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Candid Camera Politics; Shots Fired at the Pentagon; DNA Testing to Find Your Ancestors; Countdown To Election Day; What's Hot; Seeking Sponsors For School Kids
Aired October 19, 2010 - 12:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Hello again, everyone. I'm Tony Harris.
Top of the hour in the CNN NEWSROOM, where anything can happen. Here are some of the people behind today's top stories.
Looking for the "gotcha" moment. Political supporters armed with cell phones and flash cameras hoping to influence your vote just two weeks from today. We are investigating.
Picking your pocket. We are breaking down just how much thieves cost you even if you're not being robbed.
You're online right now. We are, too. Sandra Endo is following "What's Hot" -- Sandy.
SANDRA ENDO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Tony, Mel Gibson is trying to resurrect his career with a "Hangover." He's actually cast in the movie's sequel. Check it out on CNN. That's "What's Hot."
HARRIS: Wonder how much he paid for that role?
All right. Let's get started with our lead story.
Two weeks to go, 14 days and counting until the high-stakes midterm elections. What is at stake is the balance of power in Congress.
Republicans are rallying, hoping to wrest control back from the Democrats. Republicans stand the best chance in the House.
Here's where things stand right now.
The GOP needs a net gain of 39 seats to take control. In the Senate, this is the current breakdown there. Republicans need 10 seats to take charge of the Senate.
Candidates are resorting to all kinds of tactics to try to win votes. One of the new trends is candid camera politics. Trackers catch the opponents' "gotcha" moments on video and use them in political ads.
The story now from Senior Congressional Correspondent Dana Bash.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Mrs. Moore, if elected, will you support Nancy Pelosi for Speaker?
DANA BASH, CNN SR. CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): That's not a reporter asking the question. It's someone with Kansas House candidate Stephene Moore's opponent.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Would you support Nancy Pelosi for Speaker?
STEPHENE MOORE (D), KANSAS HOUSE CANDIDATE: This is Dakota. He follows me everywhere and asks me that question.
BASH: Dakota is what's known as a tracker, an opposing campaign's aide or supporter who follows candidates to events, looking for "gotcha" moments to turn into 30-second ads.
Here's an ad in New Hampshire, where Democrat Carol Shea-Porter is caught making what Republicans think is a politically unpopular admission.
CAROL SHEA-PORTER (D), NEW HAMPSHIRE HOUSE CANDIDATE: I think I have about a 90 percent rating with the president. And maybe --
(CROSSTALK)
PORTER: -- 93 percent with the House. All along, I have said, you know, this is what I believe.
BASH: It's an exploding trend in political ads this year -- using candidates' own words against them, often with video captured by trackers.
EVAN TRACEY, CAMPAIGN MEDIA ANALYSIS GROUP: It's that candid camera "gotcha" moment. Any time you can get your opponent on film saying something that is not popular with voters and you can put that in your ad and feed it out 30 seconds at a time, it's a much more effective way to run a negative ad.
BASH: Remember, Republican Senator George Allen's 2006 infamous "macaca" moment?
SENATOR GEORGE ALLEN (R), VIRGINIA: This fellow here, over here, with the -- the yellow shirt, Macaca or whatever his name is, he's with my opponent. He's following us around everywhere.
BASH: A tracker shot that and what appeared to be a racial slur by Allen helped sink his campaign. Now, four years later, flip cams, cell phones and advances in technology make this brand of negative campaigning much easier.
TRACEY: This is the macaca moment on steroids, this election.
BASH: And it's a bipartisan phenomenon. Colorado voters see it from both Senate candidates.
KEN BUCK (R), COLORADO SENATE CANDIDATE: I am pro-life and I will answer the next question. I -- I don't believe in the exceptions of rape or incest.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Ken Buck -- he's too extreme for Colorado.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Reckless spending has become a habit. Bennet voted for Obama's failed stimulus.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I voted for it and I'm glad I did.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS: Dana Bash joining us live now from New York.
And Dana, you have been talking to a lot of campaigns and strategists about these ads. Why do they say they're doing it more and more? What's the reasoning behind this?
BASH: Well, first of all, in today's day and age, they say that voters have so much incoming, so much information coming at them if they're looking on the Web, if they're watching TV, so many ads, that this is the one thing that campaigns in both parties think can really cut through in a way that other things can't.
For example, you heard the narrator saying Ken Buck is too extreme for Colorado. Well, his opponent's campaign believes if you couple that with hearing Ken Buck in his own words saying something that they believe backs that up, that there's nothing that compares to that. And that is why both parties, candidates in both parties, have these trackers following their opponents around all across the country -- Tony.
HARRIS: And Dana, these candidates, they have to know they're being followed, right?
BASH: They should know they're being followed, but kind of like you and I were talking about the last hour, about Carl Paladino having to go to the bathroom, guess what? Candidates, politicians, they're all human. So when they're talking to voters, when they're having a town hall, sometimes they answer questions in a way that may not be on message the way it was prepared for them. And it could backfire.
But I've got to tell you just one anecdote on this. I was talking to somebody with Senator Reid's campaign in Nevada. We all know that Sharron Angle has said some things that have been used against her.
That campaign has a tracker that follows her around. But they insist in the re-campaign, that tracker is not anonymous. She shows up to Angle's campaign events, signs in. Sharron Angle knows Harry Reid has somebody there following her every time she's out in public at all.
HARRIS: OK.
Our Senior Congressional Correspondent Dana Bash in New York for us.
Dana, good to see you. Thank you.
CNN is your political headquarters for up-to-the-minute election news. You know where to go. That's CNNPolitics.com.
We have new information about a story we've been following this morning. Shots fired at the Pentagon.
CNN Pentagon Correspondent Chris Lawrence joining us now.
And Chris, my understanding is the Pentagon wrapped up a news conference a short time ago. What's the latest?
CHRIS LAWRENCE, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Tony.
The big question right now is, was this a random event, or was it part of a larger coordinated attack? In just a second I'll tell you what I mean about that and why that is one possibility here.
Here's what we know.
About 4:55 this morning, some of the Pentagon police officers heard between five and seven gunshots. They immediately shut down the Pentagon. There was no access in or out for about 45 minutes.
They reopened the Pentagon. But when they did an interior search, they found that two windows on the south side of the building had been impacted. These are bulletproof windows, so the bullets shattered the window but did not penetrate through it.
Again, right now they are working with the Joint Terrorism Task Force, they're working with the FBI, because yesterday the Marine Corps Museum outside Quantico -- that's only about 30 miles or so from here -- there were multiple gunshots fired at the Marine Corps Museum. We're told that there were 10 points of impact, five hit windows, five hit metal parts of the building.
Here's where some of the links could be. We're told that the bullets that hit the Pentagon just this morning were most likely fired from a high-velocity rifle. And again, it happened just before 5:00 in the morning.
At the Marine Corps site yesterday, those bullets were also fired from a rifle, and they believe they were fired between midnight and 5:00 in the morning. So, there are some similarities there, and that's what they're checking out now -- Tony.
HARRIS: Yes. Some real developments out of that news conference.
Chris Lawrence at the Pentagon for us.
Chris, appreciate it. Thank you.
Have you ever wanted to trace your family ancestry? There could be some major surprises, I'm here to tell you. That's what our Stephanie Elam discovered. First, though, our "Random Moment" in 90 seconds.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: OK. We promised this with Dana last hour. It's time to get to it here.
They say politics makes for the best theater, and the characters on the stage in last night's New York gubernatorial debate make our "Random Moment of the Day." You ready for this?
Democratic front-runner Andrew Cuomo and Tea Party-backed GOP candidate Carl Paladino shared the event with five other candidates. Among them, a retired madame, a former Black Panther, and one candidate running on a very simple platform. Check him out.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JIMMY MCMILLAN, NEW YORK GOV. CANDIDATE: It's a simple message which I say all the time. Some might (ph) say I'm a one-issue candidate, but it boils down to one thing -- rent. It's too damn high.
ANDREW CUOMO (D), NEW YORK GOV. CANDIDATE: I'm with Jimmy. The rent is too damn high.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: Did we get him saying it again? Just that one time? What did he say, again, the rent is too damn high?
Look, the guy has a good point and a fantastic mustache.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MCMILLAN: It's a simple message, which I say all the time. Some might (ph) say I'm a one-issue candidate, but it boils down to one thing -- rent. It's too damn high.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: Boy, a sign of difficult times. Churches going bankrupt. And the Crystal Cathedral in California now the latest casualty.
The megachurch is famous for the televangelist show "Our Power." It is in a hole for at least $40 million right now, so it has filed for Chapter 11 protection. The church's TV show will go on.
For some black Americans, tracing their roots can often end in roadblocks that only DNA testing can bust through. And tracing your family history can lead to some real surprises.
Our Stephanie Elam found that out first hand. Check out her family tree.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
STEPHANIE ELAM, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): I'm going on a journey to find my roots by taking DNA tests from three different companies: AfricanAncestry.com, 23andMe, and Ancestry.com. The question is, will these tests give me the same results?
JOANNA MOUNTAIN, SR. RESEARCH DIR., 23 AND ME: Each of us has surprises hidden in there.
ELAM: First step, my mom's DNA, which each company traced back to Africa. African Ancestry told me I have some of the same DNA as the Jola people in Guinea-Bissau today. On my dad's side, the results were in sync but unexpected.
MOUNTAIN: What this is showing R-1-B, which is a line of very, very successful European men. The relative there that we know of is John Adams.
ELAM (on camera): John Adams! John Adams.
(voice-over): But Mountain put that into some perspective.
MOUNTAIN: It's the most common line in Western Europe.
ELAM: Oh. But here's my dad. So why are the results so European?
MOUNTAIN: Many African-Americans have at least one paternal line that traces back to Europe because of the relationships between probably -- probably between slave holders and slaves.
ELAM: So while perhaps shocking, history helped me understand the results. But the lack of a family history is why blacks trace their roots.
GINA PAIGE, CO-FOUNDER, AFRICAN ANCESTRY: We're the only group in this country that can't point to a country of origin. The only one. So that's why DNA testing for ancestry has particular importance for us, historically and psychologically.
ELAM: Ancestry.com's John Pereira points out there's more to everyone's story than just DNA.
JOHN PEREIRA, ANCESTRY.COM: You really need to look at not just the DNA, whether you get that at Ancestry.com or some other DNA service, but you really need to look at all of family history.
ELAM: Genealogist Anastasia Tyler did reveal some history about my dad's father Roland, his father John, and his father Creed (ph).
ANASTASIA TYLER, GENEALOGIST, ANCESTRY.COM: You have such strong people in your family tree. You look at Creed (ph) and John, who go from not being able to read to owning land. You know, born into slavery and then becoming landowners, always improving themselves. It's quite a legacy that you have.
ELAM: A legacy that's not just part of black history, but American history.
Stephanie Elam, CNN, Salt Lake City, Utah.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS: That's fascinating stuff.
The black church has fought for civil and human rights. Now it is waging a war on debt. "Almighty Debt," a "Black in America" special, coming Thursday at 9:00 p.m. Eastern, only here on CNN.
Flight delays, they waste precious time. But wait until you hear how much they cost you.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(WEATHER REPORT)
HARRIS: Still to come in the CNN NEWSROOM, the culture clash in Arizona spilling over into the school system. We will tell you what the teachers and students think about it.
That's next in the CNN NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: Got to tell you, when it comes to fixing our schools, Michelle Rhee is known nationwide as a reformer. She received high praise and some harsh criticism as chancellor of the D.C. Public Schools system.
In an interview last hour, I asked Rhee what we need to do to see the most dramatic improvement in public education.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MICHELLE RHEE, CHANCELLOR, WASHINGTON, D.C., PUBLIC SCHOOLS: I think what it's going to take is courage, and political courage specifically, because I think part of why the bureaucracy is as strong as it is because there are lots of adults who benefit from the status quo. And in order to change age-old practices and things that people are used to, you really have to, you know, shake things up, which means that people are going to have to think about things differently from what they used to.
And I think one example of this is, for example, how we think about laying off teachers. So, in the past, it's always been last in, first out. So it's the newest teachers who go in times of financial troubles like we're having right now in this country.
That doesn't make any sense for kids, because sometimes the newest teachers are actually the most effective teachers, the best teachers, the most enthusiastic. So, you've got to be able to make those decisions based on quality and performance instead of the practices that have driven the school districts in the past which clearly have not worked for kids.
HARRIS: Yes. Issues you addressed in the new contract for teachers there in Washington, D.C.
Michelle, are you going to New Jersey next?
RHEE: I'm still thinking about all of my options and trying to figure out where I might be able to have an impact for kids.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: The culture war continues in Arizona. Last May, the state's governor signed a law banning ethnic studies in Arizona schools. The legislation specifically targeted curriculum taught from the Mexican-American perspective.
Thelma Gutierrez now reporting on the reaction from the state's educators and students.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Lawmakers have agreed to ban so-called "ethnic studies programs" in our schools.
TOM HORNE, ARIZONA STATE SUPERINTENDENT: Students are taught a revolutionary curriculum. It's an outrageous abuse of taxpayer funds.
TEXT: Arizona lawmakers pass HB 2281, banning ethnic studies courses in Arizona public schools.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What do we want?
UNIDENTIFIED GROUP: Education!
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And when do we want it?
UNIDENTIFIED GROUP: Now! Education is on its way (ph)!
THELMA GUTIERREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It's a showdown in Arizona over the right to teach American history, American government, art and literature from a Mexican-American perspective.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Culture clash tackles -- looks like -- what kind of issues would we call those? Social justice issues. So, racism classes (ph), xenophobia.
UNIDENTIFIED GROUP: (INAUDIBLE)
CURTIS ACOSTA, ETHNIC STUDIES TEACHER: I want people to know that we're proud of our contributions from a Chicano perspective. We're proud of the contributions we made to this country. We think it's worthy of study.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I want you to talk about his themes, I want you to connect them to the Southwest.
SALLY RUSK, ETHNIC STUDIES TEACHER: We're studying American history. We're looking at all contributions, and not just from the white dominant narrative.
HORNE: It bothers me when they're told that the United States is dominated by a white racist, imperialist power structure that's out to oppress them as Latinos.
GUTIERREZ (on camera): Are you teaching them that they really are the oppressed group?
ACOSTA: We don't have enough time to be victims. We need to change the world now. So there's no "pobrecito" stuff in here. There's no "poor me."
HORNE: They're teaching them that they live in occupied Mexico, that Arizona, California, New Mexico and some other states were taken from Mexico in 1848.
GUTIERREZ: California, New Mexico, Arizona, we're part of Mexico.
HORNE: Yes.
GUTIERREZ: So what's wrong with learning about that?
HORNE: Well, we teach that in history. But they teach them that this is occupied territory, that it should be given back.
GUTIERREZ: At any point are you teaching kids that this area ought to go back to Mexico?
RUSK: No. Absolutely not. This is the United States. What I'm trying to --
GUTIERREZ: Do any of the textbooks advocate that?
RUSK: No.
GUTIERREZ: How many of you want the Southwest to go back to Mexico?
How many of you want this area to remain in the United States and want to remain American citizens?
(voice-over): The superintendent told us it's not the school's business to promote ethnic pride.
HORNE: It should not divide kids up by race and then teach each race only its own background. That, I think, is contrary to the American value.
OLIVIA PAYNE, ETHNIC STUDIES STUDENT: What is it to be American? We're not just looking at skin color or anything. We're looking inside ourselves and opening our mouths and our voices. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That's just part of the problem. Like, we've got to learn about this stuff and be aware about it.
GUTIERREZ (on camera): The law takes effect December 31st. What if those classes continue to go on past the 31st?
HORNE: We will inform them that we're withholding 10 percent of the budget of the school district.
SARAH NAVARETTE, ETHNIC STUDIES STUDENT: People have the right to learn their history. And how could you say it's liberty and freedom in the United States of America without that?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I really don't want the class to be taken away.
UNIDENTIFIED GROUP (singing): God bless America --
GUTIERREZ (voice-over): Thelma Gutierrez, CNN, Tucson, Arizona.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS: Pretty emotional stuff there.
Other people's sticky fingers deep inside your pockets. You may not know any shoplifters out there, but the old five-finger discount is costing you big-time.
We have got the price tag.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: To say you think your electric bill was high this month. Well, don't complain about it to this woman from Akworth, Georgia. She got a bill from her power company for more than -- wait for it, wait for it - yes, you see it right there, $1 billion.
(LAUGHTER)
Geez, how does that happen? Cobb Energy was able to correct the error, thankfully. You think? They brought the bill down to a slightly more manageable $287. That's still ridiculous.
Speaking of bills you shouldn't have to pay, a new report out today says every family in this country is spending hundreds of dollars to make up for widespread theft at our stores. Josh is here with more on that. Josh?
JOSH LEVS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Tony, this comes out once a year. The numbers are staggering. It's called the Global Retail Theft Barometer, from a group in England, the Center for Retail Research. Check out this whopping figure, just U.S. retailers alone in the year ending in June lost $39 billion. That's to theft and in some cases to administrative errors.
What does that boil down to? Every family on average in this country is paying more than $400. $423 to an average family in America because the costs of all that theft, eventually, trickles down. People are paying for it. Now, that figure is substantially higher in the U.S. than it is globally.
And retail theft damaging the economy all around the world. You're seeing figures, actually, a little bit lower. We're talking about all steps of the supply chain. So, you have shoplifting but you also have employee crimes. You've got somewhere while the goods are making their way to the stores. Some amount disappear and sometimes doesn't get tracked down.
North American retailers are actually different from the rest of the world saying here in saying employee debt is the bigger problem, and then comes shoplifting. Retailers losing -- listen to this -- 1.5 percent of retail sales.
But Tony, there's a little bit of good news in the report out today. Losses are actually down. They've dropped almost 7 percent from the year before. It's probably because retailers are spending a lot more money. They've increased the amount of money they're putting into security measures. That seems to be helping a little bit. They've added about 12 percent to the measures that they're using to increase coverage, make sure they don't lose as much sales.
HARRIS: So, wait a minute. What are the shoplifters and the employees who are stealing, what are they stealing? What are they taking?
LEVS: What are they - OK. So, I'll breeze (ph) through the report. I wanted to know what are the goods that are the most popular things disappearing? Cosmetics and perfumes, first of all. They are among the most stolen items. That kind of makes sense. You can tell -- most of it fit inside your bag --
HARRIS: Mac stuff. That's good stuff! Anyway, sorry -
(LAUGHTER)
LEVS: Is it? OK. I didn't know you were an expert on that.
HARRIS: Unfortunately I am.
LEVS: We all are after being in the makeup room enough.
This is interesting, too. Auto parts and building materials. So, it doesn't have to be the thing you can stick in your pocket and run out. It can be somewhere in the supply chain. But auto parts and building materials stolen a lot.
HARRIS: Hmm, OK.
LEVS: And last ones, fashion. In this country, especially name brand fashion, name brand items disappear, and so do accessories. Again, especially name brand. I posted the whole report for you -
HARRIS: Nice. LEVS: -- at Facebook and Twitter. And what it shows you is how it boils down to you. Our folks at CNN Money took a look at this report. You can see other things getting stolen. It's an ugly, ugly thing. But at least it's getting a little better, Tony.
HARRIS: Yes. OK, Josh, appreciate it. Thank you.
We're updating your top stories. But before we do that, we want you to check out this video. It has gotten more than a million hits online. This is a kindergartner, right? A kindergartner from North Korea whose talent flats-out amazed us in the morning meeting. More than a million people have watched her on YouTube. Take a look for yourself.
(VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: Let's get you caught up on top stories right now.
Shots fired at the Pentagon. Officials still haven't figured out who fired and why. Two bullets hit the building. But there's no serious damage or reports of any injuries.
And remember Steven Slater? He is the former JetBlue employee who became a household name when he quit his job with a few choice words and an emergency slide? He's been ordered into a mental health program. It's part of a plea deal he made in New York. Today, Slater pleaded guilty to attempted criminal mischief. He faces between one and three years in jail if he does not comply.
And right now, we have to share a "Random Moment." Again. If you missed it the first time around, you'll know why we want to share it again. It's pretty shameless, to be sure. But this moment brought to you by the New York gubernatorial debate. Have a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JIMMY MCMILLIAN, NEW YORK GUBERNATORIAL CANDIDATE: It's a simple message which I say all the time. Someone says I'm a one-issue candidate. But it all boils down to one thing. Rent, it's too damn high.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ANDREW CUOMO (D), NEW YORK GUBERNATORIAL CANDIDATE: I'm with jimmy, the rent is too damn high.
(LAUGHTER)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
STEPHANIE ELAM, CNNMONEY.COM: Time now for "The Help Desk," where we get answers to your financial questions. Joining me this hour, Amanda Gengler. She's with "Money" magazine and Gary Schatzke, the financial planner and president of Objective Advice.
Thanks for being here. We have a lot of good questions today. Let's go for C.R. first, who writes, "I'm in the military serving overseas and plan on returning to the states in December. I want to purchase my first home, but is it still easy to get a VA loan? I'm being told they used to be no-money down loans but everything I hear now says no money down loans are a thing of the past." Amanda?
AMANDA GENGLER, "MONEY" MAGAZINE: Well, he's right. Conventional zero-percent down payment loans are a thing of the past. But with VA loans you can put zero percent down. So, eterans and active duty personnel in the military can take advantage of this. He should know he will have to come to the table with some cash because he'll have to pay closing costs, which can run a few thousand dollars.
ELAM: Yes, that's something to keep in mind.
All right. Let's go on to our next e-mail from which comes to us from James in New Jersey, who writes, "Since my wife and I bought our house we've been bombarded with home refinancing letters offering varying rates. Is this something I should investigate, or are these just scams that hold zero value?" Gary?
GARY SCHATSKY, PRESIDENT, OBJECTIVEADVICE.COM: Probably both. But here's the key. You have to investigate. Rates have come down. Just about everybody should be evaluating refinancing. But you have to be careful what the terms are. What are the closing costs? Are there points? Are there charges? There's gold in those offers, but you've got to sift through it.
ELAM: Got to do some homework on those.
SCHATSKY: Absotuely.
ELAM: Actually, I guess in both cases. All right, well, thanks so much for being here. "The Help Desk" all about getting you answers. Send us an e-mail to CNNhelpdesk@CNN.com. Or you can log on to CNN.com/helpdesk to see more of our financial solutions. And you can always head on over to the newsstand to pick up the latest issue of "Money" magazine.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: Two weeks now until election day. Some big poll results are coming in. CNN chief national correspondent John King, the host of "JOHN KING USA" part of The Best Political Team on Television, joining us live from the political desk in Washington.
John, good to see you. What is crossing right now, sir? JOHN KING, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Tony, and everyone out there. So, imagine you're a Democrat, two weeks to election day. You're in a tough race. Who do you want to come help? Bill Clinton or Barack Obama? Both, of course, are popular among Democrats, but Gallup just did a survey on this and they said Bill Clinton is a better surrogate, if you will. They asked if you're more likely to vote for a candidate supported by Bill Clinton or Barack Obama? Bill Clinton has the edge there, 53 percent to 48 percent. Maybe that's why we're seeing a lot of Bill Clinton on the campaign trail.
But we will see and hear Barack Obama the president of the United States in more advertisements. He's part of a new ad for Democratic incumbent senator Barbara Boxer out in California, focusing on energy and taxes in that ad. And also, he'll be in a new Democratic National Committee radio ad, essentially a get-out-the-vote ad, Tony, in Florida, Illinois, Missouri, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. All critical battleground states two weeks from today.
And, lastly, one of those states I just noted, Ohio. If you're watching one race, think about this. The White House will be closely watching the Ohio governor's race to see if incumbent Ted Strickland can overcome high unemployment, can overcome a tough economy right now. Well, at the moment, he's not doing so well. Here's a new Quinnipiac University poll among likely voters in Ohio. Republican John Kasich, 51 percent. Democrat Ted Strickland, 41 percent. That race right there, Tony, a snapshot of how tough it is for a Democratic chief executive, a governor, running if a very tough economy this year. The White House is watching that, not only for 2010, but because of how important Ohio is in 2012, my friend.
HARRIS: Hey, John, give us an update on the money. I was listening to something on the way in today that suggested that Republicans could actually outspend Democrats in this election cycle, which seems a little odd because usually, correct me if I'm wrong here, it is the party in power that has the fund-raising advantage normally. Am I correct in that?
KING: You're not wrong. Holding the presidency helps the political party raise money. And President Obama certainly has proven to be a very successful fund-raiser for the democratic Party. However, the Republicans, in part because they see opportunity, their donors see opportunity, so they're willing to give more money to the organizations, to the national party organizations, especially the Republican Governor's Association and the House and the Senate campaign committees. But also all of that outside money.
Republicans have a huge edge when it comes to that outside money that has become such a controversy in the final weeks of the campaign. Not because they're spending it so much. The Supreme Court has said that's legal. But because it's not disclosed. We don't know where the money's coming from. And again, the Supreme Court has said that's OK. The president tried to get a law through the Congress and Democrats couldn't get enough votes to pass it, in part because of Republican opposition. So Republicans do have the edge and that is an anomaly when the party in power generally can raise more cash. HARRIS: And he's got a terrific show on the air, 7:00 p.m. weeknights. John King, the host of "JOHN KING USA."
John, good to see you. Thank you.
Your next political update coming up at the top of the hour. And for the latest political news, you know where to go, it's cnnpolitics.com.
Politics is about more than just poll numbers and politicians, it is how we define together what our nation's future should look like. So here in the CNN NEWSROOM we're asking you to help us answer one simple question, what does America mean to you? It is a segment we're calling "My America Is." What does this country look like from where you are standing right now? Listen to what some viewers have already sent in.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It is the land of opportunity. And in spite of all of the issues and problems that we're facing now, there's still hope. There's still hope that the country is going to come together and rise up above all of the things that are going on in the world today.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: My America is a place where I came from foreign country and gave me hope. I am safe, secure. We should love this country more than ourselves or our parties. Republican or Democrat. Let's build this country with our strength and our hope and beliefs. It's a beautiful country. I love it.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hi, I'm Trevor from Michigan. And my America is in the trenches. I feel all the candidates are just not enough for what we need.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: Would you like to add your voice to the conversation? You can. Let's see, you can reach me at Facebook or at TonyHarrisCNN on Twitter. Let's see, you can also go to my blog page, cnn.com/tony. Or my favorite, give us a call, here is the number, 877-742-5760. And we will share some of your comments on the air right here in the CNN NEWSROOM.
Meet me at Starbucks for an espresso, maybe a beer, some fine wine and you don't have to bring your own bottle. We have got "What's Hot" on the Internet. That's next in the NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: OK. Here we go. The great Sandra Endo is with us. She works for us out of Washington. And we're going to work on getting you here full time.
SANDRA ENDO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: All right. HARRIS: That's afoot right now. And, Sandra, here's why we do this "What's Hot" segment, because we know that people are online right now. Apparently this is primetime for folks online. So we know they're there, so we're there as well. So we do this segment called "What's Hot."
ENDO: Yes.
HARRIS: And you've got us covered today. And, what's hot?
ENDO: What's hot is happy hour at Starbucks. You taking me out? Happy hour.
HARRIS: Sure. Of course.
ENDO: All right, let's go. Starbucks is now not only serving up just hot coffee, they're starting to serve up booze.
HARRIS: Love it.
ENDO: And we're talking about beer and wine, Tony.
HARRIS: Oh, I shouldn't say that. Yes, yes, yes.
ENDO: Yes, you know, the 40-year-old Seattle-based company is now uncorking this experiment at one of its branches in Seattle. They're starting to serve booze after 4:00 in the afternoon. So a glass of wine ranges about $7.50 to $9.
HARRIS: Right. Right.
ENDO: And beer, $4.75, which is, get this, Tony, just a little more than a tall vente (ph).
HARRIS: Oh, OK. OK.
ENDO: Yes.
HARRIS: They're just trying to get some more market share. Something new.
ENDO: Yes.
HARRIS: I know they were doing stuff in the supermarkets and now they're adding beer and wine. OK. All right.
ENDO: All right. Now get this. This is what's really hot on cnn.com right now. Take a look at this. Mel Gibson resurrecting his career. Maybe, though, with a hangover. Check out this smiley face. OK, this is what's hot. I'm talking about "Hangover" number two. Look at all the items, all the comments here.
HARRIS: Oh, he's going to be in the sequel?
ENDO: Yes.
HARRIS: He's been cast in the sequel?
ENDO: Yes. And, you know, he hasn't been in the headlines for anything good lately. More so his personal life. And now he's trying to get his professional life back on track.
HARRIS: OK.
ENDO: So, yes, there he is. And he'll be in "Hangover." A cameo appearance, that is. We'll check it out.
HARRIS: Yes, yes, yes. So, a lot of hot water and maybe trying to get his career so they'll -- all right, so he'll probably be the butt of a couple of jokes. If you remember that first movie, it was really funny.
ENDO: OK. And this is also what's hot, because I know you like to drop it like it's hot. You can dance, right?
HARRIS: Did you say that? Did you --
ENDO: Am I allowed to say that? OK.
HARRIS: Chad, did she just say that?
ENDO: I love this one because you know about hop, hip hop and also do you know about j-pop?
HARRIS: I don't.
ENDO: Look at this. Japanese pop is hot right now. People are talking about this, looking at this video. This is the first ever robot pop star. She's in the middle. He's Japanese.
HARRIS: Oh, my goodness. Yes.
ENDO: And look at her backup dancers all doing their thing. Well, that robot is also holding her own, too. So, I think, Tony, she would make a good dance partner for you.
HARRIS: Wow! Well, yes, as I'm dropping it like it's -- like it's hot. Oh. Didn't mean to leave you with that visual.
Sandra, thank you. You rock star.
ENDO: All right. That's "What's Hot," right?
HARRIS: We're back in a minute. Let's leave everybody with more of the dropping it like it's hot video.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: You know, we have been focusing a lot on education challenges here in the United States. But if you want to talk about a crisis situation, you need to talk about Liberia, where many kids there are not in school because they have to work for survival. Our Brenda Bush reports the Liberian president has a new plan to help tackle that problem.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BRENDA BUSH, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): This 10-year-old arrives at a market peddling bags of cold drinking water she's balancing skillfully on her head. This little girl has snacks for sale. And this kid is selling individual packets of bouillon cubes used for cooking. The harsh reality in Liberia is that thousands of children have to work to help support their families instead of getting an education.
BUSH (on camera): The problem is so pervasive, come to any market or just about any street and you'll see kids at work when they should be at school.
BUSH (voice-over): Those little sellers are a big concern for President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, the only woman elected president in Africa is fighting now to increase school enrollment and curb child labor in this post-war nation.
PRES. ELLEN JOHNSON-SIRLEAF, LIBERIA: We can do something. We can change their lives.
BUSH: The president has a plan.
JOHNSON-SIRLEAF: Just see, in each one saves one. What a difference we would make.
BUSH: She came to make her pitch at a back to school rally dubbed "Operation End Children Street Selling." The president calling on officials and ordinary citizens to help the most impoverished children get an education through sponsorship.
JOHNSON-SIRLEAF: We identify one child, and I will take responsibility to either (INAUDIBLE), or pay admission, or work with the parents to enable them to go to school.
BUSH: USAID says Liberia's literacy rate is believed to be about 50 percent and disproportionately higher among males that females.
JOHNSON-SIRLEAF: Our enrollment has gone up by over 40 percent. Most of them are young girl who are either in the markets or on the farms or on the streets.
BUSH: One little girl who spoke at the rally revealed she had carried a pan on her head for so long, hair could no longer grow at the top of her head.
JOHNSON-SIRLEAF: There are hundreds of little girls like that on the streets, in the markets.
BUSH: President Sirleaf tells us that she has taken like repairing war-damaged schools and making elementary education free and compulsory are making a difference, but she admits there's a long way to go. JOHNSON-SIRLEAF: That's primary (INAUDIBLE) we're getting them in, as they move from primary into secondary it's another problem. They drop out of school too early. They're subjected to rape. Some of them may become prostitutes. Sometimes for survival. So we're thinking of many ways how we can keep them in school.
BUSH: That ambitious task of trying to keep kids in school hasn't been easy. Critics say the president is moving too slowly and in May her minister of education was replaced.
JOHNSON-SIRLEAF: There's no quick fix. We're not going to have 100 percent success year one or year two. But mine objective is that we make progress year after year.
BUSH: So hopefully this little boy will be able to exchange his arms full of sugarcane for some school books.
Brenda Bush, CNN, Minrovia (ph).
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS: Education, it is the way to a life, success, here and around the world.
CNN NEWSROOM continues right now to Ali Velshi.
Doctor.
