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Uncovering Groups Behind Third-Party Campaign Ads; Younger Voters Not Fired up About Midterms; Saving Wildlife in the Gulf; High Joblessness in Black America; Americans Still Feeling Recession Effects; U.S. Reaching Out to Afghan Villages

Aired October 21, 2010 - 10:59   ET

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

TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: And hello, everyone. Live from Studio 7 at CNN world headquarters, the big stories for Thursday, October 21st.

Unemployment shoots to 19 percent for African-American men. The race as a whole experiencing longer stretches of joblessness in the general population. A raw look at being "Black in America."

Plus, Jon Stewart sums up party differences his way.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JON STEWART, HOST, "THE DAILY SHOW": The Republicans, they never have to prove that they love the country. Democrats always seem to have to prove to America that they love America.

Republicans love America. They just seem to hate about 50 percent of the people who live in it. Democrats, you know, for them, I think it's always, they love this country. They just somehow wish it were a different country.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRIS: And a horror hostess channels a Tea Party darling. It's the video you have just got to see.

Good morning, everyone. I'm Tony Harris.

Those stories and your comments right here, right now, in the CNN NEWSROOM.

We are counting down to Election Day and adding up the massive amount of money being spent to win your vote. The midterms are just 12 days away now. By the time it's all over, analysts say spending on TV campaign ads could top a mind-boggling $3 billion, and it is hard to know exactly who is behind some of the ads like this one.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NARRATOR: This November, we need to send a message to all politicians. If they didn't keep their promise on immigration reform, then they can't count on our vote. Democratic leaders must pay for their broken promises and betrayals. If we just go on supporting them again this November, they will keep playing games with our future and taking our vote for granted.

Don't vote this November. This is the only way to send them a clear message. You can no longer take us for granted. Don't vote.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRIS: Don't vote?

OK. What do we know about the group behind this and other third- party ads flooding the airwaves right now.

Josh Levs is here, along with CNN's consultant on TV advertising, Evan Tracey, president of Campaign Media Analysis Group.

Josh, let's start with you. Tell us what we know about the group behind the ad we just showed a clip from.

JOSH LEVS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: And we watched the English version. There was also a Spanish language version as well.

I spoke this morning, actually, with the head of that group, Robert Declosada (ph). They're actually a group of 10 businessmen who he acknowledges lean conservative.

He says they stand for free market principles. And this group is small is a relatively small one. It's what's called an independent expenditure committee.

But they have been gathering donations and using them for these kinds of ads. This Web site right here doesn't say that much about them, which is one reason why I talked to him, just to learn a little bit more.

A relatively small group, but, Tony, what this is, is a reflection of something larger going on in America.

And Evan, you know all about this. You told me earlier today, Evan, that, in fact, there are more and more conservative groups this year because a lot of Republicans see an opportunity.

EVAN TRACEY, CAMPAIGN MEDIA ANALYSIS GROUP: Yes, that's absolutely right. I mean, this is the Citizens United effect right now in these final 30 days in the campaign.

This is usually when this money had to get out of the way, and what we're seeing is more and more groups -- Republicans right now have groups on the air in over 75 House races. So they're really putting this new law to work.

LEVS: And I know that part of the reason -- you told me that a lot of Democrats decided to sit out this election with their wallets, not confident with the way this race is going to go, whereas a lot of Republicans, you said, sat out the last couple races, didn't want to toss too much money into those. So it's more from the right this time around that people are willing to put those dollars forward, hoping to get some return on it. Right?

TRACEY: Yes, it's a role reversal from the past two elections. Clearly, Republican money had been on the sidelines in 2006. They weren't happy with the way things were going.

In 2008, obviously, they weren't happy with John McCain, who had been trying to put these groups out of business. And you had Democrats really energized and motivated.

This year, because of things like there's no single payer in the health care bill, the cap and trade bill didn't pass, you really didn't see any Democratic money coming into the process. But you're starting to see it now. I think the president has been really hitting on this issue, and he's probably gotten some of that Democratic money off the sidelines and back into these races.

HARRIS: You guys got another ad?

LEVS: We do. In fact, let's take a look, because there are still some from the left.

Let's take a look at this one. You know, that ad we just saw played a significant role in Nevada, got a lot of attention there. Let's look at an ad on the other side in that same state.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: High school was 46 miles away. They said going would be impossible, so he walked and hitched his way.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEVS: This is about Harry Reid, and it tells the story of his life and some impressive things he did early on. It really says a lot of very positive things about Harry Reid being a fighter for what he believes in.

Now, skip to the end. I want everyone to see how it ends.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So let's send him back where he'll keep quietly, patiently, doggedly doing what he has always done for us -- yes, the impossible.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEVS: So, VoteVets.org. And that's a 501(c)(4). They are also a tax-exempt group.

And so that is an example of something on the left. So, Tony, there are still these groups on the left like in that case. HARRIS: Well, wait a minute. Josh and Evan, look, let's be clear about this. There's nothing illegal about what's being done here, but there is something to be said here. We just would like to know for transparency sake where the money is coming from.

And explain to me why it is so difficult and why, even though you don't have to, a lot of these groups are deciding not to list the people, the corporations who they're getting donations from.

TRACEY: Yes. Well, this is the Citizens United, the Supreme Court ruling.

HARRIS: The Supreme Court ruling, yes.

TRACEY: Yes. It said you didn't have to disclose these donors. And what most of the groups that are out there are saying is, look, we don't want to disclose our donors because the donors don't want to be disclosed. In other words, they're afraid of being targeted, having people show up at their houses.

I'm not sure what the fear is behind it, but really what they're saying is, look, this is what the law says we can do, so this is what we're going to do and deal with it.

HARRIS: So much for transparency. OK. All right.

And that's where we are right now, Josh?

LEVS: Yes. And look, and what you have -- and I'll just summarize it this way -- you have ads on all sides. You have some ads that people see out there that are issue-driven ads, and it isn't until you really dig in that you start to find out whether they even have a partisan agenda.

But it also is clear, and Evan has made this clear as well, that this time around, you are seeing more of that third-party money on the right because people are expecting better return for it. But everyone has the right to it, exactly.

HARRIS: Well, and everybody is entitled to play the game from the right, from the left.

LEVS: But you want to know who these groups are, you want to know what their messages are. That's why we're looking at it right here.

HARRIS: But that's all you want. So, just thought you should know, whether it really matters to you. But there you are. There's the story.

Evan, appreciate it.

Josh, as always, see you a little later.

(NEWSBREAK)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

STEWART: People seem to be somewhat frustrated with the status quo and are at this point willing to elect, let's say, dolphins instead of what's out there right now. So I think at this point, this is the best chance ever for a bowl of fresh fruit to make it to Congress. A bowl of fresh fruit. You could put it out there and be like, "This piece of fruit is not a Washington insider. It is merely a peach, just like you -- a regular, average American peach, not like the corrupt inside Washington fear-monger."

I mean, it's absolutely astonishing. And, by the way, completely justified. I mean, it's a mess there. It is an entrenched and seemingly endlessly corrupt system.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRIS: Jon Stewart of "The Daily Show" telling our Larry King what he thinks is on the minds of voters, now just 12 days out from the midterm elections. The young, the restless, the disinterested -- 12 days and counting, right?

T.J. Holmes is traveling with the CNN Election Express across the Southeast. He joins us now from Gator Country, the University of Florida, Gainesville.

Hey, T., look, here's the thing -- this is not the time, in my humble opinion, for young people to be disinterested. As you know, young college-educated workers, particularly those 25 and under, are getting left behind in this country. Are they paying attention to the trend lines?

T.J. HOLMES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, it's hard to see that far out, Tony.

HARRIS: Yes.

HOLMES: I mean, we still remember -- I might remember more so than you do -- what it was like to be a young person getting out of college. But it's hard to see that far ahead. They see what's happening right now.

You tell kids, hey, your tuition is going to go up $200 nest semester, they'll get out here and protest. They'll sign some petitions. But you tell them that the debt is going to be on them and their kids 10, 20, 30, 40 years down the road, that's hard to make a connection there.

So that's what we're finding here with the young folks. Yes, they are concerned. But you know what they're concerned about? They're worried about passing that next class. They're concerned about, is she going to call me back? They're concerned about other things that college students are concerned about, but, Tony, right now we're not seeing what you and I hoped we would see, which is them getting more so engaged in this. HARRIS: Absolutely. Yes, I think that's it, T.

I mean, ,when you talk to young people, do they understand the importance of this election? And how do they explain what you have been finding on the road so far, which is out-and-out apathy among young people?

HOLMES: Well, no. They're not engaged.

I mean, every stop we've made -- we have been over to Columbia, the University of South Carolina. We're in Florida right now.

We've got 50,000 students on this campus. We talked to the head of the College Republicans and College Democrats. Their membership number is about 50 each, on a campus of 50,000, if that explains anything to you.

HARRIS: Yes.

HOLMES: They say they have tried and tried again, they have offered to actually go pick up kids and take them to the voting booth. And still, they can't get them to go to the voting booth.

Of course, 2008 was different. You had this man, this transformational figure, Barack Obama. That's a totally different time.

But now they're worried about -- and you and I know -- and take a listen to here. What do you think the first thing out of their mouth about what they're concerned about? Yes, the economy.

Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CARLY WILSON, PRESIDENT, COLLEGE REPUBLICANS: Jobs. I think most of the people at the university right now are worried about jobs, and it's because we're all going to graduate and enter that job market. And if there's nothing available suddenly, that's a wakeup call that maybe I should have voted, maybe I should start voting now, because when I graduate, I want to be able to find a job.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: OK. That is their tough sell. That's the pitch they're trying to make to their fellow students.

But, again, if you are six months, seven months away from graduation, you're trying to get your resume out there, you're trying to get your ducks in a row. You're trying to get those grades up. You're trying to do all that other stuff. You quite frankly don't have time, they say, to be engaged in a political process, even though they, for the most part, get it that who's going to be in Washington is going to make a difference to them.

HARRIS: Absolutely. HOLMES: But they just don't have time. Quite frankly, they have got other things at the top of their list of things to do -- Tony.

HARRIS: Hey, what are you doing next? Where are you going next? Are you coming back to Atlanta, or you've got another stop?

HOLMES: Well, you know what? I don't know, man. I want to come home, Tony. I want to come home so bad. If you can put a word in for me.

HARRIS: You're going to Tampa.

(CROSSTALK)

HOLMES: We're going to Tampa next. But yes, the bus is at least going. We'll see if I'm going to be on it. But day four right now, stop number five. But one more stop to go in Tampa.

HARRIS: All right. Well, let's get you back and let's do an extended debrief right here in these hours of the CNN NEWSROOM.

HOLMES: We will.

HARRIS: Good to see you, T., as always.

Twelve days until the midterm election, and amid all the mud- slinging and political promises, the strategists, the pundits, the talking points, you know, it's easy to lose sight of what elections are really about. And they are really about shaping what this country is and setting a course for the future. Right?

So, on this show, in these two hours, we want to take you back to the basics. So 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..." Your personal experiences, your vantage point -- what does this country look like from where you are standing right now?

Here's what some of you are saying.

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: My America is supposed to be united and not divided. The leaders of the country are so divided, you wonder why the people are so divided.

(END AUDIO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: My America is a homophobic America, and we need to stop this and we need to support all Americans who especially, as well, pay their taxes.

(END AUDIO CLIP)

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP) UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: My America is wonderful. I've had difficult times and I have had great times. And my America helped me (INAUDIBLE).

My America helped me to put my daughter in college. My America helped me to meet some of the great people around this country.

I have been through so much, but my America helped me a great deal. My America has people who care.

(END AUDIO CLIP)

HARRIS: Man, we love hearing from you. Really. We really do.

Let's get the conversation outside of the beltway, OK, where you are, where you live? Send us your thoughts and start your answer with "My America is..." That would help us out immensely.

I'm on Facebook, Twitter, @TonyHarrisCNN. You can also go to my blog page at CNN.com/Tony, or my favorite -- just give us a call. The number, 877-742-5760.

We will share more of your comments right here in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(WEATHER REPORT)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: OK. It's time for "What's Hot."

If only we could run the discussions that we have in the commercial break. What a different show that would be.

SANDRA ENDO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Oh, no.

HARRIS: You don't want that one? You don't want me to share what we were talking about in the break?

ENDO: No, no, no. Let's not go there. OK, Tony.

HARRIS: OK.

Sandra Endo is here with "What's Hot."

Good morning.

ENDO: All right. Good morning, Tony.

Here's "What's Hot," because there's a lot going on. And I know you like this one, for sure. It's definitely hot. And let me give you the back-story.

It's all about Tea Party darling Delaware Senate candidate Christine O'Donnell. Everyone's talking about her because back in the '90s, she said she dabbled in witchcraft. Right?

HARRIS: On Bill Maher's show, yes.

ENDO: Yes. Well, then she had to backtrack with a campaign commercial saying she's not a witch.

Well, now a little spoof from a real lady of the night. Check it out.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ELVIRA, MISTRESS OF THE DARK: I'm not a witch. I'm nothing you've heard.

I'm you, except with bigger (EXPLETIVE DELETED). And though I come pretty damn close, none of us are perfect.

That's why we need change. So I'm off to Washington. I'm showing "The Werewolf of Washington." I want you to watch.

I'm Elvira. And I approved this message.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRIS: Oh, my. You think it can't get wackier, and then here's Elvira. OK. All right.

ENDO: Right in time for the elections, Halloween.

HARRIS: Yes, supported by a third-party group, no doubt. Yes.

(CROSSTALK)

ENDO: Absolutely. And she talked about Washington. You're from nearby.

HARRIS: Yes. That's near my home, true.

ENDO: I lived there, right? So we're talking about D.C., and D.C. is actually bracing for a big rally next weekend.

HARRIS: OK.

ENDO: And two popular comedians, Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert, are holding this "Restore Sanity "rally. And Stewart was actually on "LARRY KING LIVE" last night. Did you see it?

HARRIS: Yes, we've been running clips. Yes.

ENDO: Yes. So, you know, it's funny, because Larry King actually gave him a gift for the big day. Look at this.

HARRIS: Oh, really? OK.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LARRY KING, HOST, "LARRY KING LIVE": Open the curtain, please.

STEWART: This is the curtain?

(LAUGHTER)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRIS: Oh, my God.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KING: There it is, the first potty for the rally.

STEWART: Can I tell you something?

KING: And our executive producer almost used it.

STEWART: That is -- please tell me that is not the capsule that they keep you in. Is that the hyperbaric chamber that when you are not working --

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRIS: Oh, no.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

STEWART: All right. Someone store King until tomorrow.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

STEWART: He went there.

HARRIS: Oh, that's crazy.

ENDO: Thankfully, though, the two didn't go into bathroom humor. They kept it clean. They talked about his age, but it was all in good fun.

HARRIS: Yes. And we'll be running more clips from that show throughout the next hour and a half or so.

Is that it?

ENDO: Yes, that's "What's Hot."

HARRIS: For now?

ENDO: Yes, for now.

HARRIS: Sandra, good job, as always. Thank you.

Still to come, thousands of birds, turtles and other animals threatened by the Gulf oil disaster. We will find out how wildlife is faring six months after the disaster began.

We're back in a moment with Rob Marciano.

You're in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: Rob Marciano is back with us.

And, Rob, you really sort of took up residence down there in the Gulf Coast area, as you were covering all of that disaster with the blown out oil well.

ROB MARCIANO, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Yes.

HARRIS: Well, six months later, and how are things looking?

MARCIANO: Well, as far as -- you know, the wildlife really tugged at everyone's heart strings.

HARRIS: Yes.

MARCIANO: When we saw those original pictures of the oiled birds, everyone -- the enormity of the situation really hit home.

HARRIS: Right.

MARCIANO: And I think to some extent, people were really bracing for the worst. And we got a lot of that.

HARRIS: Yes.

MARCIANO: But in the last six months, I can tell you this, after returning back to the Gulf, we have certainly come a long, long way.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MARCIANO (voice-over): When I first visited bird rehab centers back in mid-June, there was frantic shuffling of rescued pelicans, cleaning oiled feathers, medically treating the sick and feeding the weak.

It's a different scene now.

(on camera): It already smells better in here.

(voice-over): Over 800 rescued birds moved through this facility and more than 2,000 were treated from Louisiana to Florida during the last six months.

DANENE BIRTELL, FACILITY MANAGER, TRI-STATE BIRD RESCUE: The fact that it's empty is a huge sign of success, and it makes us very happy.

MARCIANO (on camera): So, this is where there were birds --

BIRTELL: This morning.

MARCIANO: This morning, there were birds in there.

BIRTELL: The birds were released out of here.

MARCIANO (voice-over): That's huge. The last of the BP-affected birds finally return to the wild.

BIRTELL: When they go out and I see them fly out of those kennels, that's when you see me smile. That's when I'm happiest.

MARCIANO (on camera): Come on, guys.

(voice-over): I know the feeling. Four months ago, I got to release some pelicans in Texas.

(on camera): Absolutely spectacular.

(voice-over): But the sober fact remains, over 6,000 birds were found dead since the spill, and other animals are still fighting for their lives.

(on camera): Look at the size of that turtle. Come on, big mama.

(voice-over): Big mama tips the scale at 220.

This wounded loggerhead is one of 21 turtles still recovering at the Institute for Marine Mammals Studies in Mississippi.

(on camera): This is one of the Kemp's Ridley affected by the oil spill and it's very important that every couple of days, couple of weeks, couple of months, depending on how sick the animal is, to get a check on their blood and see how the oils affected them.

(voice-over): Marine vets check his heart and lungs, too.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I wanted to see, look inside the mouth and make sure --

MARCIANO: This guy is recovering from swallowing a fishing hook, likely forced from his normal habitat by the oil slick.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Back in the tank he goes.

MARCIANO: But not back into the wild. Not yet.

DR. MOBY SOLANGI, DIR., INSTITUTE FOR MARINE MAMMALS STUDIES: We have to winter (ph) them, keep them in optimal temperatures and make sure that they're exercised, they're treated properly, so when they're released, they can go and fend for themselves.

MARCIANO: For now, it's time in the pool.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Right there, it's perfect. Let him go.

MARCIANO: A safe training spot so that one day, they'll get back into the Gulf. (END VIDEOTAPE)

MARCIANO: Oh, yes, that little guy was actually featured on our air a couple of months ago when we did the telethon.

Just to give you some numbers, over 1,200 birds were rescued, rehabilitated and released, over 250 of those turtles. They relocated 200 turtle nests and from that, 14,000 hatchlings were born and released into the water. And we wish the best luck.

And so, now, it's a time to celebrate some of our success. There's still some worry, of course, what the oil will do to their reproductive and survival rates going down the line. But as far as what the human impact and what the hard working people down there have done with the wildlife and recovery, that was inspiring six months down the road.

HARRIS: General attitude, mood of the people?

MARCIANO: You know, the locals there are still, you know, are going from mad to accepting.

HARRIS: Yes.

MARCIANO: They are -- a lot of them are somewhat getting more satisfied with the progress. But BP is still down there.

HARRIS: Still there?

MARCIANO: There's still a huge effort and there's -- you know, there's still -- all of the way from Florida to the Louisiana beaches, we're still having tar balls roll up.

HARRIS: Right. Right.

MARCIANO: And in some cases, these tar balls rolling in, being sucked back out and the same tar balls rolling back in.

And the marshes, I don't know if we run that story yesterday, that marshes, that's the most difficult thing to clean up.

HARRIS: Yes.

MARCIANO: And they are the estuaries and nurseries of the Gulf of Mexico.

HARRIS: Right.

MARCIANO: So, the long-term results from that are still yet to be seen.

HARRIS: Glad you went down. Keep doing that, just to give us an update. Maybe I'm taking these trips with you.

MARCIANO: Yes, come on out.

HARRIS: Yes, yes. I love it.

Americans across the nation are struggling through these difficult economic times, to be sure. But are some groups suffering more?

Soledad O'Brien joins us with a look at her new "Black in America" special, "Almighty Debt."

We're back in a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: And now, a preview of Soledad O'Brien's special premiering tonight, "Almighty Debt." Many are suffering in this tough economy, we tell you their stories every day. But the numbers are downright staggering in the African-American community.

Although African-American workers make up only 11.5 percent of the labor force, they account for more than 20 percent of the long- term unemployed. They also make up 22 percent of workers who have been unemployed for more than a year.

Soledad O'Brien joining us now.

And, Soledad, what did you find in your reporting on this story? Why is this unemployment, under-employment story playing out the way it is for African-Americans?

SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, it's absolutely devastating for African-Americans. We tell the story of a gentleman named Carl Fields. And Carl, in a lot of way, has been looking for 20 months. And in a lot of ways, he's not unusual. He's gotten to the point of taking his "vice president" title off the resume because it makes people think he's automatically overqualified.

When you look at the statistics, even of college-educated African-Americans who are out of work, those numbers twice as high as for their white counterparts. For someone like Carl who goes to the library every day and fills out online applications, it is emotionally devastating. He showed me a stack -- hundreds -- hundreds of those applications. Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

O'BRIEN: Account executive insurance broker, client manager, commercial segment, commercial lines account manager. From all of this --

CARL FIELDS, UNEMPLOYED: From all of this --

O'BRIEN: -- how many would you guess this is?

FIELDS: I know I put in over 300 job applications.

O'BRIEN: Of this stack, how many people have called you and said, "Yes, we want to meet you"? FIELDS: I've had three telephone interviews.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

O'BRIEN: Three telephone interviews. I mean, that's -- those are terrible numbers right there.

It's also devastating, Tony, emotionally. At one point, when I was talking to Carl and his wife Lynnette (ph), he said, you know, it is -- it makes you feel less than a man --

HARRIS: Yes.

O'BRIEN: -- to, you know, still be in bed when your wife is going off to work to support the family. So, there's a huge emotional, obviously, component as well.

HARRIS: But his faith seems to be sustaining him. I watched your entire piece with Carl. And there are moments that will break your heart in this piece, where he is praying, and you pushed him on faith, and he said, it is the thing that is sustaining him right now.

O'BRIEN: Yes, it really is. The faith is sustaining him and his church is sustaining him.

HARRIS: Yes.

O'BRIEN: And that's why we wanted to focus on "Almighty Debt," a look at how the black church --

HARRIS: Yes.

O'BRIEN: -- is really changing, I think, to deal with the modern day problem, which is this fiscal devastation. You know, it's hard and bad for everybody right now in the economic crisis we're in. But for African-Americans, as you can see from those statistics you just showed, it's absolutely devastating.

HARRIS: And the other point here that is worth mentioning, Carl's story is not unique to just the African-American community? Am I right in saying that, Soledad? We're seeing the story play out --

O'BRIEN: Oh, of course.

HARRIS: -- with long-term unemployment for every demographic in the country now.

O'BRIEN: Absolutely. No question about that. But what we wanted to explore in our third installation of "Black in Americas" was to take a look at the historic underpinnings, the reasons why there are -- is this wealth gap between blacks and their white counterparts.

HARRIS: Yes.

O'BRIEN: And a lot that has to do with slavery. A lot of that has to do with Jim Crow. So, in "Almighty Debt," we take a look sort of all of that, where we are in this current-day economic crisis and, in a way, how we got there with the amount of debt that African- Americans have.

HARRIS: Yes.

O'BRIEN: Lack of wealth that African-Americans have, looking all the way back to slave days.

HARRIS: I can't wait to see that. Soledad, great to see you. Thank you, can't wait.

O'BRIEN: Thank you.

HARRIS: Tonight, Soledad O'Brien examines how some -- how some are fighting the financial crisis from the pulpit. "Almighty Debt," a "Black in America" special, coming tonight at 9:00 Eastern, only on CNN.

Let's get you caught on top stories right now.

In Mexico, a giant bonfire of marijuana. And the Mexican army is torching 134 tons of cannabis. That's about 330 million joints by military estimates. The stash, the largest in the country's history, was found Monday near Tijuana after a shoot-out with drug traffickers.

A Georgia jury is hearing testimony in the trial of Troy Dale West. He is accused of savagely beating a female Army reservist in front of her child at a Cracker Barrel restaurant two years ago. Attorneys for West say the alleged victim has a history of being a hothead.

And that bowl of Cheerios may soon cost you a bit more. "The Wall Street Journal" reports General Mills is going to raise prices on some of its cereals, citing the rising cost of wheat and corn.

A Kraft Foods spokesman declined to comment on reports it is raising prices on some of its foods as well.

Let's take a break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: Only 12 days to go until the midterm elections, and new poll numbers are out in the battle for the Senate. Paul Steinhauser and Mark Preston -- love this -- part of "The Best Political Team on Television" joining us from the Political Desk in Washington.

Good to see you again. It worked so well yesterday, twice as nice today. Let's get going. What is crossing right now, gentleman?

PAUL STEINHAUSER, CNN DEPUTY POLITICAL DIRECTOR: Yes, two for the price of one, Tony, you're absolutely right.

Well you were just talking about that battle for the Senate. Remember, the Republicans need to pick up ten seats to take up the chamber. A tall order, they may do it, though. And where? Check this out, this is Arkansas, our brand new CNN/"Time"/Opinion Research Corporation poll. Look at Blanche Lincoln, the two-term Democratic senator, down 14 points, that's what our poll indicates, to John Boozman, he's a Republican congressman from the state.

Tony, let's zoom right up to the next board, Alaska. This is a wild three-way contest. Remember, Lisa Murkowski, the Republican incumbent senator, she lost the primary. Well check out these numbers. Right now, she is deadlocked with Joe Miller, he is the guy who is now the Republican nominee up there, he's backed by the Tea Party Express and Sarah Palin. They're deadlocked at 37 percent apiece. McAdams, Scott McAdams, the mayor from Sitka, Alaska, he is the Democratic nominee at 23 percent.

Remember, Murkowski is a write-in candidate, so go to the next board. This is crucial. We asked, good stuff here from our polling director, (INAUDIBLE), he asked are you very confident up in Alaska, do you know the correct procedure. Well, 93 percent say yes, 6 percent say no. Tony, that 6 percent could be crucial in a race that's deadlocked -- Tony.

HARRIS: Wow. I want to get back to that race in a second here, but let's pay a little bit of attention to some of the gubernatorial races. We're seeing a lot of the polls starting to tighten.

And, Mark, if you would, give us a bit of a snapshot at the battle for the state house in Ohio.

MARK PRESTON, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL EDITOR: Well, I mean, look, Ohio, a battleground state, it's a state that President Obama has spent a lot of time in. The new CNN poll shows, in fact, that Ted Strickland, the incumbent Democrat, is up one point over his Republican opponent John Kasich.

Why is this important? It's important because Democrats across the country are having to battle back against anti-incumbent mood. And it appears at least in this state, even though Strickland is paying the price in some ways because of this anti-incumbent, anti- Democratic mood, he is not being directly tied to Washington so he still has a chance of winning in November, Tony.

HARRIS: Terrific.

PRESTON: So slightly good news for him back there in Ohio.

HARRIS: OK, I had another question, but I figured it out for myself. Ha! Gentlemen, good to see you both. Appreciate it, thank you.

And your next political update in about an hour. And for the latest political news, you know where to go, that's CNNPolitics.com.

We're back in a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) HARRIS: All right, Jack, let's roll it. CNNMoney.com, your source for financial news.

Take a look at this story. I love this lead story, front page of CNN.com, "Eight People up to 90K in Debt Gone." Can you imagine this in this economy right now to be able to reduce debt? And for this number of people, eight people to this level, that's really amazing. We're talking about debt busters here. And what they do is they share their stories at CNNMoney.com.

So if you want to see and learn something from people who have decided, you know what, enough with debt, how they did it and how they were able to do everything from using spare change to get rid of some their debt, CNNMoney.com. Love that story. Great story.

Let's get you to the New York Stock Exchange now for a look at the Big Board. We're in positive territory after a big run-up yesterday. We're up again today, up 39 points. The Nasdaq up six points. We're following these numbers for you throughout the morning and throughout the day here at the CNN NEWSROOM.

So the recession may be officially over, but how many people feel like it's actually over? Turns out not many. A new study shows most Americans are still cutting back and the extent of the penny pinching may surprise you.

Alison Kosik has more information on this. What's in that study?

ALISON KOSIK, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: It's obvious, people are still feeling the effects of the recession. You know, they're not living the high life, they're cutting back from going on vacation, they're not eating out a lot.

Now these are the biggies, but people are also digging a little deeper. They are cutting those little extras. They are cutting out what they need and they want. I mean, half of all Americans are avoiding going shopping all together. You know, I find in a little hard to believe, but that Citi Group survey says that's the case.

They also some pretty found creative ways people are using to cut back. Take a look at this, they are packing lunch to go to work. They are car pooling, they're using less electricity. Reducing their cable TV service -- of course, they are keeping CNN. They are cutting their credit card use.

And this is what we really like to focus on, because it looks like people are taking more responsibility for what they buy. Usually, in the past, they would just kind of buy what they want, whether they could afford it or not. Now there's that accountability happening here and it's certainly changing their way of spending and now people are trying to live within their means -- Tony.

HARRIS: OK, I understand that in the height of the recession but you know, the economists are saying it's over even if it doesn't feel over for a lot of us. I'm wondering, could we be looking at permanent changes here? KOSIK: We really could. There goes that phrase again, you know, the new normal. But you know, 51 percent say the way they spend now is really going to be permanent. But you know, we may now really know for sure until we see more improvement in the jobs market.

How are we going to know? The survey asked that as well. It asked people being surveyed, how are you going to know when the recession -- you're really stopping feeling that the recession has ended. And they say that most said if the employment rate drops, they are really watching that data. Others are saying that they want to see more help wanted signs in the areas.

And then finally, people are saying they want to know that people have been out of work, that they've found work again and then they'll get the confidence back and that's really what's going to give a bump to the market overall.

HARRIS: Where you are it's crazy down there. You have fruits and vegetables being tossed around. All right, be careful, all right.

KOSIK: Do you see an avocado go by or something?

HARRIS: All right, be careful.

Alison Kosik, be careful. We'll see you next hour.

Here at the some of the stories we're working on for the next hour of CNN NEWSROOM.

A prescription for medical marijuana is not hard to get in California, whether you're sick or not so sick. A CNN reporter takes a trip to the doctor to find out firsthand.

And as the holidays roll out, so are the jobs. We will look at whether that will help boost the economy long term.

We're back in a moment.

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HARRIS: Twelve days to the midterm elections. Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell -- did you hear this? -- challenging Democrats to stand up for beliefs and accomplishments and give the base reason to get out and vote. The former DNC chairman not mincing words on CNN's new show, "PARKER/SPITZER."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ELIOT SPITZER, CO-HOST, "PARKER/SPITZER": Where's the Democrat story that's an affirmative story that explains how we're going to solve the problem?

GOV. ED RENDELL (D), PENNSYLVANIA: Well you're absolutely right and I have said consistently during the campaign season, we're a bunch of wusses, we're running from the things that we've done, running from the things we believe instead of saying, here's what we stand for. If we're going to lose, let's go down fighting for what we believe in.

KATHLEEN PARKER, CO-HOST, "PARKER/SPITZER": Well everybody is running and I wanted to ask you about that because -- I mean, everyone has just abandoned President Obama now. And since you're from Pennsylvania and you're the governor, what about when he said it was Pennsylvanians that he said cling to guns and their religion when they are feeling frustrated?

Has that hurt him and do you think it's hurt Democrats in general in your state in particularly?

RENDELL: I think we got over that.

PARKER: You did?

RENDELL: He carried Pennsylvania in the general by 11 percent, which is the highest of any president in about 30 or 40 years.

But, look, the bottom line is what are we for? Let's talk about the health care bill. All of our guys shy away from the health care bill, but as you guys know, there are six things that have come online with the health care bill all wildly popular with people.

Just one example, children 25 years or younger cannot be denied coverage for preexisting condition. So if you've got a 5-year-old daughter suffering from leukemia, in the past no insurance company would take her, now they have to take her. Ninety-one percent of the people think that's a good thing and that's true with all of the health care bill stuff that's online. Let's talk about that stuff. We should be proud of the things we've done.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRIS: "PARKER/SPITZER'''s focus tonight? Taxes, in their "Name Your Cuts Quest," I love this. Many candidates and experts say the federal budget needs to be slashed, but they're offering few suggestions. We will turn around all of these segments for you and rerun them in the NEWSROOM. "PARKER/SPITZER" tonight, 8:00 p.m. Eastern right here on CNN.

U.S. troops in eastern Afghanistan are trying to build stability so the Taliban won't have as much influence. They are finding a lot of skeptical villagers.

Pentagon correspondent Barbara Starr is with them at a crucial outpost.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: This is combat outpost Durani. At this remote location in eastern Afghanistan, the U.S. troops here, the small number of troops on this hillside, are really on the front lines of General Petraeus's counterinsurgency war.

Their main job here is to work this valley, work with these villages here to try and help connect the Afghan villagers with their government. But here, they tell us, the Afghan people are very suspicious of their government and most of the time not willing to accept the help.

SGT. WILLIAM MICHAEL BURNS, 173RD AIRBORNE BRIGADE: At least here in our villages, we're responsible for a big theme that seems to be that they want to be left alone.

SPEC. GARRETT CLARY, 173RD AIRBORNE BRIGADE: These people are really -- I don't know, they are a little disenfranchised with the Afghan government.

STARR (voice-over): The troops are still facing plenty of insurgence activity in this area. Commanders tell us there are a rising number of foreign fighters here that attacks using rocket- propelled grenades, small arms fire, mortars. All of that is on the rise.

All of that is presenting a challenge for the U.S. troops, even as top commanders are beginning to identify the areas that they will recommend be turned over to Afghan control. But the bottom line right now in this part of eastern Afghanistan, nobody is really talking about a military victory. They are talking about setting the conditions for the Afghans to take over so U.S. troops can go home.

Barbara Starr, CNN, Combat Outpost Durani.

(END VIDEOTAPE)