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Election Day One Week Away; Charlie Sheen Hospitalized; Monster Storm Hits Midwest and South
Aired October 26, 2010 - 15:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BROOKE BALDWIN, CNN ANCHOR: Seven days left. What will voters decide? Which party gets power? And is President Obama's agenda in trouble? We're going to give you the straight answers no other channel is giving you.
I'm Brooke Baldwin. The news is now.
(voice-over): Caffeine plus alcohol, a dangerous combination?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I took one sip of it. I immediately threw up.
BALDWIN: A group of college students rushed to the hospital after downing this new super-juice form of booze. Do your kids know about this drink?
The parents inside this home were brutally murdered with their nine children nearby. And the accused killers wore black.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: On July 9, 2009, Byrd and Melanie Billings were brutally murdered.
BALDWIN: The trial starts today. We're their live.
MADDY CRIPPEN, SISTER OF FRAN CRIPPEN: Fran lived every minute of his life filled with passion.
BALDWIN: The death of a competitor casts a shadow over the sport of swimming.
Young girls can be their own worst critics. And, believe it or not, one of California's first daughters knows a thing or two about those self-esteem issues. Katherine Schwarzenegger joins me live.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BALDWIN: All right, we have been counting down here, one week now from Election Day, how might the balance of power shift, why you need to care, and what in the world will life be like come November 3?
Hi, everyone. I'm Brooke Baldwin.
We're going to talk politics and election in just a moment, but first want to get to this fast-moving story, that of course being weather.
Look, if we have Chad Myers standing next to me at the top of the show, we know that's a bad sign.
CHAD MYERS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Yes.
BALDWIN: You're just now getting new information about a tornado in Ohio.
MYERS: Sure.
And, you know, fast-moving is the -- I know we talk about that in weather terms or --
BALDWIN: We mean it --
MYERS: -- in news terms.
BALDWIN: -- literally.
MYERS: These storms are moving at 70 miles per hour.
BALDWIN: Wow.
MYERS: You can't even outrun the storms. I mean, literally, we have had tornadoes on the ground today from Ohio, through Indiana and Illinois. And I believe there's a tornado on the ground, reported as a funnel, but I -- this is getting stronger and stronger -- near Centertown, Tennessee, also to the west of Huntsville near Capshaw, Alabama.
So, this whole storm is still moving. And, Brooke, some of the storms are getting stronger.
BALDWIN: And, by the way, this is Indiana, I'm told. We had these pictures just come in I think within the last hour or so, some of these farms just totally decimated. Look at the roofs, gone.
MYERS: Yes. And, you -- and, you know, we have had widespread wind damage all day, 60-, 70-, 80-mile-per-hour winds knocking down trees, knocking down limbs and power lines, hundreds of thousands of people without power already.
And it's going to be a cold night across parts of the Midwest, too. There, you see that's what the power lines look like when winds come down. That whole power line, power pole, came down there.
(CROSSTALK)
BALDWIN: This is Wisconsin.
MYERS: Yes.
BALDWIN: It's like state after state after state.
Go ahead. Show me what you have got. MYERS: I know. And it's not over. And -- and things are changing as we speak. We're -- we're changing from what is a line event or a squall event, which means winds, wind, wind, wind, wind to down across the Deep South to a supercell event.
Why does that matter? Well --
BALDWIN: What does that even mean?
MYERS: Well, a supercell event means that you have cells that are all by themselves, one -- that's the one in Tennessee -- that's rotating. There's Centerville. There's the Huntsville storm right there to the west of you about -- in Capshaw.
When you get storms like this, like this, like this, like this that are not in a line, they can spin easier. They can use all of the energy around them like a big dog. And I often use this analogy. You have one bowl of dog food and 10 dogs eating the same bowl of food, all 10 dogs are going to be about the same size, maybe little dogs.
You put that one bowl of dog food and one dog gets to eat it, he gets to be a big fat dog. And that's what we have here, big storms now becoming the big dogs rotating, moving, becoming what we call in the weather terms a supercell event, where all of the storms to the north of here in a big line, they all fight for the food. But when you don't have a fight going on, they can get bigger and they can get nastier as the day goes on -- Brooke.
BALDWIN: So, where -- where are they moving? What do people need to know in these supercells?
MYERS: They are moving to the northeast and, at some spots, in the 70-mile-per-hour range.
And that's because there's such a large low-pressure center out here. This low-pressure center is bigger than the low or deeper or stronger than the low that capsized the Edmund Fitzgerald. Remember, we talked about when the gales of November came early, even though it happened in November, part of the song from -- from Gordon Lightfoot.
We have a blizzard event going on in North Dakota.
BALDWIN: As if this isn't enough.
MYERS: Exactly.
(LAUGHTER)
MYERS: But this is where the cold air is being pulled down from the north, cold air being pushed this way and colliding with the line of weather.
And it's -- it's muggy all the way up and down the East Coast. All of a sudden, yesterday and today, you walk outside in Georgia and Alabama and Mississippi and the Carolinas, you go, where --
(LAUGHTER)
MYERS: Where did the muggies come from?
(LAUGHTER)
BALDWIN: Yes.
MYERS: It's been a beautiful fall. The muggies are back.
And when the muggies are getting pushed away by a cold front that says, hey, what are you doing here, it's trying -- I'm trying -- I want it to be fall and winter, not summer -- we have summer humidity in the air and a fall cold front, and you can always get severe weather. And that's what we have today.
And it's going to continue for the next few hours all the way into Pennsylvania and then into West Virginia and into Georgia. Probably Atlanta will pick up a watch, not saying it's going to be a tornado watch, but it could be, and then through Washington, D.C. and then even through New York in the overnight hours.
BALDWIN: Well, listen, if -- as soon as you get more information, obviously, if we get more pictures, we want to bring them to the folks at home. Just -- just interrupt me.
MYERS: Sure.
BALDWIN: Let me know.
MYERS: Of course.
BALDWIN: We -- want to stay on it.
And, also, let me just add this. Look, if you're -- if you're there, you have got a cell phone, go to iReport.com. You can always pass those along to us. We love seeing your pictures live here on CNN.
The other huge story we're all over, politics, the election. For weeks and weeks, you know, we have heard pundits say this race or -- or that race is the one to watch. But with only seven days left here before Election Day, we want to take a look at what's truly at stake. I'm talking about the overall balance of power and what life might be come November 3. That is next.
Also, a lot of you are tweeting about this one. Two months after rehab, is Charlie Sheen in trouble again? "The New York Post" is reporting that New York Police found Sheen drunk, naked and very angry in a very ritzy hotel room, with his ex-wife next door.
What's going on? We have got the details ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BALDWIN: One week from today, we're going to have the midterm elections. And, really, the big question is this. Once all the dust clears, who will control both the House and the Senate?
Right now, Democrats control both, and they generally work with the president, you know, on legislation he is championing. But with anti-incumbent fever, very much so, in the air, everything could change.
Republicans could gain control and work to stop the president's agenda. So, a lot of the story really boils down to the numbers. So, I want to show you some of the numbers.
And let's take a look first at the current breakdown here in the U.S. Senate. So, in the U.S. Senate -- and you know this, right? This is history 101. You know there are 100 seats, with the vice president serving as tiebreaker.
But you see on the left the blue. Right now, Democrats have -- you see the number 57, but, in total here, they have 59 seats. Why? You have those 57 Dems, plus two independents who caucus with them -- 57 plus two, there you go, 59.
Now, this election, the Democrats could lose nine and still control the Senate because the vice president, like I said, he could serve as the tiebreaker.
For the Republicans to gain a majority, their magic number here -- and keep this number in mind -- 10. That would give them 51 votes and of course, thus, the -- the control of the Senate. Now, a lot of pundits out there have the Republicans definitely making gains seven days from now. But will it be enough to change the balance of power?
Let's have a conversation about this. I'm joined by two members of the best political team on television. You have Jessica Yellin joining me from the field in Denver and Tom Foreman joining me from D.C.
And, Tom, I see the fun wall behind you, so --
(LAUGHTER)
BALDWIN: -- I'm going to begin with you.
(LAUGHTER)
BALDWIN: I want to talk about this magic number, 10.
I want you to show me the best way Republicans could reach that number to get those 51 senators, to get the majority. Where might they get those seats?
TOM FOREMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, I will tell you this, Brooke, right up front. Even the Republicans will say, this is a difficult trick. They feel more comfortable about what they will do in the House.
But, on the Senate side, let's look at the layout right now, as you mentioned, 59 to 41 in terms of the actual vote. There is some belief that there will be some that will turn over, Indiana, Arkansas, North Dakota. Let's say -- let's just, for argument's sake, say this is what has happened.
So now we're looking at nine seats in here. These are the ones we have identified as the biggest ones in play. And look at them carefully right now. Nevada out here is important one to look at. There, you have the -- the Senate majority leader, Harry Reid, on the Democratic side running against Republican Sharron Angle.
And they are absolutely duking it out there down to the wire.
BALDWIN: Yes.
FOREMAN: This has been a bitter and nasty fight, obviously, symbolically, very important for the Republicans. If they can knock him off, even if the Dems retain control, boy, that really makes it look tough.
His biggest problem here, unemployment out there, the highest in the nation, more than 14 percent. That's a hard thing to run against. On the other hand, Sharron Angle is being attacked by this side as saying, look, you're too radical. You're not somebody who can really make this happen. You're backed by the Tea Party. You're not the right person.
But let's go ahead and say, just for argument's sake, if this one were to go red, then we move on to Colorado, which is another one that's being watched closely. Here, we have Michael Bennet, who was given the seat that Ken Salazar, who became the interior secretary, gave up.
So, he is being cast by the opposition, Ken Buck over here, the Republican, as, you're a Washington insider.
You know, Brooke, this is the year when anything that says you're an insider or you're part of it is tough to run against.
BALDWIN: It's almost like it's a bad word.
FOREMAN: So, that is what he is saying about him.
Absolutely, and same message back at Ken Buck as against Sharron Angle out there in Nevada: Yes, and you're too radical. You're not to be trusted.
Colorado is an interesting state. I know we will hear more from Jessica in a minute, but I lived out there for 10 years, very interesting, balanced states in terms of how it views Democrats and Republicans. It's one that can go either way.
But, again, just for the sake of looking at how they could get there, we're going to make that red right now. And then we will move on to Pennsylvania. These are just three races we picked out of here that really are hotly contested and a big deal.
Here we have Joe Sestak on the Democratic side, Pat Toomey over here on the Republican side. Joe Sestak is absolutely counting on a big turnout in Philadelphia, a big turnout from the union people, a big turnout from the traditional Democrats.
And this is important, too. Remember the battlegrounds in the presidential race. Pennsylvania is always a big deal. It's important for the Democrats to show they still have muscle there. But, again, if it were to go to Pat Toomey instead, then look at the count now.
Now you have 47-47. That doesn't put the Republicans in charge, but it gives them a lot of parity that they haven't had before to work with. So, this, Brooke, is how they get there, one seat at a time.
BALDWIN: Yes.
FOREMAN: We don't know if they will get any of these, but we know what they're aiming for.
BALDWIN: Right. So, I'm looking at possibly -- playing the what-if game with you, Tom -- you're saying Nevada, Colorado, Pennsylvania.
Let me bring Jessica in, because I know she's been out and about traveling in -- in several of these key battleground states.
Jessica, I know, today -- we were just talking Colorado, Michael Bennet-Ken Buck. And -- and you're there. Where do you think some of these key states in terms of some of these Senate races, how were -- how will -- how might those figure?
JESSICA YELLIN, CNN NATIONAL POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: Those are -- I think -- I agree with Tom in highlighting these states. I will add that, in Nevada and in Colorado, the races are so incredibly close, that national figures on both sides are worried there could be recounts in these states and are --
BALDWIN: Hmm.
YELLIN: -- are prepared to send lawyers out to both states in -- in advance of election night in case that happens.
Other states I would highlight in addition to these two in Pennsylvania, Illinois -- that was President Obama's former Senate seat. For a long time, Democrats thought that they were eking that one out. And now Republicans are feeling better there. They think that could be a good pickup for them.
But, on the other side, in California and Washington State, those are two states where Democrats have the advantage, but Republicans are dumping in money, trying to do what they can to see if -- if this is a wave election, if we're all wrong about our predictions, and many more Republicans come out than Democrats, those are two states where Republicans think they could get pickups in blue states, and it would be a great night for them.
But they're both a reach. BALDWIN: Jessica, let me follow up that -- with that, because, if we continue playing the what-if game, let's also play the game, if -- if the president were to lose one of the houses, were to lose one of the majorities to the Republicans, which would be, if you will, the lesser of two evils for him?
(LAUGHTER)
YELLIN: Well, he doesn't get to pick. And I think he'd say he'd like them both.
(LAUGHTER)
YELLIN: In terms of how Washington works, if he were to lose the House of Representatives, if the Republicans take control of the House, the president still would be able to have a little bit more control over the agenda keeping the Senate, because the Senate, the way the rules are designed, allows to -- it's -- it's able to slow things down, essentially.
And so you can block things with this by controlling the Senate in a way that you can't if you control the House. Even Republicans -- we have watched it -- in the minority in the Senate have been able to create a little bit of gridlock and resistance in the Senate.
So, given an awful choice, a "Sophie's Choice," he would probably say I'd like to control the Senate, but he wouldn't want to make that choice --
(CROSSTALK)
BALDWIN: So --
(CROSSTALK)
YELLIN: -- Brooke.
BALDWIN: And, obviously, we don't know, and he won't get to make the choice.
But, Tom, I want to end with you. If we can continue to look into our crystal ball, what will life look like come, you know, November 3 for Congress? We don't know which way the balance of power may go. But let's say that the president, you know, loses both houses or even one. How will that be in terms of, you know, legal maneuvering between the houses and the presidents and also for us Americans?
FOREMAN: Well, I -- I think there are really two ways it can go, Brooke. The obvious, easy way for it to go is what we have already seen for two years under this president, but even less so --
BALDWIN: Hmm.
(LAUGHTER)
FOREMAN: -- if that's a way of putting it.
He's had a hard time with a lot of these programs, even with Democrats running the show across the board. If he loses this much ground, you could see the president in a position to make a lot of tee times, because he may not be able to get a lot of his agenda up and running.
(LAUGHTER)
FOREMAN: The flip side of that, though, could be, interestingly enough, a very positive thing for both parties.
Now, I -- I know some people don't buy this --
BALDWIN: Ah.
FOREMAN: -- but the theory would be that it forces both parties to get much more serious about compromise, about working with each other, or else they will all get beaten up even more.
I don't know how much faith I have in that happening.
BALDWIN: What a lovely word, Tom, compromise.
FOREMAN: But that is one theory.
(LAUGHTER)
BALDWIN: I like that.
FOREMAN: And it's a rare one here in Washington, too.
BALDWIN: It is. It is a rare one.
Tom Foreman and Jessica Yellin, my thanks to both of you.
Jessica, stick around. We're not finished with you. We will -- we will be back with you in just a moment.
But, first, take a look at this.
YELLIN: OK.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: She didn't sound crazy. She didn't sound like a witch. She didn't sound like any of those things. And I wanted the rest of the world to hear that as well.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
YELLIN: Huh. Christine O'Donnell's infamous "I am not a witch" ad wouldn't have been possible without that guy you just heard from. And his influence, by the way, goes far, far beyond her campaign.
Fascinating interview with Jessica Yellin, that is next. Also, new pictures coming in, this is Dayton, Ohio, where severe weather has been moving through. Chad has been tracking all of these storms as they hit Indiana, Illinois. High winds, by the way, shut down in some regards Chicago O'Hare Airport earlier, and even Alabama, Tennessee getting in and getting hit this afternoon.
We're all over this story. As soon as we get some more pictures, we will bring it to you live.
You're watching CNN NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BALDWIN: I know you have seen some of these ads. If not on television, we have certainly showed them to you. These ads have been some of the most talked-about ads of this entire election season.
I'm going to throw a name at you. You may not know this name, Fred Davis. He combines humor, creativity, definitely a little bit of controversy.
Our own Jessica Yellin recently sat down with him to talk about his ads and how in the world he comes up with them.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHRISTINE O'DONNELL (R), DELAWARE SENATORIAL CANDIDATE: I'm not a witch. I'm nothing you've heard. I'm you.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
YELLIN (voice-over): Delaware Senate candidate Christine O'Donnell now says she regrets that ad. Fred Davis made it.
FRED DAVIS, REPUBLICAN AD PRODUCER: My goal was just to give people the same impression of Christine O'Donnell that I had the first second I met her. She didn't sound crazy. She didn't sound like a witch. She didn't sound like any of those things and I wanted the rest of the world to hear that as well.
YELLIN: And to you critics, that's not smoke in the background.
DAVIS: It's a projector. Very simple little projector, projecting a light on a black background.
YELLIN: Davis's ads helped elect all these Republicans and could boost a few more this year.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BEN QUAYLE (R), CONGRESSIONAL CANDIDATE: Barack Obama is the worst president in history.
(END VIDEO CLIP) (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. JOHN MCCAIN (R): And complete the dang fence.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RICK SNYDER (R), MICHIGAN GUBERNATORIAL CANDIDATE: It's time for a nerd.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
YELLIN: Davis lives in Hollywood, California. This is his office. He says ideas often come to him in bed.
(on camera): In the middle of the night?
DAVIS: Well, often in the middle of the night. I sleep with a legal pad every night. I'm very exciting
YELLIN (voice-over): The nerd ad helped unknown Rick Snyder win his primary for Michigan governor. And it came from a first impression.
DAVIS: I shook his hand. I said, "Hi, Rick. Nice to meet you." He goes, "Hi, good to meet you." And then your heart sinks.
YELLIN (on camera): That's not the voice you want.
DAVIS: It's not the voice you want. But then I started talking to him and he's just a real, really bright guy. And so I'm thinking, let us try and do -- make him sound differently. Let's use what he is.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, CAMPAIGN AD)
NARRATOR: F-C-I-N-O. Fiscal conservative in name only, a wolf in sheep's clothing.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
YELLIN (voice-over): In his most famous video, Davis turns a moderate Republican into a Wolf in sheep's clothing.
DAVIS: I didn't think five people would ever see it and millions have seen it and for the rest of my life, I will be introduced as the demon sheep guy.
YELLIN (on camera): Is there an essence to a good political ad? What it needs to have?
DAVIS: Well, you have to stand out and you have to talk about it. And the thing that makes you talk about it, I think, is being different.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He's one tough nerd.
YELLIN (voice-over): Fred Davis -- definitely not your typical spin doctor.
Jessica Yellin, CNN, Los Angeles.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BALDWIN: Jessica Yellin now joins me from --
(LAUGHTER)
BALDWIN: -- Denver.
Jessica, he sleeps with a legal pad? Was he kidding?
(LAUGHTER)
YELLIN: No.
BALDWIN: No.
YELLIN: He really says he's up all night. He gets ideas. He jots them down. It all comes from instinct with him, it seems.
BALDWIN: Wow.
And it seems, you know, I was, like, listening to each one of those commercials, and I was like, check, check, check, definitely seen all of them, because, you know, it seems -- does he almost invite controversy when he's looking for -- for who he wants to make these ads for?
YELLIN: Yes, he doesn't shy away from it, is the way I would put it.
He says that what makes a good ad is making it memorable. He wants you and me to be talking about it on TV because that means it's broken through.
BALDWIN: Hmm.
YELLIN: And sometimes he acknowledges that, to do that, you will upset people. And so he's willing to take that risk, but he wants to give you a gist, a sense of each person as he sees them.
And he points out, if it upsets a little bit less than half of the electorate, he still has a majority, and that's the key. He doesn't have to please everyone. He just have to get enough attention and enough eyeballs to let the candidate make their point.
BALDWIN: Well, I guess he's been successful --
YELLIN: He's an interesting guy.
BALDWIN: -- if he wants us talking about it -- (LAUGHTER)
YELLIN: Yes.
BALDWIN: -- because we have the last few weeks.
(LAUGHTER)
(CROSSTALK)
BALDWIN: Jessica, thank you. Safe travels to you.
YELLIN: Thanks. Thank you.
BALDWIN: One woman, she dodged a bullet or dare I say in this case a train, thanks to a quick-thinking police officer. We are going to tell you how she ended up on those tracks in the first place.
Also, much more on the latest on Charlie Sheen, you won't want to miss that when we come back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BALDWIN: Checking our top stories now, take a look at this with me: fire at this factory in Fall River, Massachusetts, getting these pictures in just now and turned around for you from our affiliate WCVB.
Here is what we know. This is a three-alarm fire. If you're familiar with this area, this is Duro Textile company, textile factory, essentially, that makes cotton fabric. What we know is this particular building where you're seeing all the smoke, the flames emanating from, this particular building was vacant. But we're going to stay on the story, make a couple phone calls, and we will bring you more pictures throughout this newscast.
Also, unbelievable pictures from the Midwest. Take a look at this with me, storms, tornadoes, winds slamming the Midwest states, with confirmed tornadoes in Ohio and Illinois, reports of others.
Take a look at this. This is a farm in Indianapolis or, dare I say, was a farm. Look at the damage -- 60,000 people lost power in Indiana alone. The bad weather has also disrupted air travel today for folks trying to get in or out of Chicago's O'Hare Airport.
And that's not it. Let's go to Wisconsin. I want you to see some more pictures of what the storm did there, obviously a lot of power lines down. This is just west of Racine. Two workers at a tractor factory in Mount Pleasant got a little bit rough-winded -- roughed-up, I should say, when winds ripped off a 200-foot section of the roof, unbelievable there.
To California. GOP Senate candidate Carly Fiorina, she is in the hospital. Her campaign says she has been treated for an infection related to reconstructive surgery. She had that surgery after treatment for breast cancer. Fiorina's chief of staff says she will be back on the campaign trail soon. As you know, she's facing off against Democratic incumbent Barbara Boxer next Tuesday.
And, in Houston, Texas, one worker is dead, another critically injured after they were hit by this tram at George Bush Inter -- Intercontinental Airport. The tram, which some of you may know as the automatic people mover, that is totally shut down right now. The tram operates at a top speed of 33 miles an hour, that accident being investigated right now.
To New York, where actor Charlie Sheen is in the hospital. His P.R. guy says Sheen had a -- quote -- "adverse allergic reaction" to some kind of medicine. But "The New York Post" is reporting the actor was found naked, intoxicated, in a room at New York's swank Plaza Hotel.
The "Two and a Half Men" TV star spent some time in a rehab center, as you remember, earlier this year. He was arrested last Christmas, after his wife says he threatened her with a knife.
And now this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think if you go to college you know what a "four loko" is.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BALDWIN: The alcohol and cafe mix in this stuff has apparently become the trendy thing to drink for college students. But many are not prepared for the kick. It is potent, it is powerful. We're talking about four loko in our next hour.
Also coming up next, a rare interview with the first daughter of California, Katherine Schwarzenegger, daughter of Arnold Schwarzenegger and Maria Shriver. I'll talk to her about growing up in the Schwarzenegger household -- there she is -- and addressing a global women's conference. Pretty decent for a 20-year-old. We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BALDWIN: All right, imagine this -- your mom belongs to this well respected, well connected family. Your dad is a movie star turned politician -- hardly your typical family. But it doesn't stop you from being a typical young girl complete with problems, issues -- issues like negative body image.
That is exactly what happened to Katherine Schwarzenegger, and now she is using her own story to help other young girls who look in the mirror and think they're fat and ugly. She's written this new book "Rock What you've Got -- Secrets to loving your inner and outer beauty from someone who has been there and back." And she's appearing at this women's conference hosted by her mom Maria Shriver. And Katherine, I know it's loud, hello there to you. You don't exactly look like a gal who would be a likely candidate for body image issues. How did this come about?
KATHERINE SCHWARZENEGGER, AUTHOR, "ROCK WHAT YOU GOT": No - yes. I was really just like every other girl and I was self-conscious about my body and having doubts about my appearance. I don't think it really matters how you look on the outside. It's really about how you feel on the inside.
So I didn't feel great about myself, I didn't feel like I was good at anything. And my mom and dad really helped me through that and were an amazing support system for me.
BALDWIN: For me and thinking about talking to you, I look back on my seventh grade year, thinking you couldn't pay me enough money to go back to seventh grade. There's pressure, you know, social issues. It's very awkward. Do you have a story like that?
KATHERINE SCHWARZENEGGER: That's very awkward. Yes, I do. I was in fourth grade and that was my first time that I felt awkward about my body and really compared my body to other girls' bodies.
So it was a big crisis for me. I start off the book talking about it and sharing all my experience of being in seventh grade and being really awkward. I call it my "black sheep phase," and not feeling great in my skin, just being weird in general and then being in high school and not knowing how to deal with my new body.
And really when I went to college, I really reflected on my high school experience and how much time I had wasted on trying to be someone that I wasn't and trying to have a body that I wasn't made for. So I really accepted the fact that I have boobs and I have hips and I have a butt, so that's it.
(LAUGHTER)
BALDWIN: Yep. And as you're growing up and going through all those phases as we all have, what was it like, though, in addition to that having parents that, America knows, you know intimately? Was there any extra pressure from them? What was your childhood like?
KATHERINE SCHWARZENEGGER: My childhood was a very normal childhood, surprisingly. I know most people don't believe that, but it was. And my parents did an amazing job with keeping me and my siblings out of the public eye. We never went to premieres to get photographed as children and we had a very normal upbringing.
Obviously, we have a very recognizable last name so it's hard to escape from. But, you know, it was a big gift that my parents gave me to have a very normal childhood.
BALDWIN: Speaking of parents, I imagine your book isn't just for young women. I imagine you want parents to read it as well. And what's the message you would give as a lovely young woman who went through the awkward stuff? What would you say to parents out there watching?
KATHERINE SCHWARZENEGGER: Yes. I have a huge amount in there that talks about how important the relationship is between mother and daughter. I have tips in there that are for moms only because I really stress the importance of a strong mother-daughter bonds.
And I think a lot of young girls when they get into high school this is a time to rebel and get away from my mom. But the reality is you need to stay closer to your mom and work on that relationship because your mom has probably gone through all the exact same phases you have, so why not ask her these questions and get closer to her? So I talk a lot about that in the book.
BALDWIN: And even now as a lovely 20-year-old in college, programs a budding journalist, do you ever still have those moments? I know I definitely call my mom on occasion. Do you ever have moments where you don't feel like rocking what you've got?
KATHERINE SCHWARZENEGGER: Yes, I definitely do. I think it's really important for all young girls to know having a positive body image is something you have to make the decision to have every day of your life. Body image stays with us women our entire life. You have to wake up every single morning and make a decision to think positive or negative thoughts about your body.
So unfortunately it's with us our entire life, but I try to wake up every morning and think positive things, positive reinforcement to myself.
BALDWIN: Katherine Schwarzenegger, congratulations to you, author and college student. Best of luck in your future. Thank you.
KATHERINE SCHWARZENEGGER: Thank you very much.
BALDWIN: Sometimes the most newsworthy action at a debate comes outside the auditorium. Have you seen this video? This woman, look at this, she's eventually stomped and kicked in the head at a Kentucky Senate showdown. What was going on? That is ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BALDWIN: This time next week, we are talking seven whole days, candidates running for office will be sitting back waiting to hear, with bated breath to hear whether months of campaigning paid off.
But for now they're busy attacking their opponents in very heated debates. And voters in two states in particular really saw some fireworks last night. I want to start in Kentucky where some violence broke out.
You have Republican Rand Paul and Democrat Jack Conway, they were up against each other in a nasty Senate race. But take a look at what happened before the debate last night. One of Paul's supporters literally -- you saw the foot -- stomps on the head of a woman who we found works for Moveon.org. That is a liberal group that supports progressive candidates. Her foot -- look at that, stomping multiple times.
Paul's campaign calls the scuffle "unfortunate." We're told the woman suffered a concussion and sprained shoulder and arm.
Next, to Florida, some pretty interesting moments in the final debate between gubernatorial candidates there. You have Republican Rick Scott, Democrat Alex Sink. Our own John King moderated that debate, which, by the way, aired live on CNN.
But I want you to take a look at this moment. Look at the left side of your screen. So this is one of Sink's makeup artists, approaches her during a break. See how she's looking down at a cell phone, showing her a text message. That message from an aide telling Sink what to say.
Folks, you know as well as I do that is a no-no. That is a violation. Rick Scott on the right noticed it, called over our own mark Preston. Scott then called her out on it after the break. Watch this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RICK SCOTT, (R) FLORIDA GUBERNATORIAL CANDIDATE: First, Alex, you say you always follow the rules. The rule was no one is supposed to give us messages during a break, and your campaign did with an iPad - an iPod.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BALDWIN: Ouch. Sink's campaign announced later that it fired the aide that sent that text message.
And finally, do you know what your state's minimum wage is? Maybe, maybe not. But the candidates running for office should know that, right?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOHN KING, CNN HOST: What's the minimum wage in Florida, Mr. Scott?
SCOTT: $7.55.
KING: Mrs. Sink, is that right?
ALEX SINK, (D) FLORIDA GUBERNATORIAL CANDIDATE: Yes.
KING: $7.25 -- close.
(LAUGHTER)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BALDWIN: Pretty simple question stumped both candidates. Florida's minimum wage is same as the federal rate, $7.25. Take a look at this now with me. These are the final moments before a deadly attack on two foster parents back in 2009. This case shocked the nation because their young children were feet away. Now the suspected gunman is on trial. We're going to have a live update from Florida next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BALDWIN: I want to take you back out live to that California women's conference. You see Ruth Bader Ginsburg and you see Diane Sawyer there on your screen.
And also who was sharing the stage -- rare we see two female justices, but also Sandra Day O'Connor. And apparently Diane Sawyer asked Ruth Bader Ginsburg how many women should be on the Supreme Court, and Ruth Bader Ginsburg responded, "Of course nine." Pictures there from Long Beach, California.
Now I want to take you to Florida to this bizarre murder case. It got under way this morning in Pensacola. The defendant here in this case is a karate instructor named Leonard Patrick Gonzalez Junior. The victims, I know you'll remember this, that was that Florida couple known for adopting and raising special needs children.
They were killed by a group of men wearing black, black masks, kind of looked like they were dressed as ninjas. The attackers were captured on this surveillance camera as they sneaked across - out of the van - sneaking across the yard, invaded this home while the children were there. In fact, some of these children, some of the special needs kids actually witnessed this attack on Bird and Melanie Billings.
One of them alerted a woman who lived on the Billings' property, helped them take care of these children. And she could barely hold it together today as she testified about finding the Billings' bodies.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Where did you find Mr. Billings?
APRIL SPENCER, LIVED ON BILLINGS PROPERTY: He was in the bedroom, in front of the dresser face down in the bedroom.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Did you find Mrs. Billings also in there?
SPENCER: She was in front of the closet.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BALDWIN: Imagine having to come upon that. Prosecutors say the ninja home invasion was led by the defendant. He is charged with two counts of first degree murder and one count of home invasion.
And Jean Casarez is a correspondent "In Session" on TruTV. She is there in Pensacola covering this trial for us. Jean, why is it the prosecutors in terms of even a motive here, why do prosecutors say Gonzalez led this group of men dressed as ninjas to invade this home belonging to this couple who takes care of these special needs kids?
JEAN CASAREZ, CORRESPONDENT, "IN SESSION" ON TRUTV: What we're hearing in court today is that the motive was money, that he was broke. He had six kids. He needed money. His mother took the stand to say he didn't even have the money for a car, so she bought him a red van, the van that you just saw in that video, at least according to prosecutors.
So the whole motive - and prosecutors don't have to show this, but they still are, because the motive was to get a safe that prosecutors say Gonzalez believed was in the home filled with $13 million in cash.
Well, he got a safe and he got away with it until it was found. That safe didn't have any money at all. It just had papers and prescriptions and maybe a little bit of jewelry. There was a safe with about $160,000 in cash, but the defendant, according to prosecutors, didn't find that one.
BALDWIN: Didn't get that one. And what about the connection here between the defendant Gonzalez and Bird Billings? Did they know each other? How might they have met?
CASAREZ: It looks like they did, but we're not hearing that much of a correlation in court. The fact is we hear that he went to bird billings' auto used car lot. He also had a financing company. And he wanted a loan for this karate business.
Bird Billings said I'm not going to invest in the business, but I believe in children, so I'm going to give you $5,000 for your business. That is what we heard in court was the connection, very brief, but yet allowed Gonzalez prosecutors say to realize Bird Billing had money and maybe kept cash in the house.
BALDWIN: Jean, in terms of who may be testifying, I know the state has two has two key witnesses, these two guys who were involved, participated in the robbery, entered into plea agreements in exchange for their testimony.
Who are they? What might we expect to hear?
CASAREZ: Well, these are two of the eight defendants, one 18 and one 19 when this all happened. Both of them have pleaded guilty to second-degree murder.
But here's what we heard today in court. We heard that before they confessed to law enforcement that their mothers got them and they confessed to their own mothers, and their mothers took them to law enforcement.
That is critical, because many times the defense will say you're only pleading guilty because you're trying to save your own life. And if they actually told their mothers first that gives them credibility as these prosecution witnesses.
BALDWIN: They told their mothers. Final question, 30 seconds, Jean -- what about any of those kids, special needs kids or the older daughter? Will any of them be testifying?
CASAREZ: All right, they will not be testifying. Both sides agreed they were not necessary.
But there is video inside the home as this crime was being committed. It's never been shown before. It's going to be shown and you're going to see a bedroom scene where a little girl looks out her window and sees this red van with men all dressed in black getting back in it and speeding away.
BALDWIN: I remember reading from the discovery phase in the documents the kids testifying to the nurses describing what they say, their own parents. It's horrific stuff. Jean Casarez, stay on it. We'll check back with you later this week. Thank you.
CASAREZ: Thanks.
BALDWIN: Also, I want to remind you we are tracking dangerous, dangerous weather throughout the Midwest. Now we're hearing in the south Alabama getting hammered as well. Chad Myers is all over it, a fast moving storm. We'll get an update for you in a couple of minutes. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BALDWIN: All right, hoops fans, this is not news for you. NBA season officially tipping off tonight. When games get close, who do you want to take the final shot? Kobe, LeBron? No, no, no, how about these guys we're about to show you.
You've got to see this. I'm going to take you to Patterson stadium, Australia. Boom! They call themselves "How Ridiculous." The four men met in church -- watch it, there we go, whoosh. They have been using their talents for charity ever since. Note to self -- never play a game of horse with these guys down under, for money.
Next, lots of uses for pumpkins each and every fall. This use -- and down it goes. We toast seeds, bake pies, carve jack-o-lanterns. Maybe not this. I'm pretty sure you never thought of this.
This is Pleasant Grove, Utah. They hoisted, there's the aftermath, hoisted a half ton beauty up a 175-foot crane before dropping it onto the poor car below. That's a goner. The pumpkin got up to almost 70 miles an hour on the way down before it obliterated the Pontiac. That, my friends, is a smashing pumpkin.
Next this classroom lesson could be called the sky is the limit -- quite literally meaning the limit is 18 miles above earth. You're looking at a weather balloon. Some engineering students hung a camera just below it and this is what they saw when the balloon hit 95,000 feet. This is so cool. Totally burst.
The camera parachuted to earth bringing these incredible videos along with. Thank goodness they never let us do that in journalism school, smart science folks.
Take a look at this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think that Clarence has never told his wife the truth about the kind of activity that he engaged in.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BALDWIN: "The activity he engaged in." You know, you rarely hear intimate details and allegations about a Supreme Court justice's love life. But Clarence Thomas' background has been making headlines since his wife called Anita Hill. We're going to tell you what an ex- girlfriend has to say at the top of the hour. Stick around for that.
Also, it is the final week for campaigning. and the candidates have been busy, busy, all day long. We'll have the latest from the trail with Wolf Blitzer. That is next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BALDWIN: Seven days to go here until Election Day, and CNN has all your latest political news with "The Best Political Team on Television," CNN = Politics. And Wolf Blitzer is at the CNNpolitics.com desk. And Wolf, I hear President Obama all over your desk here.
WOLF BLITZER, HOST, "THE SITUATION ROOM": President Obama, yes, he went to Rhode Island, as you remember, Brooke, yesterday, and he didn't endorse any of the candidates firmly. But Lincoln Chafee, the independent, the former Republican, has a new ad effectively suggesting that the president wants him to be the next governor of Rhode Island.
Frank Caprio is the Democratic candidate. You remember he said in the radio interview, the president as far as his endorsement is concerned can go shove it. Watch a little bit of this new Lincoln Chafee ad.
Unfortunately we don't have that new Lincoln Chafee ad. But we will get it eventually and show it to you. But it basically is suggesting that the president and Lincoln Chafee are very close. Lincoln Chafee did enforce the president in 2008.
By the way, we're going to be speaking in "THE SITUATION ROOM" with Nathan Daschle, the executive director of the Democratic Governors' Association. They endorsed Frank Caprio. They sent him $1.5 million, the national Democratic Governors' association. They're not very happy with the White House and how they're handling this whole situation. We'll go into detail in "THE SITUATION ROOM."
Another story we're following, a late ad by the president on Friday. He's going to Virginia to campaign for Tom Perriello, an embattled Democratic candidate. He won the last time by 727 votes. A lot of conservatives there. A lot of Democrats don't even think he has much of a chance.
But the president will show his loyalty to this House Democrat. He supported the president on health care and some of the other controversial legislation, so the president's going to make a stop and campaign for him on Friday.
We're taking a closer look at West Virginia. As you know, it's a very close contest there between Joe Manchin, the incumbent governor who wants to be the next senator, replacing Robert Byrd, and John Raese, who is the Republican running for Senate from West Virginia.
And there's a whole new series of ads, but it's getting tough and nasty out there in West Virginia. They're calling each other crazy and all sorts of other things like that. You will want to take a closer look at some of those ads.
It's never dull, especially, Brooke, only one week before a highly contested, bitter national election.
BROOKE BALDWIN, CNN ANCHOR: I know. And back on the Rhode Island race, I was listening to an interview with Frank Caprio this morning and he's still very much, though, standing by his words.
We will be watching all of these races with you, Wolf. I know next Tuesday huge day for you and all of us here at CNN. Thank you.
Want to get remind you we're going to get another political update in about 30 minutes. But you can always read about politics, hop online, go to CNNPolitics.com or on Twitter and @PoliticalTicker.
