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Countdown to Election Day; Woman Arrested in Terror Plot; Last Three Days Before Midterm Elections; Country Is Consumed By Political Rallies; 'Frenzied Final Weekend'

Aired October 30, 2010 - 16:00   ET

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

JESSICA YELLIN, CNN ANCHOR: I'm Jessica Yellin in Las Vegas. You are watching "Ballot Bowl," CNN's coverage of the midterm elections. We are taking you to campaign events across the country and for the next two hours we're going to also bring you updates on the biggest races in the nation, and tell you how all these races will affect each and every one of us. This is the final push to an election that has enormous import. I'm joined by Dana Bash in Bridgeport, Connecticut where there's one of those Senate seats that's right now in a very hot race. Because who was there visiting you, Dana?

DANA BASH, CNN ANCHOR: President Obama. He just wrapped up his rally here to get Democrats in the state, particularly in the city to the polls in just three days. That is the name of the game for President Obama today as he does that in three states. Here's what's going on also this hour. We're going to go back to Alaska.

The neck and neck race there for Senate between a Democrat, a Republican and an incumbent senator, running as a write in candidate. And then we're going to head back to where you are, Jessica, to Nevada. That is the most powerful man in the Senate, the Democratic leader Harry Reid. He's at serious risk of losing his seat. We're also going to take you to Delaware, for an update on one of the most talked about Senate races of the year, with Christine O'Donnell, having an upset there big time last month.

Also, we're going to go to the middle of the country, the state of Ohio, that bellwether political state where the governor's race is coming down to the wire. Now, Tuesday's elections will have a huge impact on the balance of power in Washington. Let's take a look at the numbers.

There are 255 Democrats and 178 Republicans in the House right now. The total of 218 is what is needed by either party to win the majority. That means Republicans are going to need to pick up 39 seats on Tuesday to gain control of the House. A number of non- partisan forecasters say that that is within reach and perhaps within reach and then some. Now let's go over to the Senate side of the capital.

There are now 57 Democrats and 41 Republicans. 51 is the magic number that Republicans would need to take the majority from the Democrats. Now, Republicans, that means if you do the math, you need to pick up 10 seats to gain control. Now, if there's a 50-50 tie, which has happened, it happened over this decade, Democrats would need to keep control or they would keep control because the vice president would cast the tie breaking vote and the vice president is, of course, a Democrat, Joe Biden. Jess?

YELLIN: That's right. So with just three days left, we all want to know which way voters are leaning. We can't know for sure, because polls are based on assumptions, but we can check in on the poll of polls, which adds together all the big polls and does a final generic number, it's called the generic ballot and 48 percent of likely voters on that generic ballot say - 48 percent say they would choose a Republican candidate, 44 percent say they would choose a Democrat.

It gives the GOP a four-point margin. That's down from an eight- point advantage that republicans held in last week's poll of polls. And that's one of the reasons why democrats challenge this idea that there is a huge enthusiasm gap, that maybe the republican enthusiasm is - Democrats are at least catching up to it.

But we're going to have to see what comes out on election day. As I say, all of these things are based on assumptions, all of these polls can't necessarily give us a looking glass into the future as well as those ballot returns. Dana, I want to talk with you about one of the most sort of momentous dramas we'll be watching on Tuesday, and that is the U.S. Senate to see which way that shifts.

There will be 10 seats is the number that Republicans we know need to pick up in order to take control of the U.S. Senate. I think we have a map of what are the 12 places where they could potentially find 10 winners. And I'm going to group them and we can talk about them into what I think are the most and least likely based on the prognostications.

Most likely, right now, based on the prognosticators, Arkansas, North Dakota, Indiana likely to go Republican, according to the pollsters. Wisconsin, also possibly likely. Then Colorado, Illinois, Nevada and Pennsylvania, those are sort of the up for grab states. And then the states, I think people are saying we think it will trend Democrat, but there's an outside chance, California, outside chance a Republican could win, Washington state, West Virginia and Connecticut. Do you agree with that analysis or would you take some out?

BASH: No, no, I think that's dead on. I absolutely think that's dead on. I would just talk if you keep the map up, I would continue talking about Wisconsin, Jessica. Wisconsin, you know, the fact that President Obama is not going back there, that is an indicator, along with the polls, that the long-time senator, Russ Feingold, is in serious trouble.

Democrats and Republicans say that they think that that one is pretty much gone. We'll see what happens on Tuesday. But I agree with you. If you do the math, those four, if you need 10, there are four already, so you have six left. And then there are seven really competitive races, seven competitive races, just to reiterate what you said, Pennsylvania, Illinois, Colorado, Washington, West Virginia, California. If Republicans can pick up six of those seven, that's it, they've got it. But that's a big "if." That is a big if, especially where you have spent so much time in California.

Republicans are just not sure that they can really pull that off. Washington state is a dead heat with the incumbent Patty Murray and we've been talking about West Virginia. That state was kind of a surprise being competitive maybe six weeks ago and now Democrats and Republicans say they think that's probably going to stay in Democratic hands. But it is really, really fascinating to watch this numbers game because it really does have a very real world impact on the direction of the country, policies and politics in Washington.

YELLIN: And of course, when they all come back after this election, they have a lame duck session, people will be talking about tax cuts, tax policy and that is something that everybody cares about. It could be (INAUDIBLE) into next year's Congress and that will be up for these newly elected officials to decide on, potentially all on tax policy going into the future. We're going to talk about all of this, the balance of power, why it matters to you and bring you more events from around the country.

But first we're going to take a quick break. Stay with us here on "Ballot Bowl" on CNN.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) BASH: Welcome back to CNN's "Ballot Bowl." I'm Dana Bash in Bridgeport, Connecticut, where President Obama just wrapped up a rally here a short while ago. It was the second of three rallies that he is holding to get democrats to the polls. He's heading to his home state of Illinois to try to keep his former Senate seat from going into Republican hands. It doesn't get any more personal than that, right, Jessica?

I want to ask you about the Senate race that you have covered more than anybody, at the network and that is the one we were talking about earlier in California. Really, really interesting race between Barbara Boxer, the sitting Democratic senator, and Carly Fiorina, who is trying to unseat her.

YELLIN: That's right. Carly Fiorina, as you know, is the former Hewlett-Packard CEO and she is running as a Republican on a message of change, that she wants to bring a different voice to Washington, D.C.. Barbara Boxer has held this seat for 18 years. Well, Barbara Boxer has hit back very hard with an aggressive campaign, focused on outsourcing.

More than anything else, she has accused Carly Fiorina of endorsing a policy of outsourcing at Hewlett-Packard, pointing out that thousands of jobs went overseas while she ran Hewlett Packard and this is not the kind of leadership she says, Boxer says, that California needs. That has been a message that has worked exceptionally well. People at the beginning thought that Boxer might be neck and neck, at this point. In fact, the latest polling shows that Barbara Boxer is leading Carly Fiorina, 50 percent to 45 percent there in California.

So that is a state where Republicans had been optimistic, they could pick up a seat but are now feeling a little less hopeful about that one. Still, you know, pretty close, but certainly Barbara Boxer has held onto her lead. Now, something interesting and very human did happen last week. Carly Fiorina has been struggling as a survivor of breast cancer and has been on the campaign trail while she was undergoing reconstructive surgery treatments all this year.

She would speak about it, but she didn't make a big deal of it. Well, last week she got an infection related to the reconstruction and had to be hospitalized for one day. We caught up with her on Wednesday, the day she came back on the campaign trail after being treated in the hospital. We found her on the trail and here's a little bit of what Carly Fiorina was saying on the day she got out.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CARLY FIORINA (R), CALIFORNIA SENATE CANDIDATE: This campaign is about jobs, and how jobs are created. This campaign is about holding Washington accountable for how they spend our money, and the policies they put in place. And this campaign has been about Barbara Boxer's 28 years of failed leadership in Washington, D.C..

This is an amazing success story here. And every time I see a success story like this one, I am reminded that if the American people, if the good people of California are given the tools and the opportunities to create jobs, then they'll create jobs. It's when government gets in the way with taxes that are too high or regulations that are too thick or public servants that are out of touch and unaccountable. That's when the trouble starts. We've had plenty of that kind of trouble from Barbara Boxer.

Here we are in October of 2010, and California still - still struggles with our highest unemployment levels in 70 years. We have had more people in California fall into poverty in the last three years than almost in recorded history. And since the stimulus bill was passed, $810 billion of taxpayer funded money, not only do we learn every day about some other egregious waste of that money, but the reality is, it hasn't created jobs. It hasn't reduced our unemployment rate to eight percent.

It hasn't created 400,000 new jobs in California as Barbara Boxer promised. In fact, we've lost over 400,000 jobs since that stimulus bill was passed. In February of '09 when the stimulus bill was passed, our unemployment rate in the state of California was a tragic 10.2 percent. Our unemployment today stands at an even more devastating 12.4 percent. 20 counties with unemployment above 15 percent.

And while we struggle here in the state of California with the highest unemployment rates on record, Washington, D.C. has added 100,000 bureaucrats in the last 12 months alone. Our debt has climbed to over $12.6 trillion to over $13 trillion in the last two years. And Barbara Boxer's answer is to spend more, borrow more, bail out more. But we know that doesn't work, because it hasn't worked.

Now, another thing happened in the last couple of months. The 2001- 2003 tax cuts are set to expire, and that means on January 1st, every middle class family in California is going to face a $1,600 tax increase. In fact, families here in the Sacramento area are going to face an over $1,700 tax increase. Every family owned business is going to face a 55 percent death tax on January 1st. And every small business is going to face a tax increase, as well.

And of course, we know, Larry knows, we know that if we want to get the job creation engine going in our state and in our nation again, then we have to pay particular attention to small businesses and family-owned businesses, because that's where most people get their start.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

YELLIN: Carly Fiorina, the Republican nominee for U.S. Senate in California, delivering her economic message earlier this week, the day she was released from the hospital after treatment related to reconstructive surgery. Fiorina, a personal self funder, a very successful businesswoman, is one of those self-funders this election cycle. And I want to toss over to Dana Bash who is in the state where there's another big self-funder in the race, Linda McMahon. Dana?

BASH: That's right. Linda McMahon is the Republican candidate for senate here. She has spent about $50 million of her own money, and at this point, it doesn't look like it's going to get her a Senate seat. Very, very fascinating here and also in California. We want to let our viewers know that we believe that Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert are going to hold a press conference after their rally on the Mall. We will bring that to you live.

We also want to make sure that you know that we are going to give you the latest news on the terror investigation, including the fact that a woman is under arrest in Yemen. We also have new information on this synagogue, at least one of them in Chicago that was supposed to be the target of one of those explosive packages. We'll have more on that right after the break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, I'm Fredricka Whitfield in Atlanta. More "Ballot Bowl" in a moment. But first we want to bring you up to date on the terror threat that has investigators swarming over new details that are arising from Great Britain, on to the U.S.. We're understanding that information is coming in that one of the Chicago targets of those explosive devices that were in plane cargo was bound for Chicago, specifically a synagogue called (INAUDIBLE) Hadash.

It's identified as a small synagogue in Chicago with about 100 congregants and also shares space with yet another synagogue there in the Chicago area. That information coming in to CNN.

Meantime, we're also learning new developments out of Yemen that police have arrested a female suspect in connection with that foiled terror plot. Mohammed Jamjoom is in Baghdad. He spent extensive time in Yemen. He's joining as now with more developments. What more do we know about the arrest of this woman and whether others are soon to follow? MOHAMMED JAMJOOM, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Fredricka, it's been a rapidly developing story the past 24 hours in Yemen as far as the details on the ground there. What we've heard in the last hour and a half, Yemen's president came out and gave a press conference to reporters there, spoke about the fact that there had been a terror suspect, a female suspect whose house had been surrounded.

This is in Sanaa, in Yemen's capital city. She was suspected of being linked to the packages that were sent out. She's the main suspect in having sent out those parcels with the explosive materials in them. Now, after that statement, just about half an hour later, Yemeni security officials, defense ministry officials also told us that they have now arrested that suspect.

We don't have any details about this woman. The president repeatedly referred to her as a girl. We don't know her age. We only know that she is a resident of Sanaa. We do not know if there's anybody else in the House or anybody who they suspect may have assisted her in this terror plot.

Now, also Yemen's president announced in his press conference that they're working with the international community with their partners, the U.S. and the U.K. to eradicate Yemen of Al Qaeda. So they continue to rely on help from other countries with this problem, Al Qaeda. Yemeni officials have said there are as many as 400 active Al Qaeda members in Yemen right now, but they are in rugged, mountainous areas of Yemen where the central government doesn't really have any power and so they are able to operate at will.

Yemen's president repeatedly said they need to get help from the international community to get this problem under control. Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: All right. Mohammed Jamjoom, thanks so much, from Baghdad.

Of course, we want to get back to more of the "Ballot Bowl." We're also going to zero in on the tea party movement and its influence on this midterms elections now just three days away.

Our Shannon Travis has been digging for the past 18 months and has a new documentary that will be out this evening called "Boiling Point." He'll be along to talk more about that. I'm Fredricka Whitfield in Atlanta. We'll see more of the "Ballot Bowl" after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

YELLIN: Welcome back to CNN's "Ballot Bowl" where we bring you live political events from around the country in this final weekend before this midterm elections that will determine so much about the next year, even the next 10 years of who will control Washington and determine the direction of this country for some time to come.

One of the issues we will be talking about, the Tea Party. What kind of role will they play going into the future? Our own Shannon Travis, a producer, has been on the road with the Tea Party Express, has a documentary tonight and we'll talk to him about what he's learned traveling the country with the Tea Party.

Our Dana Bash is joining us from Bridgeport, Connecticut where the president just spoke. Quite a rally there, Dana. A lot of energy in that crowd.

BASH: Certainly a lot of energy and energy is the name of the game, turning energy into actually walking and going to the polls on Tuesday. That is what it is all about for the president today.

Jessica, we're going to talk in a little while about a man I covered a lot in 2008, you covered a lot in 2010 in his race to beat back a fellow Republican who wanted his Senate seat. We're talking about John McCain.

John McCain is now pretty much in the clear. He is way ahead of the Democrat there to -- in the Senate race, but he's still campaigning, just three days away. He's seen moving before, that had him up and down and back and forth. So, he's staying out there, but he's also campaigning with another person who has become a national figure in the state of Arizona. And that is Governor Jan Brewer. She's also on the ballot, the two of them are going to be campaigning-excuse me, live in about an hour. And we're going to talk our viewers there, as well when that happens. We're going to have a lot more on BALLOT BOWL, right after the break. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BASH: Welcome back to CNN's BALLOT BOWL. I'm Dana Bash in Bridgeport, Connecticut.

We are following the campaign events all across the country on this frenzied final weekend of the 2010 campaign, ahead of Tuesday's elections all across the country. In a moment, we're going to bring you a press conference-we believe it is going to happen relatively soon-with Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert after their rally. Very unconventional rally on The National Mall. Turns out it wasn't as political as we thought. We really didn't know what to expect. It looked like it was more a rock and roll concert, comedy, and a little bit of political message at the end.

YELLIN: Yeah, and we got to hear "Love Train." So that is always a plus. I haven't heard that since a wedding band played it at a recent event.

BASH: It the real deal.

YELLIN: One of the big factors this season, Dana, as everybody well knows, is the Tea Party. And the Tea Party Express has played a real role in this election. They have endorsed candidates who have surged to become the Republican nominees in the state I'm in, Nevada, Sharron Angle challenging Senate Democratic Majority Leader Harry Reid. In Colorado, where Ken Buck is a Tea Party favorite, Christine O'Donnell in Delaware, they have had a major voice throughout the season.

And our own Shannon Travis has been -- I think it's been 18 months, he's been with the Tea Party Express, following them, watching their message, watching their political game as it has evolved. And Shannon has a documentary on CNN tonight.

So, Shannon, we want to ask you a little bit about the documentary. But also tell us, as you've been with us in these closing days, what's the closing message you heard from the Tea Party Express? Telling folks as they prepare to get out and vote.

SHANNON TRAVIS, CNN PRODUCER: That is a great question, Jessica. The closing message is, you have to seal the deal. There's been all of this excitement, all of these bus tours and people going out to rallies for the past 18 months, as you just said. But now the message is, hey, all of that will be for naught, if we don't get people to the polls. If they don't go to the polls, if they don't get their neighbors and friends, and other people they have fired up over the past few months, out to the polls. The message right now is get out there and vote.

YELLIN: When you're with the Tea Party Express, to what extent does it feel grassroots and to what extent does it feel like they is some big money, some big institutional organization behind it, or influencing it in any way?

TRAVIS: That is an excellent question. And it is one of the questions that we explore in the documentary tonight.

Is it being funded by people like you or I, sending in $5 or $10, small donations? Because these buses cost money and these rallies and signs cost money. Or is it, as their critics say, being funded by billionaires pouring in money to further their own self-interests? One of the critical questions a lot of people wonder about, and one of the things we tackle in this documentary tonight.

YELLIN: Oh, so you're not going to answer, you're just teasing ahead to the documentary.

TRAVIS: I got to tease up a little bit.

YELLIN: You know that tactic.

(LAUGHTER)

Well, let me ask you about this, Sarah Palin obviously is a darling of the Tea Party movement. She said to you that -- she sort of said the Republican Party better be on board with the Tea Party message after this election, otherwise the Republican Party will be through.

TRAVIS: That's right.

YELLIN: That is what I heard her say. What did you take from that?

TRAVIS: You know, Sarah Palin arguably is the only person in the Republican Party who has as much love from the Tea Party Movement. She's the only one really tweaking, quote unquote, establishment Republicans. You heard her say, not just to me, but in her speech, "man up, you establishment Republicans, and support these Tea Party candidates." She called some of them chickens. I would be curious to hear her name names, who she thinks is a chicken. But she basically is telling the establishment, look, I am putting a lot of political capital on the line, because I believe in these Tea Party conservative constitutional candidates. And you should as well. It's a bit of a gamble if come Tuesday a lot of these Tea Party candidates don't do well, then will that make her stock lower a little? Or if they do, do well, would that make her some sort of queen maker, or even possibly, you know, rise her stock in terms of a 2012 presidential bid?

YELLIN: I like your language, queen maker, a lot of gendered words this season. We'll have to explore them in the coming days after the election. Shannon, thanks so much for joining us.

TRAVIS: Thanks, Jessica.

YELLIN: We will all, of course, be tuning in to watch your documentary, and there is a lot you've never seen and don't know about the Tea Party Movement. If you want to know more, don't miss this documentary, "Boiling Point: Inside the Tea Party". It is tonight and Sunday night at 8:00 Eastern. Stay with us here at BALLOT BOWL, we'll come back with more political events on the other side of this break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BASH: Welcome back to CNN's BALLOT BOWL. We have been taking you to live political events going on all across the country in this final campaign weekend of the midterm elections this year. And one of the events that we saw earlier was the big rally on The Mall with Stephen Colbert and Jon Stewart. The two of them are holding a press conference right now. We are going to take you to that live, right now.

(BEGIN LIVE FEED, IN PROGRESS)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Question over there?

QUESTION: I'm Kevin Latack (ph) from CNN, I was wondering what your plans are from here? I don't know if you consider sanity was restored entirely today. So where are you going from here? Are you going to plan more rallies?

JON STEWART, CO-ORGANIZER, RALLY TO RESTORE SANITY AND/OR FEAR: I'm going to go hug my children.

STEPHEN COLBERT, CO-ORGANIZER, RALLY TO RESTORE SANITY, AND/OR FEAR: We have a show on Monday, and we got to go right back. We have a live show on Tuesday. Normally that would be the hardest thing we do this year. So we got to go home for two days. We have a Wednesday show, too.

(LAUGHTER)

And then we have to keep doing them until Thanksgiving.

STEWART: And then we get to relax.

COLBERT: Yeah.

STEWART: This young lady over here.

QUESTION: I'm Breena Anlee (ph) with "CQ Roll Call". What advice do you have --

STEWART: First of all, you should not be able to just make the names up.

(LAUGHTER)

I don't think that's fair.

QUESTION: What advice do you have for citizens who want to get engaged and change their government in a sane way?

STEWART: I think they should definitely get engaged.

COLBERT: Absolutely.

STEWART: I think that sounds fine.

QUESTION: How?

How would you do that?

QUESTION: (OFF MIC)

STEWART: How about just talking.

COLBERT: You don't have to shout. I heard you.

(LAUGHTER)

STEWART: Another question right here.

QUESTION: I'm Alexis O'Bannon from "Read It.com".

(INAUDIBLE NOISES)

COLBERT: Nice to see you. Thanks so much for getting to half a million dollars for "Donors Choose" (ph) Read It, did a donation push to kind of encourage us to do a rally. And two days ago? Two days ago you hit $500,000 for Donors (INAUDIBLE).

QUESTION: Thank you, Stephen for inspiring the Read It community. I'm just one of the co-founders, just being here, asking you this, what role did the Internet campaign play in convincing you to hold this rally? Don't pander.

STEWART: I mean, the truth is, it was a really kind of a nice thing that the Internet did, but we've been planning this, and the thought of it for a few months prior. And I had made the deposit down on The Mall over the summer.

COLBERT: It was really nice -- it was really nice when we saw the people were urging us to do a rally. We had a conversation, it was like oh, this is not a -- this is not that crazy of a thing. Our fans see that this might be a natural extension to sort of the work we do already. We had already talked about doing it, but it was a really nice reinforcement.

STEWART: Didn't hurt.

COLBERT: No it didn't hurt. Certainly, it was a really nice sort of a validation of what we were thinking about attempting.

STEWART: Over there.

QUESTION: Jon, hi. Jim Oldman (ph) from "The National Journal". You got semi-serious there for 10 or 15 minutes.

STEWART: Is that allowed?

QUESTION: Oh, sure.

STEWART: OK.

QUESTION: I just thought you were going say, obviously, the core message.

STEWART: I just stayed up late last night and just wrote till I was done, and that was about it. Just wanted to speak a little bit from the heart.

COLBERT: Right up front, I improvised everything I did.

(LAUGHTER)

Right off the top. I have an excellent location and occupation.

(LAUGHTER)

QUESTION: My name is Rebecca Bauman (ph) and I'm with the Associated Collegiate Press. You spoke at the rally about the idea of media and pundits having boundaries that are established by whomever. Do you really believe, on your end, that you have boundaries as a comedian, as a performer, as a fake pundit, or real pundit that you have to set for yourselves. Are there places that you're not going to go?

STEWART: No, the boundaries we set for ourselves are based on our own sense of decency, not based on some preordained category of people who are allowed to speak, seriously and people who must only speak in jokes or only speak in rhyme. Our shows are just a reflection of our points of view. I'm exactly sure why there are lanes (ph).

COLBERT: Lady in the middle, please.

QUESTION: Hi, I'm Tracy Massa with "EXTRA". Mr. Stewart, just wondering, have you --

STEWART: I'm wearing a flannel shirt.

(LAUGHTER)

COLBERT: Designed by-they guy who made flannel.

(LAUGHTER)

QUESTION: It's very lovely. Have you spoken to Rick Sanchez since the incident?

STEWART: The incident.

(LAUGHTER)

You mean the event. Yeah, he called me a few days later, and we spoke.

QUESTION: Can you tell us what he said?

STEWART: It was pretty anti-Semitic.

(LAUGHTER)

STEWART: There is a lot of that, and I just finally like, I get it. He was very kind and obviously, again, we've all had moments. We have all been in an airport where a person that, under normal circumstances, is fine, who suddenly tells the ticket agent that they are (UNINTELLIGIBLE)

And it's just human. And he's not a bad guy in any way and I was happy to talk to him.

COLBERT: He has yet to call me.

(LAUGHTER)

STEWART: (INAUDIBLE)

QUESTION: Jules Cummings (ph), "The Wall Street Journal", just wanted to know the most difficult part of the entire rally for you guys to pull off?

COLBERT: I think it was him hitting a high note.

STEWART: I can tell you from my perspective -

(END LIVE FEED, IN PROGRESS)

BASH: Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert taking questions after their unconventional rally on The National Mall earlier today. You heard Jon Stewart talking about hitting the high note. Yes, it wasn't just Sheryl Crow and Kid Rock singing, we did actually hear Stephen Colbert and Jon Stewart attempt to sing, is probably the best way to put it.

As we monitor that, we want to tell you we're watching other races, all across the country, including one in the middle of the country, a real bellwether state. And that, of course, is the state of Ohio. Democratic Governor Ted Strickland is up for re-election. He's in a neck and neck race. We have our own Peter Hamby, who is on the ground in Ohio. We are going to touch base with him and we're going to have a whole lot more on this day three before election day, frenzied weekend. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

YELLIN: Welcome back to CNN's BALLOT BOWL, the final weekend before the midterm elections. We have been bringing you political events from across the country. We also have reporters, political reporters, stationed across the country. They are bringing us not only on air, but also online the latest developments at major rallies and events, including a fascinating moment where President Bill Clinton was at an event, and the candidate's wife went into labor. Bill Clinton, maybe he took a little credit? We'll tell you about that. That's coming up.

I want to toss it over to Dana Bash who is in a state with a major race, Connecticut.

BASH: That's right, Jessica. President Obama was here a short while ago. He's now on his way to his home state of Illinois, for the third of three rallies today to try to get out the Democratic vote.

We want to keep talking about the State of Ohio. That is, of course, a bellwether state. There is a lot at stake in that state. Democrats are running very hard, have been across the board in many cases pretty far behind. Ted Strickland, the sitting Democratic governor, was elected in 2006. John Kasich, who is a Republican congressman, a former budget chairman in the House, he is running there for the governor. He's ahead of Strickland in the polls. It looks like it's tightening a little bit.

So John Boehner is the man in line to be the speaker of the House, should Republicans actually take the majority on Tuesday. He is, of course, from the State of Ohio, so he was out doing something we haven't seen him do very much, he was out campaigning. He's been taking a low profile, but not today. Let's take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

REP. JOHN BOEHNER, (R) MINORITY LEADER: I grew up in an America where you could grow up and be anything you wanted to be, and do anything you wanted to do. I was lucky enough to own a small business and to turn it into a successful business. Along the way I got involved in my neighborhood, homeowner's association, and I ended up in the United States Congress. Oh, no, this too, could happen to you.

(LAUGHTER)

I went to Washington to get the government's hands off the goose that was laying the golden egg. When you look around America and you look at the freedom we have to invest in ourselves, to invest in our families, to invest in our businesses, government continues to get in the way.

You all know that the bigger the government gets, the smaller the American people get. You all know that the more the government takes from you, the less you have to invest in yourself, your family, your business and your community. It's time we tell Washington, it's time for them to get their hands off the goose that was laying the golden egg. If you're tired of all the nonsense, all the duplicity, all the double talk, you have to elect Bill Johnson to the United States Congress.

(APPLAUSE)

If you want to send Nancy Pelosi packing her bags back to San Francisco, elect Bill Johnson.

(APPLAUSE)

Ladies and gentlemen, remember one thing. We live in America. You really can grow up and be everything that you want to be, or anything that you want to be. But all of you in this crowd know that if we don't turn this country around, the future for our kids and grandkids isn't going to be as bright. We've got to bring hope back to America. And the way to do that is to fight for a smaller, less costly, and more accountable government in Washington, D.C. The way we do that is we elect Bill Johnson, and send Charlie Wilson back to St. Claresville (ph), or wherever he is from this district.

(LAUGHTER)

Listen, you all know this. Remember when Ronald Reagan was president? We had Bob Hope, we had Johnny Cash. Think about were we are today. Today we've got President Obama, but we have no hope, and we have no cash. God bless all of you!

(APPLAUSE)

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BASH: John Boehner on a final campaign swing through his home state of Ohio, campaigning for candidates in his state. Not necessarily for the House of Representatives. Of course, it is Republicans in the House of Representatives he needs to get elected to attain his goal, which is to become the speaker of the House after Tuesday's election. Speaking of Ohio, I want to go to our political producer, Peter Hamby.

Peter, you are there on the ground in Ohio. You've been traveling the country. But, Ohio, obviously, is a very, very interesting state, because all of these races are so fascinating. But because it had been so Democratic, but right now it looks like Republicans are poised to do really well across the board.

PETER HAMBY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It really does. This John Boehner tour, this final week around Ohio, it's really interesting because he's going to some places around the state that are competitive. I'm in the Sixth District right now, where you just saw him speak, which is considered a tossup in the Eastern part of the state. There are about three districts that are toss ups. But he's also going to some really conservative leaning pockets of the state, because he knows that beyond just electing Republicans to the House here, the governor's race really is a huge prize.

And one of the things about the governor's race between Strickland and Kasich, Kasich's lead has sort of disappeared. So the governor's race is a toss up. You've seen Kasich, over the last week, really kind of move to the right to drive up turnout among conservatives, among Republicans, to kind of push him over the edge a little bit. So you see Boehner, the hometown guy, really, going to these pockets and trying to gin up support among activists, to tell them you know, this race will be decided based on turnout.

Again, that is another reason you're going to see President Obama in Cleveland tomorrow to try rally support in Northeast, Ohio, which is heavily Democratic.

BASH: It sure is heavily Democratic. It's one thing to do it closer where John Boehner is from, it is another thing to do it there.

What are you seeing, Peter, in the polls and more specifically with the voters that you're talking to on the ground, is it tightening up? Democrats have poured so much in there in terms of getting out the vote, especially with unions, is that helping?

HAMBY: I think the ads on TV definitely favor Republicans. Democrats have poured money in, but you talk to operatives on these races, you talk to voters -- there's such a Republican energy here this year because the unemployment rate here, it's been trending slightly downward actually, but it is still double digit unemployment.

You have seen it in the First District, down near Cincinnati, Democrats pulled out. Where Democrat Steve Driehaus, that was once a competitive race, now it is leaning Republican. Mary Jo Kilroy, around Columbus, is also leaning Republican. You know, the Democrats could loose those two seats, but again, Ohio 6th, Ohio 16th, Ohio 18th -- even Republicans think that Rich Iott, who got a lot of attention up in the Toledo area district for dressing out in Nazi garb thing in World War II reenactor -- even some Republicans think that race, if there's enough of a wave, you know, that's a Democratic district, but that could break Republican.

So, there's a lot of optimism. But the governor's race is truly a toss-up, and might be one of the most competitive races in the country. Ted Strickland has run a great campaign in a very tough year, appealing to his base of rural voters, voters in Appalachia and really trying to drive up his base support. So, that one is going to come down to the wire next Tuesday.

BASH: All right. Thanks, Peter. We should tell our viewers, the talked about the Rich Iott, the republican candidate who turns out had dressed up in Nazi garb. John Boehner actually campaigned with him today. We don't have pictures of it because it was closed to the press. We understand from somebody who is our producer who was there, John Boehner went in and out the back door, so that's why we don't have that but he is supporting that candidate. Peter, thank you very much.