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Snow in Utah for Halloween; Small Plane Crashes Into Two Parked Cars in Florida; Iowa Community College Hoping to Set World Record for Most People Blowing Bubbles; Politicians Saying "We Are Just Like You" Days Away From Midterm Elections; Shots Fired at National Marine Corps Museum in D.C.; TSA Phasing In New Pat Down Procedure; Tornado Overturns Trailers in Tennessee; Tea Party Influencing Halloween Costume Sales; Recession Over But Americans Still Not Feeling It; Inside the Tea Party; Favre Injury Puts Streak in Jeopardy

Aired October 29, 2010 - 09:00   ET

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

KIRAN CHETRY, CNN ANCHOR: Meanwhile, the news continues right now. We're going to send it down to Atlanta, Suzanne Malveaux joins us for "CNN NEWSROOM."

Hey, what do you think, Suzanne? Not too shabby, huh? The turnout from "AMERICAN MORNING" staff.

SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN ANCHOR: Not too shabby at all. Hey, this is great. I love what you guys have been doing. Halloween, we get a little bit of fun stuff, as well. So good to be here in Atlanta.

It's 9:00 a.m. in the East and 6:00 a.m. in the West. Good morning. I'm Suzanne Malveaux in for Kyra Phillips. Here's the stories that we are talking about these couple of hours.

Have you heard about the TSA's new pat-down procedures? They're not for everyone but critics complain they're too invasive.

A tornado strikes a dam in Tennessee. Look closely as the swirling winds topple some trailers just like toys. Unbelievable.

And Verizon Wireless is paying up, that's right, to the Feds and to you. Fifteen million customers will get refunds for mystery fees.

Well, it's only four days until the midterm elections and we are unraveling a new case in political intrigue and this is happening in Florida. The Republican nominee there is leading the three-way race for the U.S. Senate race. Now that could help the GOP take control of Congress. So the Democrats, of course, are scrambling.

There are reports now that former President Bill Clinton is asking his fellow Democrat Kendrick Meek to quit the race. Now Meek would then throw his support behind the independent candidate and possibly keep the seat out of Republican hands.

Now earlier on CNN's "AMERICAN MORNING" we heard from Kendrick Meek.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) KIRAN CHETRY, CNN ANCHOR: The Clinton camp is affirming that the former president did urge you to drop out, to back Crist after concluding that your candidacy was struggling. What did you and the former president discuss in that regard?

KENDRICK MEEK (D), FLORIDA SENATE CANDIDATE: We discussed politics all the time when he was here last week, to do two rallies for me on I-4. I'm in Orlando today campaigning. We talked about the fact he saw some reports the week before, of course, that the Crist campaign was pushing that I was going to get out of the race.

And I said that's not the case. And we talked about it. and I said, you know, I'm not going to sell out on the people of the state of Florida, not that he was asking me to do so. He never asked me to get out of the race. I never told him that I was getting out of the race.

But it seems to be a part of the Crist strategy, feeling a pathway to victory is for me to sell out on the people of the state of Florida. I'm not in that business. I'm not going to do it. I haven't done it. The governor continues to phone bank me.

I mean he needs to be focused on his own campaign and not focused on me selling out on the people of the state of Florida.

(END OF VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: We are covering all the angles. Our Susan Candiotti spoke to the former President Bill Clinton about his discussions with Meek and our senior White House correspondent Ed Henry, he's looking at the larger question -- has the White House played a role in all of this?

I want to start off with Susan in New York.

Susan, first of all, great get on this going directly to the president to try to figure out what on earth is going on. What was his role? What did he acknowledge to you?

SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, President Clinton said that Congressman Kendrick Meek talked with him a couple of times about Meek dropping out of the race. He said Meek asked him what he thought he should do and he told him, but the former president refused to say exactly what that advice was.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CANDIOTTI: To be clear, you said he brought it up, but did you -- whose idea was it first? Did you reach out to him first?

BILL CLINTON, FORMER PRESIDENT: No. I don't think so. It was being -- I knew it was being discussed. There was a lot of -- people had discussed it on and off since Governor Crist got in the race. It was no secret but he was finally -- he wanted to discuss it with me so we sat down and talked about it.

But I don't want to betray my confidential conversations with him because he's my friend and I owed him that. He's the candidate. It's his life, his choice, his decision.

(END OF VIDEO CLIP)

CANDIOTTI: Now we said Meek was concerned that he and Republican Florida Governor Crist, who's running as an independent, are freezing the moderate and progressive votes. That would dilute either one's chances to beat GOP nominee Marco Rubio who's ahead in the polls.

Mr. Clinton said Mr. Meek did not have enough money to break that lead.

A few minutes earlier before that part of the interview when we first approached the former president after this campaign event, he wouldn't elaborate at all about his meeting and even questioned how it all came out.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CANDIOTTI: Did you ask him to drop out, though?

CLINTON: No. I told -- we're friends. We had a conversation. It's personal. He should talk about -- he can tell you whatever he wants to tell you about it. I have no business talking about it. And neither does anybody else. And I don't know what the source of it is.

(END OF VIDEO CLIP)

CANDIOTTI: Well, it turns out one of the sources is a Clinton spokesperson.

Now the former president also denied that he made the White House aware of his discussions with Mr. Meek. And in fact, he added, Suzanne, that he advised Mr. Meek that he should make the decision himself before announcing it to anyone else, before sharing that decision.

MALVEAUX: Susan, I have two questions for you. First of all, we know that president -- former President Bill Clinton and Meek, Kendrick Meek, are very close. They've known each other for years now. And he's been very supportive.

Do you have any sense -- because Clinton was a little cagey in his response -- that he's worried about their relationship?

CANDIOTTI: That could be possible, of course. And he emphasized time and again that they are very good friends. He said he has the utmost respect for Kendrick Meek and always will.

And that he respects him and he said, I continue to believe that he would be the best senator in this particular race. But it comes down to ultimately he said that Mr. Meek has to make the best decision for what he thinks is right for the state of Florida and evidently he did.

MALVEAUX: And also I understand that the Republicans are weighing in, perhaps taking advantage of this opportunity, this rift that we're seeing. Tell us a little bit about the RNC, how they're weighing in. CANDIOTTI: Well, GOP chairman Michael Steele, when this news first broke last night, issued a statement saying that Mr. Clinton was wrong to get involved in this. And he brought up the issue of race and said that he should not be advising any African-Americans, in particular a candidate like Mr. Meek, to drop out of the race.

That whoever the candidate is ought to be up to the voters to decide. So Mr. Clinton's response to that was, well, I'm not surprised that Mr. Steele said that. After all, he wants Mr. Rubio to win. So that's just a bunch of politics.

MALVEAUX: OK.

CANDIOTTI: And he continued to state that Mr. Meek should be the winner.

MALVEAUX: All right. Susan, excellent reporting. Thank you so much.

I want to get the view from the White House. Our CNN's Ed Henry is at his post with the very latest.

Ed, obviously, we're hearing so many different versions of this story. So tell us, what is the White House know about this situation? What was the role that they played?

ED HENRY, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, they were very much aware of what was going on behind the scenes. But a senior Democratic Party official was careful to note to me that the White House was not driving this. And that's deliberate.

They did not want to have their fingerprints on this. They deliberately did not sort of inform the president, get him personally involved. He did not make any calls. He didn't even know about what was going on.

But aides here at the White House did know what was going on and I'm told very reliably that they believe here at the White House that they had a deal with Kendrick Meek through former President Clinton, and that on at least two occasions he had indicated to Mr. Clinton he was ready to drop out.

But others close to the congressman got to him and suggested that it was a bad idea, was going to ruin his political career. And the feeling here among senior Democrats is that Kendrick Meek reneged on the deal and so it's disappointing for the White House because they thought they were going to have Meek getting out of the race, Charlie Crist getting a big, big endorsement here, and then maybe he could cobble together a coalition of Democrats and independents to beat the Republican Marco Rubio.

Now I should point out there's also still a glimmer of hope from senior Democrats I'm talking to. They feel that even with Kendrick Meek still in the race that this leak now may sort of hurt his chances enough and let senior Democrats in Florida know, the White House doesn't think he has a chance.

Bill Clinton thinks he doesn't have a chance. So maybe some of those Democrats will now flock to Charlie Crist. We don't know that.

MALVEAUX: So --

HENRY: But there is a hope among some Democrats that maybe this will help Charlie Crist anyway.

MALVEAUX: Sure. And Ed, is there concern, however, that there's a perception that the White House is throwing Meek under the bus?

HENRY: Oh, absolutely. And that's why they're being careful to say, President Obama was never directly or indirectly involved. And that White House aides that knew about this were only hearing about it. They were not lobbying, they were not pushing.

But you're right. The damage is done for some in the party who are going to say, look, particularly what Susan said about the race angle here. You'll remember last year that the White House was encouraging an African-American governor, David Paterson, in New York to get out of that gubernatorial, not run for reelection, and was seen as very clumsy.

There were African-American leaders who were angry about that. You could have the same blowback now and that may be very hurtful to the party when they're expecting a big African-American turnout. Not just in Florida but some other key states, as well, Suzanne.

MALVEAUX: And Ed, finally, is the administration's agenda in that much trouble that they have to rely on the fact that they need Florida this badly to encourage or in some indirect way for Meek to drop out?

HENRY: Absolutely. I mean, you're really underscoring the most important point which is that when you get beyond Florida, and look at the big picture, this shows that the White House, senior Democrats like Bill Clinton, are extremely nervous that Democrats may not just lose the House but lose the Senate, as well.

And they need every single seat. I mean, it goes without saying they've been campaigning hard for these seats but now as you get to the final days when they see Russ Feingold in Wisconsin way behind, for example, they've got to make those up, otherwise they could lose the Senate, as well. So it really underscores how much Democrats are on the defensive -- Suzanne.

MALVEAUX: All right, Ed, thank you so much. Appreciate the update.

We've got some breaking news here. We are learning that there are shots that were fired overnight at the National Marine Corps Museum that in Triangle, Virginia, according to the FBI. As soon as we get more information, we will bring that to you. But just a little bit of breaking news. Those shots fired overnight at that building. That government building in Virginia.

Well, on to jobs and the economy. Also, likability. Michelle Obama and Jill Biden leaving Washington, D.C. to try to show voters that, you know, they're everyday people just like you and I.

Well, going to take a look at the strategy that some candidates are using to try to swing voters their way.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MALVEAUX: The time now to hit the road and see what's happening across the country.

Well, take a look at this. A white fluffy Halloween treat in Utah. Snow. We're talking about lots of it. Forty-four inches we are told. It's brought some out -- some unusual skiers. Take a look at this. A witch, a leopard, a skeleton. I think there's some furry thing over there, too.

Halloween on the slopes. You got to love it. That's great. Snow angels from a skeleton.

Let's zip over to the East Coast. In Florida, a small plane crashes into two parked cars in Pasco County, but no one was hurt. Authorities say a 60-year-old student pilot was on his second solo flight and lost control when he landed.

Now to the Midwest, lots of people, yes, look at this, blowing bubbles in Iowa. Crookwood Community College hoped to create a world record for the number of people blowing bubble gum at the same time. Organizers say they needed 250 people to make this happen, and about 304 people showed up for this event. It was all part of Crookwood's Dig Pink campaign to raise money for breast cancer awareness. You've got to love that, it's great. Pink bubble gum.

With the midterm elections just days away, many politicians are gearing up their message on the economy, jobs, the war. But there's also another message that they're trying to send to voters. They're trying to say, "You know what? We're just like you."

And dancing is one way to do it. First lady Michelle Obama appeared on "The Ellen DeGeneres show" and showed off some of her best moves. There you go. The first lady discussed her family's life in the White House and encouraged bully victims to stay strong.

Now, here's the vice president's wife, Jill Biden, also strutting her stuff, there you see it. Discussing -- she also discussed the importance of honoring military vets. Our CNN contributor John Avlon joins us live. Good morning, John. I know you've got a little move in you.

JOHN AVLON, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Good morning, Suzanne.

MALVEAUX: I'm sure you can bust a move?

AVLON: Well, you know -- No. We'll do that later, I guess.

MALVEAUX: Oh, OK. We'll save that for a little private discussion. You know, I was out on the West Coast this week with the first and second ladies. They were dancing, they're opening up about their fears, their vulnerabilities, trying to appeal to voters. The question I have to you is, do you think the likability factor is going to work? Is it going to attract voters? Are they more appealing now that they're letting loose a little?

AVLON: It's not quite saying "I'm you," but that's the idea behind it, right? They're trying to reach a whole group of voters who maybe haven't been glued to their televisions, or reading the political section of the newspapers, but folks who watch these television shows to remind them, hey, A, there's an election here, and B, to trade off the fact that first ladies traditionally are much more popular than their husbands who are president.

So, it's a way of connecting with a group of voters. And it's a trend we've seen, really, since Bill Clinton was on "Arsenio Hall" wearing shades and playing the saxophone. It's a way of breaking past some of the barriers that are there and reaching a whole new group of voters.

MALVEAUX: Female voters, they used to lean towards the Democrats, but recent studies now are showing it's not necessarily the case. Both parties, obviously, have to do what they can to court this important bloc. What do they need to do?

AVLON: Well, it's fascinating because it used to be that there was a decided shift to the Democrats when it came to women voters. Now, that is still largely true, but it's breaking down in ways that I think are healthy and reflects, I think, the growing diversity of our electorate in very fundamental ways.

I think the Republican party has been putting forward very attractive female candidates who are -- whether it's Sarah Palin, who I think is a standard-bearer for a whole new generation of conservative leaders, or a number Senate candidates and gubernatorial candidates. That sends a message of inclusion. That sends a message of, "We want your vote, we are your vote."

MALVEAUX: Sure.

AVLON: And I think a lot of the Democrats are saying, "Hold on now." Some of these social conservative views that might be held on issues like abortion, if it's people who are opposed to abortions, even in cases of rape and incest, you'll see that subtle kind of messaging right now, or maybe not so subtle, as a way of saying these folks may not represent your best interest, your social views, in the long run.

MALVEAUX: Well, John, let's talk about what's going to happen this weekend. It's going to be huge in DC. At least a lot of people are anticipating that. The Jon Stewart's Rally to Restore Sanity rally that's going to happen, that big thing, event tomorrow. It comes on the heels of Glenn Beck's rally in August. You see the preparations already being made there. Do you think these rallies are an effective way to energize the base?

AVLON: Well, I think they're a great way to draw attention. What's fascinating to me is, you had the Glenn Beck rally in August. Then, you had a labor union One Nation rally just around a month ago. And now you have Jon Stewart's Restore Sanity rally, which is supposed to appeal to voters in the center. So, each segment of the electorate has had their own rally on the Washington Mall now. And I do think it's lending a sense of event to our politics. A sense of, "Let's stand up and be counted and come together." Especially this weekend's rally, which is putting a real premium on humor and "take it down a notch." Let's view things with a sense of perspective. I think a lot of people feel a sense of relief right now that there's maybe a rally for them. Not just the folks on either side of the political spectrum in the extremes.

MALVEAUX: All right, John. A rally for everybody. All right. I'll see you down -- back in Washington. Appreciate your time. Thanks.

Following, now, some breaking news out of Virginia. There were shots that were fired at the National Museum of the Marine Corps building in Virginia. We are going to update you after the break, but this comes amid a rash of firings -- shootings that we've seen at various buildings in Washington, DC, and very close to the Marine Corps marathon that's happening this weekend. So, obviously, tight security.

There were shots that were fired at the Pentagon building earlier in the week. Now we are getting new reports of another shooting that has taken place in that same area. We'll have more details after the break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MALVEAUX: Want to give you an update on some breaking news that we are getting here. You are taking -- we're taking a look at some live pictures from our affiliate, WJLA. What you're seeing are those involved in investigation. The FBI looking into the reports that shots were fired overnight at the National Marine Corps Museum in Triangle, Virginia.

They are investigating that alleged shooting that took place at that building there. The FBI is looking into this being potentially the third shooting at a military facility in two weeks. You may recall that it was Tuesday early morning, a gunman had shot into the building, the Marine Corps station in Chantilly, Virginia.

And then, it was just last week that there were shots fired at the Pentagon. And so, we are now looking at investigators, and this building here, they believe that shots were fired overnight at the National Marine Corps Museum in Triangle, Virginia.

This comes around the time of the National Marine Corps Marathon is going to be held in the Washington, DC area. Obviously, a lot of security and vigilance at the Pentagon and these other military facilities because of this wave of what looks like shootings that are taking place, gunshots taking place at various military facilities just within the last couple of weeks. We'll bring you more information as we get more details.

Well, the countdown to Election Day, and new ripples of political intrigue now in Florida. A former president, a pivotal Senate race, and now allegations of a backroom deal that could squeeze one candidate out of the race. We're going to have the very latest on that developing story.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MALVEAUX: It's 9:30 AM Eastern and 6:30 out west. Good morning. Let's check some stories that people are talking about. TSA is phasing in a new pat down procedure at airports across the country. Not everybody's happy about this. Some say that this touching is too invasive.

Well, you know about this week's rash of tornadoes, but have you seen this video? The twister was so powerful, it picked up several trailers at a construction site.

And the Tea Party is having an influence, yes, on Halloween sales. Some retailers say that colonial-style costumes, they're now selling twice as fast as other costumes. They say that it's due to the rise in the Tea Party movement and election year patriotism.

Well, the recession is over, but many Americans aren't feeling it. And today, we are learning why. The latest report on Gross Domestic Product is out. Now, that tells us how things are going in the world's biggest economy.

Alison Kosik is at the New York Stock Exchange. Alison, tell us where things stand now.

ALISON KOSIK, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Suzanne. I have some good news, and I've got some bad news. Good news is that the economy is, in fact, growing. Now the bad news, it is just not growing fast enough to bring down unemployment.

Now, we found out today that the economy grew at a two percent annual pace in the third quarter. That's actually slightly better than the previous quarter. And it's definitely a big improvement from the depths of the recession you see here back in 2009. We were at negative growth, 4.9 percent negative growth. So, growth this year has been steady, but it's also been very slow, almost anemic. I mean, in normal times, the average growth rate for the economy sits at somewhere around 6.3 percent. But we're obviously not in good times.

Now, what's going on with this number today is that we found out that exports and government spending are helping the economy. But slow growth is really the reflection of weak consumer spending. We've got a growing number of imports, and that really hurts American businesses. We're not seeing enough domestic production to really give a boost to the economy and put jobs in the economy. Suzanne -- Suzanne?

MALVEAUX: Where do we go from here?

KOSIK: Of course, we are in for this really long, painful haul at this point. The growth forecast for 2011 is sitting at 2.6 percent. That's weaker than where we started this year, so we're really only taking these small steps forward. So the result, of course, is that unemployment is likely to stay above nine percent. But you know, I do have some good news to finish off. Most analysts do not expect that we'll see a double-dip recession. It is going to be more along the lines of something like baby steps. We'll be moving forward, but very slowly.

And the Fed is expected to help. They're meeting next week and likely to announce that they're going to buy up bonds to drive down interest rates and put more money into the economy. But some are questioning how effective that move is going to be.

Now that GDP report is weighing on stocks at the open, the Dow Industrials down about 16. The NASDAQ off about 2. Suzanne, back to you.

MALVEAUX: All right, Alison. Thank you so much.

We are just four days away from the election that could change the political landscape. Democrats and Republicans are digging deep to lock in those critical undecided votes. Want to take a quick look beyond Tuesday with our senior political editor Mark Preston, who is in Washington at the CNN Political's dot-com desk.

Mark, good to see you. You have been working a story, about, I understand, Michael Steele and the future at RNC chairman. What do you know?

MARK PRESTON, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL EDITOR: Suzanne, just a couple days ago, I was first to report that Michael Steele, in fact, was going to run for a second term as chairman of the Republican National Committee. Now, that's pretty big news because he has been a controversial figure in Republican politics, very well liked in many ways.

But he's also made some big gaffes along the way as our viewers probably remember. He got into a public fight with Rush Limbaugh. He said some comments about Afghanistan that were not necessarily in line with the Republican party's thinking. So, coming under criticism within his own party, Suzanne, about his fundraising ability.

So, about six weeks ago I did spend some time with him as he was launching this "fire Nancy Pelosi" bus tour. It just so happens this tour is closing now in this final day and will heading back to Washington, D.C. But six weeks ago, he addressed all these issues. He addressed the criticism. He addressed his future. At the time, he didn't tell me if he was going to run or not, but he did address some of these things.

Let's look at one of the things he had to say, some very sharp words about the critics, Suzanne, if we could go to that.

He said, "All I ever wanted from the first day I took this job is a fair shot to do it. Don't criticize me for not raising money when you have told people not to give to us." So, a very sharp firing back from Michael Steele against his critics, Suzanne.

MALVEAUX: All right. Mark, thanks for the update. Appreciate that. Obviously, that will have political implications with the GOP.

Still ahead, a former president, a pivotal Senate race and allegations now of a back-room deal that could squeeze one candidate out of the race. We'll have the very latest on this developing story.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DAVID LETTERMAN, HOST, "LATE SHOW WITH DAVID LETTERMAN": Oh. It's the scariest day of the year, if you don't count election day. Other than that, it's the scariest -

(LAUGHTER)

LETTERMAN: -- Tuesday is election day. Millions and millions of Americans take time off from their jobs on Tuesday to pretend to go vote. So, it's going to be a big day.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JAY LENO, HOST, "THE TONIGHT SHOW WITH JAY LENO": God, election day less than a week away. Of course, Republicans are just counting the days when it will be their time to screw things up.

(LAUGHTER)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JON STEWART, "THE DAILY SHOW WITH JON STEWART": You know, it's Tuesday's election -- next Tuesday's election is an important one. It's not just about selecting the candidate who may or may not represent your values. It's about choosing between hard-line Marxist state tyranny and autocratic Taliban religious crazies.

(LAUGHTER)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: Tens of thousands of people are expected on Washington's National Mall. That is tomorrow for Jon Stewart Rally to Restore Sanity. Now, "The Daily Show" host says this even will have the same spirit as his show. He insists that the rally is not going to be political. But he hopes to attract voters turned off by so-called fringe elements that dominate political discussion and conversation.

Well, we are following a developing story on a different note out of Florida, where a nasty Senate race could have national implications. Now, the Republican nominee there is leading the three-way race for U.S. Senate. And that could help GOP take control of Congress. So the Democrats, of course, are scrambling. There are reports now that former president Bill Clinton is asking his fellow Democrat, Kendrick Meek, to quit the race. Now, Meek would then throw support behind the independent candidate and possibly keep that seat out of Republican hands.

Well, as you can imagine, this story is just kicking up issues of power brokering, back-room deals and even race. I want to take a closer look with our CNN political analyst Roland Martin, who joins us from Washington.

Roland, I know you had a chance, obviously, to speak with Kendrick Meek. He knew the political play here. I mean, he knew how this was going to play out and in terms of his chances. What's the timing of this al about?

ROLAND MARTIN, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: Well, actually, not necessarily. You remember, first of all, Charlie Crist is a Republican. He is running as an independent, but he's a Republican. He realized he could not beat Mark (ph) Rubio in the primary, so he decided to run as an independent.

Meek actually was the first candidate to jump into the U.S. Senate race, and so it's interesting that here he wins the Democratic nomination and Democrats are saying, you know, look. Beyond president Bill Clinton, we have seen other Democrats talk about they want Meek to drop out to keep the seat from Rubio. But the reality is, Crist is the a Republican. And Meek's saying, look, that's what's going on here.

There's no doubt when you look at the polling data right now, Rubio's in first. Crist is the in second and Meek is in third. I talked to a senior Democratic official and said the thinking was if Meek had come out of the primary, was polling at around 28 percent or 30 percent, that would have showed that he had a surge in voters, and then the play would have been to go to Crist to say, look, you don't have a shot. You need to drop out.

And so, there's no doubt they don't want Rubio with a seat. But again, even if Crist wins, who says Crist doesn't caucus with the Republicans? So, there's no guarantee he aligns himself with Democrats.

MALVEAUX: I understand, too, that the White House -- I mean, what seems to underscore this whole thing is that their agenda is in trouble, and they are now potentially -- they could be relying on someone who used to be Republican, now is independent who promised to caucus with the Democrats. What do you think that says about where this administration is in pushing forward what it wants to do for two years?

MARTIN: Well, first of all, there's absolute scramble there. You've had Democrats who have been complaining that President Obama spent far more time campaigning for senators as opposed to for members of the House. The expectation by many prognosticators is that Republicans going to take control of the House. So, Democrats are trying to hold on to at least one chamber of Congress, and that is the U.S. Senate. And so, they're trying to figure out how do you get to that point where you have 50, 51, 52 votes? And so that's what you see going on here. In terms of trying to -- how you deal with the president's agenda.

Remember, even though Democrats right now have 59 seats in the House, the president's agenda has still been troublesome because you have an independent in Senator Joe Lieberman. You also have Republicans who've made it clear to have a 60-vote threshold, and so you have this whole back and forth going on. Democrats are trying anything and everything to hold on to some semblance of power when it comes to the Congress because they're going up against a fierce anti-incumbent mood all across this country.

MALVEAUX: Real quick, Roland, last question. How does this impact African-American voters, who make up 10 percent in Florida when it comes to voting? Are they angry? Are they offended by what's happened to Meek?

MARTIN: Well, first of all, it's very interesting. I follow comments on Facebook and Twitter. I talked to Congressman Meek on the Tom Joyner morning show today. You have some folks, no doubt, angry, upset.

I talked to black members of Congress. Congressman Alcee Hastings is angry. I talked to other CDC members. But then you have some black voters saying, wait a minute. Meek is third in the polls. Hey, we don't want Rubio to hold the seat. And so, it is a toss-up right there, but you also have the Democratic gubernatorial candidate, Alex Sink, saying how will this impact me, as well?

And so, you know, we have no idea. But voting going on right now. Meek says I'm getting votes right now. I'm not getting out of the race. It is an absolute mess in Florida. But why should we be shocked? It is Florida.

MALVEAUX: All right. Roland, we know Florida has been really the lynchpin in so many elections and which way we go in this country. So, thank you so much. Appreciate it.

MARTIN: Thanks much.

MALVEAU: Well, obviously, the midterm elections will likely test the Tea Party's staying power. If the Tea Party-backed candidates win, it could validate the movement's impact for years to come.

I want to talk about that with our CNN political producer, Shannon Travis, who's been following the rallies, the causes. Joins us from Washington. Obviously, Shannon, I mean, you have been with the Tea Party from the very beginning. Have you learned anything about this group that perhaps surprised you, that we're not even familiar with? That we haven't seen in some of these rallies and things that are very public?

SHANNON TRAVIS, CNN POLITICAL PRODUCER: Actually, Suzanne, that's a good question. There are a number of things that will be surprising to -- that were surprising to me and would be surprising to our viewers. And those are some things that you'll actually be seeing tomorrow night in the documentary "BOILING POINT: Inside the Tea Party." As you know, it airs tomorrow night at 8:00 p.m. Eastern.

But there are a number of things. People have often seen since the past 18 months they have seen the signs, they've seen the rallies. They have heard the anger, but they have rarely gotten the chance to go inside the movement, and that's what we do for this documentary.

One moment that some of our viewers have seen before but that kind of gets a fuller context in the documentary when I caught up with Sarah Palin last week in Reno, Nevada. She was there headlining the fourth national tour of the Tea Party Express. I think we actually have that now.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRAVIS: Today is the kickoff of the fourth tour of the Tea Party Express. And where are they kicking it off at? Sarah Palin is the headliner for today's event.

(AUDIENECE CHEERING)

TRAVIS: This is essentially her political base. I mean she is the darling of the movement in terms of getting the message out. Sarah Palin can do it like no other.

SARAH PALIN (R), FORMER ALASKA GOVERNOR: Politicians who are in office today, you, some of you need to man up. The big wigs within the machine, they're driving me crazy because they're too chicken to come out and support the Tea Party candidates.

Now, Old Glory has never flown higher or prouder than where you have put her, Tea Party patriots.

CROWD: Sarah. Sarah. Sarah. Sarah. Sarah.

TRAVIS: Governor, what if the -- what if the Tea Party movement winds up splitting the Republican Party into (INAUDIBLE)?

PALIN: You know, I don't think that it will because I think more of the machine within the GOP is going to understand that this "we the people message" is rising and it's resonating throughout with independents, with hard-core conservatives, with moderates because it's just so full of common sense and time-tested truths that can put the economy on the right track.

And heaven forbid that the GOP machine strays from this message. If so, the GOP is through.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

TRAVIS: There you see, Suzanne, Sarah Palin laying down the line saying that if the Republican Party doesn't -- strays away from these message that the Tea Party Movement is pushing, that they are through. You also heard her use language like the Republican establishment needs to quote, "man up and stop being chicken and not supporting these Tea Party candidates".

So, very few other Republicans who are using that kind of language to buck other Republicans and very few Republicans who are much -- as much loved and adored by the Tea Party Movement as Sarah Palin.

SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN ANCHOR: All right. Shannon, thank you so much. Excellent work.

We're going to look a closer look at the Tea Party Movement, the massive rallies, the angry protests, demands on elected leaders. Plus, some of the things that you have never seen and don't know about this group. You don't want to miss CNN's unprecedented documentary "Boiling Point: Inside the Tea Party" that is Saturday and Sunday night at 8:00 Eastern.

Well, actress Janine Turner played a role on "Northern Exposure". You may remember that, as the show set in Alaska but she has just made her first real trip to the state to co-host a Tea Party event with Sarah Palin. Turner was a guest on CNN's newest prime time program "Parker Spitzer" last night.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JANINE TURNER, ACTRESS: There are a lot of conservatives in Hollywood but they're afraid to speak out because when they do, they get blacklisted. They don't get to actually -- they are worried about losing their jobs. And I -- I think that's very un-American and it's -- it's certainly defies our First Amendment rights and I think that America's like an eagle. It takes a left and a right wing to fly and we all should come together and work together and not be afraid as Americans to voice our political opinion because that's -- that's what America is all about.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: Check out CNN's newest prime time program "Parker Spitzer" tonight at 8:00 p.m. Eastern.

Well, perhaps it's a case of house hunting on steroids. You're not going to believe this. This is the world's first billion-dollar home. We're going to head to Mumbai, India, for an up-close look.

And as Halloween approaches, "The Rocky Horror Picture Show", a must see in the cinema. It is back.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You've seen all kinds of movies but you've never seen anything like "The Rocky Horror Picture Show."

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: It's been 35 years since the movie made its debut but the songs and the time warp dance -- they're still a favorite with audiences. Last night there was a star-studded tribute and costume ball at the Wilton Theater in Los Angeles. The proceeds are going to benefit the Painted Turtle, one of Paul Newman's camps for children with serious illnesses.

Happy Halloween.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MALVEAUX: We're following a breaking news stories. I want to give you the very latest. We're looking at pictures from our affiliate WJLA, live pictures of an investigating -- a shooting that took place overnight at the National Marine Corps Museum in Triangle, Virginia.

A spokesman from the museum says that bullet casings were found in the glass and metal structures; that no shots were fired inside of the building, but outside. No one was in the building at the time.

Now the museum has since been closed and this is significant considering that the FBI now looking into the third shooting at a military facility in two weeks. That's the very latest in the shooting.

Well, we are following lots of developments in the next hour of CNN NEWSROOM. We want to check in first with my colleague at the White House, senior White House correspondent Ed Henry -- hey, Ed.

ED HENRY, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, Suzanne, good morning to you. A lot of talk about this drama in the Florida Senate race. What did the White House know and when did they know it? We'll have inside details at the top of the hour.

POPPY HARLOW, CNNMONEY.COM: And also coming up at the top of the hour, we just got the first reading on third-quarter GDP. How is the economy faring? We'll tell you that and what it means ahead of the major midterm election coming up in just a few days.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'll tell you which celebrity has been slamming one of the new "American Idol" judges and more entertainment news at the top of the hour.

MALVEAUX: Thanks, guys.

Also ahead, the TSA is unveiling new airport pat-down procedures, but some passengers just aren't feeling it. We're going to have details.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MALVEAUX: The San Francisco Giants have taken a 2-0 lead in the World Series. Giants pitcher Matt Cain kept his post-season scoreless streak alive in the 9-0 win over Texas.

Edgar Renteria set a homer and drove in to other runs. The series moves to Texas for became 3 tomorrow.

And joining us, Tony?

TONY HARRIS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: We're talking sports? We're talking sports? MALVEAUX: Dude, you have to help me with the sports. I'm not -- I've been stuck in the -- I've been at the White House for the last ten years. I don't know my sports.

HARRIS: Well, you've got some hope there with your Washington Wizards with this great young kid, John Wall, who is a sensational rookie. He'll be a great player for you guys. They took a bit of a butt- whipping in their season opener last night. But we'll get to that in a second.

Have you been watching the way the NBA season now is like this showcase in a way that Super Bowl is a showcase for ads?

MALVEAUX: Sure.

HARRIS: You start the NBA season now with these terrific commercials. We were talking about the Lebron James early in the week. There was a new ad now, out just yesterday featuring Dwight Howard of the Orland Magic. It is terrific ad with this actor from the -- did you watch the movie? Did you go see the movie "The Hangover"?

MALVEAUX: I have not seen "The Hangover".

HARRIS: We have to get you out a little bit.

MALVEAUX: You've got to get me out a life. I need to live a little.

HARRIS: Take a look at this ad. And then let's talk about it in just a moment.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(ADVERTISEMENT)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRIS: I think that's the wrong cut. It's not bad. This is like the extra material. But the ad itself is even funnier. If you saw the movie "The Hangover" you're rolling right now.

(CROSSTALK)

MALVEAUX: That was very funny.

HARRIS: So we are thinking downstairs that this guy, this actor from "The Hangover" who cares about his name, he's playing Slim Chin in these ads. He has another ad with Derek Rhodes who's a superstar point guard for Chicago.

We're thinking that he is the new Mars Blackman. Do you remember Mars Blackman? Spike Lee from the Nike ads back in the day with Michael Jordan.

(CROSSTALK)

Harris: It's the shoes, it's got to be the shoes. One more item before we get out of here and let you do real news here. Brett Favre, quarterback for the Minnesota Vikings right now has got this amazing streak going, 291 conservative games right? It's in jeopardy because he has all kinds of injuries. Look, he's 41, it happens. He's been in a boot all week and he may not play. But it's an amazing streak of 291 consecutive games. The guy next who is on the list, Peyton Manning at 190 or so, would have to play another six years, just about six years and not miss a game, provided Favre stops playing.

MALVEAX: Are we going to see him? Are even going to see him?

HARRIS: He may not play this weekend, because he's so banged up. And it would bring to an end one of the amazing streaks -- everybody talks about Cal Ripken's conservative game streak, but for this game, as violent as this game is, to have played 291 consecutive games is amazing, but the streak may come to an end today -- Suzanne.

MALVEAUX: My goodness. Thank God you're here to do sports.

HARRIS: You know what? In honor of you, you may be our random moment today.

MALVEAUX: What's the random moment?

HARRIS: We saw you busting a move a little earlier. A couple of dance moves.

MALVEAUX: You do not have that on tape. I'm sure you do not.

HARRIS: And now, we give you, Suzanne Malveaux, soon to be our random moment of the day.

MALVEAUX: I really hope that's not true.