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Politics & the Terror Alert; Iraq's Stepped-Up Security?; Cash For Clunker's Final Countdown; President Courts Left and Right; New York Stock Exchange Has First-Ever Casual Friday; Tom Ridge Claims Politics behind Security Threat Levels; Election Results Being Counted in Afghanistan

Aired August 21, 2009 - 09:00   ET

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

BETTY NGUYEN, CNN ANCHOR: Developing out of New Jersey, a plane crashes and explodes into flames. We have the latest on that story.

Also, a former reality TV star on the run and now wanted for murder after the body of his ex-wife, a model is found stuffed in a suitcase.

Plus, comparing health care reform. We break down the differences in the House and Senate plan.

Good morning, everybody, on this Friday, August 21st. I'm Betty Nguyen in for Heidi Collins today, and you are in the CNN NEWSROOM.

Let's get started with this. Jeanne Meserve has the latest on a bombshell. Did the Bush administration play politics with the terror alert level.

Then we're going to take you to Baghdad with Arwa Damon, who is going to be talking about the latest and deadly attacks there.

And of course Christine Romans joins us with the Cash for Clunkers program. Both time and money running out.

But let's start with this, a stunning new charge from inside the Bush White House. Former Homeland Security Chief Tom Ridge says Bush administration members pressured him to raise the nation's terror alert level. And in a new memoir, Ridge says the pressure came just before the 2004 presidential election. Now Ridge says he objected to the argument and the alert was not raise. Ridge says the ploy helped him -- or help convince him to resign from his post, though.

And former secretary officials -- security officials -- in the Bush administration deny the allegations.

All right. So why these allegations? And why now, nearly five years later?

Well, as CNN Homeland Security correspondent Jeanne Meserve tells us, a former Homeland Security adviser denies the claims.

JEANNE MESERVE, CNN HOMELAND SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Fran Townsend says that politics never came up in the White House meeting on the threat level. But in his book, Tom Ridge never says that it did. He writes that he listened to the arguments John Ashcroft and Donald Rumsfeld made to raise the threat level and then asked himself, is this about security or politics? His takeaway, it was.

Townsend reached a very different conclusion, seeing it as an honest debate about the latest threat information and whether it warranted raising the country to orange. At the end of the day, the only people who really know whether these arguments were politically motivated are the people who made them -- John Ashcroft and Donald Rumsfeld.

It is a bit of a surprise to hear Ridge make these claims. He's a cordial, amiable man, who strikes one as the ultimate team player, but a lot has been said about his political ambitions.

So perhaps he wanted to create a little distance between himself and the Bush White House or perhaps he just wanted to speak his mind. His critics are suggesting he just wants to sell some books.

Jeanne Meserve, CNN, Washington.

NGUYEN: All right. So then at the bottom of the hour, we're going to have specific excerpts from Tom Ridge's memoir and look back at some of the specific comments coming from the Bush White House during this time period.

But in the meantime, we want to turn to this right now.

A bloody week in Baghdad is leading to new security measures. Wednesday was the worst day of violence with more than 100 people killed and 500 wounded in a series of attacks. CNN's Arwa Damon joins us now live from the capital.

Arwa, what is being done to step up security in light of all of this violence?

ARWA DAMON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Betty, the Iraqi government convened an urgent emergency meeting on Wednesday after the attacks took place, saying that they would have to implement increased security measures, things like check points, especially check points with explosive detection equipment at them.

Now, earlier, we traveled to the site of the largest attack on Wednesday, that suicide truck bomber that exploded in front of Iraq's foreign ministry.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DAMON (on camera): This is the crater that was left by the truck bomb. It's massive, about 3 meters deep, 10 to 15 meters wide. The truck came straight down this road and was not stopped at all by any of the Iraqi security forces that are stationed here.

There used to be a check point right there where every single vehicle was searched, every single passenger's ID was checked, and more importantly, it had bomb detection equipment. Now, that check point was recently removed. It was part of the government's whole campaign of returning things to normal, reducing the number of check points, even removing Baghdad's blast walls that actually protected against attacks like this.

Now the government is forced to reevaluate its entire security infrastructure and is saying that it's going to increase check points, especially those that have bomb detention equipment.

A lot of the bodies that were found were unrecognizable. And so families have been coming through here repeatedly looking for any sign of their loved ones.

The ministry may have been the main target, but located right next to it is this very poor residential neighborhood. And a number of homes here were utterly demolished. Many people are saying that this should be declared a disaster zone.

So, Ayad (ph) was just explaining where his family was when the attack happened, and his two daughters were sleeping right here. The area, the mattress they were sleeping on, is now covered in glass. This bookcase obviously fell down on them. His 3-month-old baby was in the crib right here. Somehow, he says, he managed to get his family out alive.

A 4-month-old baby died in this house when the entire ceiling collapsed on him. His mother is wounded in the hospital. His father wasn't home at the time. And his father is too distraught to speak to us, even stand and look at the house, understandably so.

The banner here basically says, "No to al Qaeda, no to a return to the dark days of Iraq's sectarian violence." It is hung on one of the many burnt out hulks of vehicles here along with plastic flowers. Very much a sign of defiance.

Arwa Damon, CNN, Baghdad.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

DAMON: Residents who we spoke to in the area, Betty, are absolutely livid. They think that the Iraqi security forces failed them. Some went so far as to call the Iraqi forces lazy, incompetent and unprofessional. And others still were calling for the U.S. military to come back in - Betty.

NGUYEN: All right. CNN's Arwa Damon joining us live. We want to talk more about this because this week's attacks are not just calling into question the capability of Iraqi security forces, but whether U.S. combat troops pulled out of the cities too soon.

CNN's Barbara Starr joins us now live from the Pentagon.

All right. So, Barbara, is this violence changing U.S. strategy at all?

BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Well, Betty, the problem is even if the U.S. wanted to change its military strategy in Iraq now, it has to get the agreement of the Iraqi government of Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki.

Under that bilateral agreement signed between the two governments, for any U.S. troops to be put back into a combat role on Iraq's city streets, the Iraqis would have to make the request.

And it seems very problematic that Nur al-Maliki would do that because he would be confessing at this point to his own people that his security forces have failed.

But top U.S. commanders say that Wednesday's attacks that Arwa just outlined that have had such a brutal impact on the Iraqi civilian population, that these attacks were a security lapse by the Iraqis, that they need more training, that they're very fragile, and that they do need help.

So it's a bit of a problem right now. There's a lot of frustration on the part of U.S. commanders that the Iraqis let this happen essentially, that this terrible event was allowed to occur. A lot of talk about what they can do to help, but the bottom line is that, if there's going to be real change, the Iraqis have to ask for it - Betty.

NGUYEN: All right. CNN's Barbara Starr joining us live. Barbara, we do thank you.

Well, time and money both running out on the cash for clunkers program. We're going to tell you when your last chance is to make a deal.

JACQUI JERAS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: And I'm CNN meteorologist Jacqui Jeras in your hurricane headquarters. Hurricane Bill still a very powerful category three storm as it gets closer towards the United States. We'll have the latest on the forecast track and how it might impact your beach weekend. That's coming up after a break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NGUYEN: All right. So if you've been waiting to take advantage of the Cash for Clunkers program, you better get moving. The government says there's just enough money in the program to last until Monday.

CNN's Christine Romans has more now from New York.

All right, Christine, so this is a pretty sudden ending to the program.

CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Yes, this thing is going to run out to the scrap yard, if you will, for cash for clunkers by Monday. So you've got about, what, like 83 hours left to do something if we haven't done it already. A lot of the analysts say they think a lot of the demand for this program has already been fulfilled. 457,000 deals so far according to the government, almost $2 billion in claims as of Thursday. And as we said, this thing is coming to a close. The dealers, the dealers' association has been warning dealers that, look, we've got a few days left of this really until Monday. They're suggesting that maybe dealers should concentrate on getting the paperwork done on the things that they've already deal, they've already signed and make sure they get paid, because there have been some complaints that the dealers have not been paid in the 10 days like they were supposed to be from the government.

And, of course, the Department of Transportation says that it will honor everybody. But Ray LaHood, the transportation secretary, says it's been a thrill to work on what he calls the best economic news story in America. This was supposed to be a short-term stimulus and, indeed, 457,000 cars pushed through, turned out to be, as you know, much more popular than people thought. So should you rush out and get this done this weekend? Well, if you can afford it and you've got the clunker, the inefficient clunker and you need a new car, a lot of the personal finance experts are saying, yes, but only if you can afford it.

And they think a lot of the people who have been really steadying up and waiting to do this have already done it. Edmonds.com saying they expect a -- they expect a flurry of activity this weekend. But some dealers, I want to point out, some dealers have already pulled out and said they're not going to do anymore new deals - Betty.

NGUYEN: Yes. And some said they are going to wrap it up on Sunday so they can finish all the paperwork by Monday.

ROMANS: Right.

NGUYEN: But, you know, in looking at this, on the onset, it seems like it's been a boom for the economy. I mean, do you think that will hold true?

ROMANS: Well, the question now is where do we go from here? I mean, have you seen all this pent up demand that's now been, you know, spent in the dealership and then you see car sales decline again or continue to kind of limp along for the rest of the year.

The other question that some economists are now starting to ask is will the demand for cash for clunkers actually dent sales for other things for back to school and all the way into Christmas, because, you know, now, you've got all of these people, thousands and thousands of people who now have a car payment that they didn't have before.

NGUYEN: Right.

ROMANS: Right?

So if you're paying this car payment, are you going to be pulling back somewhere else? And we'll have to see exactly how sustainable this jolt to the economy it is. Some economists have said, Betty, it will be a sugar rush for the economy, but then it will wear off after that.

NGUYEN: Yes. The question is, what happens now.

ROMANS: That's right.

NGUYEN: Christine Romans, thank you so much for that.

ROMANS: Sure.

NGUYEN: You know, many cash for clunkers customers say they have been to get their paperwork organized just so they can get to the car lot.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I've been trying for a while, and had lost our registration, had to apply for a new registration and finally it came through, and as soon as it did, we're right down here.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We were hoping that it lasted until Labor Day, honestly. But we all had the feeling that the $3 billion was going to run out.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NGUYEN: Now some dealerships say they'll stop offering the program on Sunday as I mentioned so they'll have enough time to complete the paperwork by the Monday deadline. So if you're wanting to take advantage of it, you might want to hurry.

And we also want to know what you think about this Cash for Clunkers program. Go to our blogs, either cnn.com/heidi or cnn.com/betty. Or you can find me on Facebook and Twitter at BettyNguyenCNN, and then share your thoughts, because we are going to be reading them on the air a little bit later this morning.

I want to tell you about this. A small twin engine-plane crashes in New Jersey. And fortunately, the two men on board were able to walk away. State police say the plane went down near Teterboro Airport while trying to land overnight and it just burst into flames. Well, here is the amazing part of the story. Authorities say two men actually crawled out of the wreckage and were sitting at a nearby bus stop when police got there. They were apparently in a daze and didn't really know what had happened.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ADAM WARNE, RESCUE WORKER: Well, we were kind of shocked by this. It's not often...

(CROSSTALK)

I pulled, and I saw the wreckage, and they both said we were in the plane. So I was a little taken back. You know, how did you walk away from this? At this point, they were just more confused than anything. Are OK? I need water. I'm thirsty, I'm thirsty. You got to hold on a minute. We got paramedics coming. And I tried to get a story from them, but they were both in shock. They didn't realize what was going on at the minute.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NGUYEN: If he was taken back, just imagine how the survivors felt. Both men are being treated for burns.

Let's get you the latest now on the weather outside this weekend. Not exactly a day to head to the beach for some folks, huh?

(WEATHER REPORT)

NGUYEN: All right, Jacqui. We'll be watching as well.

Thank you.

So the battle for health care reform. What's really in the bills under consideration of both the House and the Senate? We're going to take a look at the plans side by side.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NGUYEN: Health care reform, back on the president's agenda today. And this morning, he meets with former Senator Majority leader Tom Daschle. Now the president has called him one of America's foremost health care experts.

CNN's Kate Bolduan joins us now live from the White House.

And, Kate, you know, the administration is really appealing to both the left and the right, but is it working?

KATE BOLDUAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That is a good question, Betty. You can see from the White House's perspective, the president and the White House, they are really trying, working to regain momentum in this health care debate. At the same time, the president is preparing to leave for vacation a little later this afternoon after he does have that meeting with former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle on, of course, you can guess it talking about health care.

But yesterday, take a look at yesterday, Betty, it's a perfect example of the fine line that the president, that this administration is trying to walk, trying to appeal to both sides to really keep a coherent message out there. Appealing to liberal supporters at a Democratic National Convention event yesterday afternoon, and before that, really taking his message to conservatives.

Speaking to -- making an appearance on a conservative talk radio show, live at the White House. The host, Michael Smerconish, he did throw his support behind the president during the campaign season. And speaking of the campaign, if you really look at most, if not all of the president's appearances of late, it really appears as if he himself is back on the campaign trail. He says the president says that he's trying to get out there. He's working, trying to combat what he calls misinformation and noise that is out there confusing the debate surrounding health care reform.

Some of those issues are claims of health care and how it relates to illegal immigrants, as well as the much talked about death claim of death panels that we've heard so much about. But what about this big question of a bipartisan solution that they are trying to work towards?

Well, take a listen here to the president himself where he seems to signal that the president, the White House, and Democrats may have to go it alone.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I would love to have more Republicans engaged and involved in this process. I think early on, a decision was made by the Republican leadership that said, look, let's not give them a victory. Maybe we can have a replay of 1993 and 1994 when Clinton came in. He failed on health care, and then we won in the midterm elections and we got the majority.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BOLDUAN: Republican leaders are pushing back on that. A spokesman for Congressman Eric Cantor, the number two Republican in the House, saying we would love to know when exactly time, date, place, the president or his staff reached out to Republican leaders. So continues to be a long road ahead, it seems, Betty.

NGUYEN: Yes, it does.

OK. But what about the so-called Gang of Six? Are those negotiations still continuing?

BOLDUAN: It seems they are. Last night there was a conference call, among this Gang of Six, these are a bipartisan group on the Senate Finance Committee, and during this conference call while they're away on this August break, they say the negotiations are continuing. They're resuming the talks afterward. The Committee Chairman Senator Max Baucus, he released a statement saying that it was a productive conversation. Also saying that this group is committed to continuing our path towards bipartisan, a bipartisan health care reform bill. So they're continuing to work, as well.

NGUYEN: All right. Kate Bolduan joining us live from the White House.

Thank you, Kate.

So far no health care measure has been debated in the full House or Senate. They're still taking shaping in committees. I want to give you a quick comparison of the legislation that is being considered. Under a proposed House bill, consumers could choose among an array of health insurance plans, including the public option or government-run programs. Now the plan would mandate legal residents to obtain health insurance. It requires companies to provide health coverage for workers or pay into a federal fund to provide health coverage. Now, some companies with small payrolls could be exempt.

Let's take you to the Senate. A bipartisan group and the Finance Committee is considering a bill that is expected to include this. No government-run option. But may include proposals for private, non- profit co-ops, where individuals without coverage could join. The bill is not expected to include mandates, but a penalty for businesses that do not offer coverage. So that is a quick break down for you.

And this story, health officials, they are predicting an explosion, yes an explosion of swine flu cases in the coming months. The World Health Organization says most countries could see the number of infections double every three to four days for several months until the outbreak reaches its peak. Officials are urging governments to waste no time educating the public on how to limit the spread of the H1N1 virus and preparing health care systems to handle severe cases.

Well, his decision has outraged many. The man who freed the Lockerbie bomber talks about why he chose to let the convicted man go.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ANNOUNCER: Live in the CNN NEWSROOM, Betty Nguyen.

NGUYEN: All right. Let's take a look. Stocks, they kick off the week with a big selloff, but have been climbing ever since. So can the Dow today make win number four? That's a good question.

Susan Lisovicz is at the New York Stock Exchange with a preview of the trading day, which is about to start officially in about ten seconds. There -- well, right now. There's the bell.

Hey, Susan.

SUSAN LISOVICZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Betty. We're expecting a modestly higher open due to more optimism about the economy. Existing home sales, the broadest part of the housing market due out at the top of the hour. They're expected to rise more than two percent in July. It would mark the fourth straight increase and strength in the belief that the economy is stabilizing.

Another sign that the economy is stabilizing, Morgan Stanley is hiring. "The Wall Street Journal" says the company is looking to add as many as 400 trading and sales positions. Morgan says the hiring push part of a plan to revive profits and its fix income and emerging markets divisions.

While Ben Bernanke and company have already said the economy is leveling out. Today investors await more comments on that subject. The chairman of the Federal Reserve is delivering a speech entitled; "Reflections in a Year of Crisis" at an annual fed the conference in Jackson, Wyoming. Other than the retrospective Bernanke could give clues about how the central bank will wind down its massive stimulus efforts, the so called exit strategy.

Checking the numbers right now. Yes, we're seeing the three major averages up half a percent. And, finally, Betty, a historic day here at the NYSE -- for the first time in 217 years, traders are allowed to wear blue jeans. Gap has outfitted every trader with its 1969 premium jean today in honor of its 40th anniversary.

NGUYEN: Talk about advertisement right there. You have blue jeans on?

LIPOVICZ: I am wearing my own.

NGUYEN: You're wearing jeans, though?

LIPOVICZ: It's this special day. This is a culture, the New York Stock Exchange has never ever embraced casual workday. And so this is a one and only. And, yes, I kind of --

NGUYEN: Can we pan down and see your jeans?

LIPOVICZ: I'm going to be on the floor later.

NGUYEN: I wish I would have known. I would have worn jeans too. You've got to tell me these things, Susan.

(LAUGHTER)

LIPOVICZ: OK, talk to you later.

NGUYEN: Well, this is quote "deeply distressing." That is how Britain's foreign secretary see Libya's embrace of the only man convicted of the Lockerbie bombing that man being Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed Al-Megrahi.

He was greeted, in fact, look at this, by a cheering crowd upon his arrival home late yesterday. Look at all of those people. He had been released hours earlier from a Scottish prison, and CNN's Richard Roth with that decision and the reaction.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KENNY MACASKILL, SCOTTISH JUSTICE MINISTER: It is my decision that Mr. Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed Al-Megrahi...

RICHARD ROTH, CNN SENIOR U.N. CORRESPONDENT: Jack and Kathleen Flynn couldn't believe what they were watching, frustration and disgust on their faces as Scotland announced the release of the terrorist who killed their son, 21-year-old J.P.

MACASKILL: ... now terminally ill with prostate cancer be released on compassionate grounds and allowed to return to Libya to die.

JACK FLYNN, SON KILLED IN PAN AM BOMBING: I think it's totally, totally wrong, no matter if he only has three months to live or even a month to live, OK. He should not be released, because he killed these people deliberately.

KATHLEEN FLYNN, SON KILLED IN PAN AM BOMBING: To take a man who has done this heinous crime and let him go back home to his country to a hero's welcome. And whether he has two weeks, three months, or 20 years to live is irrelevant.

ROTH: The Flynns were part of a group of American families that spoke by video conference with the Scottish minister who was deciding whether to free Al-Megrahi. They believed prior judicial and government ruling meant there was no way the prisoner was ever going to see the light of day.

KATHLEEN FLYNN: Out of the blue comes this? It makes no sense to me. It's very discouraging, and it's very immoral, really, to let this happen.

ROTH: The Flynns went to the trial in the Netherlands and listened to the evidence. They firmly believe Al-Megrahi is a mass murderer. Hours after watching the justice minister speak, Al- Megrahi's plane headed into the same Scottish skies that Pan Am flight 103 was blown out of on December 21, 1988.

JACK FLYNN: I think it's absolutely horrible. When you think of 270 people died and the sorrow we have gone through, and the horror we have gone through, and now one man decides to release him.

OK, one man makes this decision. OK, he overrules the judges who said he was guilty and should serve his time in prison. OK, this man should not have that kind of an authority. He should not. It's horrible.

ROTH: Richard Roth, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

NGUYEN: Well, the man who made the decision to free Al-Megrahi says he did so based on the medical evidence. Here's more of what he told CNN's Wolf Blitzer in "THE SITUATION ROOM."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MACASKILL: Many will disagree, many do agree. I now that it divides opinion in the world as it divides opinion in the family. But my responsibility was to make that decision, and I did so on the basis that in Scotland we want justice done, but we want compassion possessed and capable of being shown. Two wrongs never make a right.

I looked to the evidence, and, as I say, I was persuaded that he is a dying man, and it was my decision and my decision alone, based upon following the rules and regulations and laws we have in Scotland, and I believe standing by values of humanity that we possess as a people, that I believe he's been brought to account of the heinous atrocity, and yet, we are prepared to show leniency and mercy to his family even though he did not show that to others or indeed to any family, American, Spanish, or English.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NGUYEN: Let me tell you a bit more about Kenny MacAskill. He is 51 years old, a former partner at an Edinburgh law firm. MacAskill tried four times to win a seat in the British parliament. He became a member of the Scottish parliament in 1999 and was appointed justice minister after the Scottish national party's victory in 2007.

He is married with two sons, an avid fan of football, what Americans call soccer.

There's been a stunning new claim about the Bush White House, and it comes from someone within the inner sanctum. Former Homeland Security boss Tom Ridge says others Bush cabinet member tried to pressure him to raise the terrorist alert just days before the 2004 presidential election.

I want to get the latest now from CNN's Senior white House Correspondent Ed Henry.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ED HENRY, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: The Friday before the 2004 election, only two or three points separated Democrat John Kerry from President Bush.

Suddenly, a twist --- Osama bin Laden released a shocking new videotape, and it played nonstop on the Arab language network Al Jazeera.

OSAMA BIN LADEN (via translator): Your security is not in the hands of Kerry or Bush or Al Qaeda. Your security is in your own hands.

ED HENRY, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: The nest morning, just 72 hours before the polls opened, the president's top security advisors, including Donald Rumsfeld and John Ashcroft, huddled for an urgent meeting to decide whether to raise the color- coded threat level from yellow to orange.

Then Homeland Secretary Tom Ridge reveals in an explosive new book -- a vigorous, some might say a dramatic discussion ensued. Ashcroft strongly urged an increase in the threat level and was supported by Rumsfeld.

He goes on -- "There was absolutely no support for that position within our department. None. I wondered, is this about security or politics? Post-election analysis demonstrated a significant increase in the president's approval ratings in the days after the raising of the threat level."

The Bush campaign was pushing the envelope on frightening voters. Listen to then Vice President Cheney just ten days before the bin Laden tapes.

DICK CHENEY, FORMER U.S. VICE PRESIDENT: The ultimate threat is the possibility of their succeeding and getting, say, a biological agent or a nuclear weapon, smuggling it into the United States, into one of our own cities, and raising the specter of being able to kill hundreds of thousands of Americans.

HENRY: In the summer of 2004, just a few days after the Democratic National Convention, the White House had raised the threat level, drawing charges of political manipulation that were sharply denied by Bush officials like Ridge at the time.

TOM RIDGE, FORMER HOMELAND SECURITY SECRETARY: We don't do politics in the Department of Homeland Security.

HENRY: But now at the tense meeting the weekend before the election, Ridge writes, it, quote, "Seemed possible to me and to others around the table that something could be afoot other than simple concern about the country's safety."

In the end, however, the threat level was not raised after Ridge claims he and others pulled Rumsfeld and Ashcroft, quote, "back from the brink."

But Ridge says the episode left him disillusioned. He writes -- "I knew I had to follow through on my plans to leave the federal government." He tendered his resignation within a month of the election.

He concluded -- "I consider that episode to be not only a dramatic moment in Washington's recent history, but another illustration of the intersection of politics, fears, credibility, and security."

But other officials in the meeting, including CNN contributor Fran Townsend, insist Ridge is wrong. Townsend says politics was never discussed at the meeting and the discussion was based solely on intelligence.

Ed Henry, CNN, the White House.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

NGUYEN: Well, even though all the votes haven't been counted in Afghanistan, the top challengers in the presidential race both see victory.

Campaign teams for President Hamid Karzai and his chief opponent Abdullah-Abdullah position themselves as winners. But still there could be a runoff. Election officials say preliminary results won't be made public before Tuesday.

Millions of Afghans, both men and, women braved dozens of militant attacks to cast their ballots. CNN's Ivan Watson was in a central province.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

IVAN WATSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Women also showed up at the polls vastly outnumbered by the men, some of them enthusiastically repeating the names of presidential candidates.

Bamiyan's governor, the only woman who holds such a position in Afghanistan, says women still have a long way to go before they win equal rights in Afghan society.

GOV. HABIBA SURABI, BAMIYAN, AFGHANISTAN: And the problem that many women in the village level of the remote areas, they don't know about their rights. This is something to be concerned about.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NGUYEN: Well, Afghan election officials say 26 people were killed in sporadic violence around the country during the voting.

A real life drama for a reality television show contestant. This guy that you're about to see, the prime suspect in the murder of his ex-wife, who you see right there, is a swimsuit model -- an all out search to find him.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NGUYEN: All right. We are getting some new video. Wow, look at this, in to CNN. We're all watching this for the first time. But look at that tornado right there in the background. This looks like a massive thing.

Oh, my goodness, it just hit some kind of a building there. You see debris flying everywhere. And you saw a little bit of a flash there, maybe even hit one of those electric lines.

(WEATHER BREAK)

NGUYEN: It is like the Indy 500 for tractors. This weekend is the national tractor pull in Bowling Green, Ohio, where 60,000 people from across the country are expected to watch the competition.

And guess who's there -- Meteorologist Rob Marciano. Rob, I'm taking it that they're probably not going to let you on one of those tractors, right, if they know what's good for you?

ROB MARCIANO, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Not the big ones. I was on one of the baby tractors earlier today as part of "Rob's Road Show" for American morning.

But take a look at some of the big ones, these are some mac daddies. This is the diesel super stock division, 3,000 horsepower. Per horsepower, this the single engine, the bigger puppies.

And over here the unlimited ones. This is one of a handful of lady drivers here. We've got ladies, men, teenagers, five engines on that puppy.

Same deal over here. From Norman, Oklahoma, by the way, which is the severe weather capital of the world. But this is severe horsepower. About 3,000 in each one of these five engines, so you do the math, there. That's about three NASCAR engines in one, 15 NASCARs on top of that bad boy.

What are they doing? Trying to pull one of these. This is the sled they're trying to pull. And what they do is they have somebody who can drive one of these things, that necessarily wouldn't be me, but we're going to give it a go anyway.

I'm going to get on the front of this thing and we'll see what happens. I hope I have it in neutral. You ready to go there, Chris? You crank one of these up, and this is a smaller version. They won't let me on the big one.

But what it does is it basically gets going, and there's weights at the front of this. And as the tractors get going, they takes those weights, and this one can pull 10,000 to 12,000 pounds and slowly slides that weight forward. And what that does is that pushes the sled down on the ground. And it starts driving that stuff down on the ground and make it harder and harder and harder until it actually doesn't go any longer.

All right, we'll put the brakes on. So the farther that you go, the better your score is.

And they actually -- they actually measure it via a laser. What you're looking at right now, that's the track. They've been prepping that puppy all morning long, grating it, watering it down, grating it, leveling it out.

They've got two of them about 100 yards each, and by the time today is over, Betty, they're going to have two pristine tracks to be able to take tractors of all different sizes, 11 divisions, competitors from all over the country, 60,000 people will fill these stands like the Roman Coliseum cheering on their favorite tractor drivers.

NGUYEN: You are awfully geeked up about this competition. This is serious business there.

MARCIANO: Bowling Green, Ohio. I wish we could stay all week long and show it to you.

NGUYEN: I can tell.

MARCIANO: But I think we've been rolling some of the video. You get an idea of just how much power some of these puppies have.

NGUYEN: I was saying you were a little geeked up about that power. I can feel the testosterone from here. And this is something that people have been planning for. And some of those tractors you were showing us awhile ago, Rob, it was like something out of Mad Max. I mean, those engines were suped up.

MARCIANO: Sorry, Betty, I just lost you. I'm happy you are as excited as we are about those tractors.

NGUYEN: I hear you. All right, Rob, we will be checking in with you later.

Be safe out there because Rob behind the wheel of heavy machinery, that can be dangerous.

In the meantime, let's talk about this sad story right here, a swimsuit model murdered. Police say a reality show contestant is the prime suspect in the case. We have the latest.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NGUYEN: All right, so a swimsuit model is murdered. Now an arrest warrant has been issued for her ex-husband.

Orange County police say the body of 28-year-old Jasmine Fiore was found Saturday stuffed in a suitcase behind an apartment complex. Fiore lived in Los Angeles and was last seen alive just a week ago in San Diego. That was at a poker game with her ex-husband Ryan Alexander Jenkins, who is, in fact, a reality TV contestant.

Jenkins has been charged with Fiore's death and police in the U.S. and Canada are searching for him.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ROBERT HASMAN, FAMILY FRIEND, FORMER BOYFRIEND: Ryan Jenkins is an animal. What he has done to jasmine is unspeakable. It's just not right.

And I appreciate your help. Please understand who you're helping. And we ask for your support to Ryan to custody.

GWENDOLYN BEAUREGARD, CHILDHOOD FRIEND: She didn't tell me that she married him. She told me the day that they met, which was St. Patrick's Day. She called me the day after and said, mommy, I met the most perfect guy in the world, and his name is Ryan.

And she just went on and on and on about Ryan and how perfect he was. And that was all I knew.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NGUYEN: Well, Jenkins and Fiore reportedly had been married a few weeks before getting the union annulled. Jenkins is from Calgary and he appeared on the VH1 show "Megan wants a Millionaire." We'll continue to follow that story for you.

Meantime, though, we have a lot going on in the next hour of the "CNN Newsroom," and our correspondents are all in place to bring it to you. So let's check in first with Stephanie Elam. Hey, Stephanie.

STEPHANIE ELAM, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Betty.

Yes, the end of the road for Cash for Clunkers. The popular program shuts down on Monday. What you need to know so you don't miss out. That's coming up at the top of the hour.

LISOCIVZ: I'm Susan Lisovicz at the New York Stock Exchange, where traders are seeing blue despite a fourth straight day of gains. For the first time in exchange's more than 200 history traders are wearing jeans. Betty, I'll be down on the floor for this first and only casual Friday.

JERAS: And I'm CNN meteorologist Jacqui Jeras. Hurricane Bill may not be making a run for the U.S., but we will feel its impacts anyway. Find out what it could do the coastline.

And we'll also take a look at some incredible video coming out of Canada -- Betty? NGUYEN: All right, thank you, ladies.

We will take you right to the heart of the cash for clunkers program, in fact. It's been a big hit with customers, but what about the dealers? There are some concerns.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NGUYEN: Homeless sex offenders is a growing problem, especially in California, where the number of sex offenders on the street has sky rocketed in recent years. And some attribute that spike to a law that bars offenders from living within a mile and a half of schools and parks.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Get them off the streets so they don't up in part and not registered and around kids and homeless.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It won't be any different if they were in their place. They're sex offenders, to me, I don't want them around period. So homeless not the issue, I think. The issue is the sex offenders.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NGUYEN: All right, so, let's take a look at how huge this problem has actually become. In the year 2000, there are about 2,000 homeless sex offenders in California. Today, there is 4,495, more than double the amount.