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Elizabeth Dole Accuses Opponent of Being Godless; Al Gore Campaigns for Obama in Florida; San Francisco to Vote on Legalizing Prostitution

Aired October 31, 2008 - 13:00   ET

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

TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: The next hour...
KYRA PHILLIPS, HOST: Who are you voting for?

HARRIS: ... of CNN NEWSROOM begins right now.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The middle of the woods, videotaping myself, hiding myself from my wife so she don't know I'm doing this. I'm pretty obsessed.

PHILLIPS: It starts with a poll, or a blog. Then more polls, more blogs. You memorize the electoral map and TiVo the rallies. Election obsession claims another victim. Sound familiar?

Talk about change. Voters in San Francisco aren't just choosing a president. They may just legalize prostitution. We'll get both sides of a touchy issue.

And sex sells, but in the final days of a close election, religion is the ultimate weapon. We'll go to North Carolina for an unholy fight for a U.S. Senate seat.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS: And hello, everyone. I'm Kyra Phillips live at the CNN world headquarters in Atlanta. You're live in the CNN NEWSROOM.

We're going to get right to it this hour: tricks and treats, chills and thrills, scary stories and stomach aches. It must be four days before the election, right?

The candidates for president are spending Halloween the same way they spent the past umpteen months: on the move. It's day two of John McCain's bus tour of Ohio. We're going to see him this hour or maybe next, in New Philadelphia, just south of Akron.

And also, our latest Ohio poll of polls shows that McCain trailing Barack Obama by five points. Obama's in Iowa, where his nomination battle got off to a big start way back on January 3. He'll stop in Chicago to see his kids' Halloween costumes. Then it's off to Indiana.

Now, polls show that Obama with a healthy lead in Iowa. Indiana is a toss-up. But I know you're waiting for the nationwide numbers. And here they are. The latest CNN poll of polls shows Obama with a seven-point lead: 50 to 43 percent, with 7 percent still unsure.

Well, 35 Senate seats are also up for grabs, and the grabbing is getting pretty fierce. In North Carolina, the Republican incumbent, Elizabeth Dole, is running nine points behind in the latest CNN/"TIME"/Opinion Research Corporation poll. And that might explain a highly controversial TV ad that accuses Dole's Democratic challenger, Kay Hagan, of being godless.

CNN's John -- Joe Johns reports that Hagan's not about to turn the other cheek, either.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOE JOHNS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It's been called despicable. A sign of desperation.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: A leader of the Godless Americans PAC recently held a secret fundraiser in Kay Hagan's honor.

JOHNS: With time running out in her tough re-election bid, Republican Senator Elizabeth Dole went up with a sledgehammer of a television ad against her Democratic opponent Kay Hagan, an ad tailor- made to put religious conservatives, always a force in North Carolina, on red alert.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Godless Americans and Kay Hagan. She hid from cameras, took godless money. What did Hagan promise in return?

JOHNS: Hagan is screaming foul and says she is filing a lawsuit, claiming damage to her reputation.

KAY HAGAN (D), NORTH CAROLINA SENATORIAL CANDIDATE: I don't have a relationship with this group. I've never even heard of it, until Elizabeth Dole put a press release out about it. Never heard of it.

JOHNS: So what's the truth of it? "Keeping Them Honest," let's start with the facts. It's true that Hagan attended a fund-raiser on her behalf at the Boston home of a guy named Woody Kaplan, who is a member of the board of advisors of a group called the Godless Americans Political Action Committee. But the fund-raiser was not sponsored by the Godless Americans PAC. Rather, it was sponsored by Massachusetts Senator John Kerry, and something called the Secure Our Senate Majority Host Committee.

According to Hagan's disclosure forms, Kaplan, in his own name, has donated a total of $2,300. Hagan says she has received no money from the Godless American PAC itself. Her campaign says the fund- raiser was not secret, and she wasn't hiding from the camera.

OK. So the ad stretches the facts a little. But is it despicable?

STUART ROTHENBERG, ROTHENBERG POLITICAL REPORT: I think this is actually standard political theater. JOHNS: And there's a money trail.

ROTHENBERG: You go to a fund-raiser, take a check. You're going to have to answer for that. Doesn't mean she can't answer, but it's not such a crazy issue to bring up to the Republicans.

JOHNS: Hagan has come out strong. She and others see a larger problem with ad. It implies she's anti-Christian, even though she says she's a Sunday school teacher and an elder in the Presbyterian Church.

HAGAN: I want people to know who I am. I am a strong Christian, and I believe in my faith. And I am appalled that Elizabeth Dole would stoop this low.

JOHNS: Democrats have a lot riding on this race. Getting to a filibuster-proof majority could depend on it.

ROTHENBERG: Senator Dole's state is crucial because she's one of the 19 the Democrats need to get to 60. If they can take her out, they still have a chance to get to 60. If she wins, it's an awful hard fight for them.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS: Well, after Joe filed that report, Hagan did file her lawsuit, accusing Dole of libel and defamation. The Dole team says that the ad is factual and calls the suit "a silly political gimmick." We'll keep you posted.

Now, on the subject of senators and legal issues, you'd think that Ted Stevens had been acquitted to see him arrive back in Alaska yesterday. Instead, as you know, just three days earlier a federal jury found Stevens guilty of lying on Senate disclosure forms about gifts and home renovations.

Well, despite calls from many fellow Republicans, including Sarah Palin, to resign, the longest serving Republican in the U.S. Senate says he's not going anywhere.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. TED STEVENS (R), ALASKA: I'm not going to step down. I have not been convicted. I have got a case pending against me, and probably the worst case of prosecutorial -- misconduct by the prosecutors that is known.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: Stevens is appealing his conviction. He's also facing a tough re-election fight on Tuesday.

Some numbers now from the Commerce Department as we wrap up one heck of a hard month for the economy. Personal income in September was up two-tenths of a percent. That's more than what analysts expected. But on the flip side, personal spending was down three-tenths of a percent, the largest amount in four years. That was worse than expected.

And after a week where we saw big firms announce some 20,000 job cuts, here's some good news. Ford is putting 1,000 laid-off people back to work in Michigan. They'll be working on the new F-150 truck.

And it's not just the economy that's having a tough month. So are stocks. But that's not unusual, since October is known for being a particularly scary period for investors. Let's gate -- get straight to Susan Lisovicz for more on that and a look at whether we're -- well, we're getting a trick or a treat from Wall Street.

Hey, Susan.

SUSAN LISOVICZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Kyra.

How fitting that this very scary month ends on Halloween, but the treat could be that we could see the first back-to-back gain this month, and, in fact, yesterday's close with the Dow up, was only the sixth gain this month. It's just been a terrible month, one of the worst in the history books for the three major averages. The Dow, the NASDAQ, S&P 500, all down between about 15 and 18 percent so far this month.

You mentioned a personal income and spending. We also got a report on consumer confidence, not surprisingly, showing a big plunge. And also a report on manufacturing in the Chicago area, also pretty lousy.

But we have pretty nice gains so far, with three hours to go in the session. A couple of bright notes here. One is that oil has -- continues to fall. Right now it's down $1.50 at about $64 a barrel. Kyra, oil started the month at $101 a barrel. So just a startling decline, even in the commodities market. And that is something that translates into our pocketbooks. That's a good thing.

The other thing is, as lousy as it's been, the Dow Jones Industrials right now are at 9,279. The low of the month so far, closing low, is 8,175. We're up much sharply, much higher since then. That was only a few days ago. And we've never hit the intraday low of the month. And what that basically means is that we may have hit the low. A lot of traders are saying that, you know, it's normal to retest it, but that we may -- may, may, may -- have hit a bottom. That would be nice, because October is known as a bear killer. Bearish month, but also a bear killer. A lot of -- a lot of bear markets have ended in October. Let's hope that is the ultimate treat.

PHILLIPS: Thanks, Susan.

Well, ladies of the night. They wouldn't be criminals any longer under a proposition that will be on the ballot in San Francisco on election day. Needless to say, the battle lines are drawn. We'll hear from both sides. And for retailers, Halloween is the start of the holiday season, shopping-wise. But with the economy in such a mess, will they get a trick or treat? We'll try and find out.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: A call going into the Coast Guard this morning about an emergency off Miami. A small boat ran aground, and a number of people were in the water. Three drowned but rescuers pulled some 20 others to safety. Authorities believe that they may have been Dominican migrants. At last report, crews were still searching the waters to make sure no one else was out there.

Well, it's something you don't feel very often in Dallas: earthquakes. Two of them shook up the Dallas-Fort Worth area just before and right after midnight. Both were minor, and there are no reports of injuries or serious damage right now.

Now, law enforcement agencies across north Texas say they did receive 911 calls from people who felt the quakes. Experts say that the aftershocks could last several days.

And on the weather map, plenty of sunshine to spread around this Halloween except on the West Coast. Chad Myers with us now from the CNN weather center -- Chad.

CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Kyra, looks pretty good for a lot of kids. You know, I grew up in Buffalo, and I had the greatest costumes of all time. Then had to put a winter coat over the top of it.

PHILLIPS: What was your best costume?

MYERS: And it kind of ruins it. I was Tony the Tiger. I don't know anybody else that has ever been Tony the Tiger. But one of the ones I made, I was actually a baked potato. I covered myself in a box, rounded the corners, covered it in tinfoil and then put pats of butter in the front.

PHILLIPS: Outstanding. That's very Buffalo of you.

MYERS: It's warm.

PHILLIPS: There you go.

(WEATHER REPORT)

PHILLIPS: We'll keep checking. Thanks, Chad.

MYERS: You're welcome.

PHILLIPS: To the White House race now and a man we haven't seen a lot of in this campaign: former Democratic president nominee Al Gore. He's back in Florida, the state that he contested for 36 days back in 2000. He's holding a rally this hour for Barack Obama. Our John Zarrella is standing by in Pompano Beach. Hey, John.

JOHN ZARRELLA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: All right, Kyra. Well, that's right. He'll be here at about 2:30 at Broward College here in Broward County. Of course, heavily Democratic county.

He just a few minutes ago, with his wife Tipper, wrapped up remarks in West Palm Beach. Of course, as Democrats tell you, that was the scene of the crime in 2000 when the infamous butterfly ballot, and of course, Al Gore losing in the state by 537 votes. And he's up there in West Palm, talking about get out the vote, urging people to get out the vote, and making the remark that, take it from him, every vote counts.

So again, we expect him to be here in about an hour, an hour and a half, Kyra, stirring up the crowd. Again, heavily Democratic county, Broward, and Palm Beach counties. Trying to get as many out as they can down here on southeast Florida.

PHILLIPS: Well, early voting has been going on for, what, more than week now in Florida. How did it turn out? And did you get a chance to vote?

ZARRELLA: Yes, I voted. I voted on the very first day. And of course, I stood in line for about three hours and fifteen minutes and waited, and did a piece on it. And of course, a lot of the problems they had on that first day. A couple of the machines weren't working that actually spit out the ballots.

Part of the problem, of course, Kyra, is so many people, as of yesterday morning, 1.6 million ballots cast -- that's about 20 percent of the electorate here -- by absentee or by early voting. I can tell you, just around the corner here on the campus, the line is enormous, people waiting to vote.

Part of the problem, of course, because there are only about 17 polling places in Broward where you can cast votes. Miami-Dade, about 21. So not that many places. So consequently, huge lines all across the state.

PHILLIPS: What do you think -- first of all, you're right. I remember, we ran that piece. It was great. You were standing in line, talking to people. You finally got in and you voted. That's right.

ZARRELLA: Yes.

PHILLIPS: And it took me three hours and five minutes yesterday to go vote. So my question to you, and this was sort of the discussion, John, in the line yesterday, do you think it's going to be worse on November 4 or better, because so many people have done the early voting?

ZARRELLA: You know, I think two things: a couple things I'm hearing, is I think people believe that it may be better because you're going to have some 500 precincts open just in Broward County alone. So that should disperse the crowd. That's one thing.

One of the disconcerting things I've heard, and this may not be a lot of people out there, but one of the things I'm hearing from people is, "You know, I went and I tried to vote. I stood in line a couple of hours and I just couldn't wait any longer. I had to go to work, or I had to go home to the family."

So the question is, are they going to return and vote on Tuesday? And some of them are saying, "You know, I just don't know if I'm going to have time." They don't want to stand in these lines. So I wonder how many people are not going to vote because they're standing in these long lines now, and having to walk away and may not come back on Tuesday.

PHILLIPS: All right. We'll be following it. That is for sure. John Zarrella, thanks.

And it's on TV. It's on your computer. It's on your wireless. Call it America's election obsession. And after Tuesday, everyone will have to kick the habit, cold turkey.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Proposition K. Yea or nay? It's up to you, San Francisco. And voters there decide Tuesday on a measure that would keep the long arm of the law from touching prostitutes. Police couldn't investigate or arrest them and the D.A. couldn't prosecute them if Prop K passes.

And a recent poll for KTIX-TV (ph) suggests the vote could go either way, with more than a quarter of voters still undecided.

Mayor Gavin Newsom makes no bones about where he stands.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GAVIN NEWSOM, MAYOR, SAN FRANCISCO: You can imagine if all over the country people come to descend and start -- pimps and profit start descending upon San Francisco and what that means to the families.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: Kamala Harris and Carol Leigh have made up their minds. Kamala is a district attorney in San Francisco and is opposed to Proposition K. Carol Leigh is a former sex worker, current sex worker advocate and supports the measure.

Kara, I want to go ahead and start with you. Obviously, prostitution is a dangerous, many times a deadly job. When you were active, how bad did it get with regard to your safety?

CAROL LEIGH, SEX WORKER ADVOCATE: Well, I mean, as a matter of fact, it's dangerous depending on the content and, certainly, the criminalization makes it much more dangerous, but I did experience violence. I was raped when I was working as prostitute. And that's what motivated me to get involved in decriminalization efforts, because I couldn't go to the police to find recourse. I was certainly afraid of the safety of the other people who I worked with, and it really motivated me to come forth and work on this decriminalization effort.

PHILLIPS: Well, Carol, how would Proposition K, then, prevent that?

LEIGH: Well, basically, sex workers would be able to report the violence against them to the police. If you're a criminal, then you're actually not able to call the police. You're basically afraid that it will be used against you in the future.

And we want to be able to organize around workplace abuses, for labor rights, certainly, and Prop K will actually afford us, then, labor and human rights, the same as other citizens.

PHILLIPS: Well, and so many critics have come forth and saying, look, this is going to exploit prostitution. This should never be legalized. Underaged girls will be prostituted. It will just get worse. Human trafficking will become even more of a nightmare than it already is. What do you say to that?

LEIGH: As a matter of fact, our public defender, Jeff Adache (ph), said that this won't inhibit enforcement against trafficking laws. And the National Lawyers Guild also said that this will actually help enforce laws against child prostitution and against trafficking. So this actually will assist us.

The California STD Controllers Association recommended this. And most recently, the U.N. secretary-general asked for decriminalization and the end to discrimination against sex workers to combat AIDS.

PHILLIPS: And Carol, final question, because I want to get on to Kamala Harris. We didn't want to turn this into any type of a debate. We want to each give you your fair chance to say your word.

But I've got to ask you, Carol, because I -- I know you're no longer a sex worker, but you did work in that field for a number of years. But I listened to you. You're so well-spoken. You are so bright. Here you are, a major advocate and activist. I've had a chance to hear from a number -- a number of other prostitutes, just as strong-minded as you, and I think, "Wow. Why have to turn to that?" Why have to sell your body for sex, when I could see you in the political realm doing -- you know, working for all types of legislation.

Tell me why you and other women feel that selling your bodies are the only way to do well in this world?

LEIGH: Well, there are a broad range of reasons that people go into sex work. I mean, poor women do it for economic survival. And certainly, in terms of racial discrimination, there sometimes aren't other jobs. There's so much discrimination in our society regarding people who are poor. Also, a lot of college students go into it. That was my story, to some extent. And there is such a broad range. Medical bills is what I hear as one of the top reasons for this. So it's quite a wider range than many people understand.

PHILLIPS: Well, I appreciate you being so straightforward and blunt and honest and participating in the conversation, Carol. Thank you so much.

LEIGH: Thank you.

PHILLIPS: Now, Kamala, I want to bring you in as the D.A. there in San Francisco. When you listened to what Carol has to say, what worries you the most about what you're hearing from her?

KAMALA HARRIS, D.A., SAN FRANCISCO: What worries me the most is actually that -- that her assertions are based on a false premise. Up to 65 percent of the cases in my sex assault unit in my office involve prostitutes as victims. We are prosecuting crimes against prostitutes.

And I am as a career prosecutor, and Kyra, frankly, I have stood before juries as a prosecutor and said and argued that the penal code does not just protect Snow White. And that is the philosophy of the work that we do as a prosecutor's office, which is that, when someone has been victimized, when they've been raped, when they've been assaulted, when they've been murdered, that the law is designed to protect them, regardless of what would have been their, quote unquote, profession at the moment.

And so there's a false premise that's being asserted in connection with Proposition K. The facts are that we are prosecuting cases where prostitutes are victims -- victims. The facts are that the average age of entry into prostitution for a girl is 14 years old.

PHILLIPS: Hmm.

HARRIS: The fact is that it is often the initial report of prostitution that allows police officers to conduct an investigation, which invariably may disclose that, in fact, there's human trafficking taking place, that there's child molestation taking place.

And so Proposition K, you know, portends to kind of address, you know, "Pretty Woman," the movie. You know, go out and rent that movie if you want to see it. The reality is that, if we pass Proposition K, we're going to create, basically, an open pass to pimps and predators to do whatever they want without recourse.

PHILLIPS: Well, something that struck me when I was listening to Mayor Newsom, when he held that presser, he was actually explaining how he was a part of this police raid on this massage parlor and he walked in on, watching a young girl being raped in this massage parlor as this raid was taking place. I mean, that is just heart-wrenching, when you hear about something like that, and especially a young girl.

So from what I'm hearing from you is that, if this is decriminalized, that it's going to affect your investigation process and also affect what you feel -- and correct me if I'm wrong -- is something that you're finally getting a handle on with regard to human trafficking and the rise in young girls becoming prostitutes?

HARRIS: Proposition K, if it passed, will in effect, create a shield for child predators and pimps and johns. And that is far from being a compassionate move. We cannot do that, as civilized society.

And San Franciscans, we pride ourselves on being a first-class city. We pride ourselves on being dedicated to really fighting for human rights. Passing Proposition K would fly in the face of all of that. What it would do is it would impair and, in fact, prevent law enforcement from doing its job of protecting some of the most vulnerable people who are sexually-exploited youth.

And the other reality of it, to address Carol's point about poverty and who's involved and what we should do in terms of being compassionate for the poor, it is in the economically-poor neighborhoods where this is taking place. And I talk with those folks in those neighborhoods every day. They don't want this in their neighborhood. They don't want to have to walk over a condom or a needle to go to the corner to catch a bus. It is a blight and a threat to the communities that are experiencing it, and it is something that people want stopped.

So you know, we can't, you know, give in to this idea that this is somehow going to create some path to economic success for women, and that's why we should allow this decriminalization measure to go forward. What it will do is be a path towards sexual exploitation and continued sexual exploitation.

PHILLIPS: We will definitely follow what the outcome is...

HARRIS: Thank you.

PHILLIPS: ... and see if it passes. Kamala Harris, D.A. from San Francisco, and also Carol Leigh, former sex worker, sex worker activist.

Do you have any final thoughts, Carol, before we go? I know that we didn't want to get into a debate format. But any final thoughts?

LEIGH: Well, yes, as a matter of fact, you know, the average age in a recent study in San Francisco of entry into prostitution was 21. and that figure of 14 percent [SIC] is not true.

There have also still been statistics that say that about 15 percent of sex workers have been abused by police officers. There are no national statistics summing up those issues.

Not arresting prostitutes is a kind way to deal with this, but the idea that we have to arrest prostitutes to save them, that is too cruel.

PHILLIPS: Kamala, she did work the streets and is there involved with active prostitutes. Your thoughts? And I'll wrap it up. HARRIS: You know, my job is to think about public safety and to think about the most vulnerable people who live in these neighborhoods, and who are being seduced and coerced and threatened into prostitution, and it is not a glamorous life.

When you sit down and talk with most of the prostitutes that we're seeing in the criminal justice system, they have been victims of a number of crimes. They do not want to do the work that they do. They are threatened into doing it. They are managed by pimps. It is a profit industry, where the people who profit mostly are pimps. This is not about compassion for women.

PHILLIPS: We're going to follow-up on Tuesday for sure.

HARRIS: Thank you.

PHILLIPS: Pamela Harris and Carol Leigh, appreciate you both. Thank you so much.

HARRIS: Thank you.

PHILLIPS: Online and on the air, you can feed your political addiction 24/7. But what happens when the race is over? Well, you're going to meet some people who share your election obsession.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: 1:32 Eastern time right now. Here's some of the stories we're working on in the CNN NEWSROOM.

Both presidential candidates working for every last vote in the last days until the election. John McCain trekking across crucial Ohio, today and tomorrow. Barack Obama's also in the Midwest. Today's stops; Iowa and Indiana.

And a bank robbery with shots fired in Mesquite, Texas. Two bank employees wounded, but stable. Police have fanned out look for the gunmen who got away with an undisclosed a cash.

And a gunman's in custody in northern Maine, after briefly holding some fifth graders hostage. Police have been looking for him since last week after he pointed a gun at an officer that fled.

Well, you ever find yourself daydreaming about battleground states, calls for change or maybe Joe the Plumber? He is kind of cute. Or, are you losing sleep waiting on the next Poll of Polls to be released? If so, you may have a condition called OCED, or obsessive compulsive election disorder. Our Miles O'Brien, who's definitely OCD, is not a doctor. But, he says a lot of Americans are just a little obsessed with this election.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MILES O'BRIEN, CNN CHIEF TECHNOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENT CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It's like a two year-long reality show. Soon, we'll know the survivor. And while we may be over it, we really can't reach for the remote either.

DARYL LADEMAN, OBSESSION WITH ELECTION: I watch it like a Vegas bookie.

O'BRIEN: Daryl Lademan is a card carrying member of the election obsessed nation.

LADEMAN: I read all of the op-eds from both the right and left. And I watch all the battleground states polls.

O'BRIEN: Barb Dehn gives advice to the likes of Darly as the Nurse Barb web site.

BARB DEHN, NURSEBARB.COM: People want to have control over the uncontrollable.

O'BRIEN: The tidal wave of information is what sets this election apart.

WILLIAM SCHNEIDER, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: You can look on the internet on various web sites and look for the latest poll results every hour if you want. You couldn't do that 20 or 30 years ago, or even four years ago.

O'BRIEN (on camera): And of course, four years ago we didn't have a magic wall. How did we live without it? And this time around, the information goes in both directions.

We asked our i-Reporters to send dispatches on their election obsession. Let's go to Colorado, Interstate 70, near the border there, Emily Richer.

EMILY RICHER, OBSESSED WITH ELECTION: I thought it was giving me a headache. But the truth is, now I'm having withdrawals. I might miss something.

O'BRIEN: Let's go to the other side of the country now. Virginia, Salem, Ralph Nester.

RALPH NESTER, OBSESSED WITH ELECTION: Stand in the middle of the woods, videotaping myself, hiding myself from my wife so she don't know I'm doing this. Yes, I'm pretty obsessed.

O'BRIEN: Back to the other side of the country, Utah. We heard from Christine Schnitzer, who does a lot of hiking and biking and yoga to relieve stress. But, she's been watching the polls all the while. I asked her if it ever gets to be too much.

CHRISTINE SCHNITZER, OBSESSED WITH ELECTION: That's when I go swimming because if I have my face in the water then I can watch any news or check my e-mail.

O'BRIEN: And now to Pewaukee, Wisconsin, where if you drive by the Harms household, there's no question they are election obsessed. That's what you'll see. And that got the gears turning for 14-year- old Chris. Listen to him.

CHRIS HARMS, OBSESSED WITH ELECTION: I hope to run for president in 2036. I already have a Facebook group created for that and stuff.

O'BRIEN (voice-over): You heard it here first. In the meantime, what will we do on Wednesday?

LADEMAN: We got to go cold turkey.

O'BRIEN: I wonder what else is on TV.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS: Miles O'Brien, joining us now from New York.

Oh, Miles, I love your sense of humor. So, what do you think? Is this good or bad for democracy?

O'BRIEN: By and large, good. You know, I think the more people who are engaged, the better, right?

PHILLIPS: Absolutely.

O'BRIEN: The less they lose track of the issues and focus on the horse race and the numbers and the sort of paraneutral aspects of it. That's probably not so great. But it is entertaining as it can be, isn't it?

PHILLIPS: Absolutely. And I love seeing how you get all of these very interesting, shall we say, iReporters.

How did you do this and how did you know what to go with?

O'BRIEN: This was fantastic. This was a iReport coup de grace. We talked to the good folks at iReport, Tyson Wheatley. We said, can you put up a little thing, saying, you know, are you obsessed with the elections?

We were deluged with fantastic tales from people and so, we sort of followed up with some of our favorites, did a couple of Skype interviews, as you saw in that. And basically have learned to do stories on zero dollars. So, the bean counters love it and we have it at -- it's like having an eager nation of interns with cameras. We loved this.

PHILLIPS: And you know what? You've taken the magic wall to a whole other level, Miles.

O'BRIEN: Well, that's -- the thing is on Wednesday, we'll still have the magic wall. We've bought and paid for it. So, what are we going to do with it? I've been thinking about some cool ways to do shuttle launches with it. But, I'm afraid I'm the only one that's obsessed with shuttle launches.

(LAUGHTER) O'BRIEN: We'll have to think of some other things, too.

PHILLIPS: You know what? We always take you. We let you have your 10 minutes events.

O'BRIEN: You are the exception. There's no question. There's always a little Kyra Phillips island for me. And I appreciate that.

PHILLIPS: Always and forever.

Mr. Miles, thanks.

Well, four days to go. We've been counting them down and laying out the candidates' presidential plans. 10 issues in 10 days. And so far this week, we've looked at their stands on the economy, taxes, energy, health care, education and housing. Well, today, homeland securitiy.

And on this issue, the plans look similar. Both Barack Obama and John McCain say they'll implement recommendations from the 9/11 Commission. Both also plan to provide assistance to first responders. In addition, they both vow to protect critical infrastructure and chemical plants. Obama says that he'll work to coordinate domestic intelligence gatherings. McCain says, he'll call for more military intelligence, special forces and civil affairs personnel.

Well, tomorrow CNN will take a look at the candidates' foreign policy agendas. So, stay with us for that.

Well, in Iraq, a big sign efforts to stabilize that country are paying off. U.S. troops deaths this month are down about one-half from September, when 25 were killed. And this month, 13 non-combat and combat deaths have been reported since the beginning of the war. 4,189 American troops it died in Iraq. A U.S. Military official calls this month's drop a positive indication of the increased security across Iraq.

And a promotion today for the the man who's credited with leading the turnaround in Iraq. General David Petraeus, now charge of U.S. Central Command. The position not only makes his responsible for U.S. Military operations in Iraq, but also for war efforts in Afghanistan. In ceremonies this morning at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, General Petraeus took over for Lieutenant General Martin Dempsey and he's now on his way to Pakistan.

Investigators hope that they're closer to finding out who is responsible for a series of deadly bombings in northeastern India. They're checking out a message sent to a news outlet, claiming responsibility. No word yet on who sent the message. The death toll in yesterday's attacks has climbed to at least 74. Hundreds of other people were wounded and at least nine bombs ripped through areas packed with lunchtime crowds.

To drink or not to drink while pregnant? It's a hugely controversial issue. Elizabeth Cohen's live with a new study that only adds to the fray.

And spirits of a different kind. The focus of a new show on sci- fi. The real exorcist himself joins us live along with a disapproving pastor and a total disbeliever. CNN NEWSROOM, next hour.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Well, those plastic bottles, we all drink from and all of those plastic food containers, are they as safe as we've been led to believe? Earlier this year, the Food and Drug administration determined that the chemical known as BPA - that's used in the containers is safe. But, it asked independent experts to review that finding. The report released Tuesday, said that the FDA science was badly flawed and today, the FDA's science board is holding a public hearing. Officials say, it could take two to five years to come to a final conclusion.

Well, drinking while pregnant. You've heard the warning. Now, a provocative new study is challenging the conventional wisdom. Medical correspondent Elizabeth Cohen joins us.

Drinking while pregnant. I know people do it. And I've watch them monitor it - a glass of wine here and there, maybe a beer. I've never seen a shot of tequila, that would scare me.

ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: No, no, no. That would be pretty funny, a pregnant lady just plugging it back.

PHILLIPS: That would not be good. What did we find out?

COHEN: This is a really interesting study, Kyra, because most studies have looked at what happens when a pregnant woman drinks a ton of alcohol and everyone agrees. That is a terrible idea. Women should not drink heavily when they're pregnant. It can seriously harm the baby.

What this study did, thought, was different. They said, well, what happens if mom has a drink or two a week. What does it do? What bad things does it do? And what they found that in fact, it did not hard the babies' brain. It didn't change their cognitive abilities. It didn't change their behavior. In fact, children of mom's who drank lightly, those kids in some ways had fewer problems then children of mom's who abstained from alcohol all together. So, in my ways, this is a very surprising finding.

PHILLIPS: Wow.

So, it's OK to drink. I mean - moderation.

COHEN: No.

PHILLIPS: Oh, OK.

(LAUGHTER)

COHEN: This is just one study. And so I feel like it's really important to say what the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecologists says about drinking. Even considering this study, they still say, women should avoid alcohol entirely, while pregnant or trying to conceive.

So, even with this study, American obstetricians say, don't do it at all, ever, ever, ever.

PHILLIPS: So, who completely disagrees? Those guys?

COHEN: Well, what's interesting is that the British doctors take kind of a different spin on things.

There's a group of British doctors who were basically assigned to give advice to all British doctors. And what this group says is very different. This group of British experts says, look. In the second and third trimester, if you want to drink, do not have more than one to two drinks, once or twice a week. That's very different, as you can see, from what the Americans say. They do say in the first trimester, you shouldn't drink at all because it could lead to miscarriages.

But, it is interesting that the Brits do seem to be saying, if you're going to drink, here's how much you should drink. Whereas the Americans are like, just don't do it.

PHILLIPS: That's right. The Brits. Come on, they love their pubs.

COHEN: Something like that. So, I'm not here to say what people should do. But, I'm just telling you, here's what the American obstetricians say, here's what the British obstetricians say.

PHILLIPS: All right. I'll drink to that.

Thank you.

COHEN: Thanks.

PHILLIPS: Well, a forwarded e-mail about a candy recall is causing some Halloween confusion. The message says, Pirate's Gold Chocolate Coins have been pulled because they're tainted with melamine. Well, what's not made clear is the recall only affects Pirate's Gold that was sold in Canada. Sherwood Brands, which imports the candy says, coins sold in the U.S. stores are safe.

Well, maybe it's not a recession, but it sure feels like ones. And that's all that really matters when you're talking about the U.S. economy.

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PHILLIPS: Well, even if the U.S. is not in a recession, it sure looks and feels like one. And when you're talking about the U.S. economy, feeling is believing. CNN chief business correspondent Ali Velshi takes a look at how things are really going out there.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ALI VELSHI, CNN CHIEF BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Measuring the economy might be a science. But, what makes the economy tick isn't. The U.S. economy, more so than any other worldwide economy is based on how investors and ultimately consumers feel. We've taken a long, hard look at five measure of the economy that reflect how things really are out there. To see if your fears and concerns are justified.

We charted them on a scale of zero to 10. Zero being the worst that each of them have been since 1980. 10, being the best. Here's what we found.

One of the most important measure of how the economy is faring is if you have a job or not. The lowest unemployment rate since 1980 was in April of 2000. Unemployment was at 3.8 percent. The highest unemployment rate since 1980, was November of 1982 - 10.8 percent. On our scale, today's unemployment rate of 6.1 percent makes it a 6.8.

Simply having a job is a start. But, if your wages don't keep pace with inflation, you feel that too. In 1980, the average income for a man in his 30's was about $39,000. In 1993, the average man in his 30's was making about $32,600. Today, according to a study by the Pew Charitable Trusts Economic Mobility Project, the same man is making a little under $35,000, making it a relatively low, 3.2 on our scale.

Personal savings is the amount of money an individual holds onto after all their bills are paid. Back in 2005, the personal savings rate was negative 0.7 percent. But, way back in 1981, the personal savings rate was as high as 12.2 percent. Right now, we save a paltry 1.3 percent of our income. That's an unimpressive 1.6 on our scale.

Industrial production measure the output of tangible goods. A car is made, a gallon of oil is produced. Back in the fourth quarter of 1997, industrial productions saw a quarterly increase of 10.7 percent. That's the high point on our scale. The low point was in the first quarter of 1991, when it was down, 7.5 percent. Right now on our scale, industrial production is right near the bottom - 0.82. And then we come to home prices.

Midway through this year, home prices were down 4.8 percent from the same time last year. The high end of our scale was in 2005. Home prices were up about 9.7 percent from the same time the year before. The low point is now. On our scale, home price appreciation is a zero. (END VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS: Tough news coming at a really tough time for auto makers. The Detroit Free Press is reporting the Treasury department has ended bailout talks with car companies. And that likely puts the breaks on a GM/Chrysler merger until after the presidential election. And for now, they don't have enough money between them to merge.

So, the Treasury folks have walked away from the table, the auto industry is reportedly moving on to the commerce and energy departments.

63 years-old, 24 years with the same company. Now, jobless. A face behind the numbers of this tough economy tries to keep smiling. His story, next hour.

And if you haven't voted yet, Flora Hughes of Indiana, has some advice for you. We'll meet the 101 year-old voter who hasn't let anything keep her away from the polls since 1928.

But first, since 1904, Missouri voters have backed the winner in every presidential race but one. The 1956 contest between Adlai Stevenson and President Eisenhower.

CNN's Josh Rubin is in Missouri to see how the race is shaping up in that show me state.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOSH RUBIN, ELECTION EXPRESS PRODUCER (on camera): It's the final days of the election. And we're in the Bell Weather state of Missouri, asking voters who think is going to win the presidency.

On November 6th, you wake up in the morning and who's going to be president of the United States?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: John McCain.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Obama.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: John McCain's going to win.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE; I would suppose that Barack Obama would win given what the polls say and have said for a continuous period up until now.

RUBIN: Who do you think is going to win the presidency?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE; I think Barack Obama will win.

RUBIN: And why is that?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Because I think he offers what America's looking for. And that is hope and change in the future.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: John McCain's got the experience. Barack Obama proves over and over that he doesn't have the experience to run the country. He's leading us down a path to destruction. He's going to raise taxes in the height of recession. The last time we did that was Jimmy Carter and look what happened.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If Obama wins, then it would be like a (INAUDIBLE) on Martin Luther King, in a sense. I feel as though that he has his spirit.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Taking you back with legendary British rocker Peter Frampton. Well, how's he feeling these days? Well, he's kind of bummed. Someone keeps stealing his Barack Obama yard signs and he's not happy about it.

Frampton says he's become a U.S. citizen because he wanted to vote and now he feels like his free speech rights are being violated. But, he's fighting back. Frampton says he's installed a video camera to catch whomever is swiping his signs. We'll update you.

Well, sage advice from a very experienced voter. Never missed her change to vote for president. Flora Hughes, of Indiana, should know. The 101 year-old hasn't missed voting since 1928. Her story from reporter Renee Jameson, with our affiliate WRTV.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RENEE JAMESON, WRTV REPORTER (voice-over): Flora Hughes says when it comes to voting -

FLORA HUGHES, 101 YEAR OLD VOTER: If you have a voice, you need to try to get the one you want.

JAMESON: In 1928, she cast her first ballot for Herbert Hoover and she hasn't missed an election day since. Flora is not 101 and yes, she was partial to one president, in particular.

HUGHES: Oh, I like Reagan.

JAMESON: Hughes of northwest Indiana now lives with her 65 year- old daughter Carole, in Brownsburg. The former teacher, an IU graduate, is an avid reader and greatly appreciates her latest birthday present. A magnifying glass so she can keep a more watchful eye on this year's presidential race in which she supports John McCain.

CAROLE HINSHAW, DAUGHTER: She's reading the paper and reading through all the stories. I think she reads it more than I do sometimes.

HUGHES: You have hopes that things are going to get worked out. They really not doing well right now.

JAMESON: Flora taught school during the Great Depression and made what she says was considered a good deal of money, back then -- $135 a month.

She stopped teaching when she got married and raised a family. But, she has always and continues to lead a proud and patriotic life.

HUGHES: I sure love this country.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS: We love you, Flora Hughes. And she won't have to travel to the polls to vote on election day. A traveling election board is actually going to her home today, to allow her to vote early.

The next hour of CNN NEWSROOM starts right now.