That was once a house. It exploded. It is unclear exactly what happened, what sparked this explosion.

But we understand that two people have been reportedly injured and are being transported to a hospital. When we get anymore information about this home exploding in Plum, Pennsylvania we will bring it to you.

LEMON: When Anna Nicole Smith died, her affairs, and I'm talking about her estate here, were not exactly in order. And our entertainment correspondent, Ms. Brooke Anderson, is here to tell us who will inherit Smith's estate.

Brooke, who is getting the money. I think I know.

ANDERSON: Don, it is little Dannielynn Hope. An L.A. judge has ruled that she will inherit her mother's estate. Now the most valuable part of that estate is not the money that Anna Nicole had, it's the potential fortune from Smith's late husband, Jay Howard Marshall.

The back and forth court battle over Marshall's estate has gone all the way to the Supreme Court. But despite a few rulings in her favor, Smith never got a dime from the Marshall family. And now her daughter inherits the lawsuit. The Marshalls say the case remains exactly the same legally, and that the Smith side has been asking for amounts of money that don't really exist.

Now, the inheritance is set up as a trust for 18-month-old Dannielynn. Her father, Larry Birkhead, and Smith's executor, Howard K. Stern, will be in charge of that trust until Dannielynn turns 18, and then the responsibility is hers.

LEMON: OK. Let's talk about one of the big stories happening in Hollywood today. I hear people -- I've walked by and I could hear them talking about it. "American Idol" -- a little scandal on its hands.

ANDERSON: A little scandal, Don, and it's not the first time this has happened. But, a current "American Idol" contestant does have a risque past. David Hernandez apparently spent three years working as a male stripper in Phoenix. After he finished his performance in last night's show, microphones picked up what sounded like a snarky comment from judge Simon Cowell. But other than that, no one addressed the controversy.

"Idol" executive producer, Ken Warwick told TVguide.com that Hernandez won't be disqualified and, "the truth is we are never judgmental about what people do to earn a living."

Well, you may remember back in 2003, finalist Frenchie Davis was kicked off the show after it was revealed that she worked for an adult Web site. But then last year Antonella Barber remained in the competition despite racy photos of her that circulated the web. So in the terms of David Hernandez, his fate is in the hands of the viewers.

WHITFIELD: All right.

LEMON: Doesn't it seem like a double standard, Brooke?

ANDERSON: A little bit. A little hypocritical to me, yes.

LEMON: Yes, she got kicked off and he doesn't. I don't know --

ANDERSON: It's a whole new "Idol" now. I don't now what Frenchie Davis would think about this current decision. But, as I said, it is up to the viewers.

LEMON: Yes.

ANDERSON: He's got a good voice.

All right. Coming up tonight on "SHOWBIZ TONIGHT" we have got a casting call. What if they made a movie about the bad girls of Hollywood, who would should play Britney Spears, Paris Hilton, Lindsay Lohan? An explosive debate, on TV's most provocative entertainment news show. "SHOWBIZ TONIGHT" 11:00 p.m. Eastern and Pacific. Should be a lot of fun -- Don.

LEMON: Always is. We will be watching. Thank you.

WHITFIELD: All right. Back to presidential politics. Well as you know, voters are a key Democratic target for the 2008 presidential election. So we will tell you about the impact they had on the race in Ohio.

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