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Ballot Bowl: Countdown to Election Day

Aired October 31, 2010 - 15:00   ET

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

ED HENRY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I'm Ed Henry on Capitol Hill. You're watching BALLOT BOWL live on CNN. For the next hour we'll be your front row seat to the rallies, the speeches, the candidates all coming out this final weekend. So much on the line. As I bring in my colleague, Jessica Yellin, there in Las Vegas, you talk about a front row seat. You've got a front row seat. You will be in Vegas through election night. That Senate battle, Harry Reid, Sharron Angle, one of the races that's going to decide who controls that capitol behind me.

JESSICA YELLIN, CNN NATIONAL POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: That's right Ed. No one I talked to in politics can predict which way this will go. Everybody still guessing. It will be down to the wire. This is where we're watching it all.

When you head to the polls two days from now, you, the voters, will decide who controls the U.S. Congress and it is a decision that could reshape the focus of Washington's agenda and have a dramatic effect on every American. We're starting in Delaware with Christine O'Donnell is holding a rally in Wilmington. We'll get you there and then to Rhode Island where former President Bill Clinton is enjoying his status as the most in demand Democrat on the trail. He takes the stage to help a candidate that got national notice after President Obama refused to endorse that Democrat and he told President Obama to "shove it." Also ahead, north to Alaska for a live update on a dramatic and unusual three-way Senate race.

And we want to remind you we're also going to continue to update the terror investigation involving those package explosives discovered Friday. Our Fredricka Whitfield is standing by in Atlanta where CNN is tracking this developing story all over the world.

But first, we're going to focus on Alaska. A race that has drawn so much notice ever since the incumbent Republican Lisa Murkowski lost in her primary because in part Sarah Palin endorsed her opponent, Joe Miller. The Tea Party candidate in that race was surging but Murkowski made a decision to make a write-in bid and is surging is the final days and as Joe Miller candidacy encounters enormous problems and there's indications that national Republicans have lost some confidence in his candidacy.

And the Democrats, I should add. Scott McAdams, the Democrat in that race feeling cheered. The Democrats poured money into that candidacy in the closing hours of this race. Our Drew Griffin is in Alaska watching all of this and Drew I want to toss it over to you because I understand that you have caught up with two of the candidates and let me guess, each of them says they are feeling good and they're going to win.

DREW GRIFFIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Of course. That's what they all say. I'm sure if I track down Scott McAdams who I hope to find later today, he'll say the exact same thing, he's on the verge of victory. But really Jessica, as you said, this is a drama but I feel it's a drama that's boiling down to two Republicans in this race. I'm in front of the Anchorage Baptist temple. They're having a forum meet the candidates forum and I just spoke with Joe Miller. The drama this morning with Joe is reports that the national Senate Republicans have lost faith in him and maybe have pulled back on the money they're sending to him. I asked him directly does he feel as the Republican who is on the ballot, does he feel the Republicans have pulled back on him. Here's what he had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOE MILLER (R), ALASKA SENATE CANDIDATE: I know the Alaskan people are behind us all the way. There's no question about that. I mean they see where the country is at. They know we need to take a new direction. I'm excited about that. We feel the momentum. We're on the street waving signs yesterday. I got to tell you that the honking and the turnout in support people coming off the street waving signs with us extraordinary.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GRIFFIN: The other player in this drama Jessica is of course Lisa Murkowski. The sitting Republican senator who is not on the ballot and not being supported by the Republicans and something Dana Bash said yesterday, if Murkowski wins, does she go back to the Senate as a Republican? I caught up with her last night. She was at the NAACP freedom fund dinner here in Anchorage. I asked her flat out. I go Lisa Murkowski, should you win, who do you go back to the U.S. Senate as? A Republican? An independent? Or something else.

Here's what she said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. LISA MURKOWSKI (R), ALASKA: I will be going back in a different capacity. I'm not my party's nominee right now. In a way that's very liberating to know that I am going back truly representing all of Alaskans' interest and not necessarily just my party. This is not about Republicans or Democrats or independents or greens. This is about Alaskans. And that's what gives this campaign this write-in candidacy such energy and such enthusiasm. This is a new opportunity for us as a state and I think Alaskans are eager to embrace it.

GRIFFIN: If you do go back --

MURKOWSKI: When I do go back --

GRIFFIN: When you do go back if you do go back, do your fellow Senate Republicans have to earn you back to them?

MURKOWSKI: That's an odd way to put it. Let's just say I know very well who would have returned me to Washington, D.C., to the United States Senate, and it will be these people in this state. And nobody else.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GRIFFIN: Whichever one of the Republicans win if they should win, I think Jessica the drama will continue in the U.S. Senate to see how they handle either Murkowski or how they handle the Tea Party candidate, Joe Miller. Scott McAdams, the Democrat, the Democrats do see light in this but quite frankly he's trailing quite behind in the polls and Murkowski running ads saying don't throw your vote away on McAdams. Vote for me instead. I'm the alternative to Joe Miller. That's the way it's shaping up here in a cold Alaska and people will be glad when this one is over with. It is dramatic.

YELLIN: True but that's a fascinating interview. Fundamentally Murkowski refused to say that she would in fact caucus with the Republicans and if this should become one of those elections where it's a very narrow margin who controls the Senate, let's say the Democrats are taking control by only two votes or so, she could be enormously powerful, sometimes voting with Democrats and sometimes voting with Republicans. She's signaling if she gets there, she might enjoy sitting in that cat bird seat. I'm sort of fascinated to know when you're spending time there in Alaska, how much intensity is there focusing on this race. Is it nonstop TV political ads? Are people talking about it in cafes or are we more interested outside of Alaska than Alaskans are in their own race?

GRIFFIN: It's the centerpiece of this whole community. It's on TV. It's in the newspapers. Every different group is getting involved. The tribes are getting involved picking their candidate. I was just in a cafe ten minutes ago getting a cup of coffee and people are talking to me about this Senate race. It's been so dramatic. So many twists and turns.

Lisa Murkowski loses the primary. Then she gets to be a write-in candidate. Joe Miller supported by Sarah Palin, the power broker of Alaska. People either hate her or love her up here. So she's a polarizing figure and you have Scott McAdams trying to make headway at the same time. It's interesting after the election, Jessica, should Murkowski win, I think you are right on the money. This is a person that says she's going to represent Alaska and right now, right now her campaign is saying to Alaskans, put me back in the Senate so you get your fair share. You get your fair share, which means she's going to deal with whoever is in power in the Senate to get Alaska money, projects, attention in the U.S. Senate.

YELLIN: Wow Drew. Great interview. Great interview. Want to see what you get from Scott McAdams. I have a feeling if Murkowski wins, she could be the new power broker from Alaska. We'll stay tuned to see what you get later. Thanks, Drew.

I'm going to toss it over to Ed Henry on Capitol Hill where Ed, you have to take note that Murkowski saying she's not definitively going to caucus with one party or another. She just wouldn't say. Really meaningful. HENRY: It's fascinating. You're absolutely right to put your finger on that. Pardon me. If Charlie Crist wins as an independent in that Florida Senate battle, he's indicating maybe he'll caucus with the Democrats although Republicans will make a bid for him. You have other senators now on free election like Ben Nelson from Nebraska who is sort of on the fence, votes sometimes with Democrats and sometimes Republicans. Both parties will be vying for him. It's going to be a lot of jockeying here on Capitol Hill.

We'll bring you a lot more live events this hour. We have Christine O'Donnell, the Republican Senate candidate in Delaware. She's coming up in just a few moments. We'll go live to a rally there and then former President Bill Clinton. I have to tell you I was in Chicago Midway Airport this morning trying to get back here to D.C. after spending the night there for President Obama's rally in Chicago and in the airport this morning T.J. Holmes was on the air showing former President Bill Clinton in Ohio yesterday with Congressman John Buccheri, one of the vulnerable house Democrats. Buccheri had to leave his own rally yesterday because his wife started going into labor. Bill Clinton made a little funny about it. People in the airport were watching CNN this morning laughing about all of it. The baby has now been born and only one network has the first photo of John' Buccheri's new baby daughter. We'll have that for you later this hour. You'll want to stay tuned. We're bringing you everything. Baby photos, rallies, these are the final 48 hours. There's a lot going on.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

YELLIN: Welcome back to CNN's "Ballot Bowl." I'm Jessica Yellin in Las Vegas where activists on both sides of the aisle are phone banking across the state today trying to get out the vote for their candidate, either Harry Reid or Sharron Angle in one of the most closely watched Senate races in the nation. There are many all across the country. We'll bring you Bill Clinton holding a rally in Rhode Island for a gubernatorial candidate there and another exciting event is happening across the country. I'll toss it over to Ed Henry on Capitol Hill to tell us more about it. Ed?

HENRY: That's right Jess. Good to see you again. It's Halloween today. After I'm done here I'm going to take my kids trick- or-treating. My daughter is dressing up as a witch this year. I mention that because I think it's a good segue to where we're going next. Delaware where there's a hot Senate race to fill the old seat of vice president Joe Biden. We have our colleague Kate Bolduan there on the ground at a rally. Kate, I want to be clear. I don't think you're a witch. I think you're a great friend and colleague, always very nice and kind. But the candidate there, Christine O'Donnell has spent am awfully long time in this campaign season insisting she's not a witch. You are there at a rally for Christine O'Donnell, the Republican candidate for Senate. It just s happens to be Halloween. Is there any sort of a witchcraft situation or costumes or any signs? What's going on on the ground there?

KATE BOLDUAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: No costumes. Lots of signs I would definitely say. You can see the crowd. We actually moved our location from our first live shot so you can see the crowds gathering here to see Christine O'Donnell. Christine O'Donnell is joining forces with the Tea Party express today. This is the second to last day of the Tea Party express' bus tour that's gone nationwide. The Tea Party express' bus has arrived a short time ago and they're getting set up.

We're told we should hear from Christine O'Donnell in the next half hour or so and people are starting to gather here in order to hear her. I talked to several people and what they're hoping to hear today and what they want to hear from Christine O'Donnell just two days before the election. They said they just want to hear from her. One woman saying when I said why are you supporting Christine O'Donnell. She said she was a supporter of Mike Castle in the primary but before the primary changed over to support Christine O'Donnell. Why she says, because she trusts her and the gaffs, if you would call them, she says they've have been on both sides of the aisle now with Democratic candidate Chris Coons coming from Christine O'Donnell.

This one woman who was a great conversation, she said she's human and that's why I support her because she's not Washington or Washington endorsed. She's one of the people of Delaware. That's why she's supporting her. I'm definitely hearing that from a lot of people here to show enthusiasm and get out the vote although up to this point Christine O'Donnell has had a disadvantage in the polls even though as we talked about earlier there was a surprise poll showing that she may be closing the gap a bit with Chris Coons and may be only ten points behind when other polls including one by CNN show her closer to 20 points behind.

HENRY: Thanks. Our own Kate Bolduan there on the ground in Delaware. We'll take you live to that rally once Christine O'Donnell starts speaking. Interesting those poll numbers have been bouncing around. Democrats think they have that seat. If all the sudden Christine O'Donnell makes a late charge here, that will be another seat that's up for grabs here in the final two days.

As I bring back Jessica Yellin, my co-anchor there in Las Vegas, we've been talking about how you'll bring us to this rally in Rhode Island eventually with former President Bill Clinton. I'm struck by the fact that in the last few months we heard a lot about Bill Clinton will be here and there helping in states like Kentucky and West Virginia. Places President Obama can't go. Maybe he'll have a small to medium role. Now he's had over 100 campaign events for Democrats. He was in the middle of this Florida Senate situation this week with Kendrick Meek. Now he's going to Rhode Island where as you've be been noting there was a bit of a back and forth if you will between the president and Democratic gubernatorial candidate there. Bill Clinton is everywhere right now, Jess.

YELLIN: Bill Clinton is the man in demand on the campaign trail for Democrats right now. I was astonished. I was at one point at a rally that he -- at one of his rallies on a Wednesday on the west coast and then went to another one on a Friday on the west coast and in between those two days he was back east across up in the south, down in the Midwest, over to the northeast and then came back to the west coast. He is nonstop and seems to be relishing this role. We'll bring folks more of Bill Clinton, the former president, back on the campaign trail on the other side of this break. He'll be in Rhode Island. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

YELLIN: We know this election could change the balance of power on Capitol Hill but early on in the night which specific Senate races will reporters, Senate and governors and House races will pundits and reporters be watching to get the first indication of which way the tide is turning? We all put together a viewer's guide to Tuesday night for you and Joe Johns is at CNN Election Center in New York with all of that. Joe, for you, what big race are you watching?

JOE JOHNS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, you know I'm watching a lot of them but one of the races that is just fascinating to me I've been following for quite a while is the race in West Virginia. This is Joe Manchin, the governor, against John Raese, a businessman who has really done very well for himself there in that race.

You see the picture of the two of them. You were talking a little while ago about Bill Clinton going around the country and talking in places where the president can't go. West Virginia is one of those places where Barack Obama really hasn't ever been that popular. 2008 he wasn't there popular governor in state in a real dogfight to try to get the seat formerly held by Senator Robert Byrd with a lot of people picking up on ads run by the Republican Raese suggesting that Manchin would be a rubber stamp for Obama policies in Washington if he were to get there.

So for a while it looked very touch and go and now Manchin is beginning to pick up a little bit of steam or so it seems. He's got a new ad out talking about Raese's policies saying that Raese would like to get rid of the minimum wage and get rid of the education and what have you but all of this translates into the possibility that even if Joe Manchin gets elected, he's very likely going to be a thorn in the side of the president as a Democrat in Washington. Just a very complex and interesting situation there. What races are you watching? Jessica?

YELLIN: I am obviously in Nevada so Nevada I'm watching and Colorado. These are two states with Senate races that are considered the closest in the nation in two places where the parties might place lawyers ahead of election night in the event there should be a recount. In Nevada it's Senate Majority Reader Harry Reid versus Sharron Angle. In Colorado, it's Senator Michael Bennett versus Ken Buck. In each case, it's a sitting Democratic senator facing off against a Tea Party candidate who is an unexpected winner in their primary and the campaign the Republican is running is accusing the Democrat of being part of the problem. The Democrats are saying that their opponents are too extreme to get the kind of policies necessary to get us out of this economic slump. But what I'm really paying attention to, Joe, is early vote. Because these two races are so close, everyone is trying to game out how you know who will win. In Nevada, 66 percent of voters will have voted before Election Day.

In Colorado, 80 percent will have voted before Election Day. In each case Democrats believe more Republicans can turn out and the Democrat can still win. They just have to keep that percentage below around 5 percent in each case Democrats say they are feeling cheered but nervous. Republicans are feeling very excited that the wave they're talking about, the enthusiasm they are talking about will carry their candidates to victory. Those are two races I think that will go late into the night perhaps not even end for days after the election. That's my thought. Ed, which races are you watching most closely?

HENRY: Well, Jess, you know Joe Johns was giving great insight into a state where President Obama can't go in West Virginia where he's very unpopular. I'm looking at a state where he can go and he's welcome in open arms, Illinois, his home state. I was there last night with the president in Chicago. He had a massive rally a few blocks from his home on the Southside of Chicago. It was in a big park. Maybe 35,000 people or but nevertheless, despite the turnout, there are still two extremely close races there.

You have the governor's race, Governor Pat Quinn who replaced Blagojevich. We all know about that. He's struggling right now against his Republican opponent and then you've got the Senate race. This is Barack Obama's old Senate seat. Democrats thought they would have wrapped that up a long time ago but the Democrat has had some issues and ethical charges against him. The Republican has had his own share of issues, embellishing his war record for example. But he's a moderate Republican who is neck and neck with the Democrat and when you talk to senior advisers to this president in private, they say they are very nervous about the Illinois Senate race for two reasons. One, they know we'll have a great grand old time on election night talking about how the president couldn't even deliver his old Senate seat in his home state if he loses that one. So symbolically they want to win it.

If you look at the map, the map we're talking about, Nevada, Washington State, West Virginia, all of the races up for grabs that could lead to the Democrats losing the majority, they have to have Illinois. If they can't get it mathematically it will make it even harder to hold control of the chamber. I'll keep a close eye on that. I appreciate Joe Johns checking in with his insights. We'll be back with you Jessica in a moment.

You are following as well the terror investigation because when I was in Chicago, the president yesterday, his aides were talking about how he gets continuous briefings even though the war on terror has not really been a big issue. It's been all about the economy and jobs in this midterm election and because of these packages with the explosives this issue is front and center again, Jess.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: I'm Fredricka Whitfield in Atlanta. More BALLOT BOWL in a moment. But first here's the latest on the terror plot involving explosive packages on planes. Two women, a mother and daughter arrested yesterday in Yemen apparently have been released that according to the father of the young woman. And investigators are now looking for this man, Abraham Hasaan Alzeri (ph) he's said to be a top bomb maker with al Qaeda. A high level official says the devices found Friday at two airports may have flown on passenger planes before ending up on cargo planes. Let's get the latest now on the investigation from Richard Quest in London -- Richard.

RICHARD QUEST, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Fredricka, the real question in these shoes really comes down to two areas now. How did these devices get on the planes when they left Yemen? And it seems to be from what we're learning that these devices were extremely sophisticated. One person called them to be a very professional job, the way the wiring linked to the designator, then linked to the cartridge where the explosives was. It seems that even though these devices went through numerous screening processes certainly in Yemen and possibly in one of the Gulf States, they were so sophisticated that screening did not pick it up and that's something the authorities will be looking into.

It was only when that Saudi intelligence was given to the United States and to the U.K. authorities that they were able to find them. But the big question for travelers is how these devices were allowed to travel and to get onboard passenger aircrafts when they left Yemen probably.

WHITFIELD: All good questions. All right. Thank you so much, Richard Quest, in London. Back to this country. When President Barack Obama didn't back the Democrats candidate for a Rhode Island governor, the candidate said the president could take his endorsement and shove it. Well Bill Clinton isn't holding back. He is in the state right now to help that same candidate. We'll watch and explain the controversy as the CNN BALLOT BOWL continues.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HENRY: I'm Ed Henry on Capitol Hill. Welcome back to BALLOT BOWL. We got all kinds of exciting campaign events going on from coast to coast. Both parties out in full force. We're going to hear shortly from Christine O'Donnell she is in Delaware, the Republican Senate candidate. She's been dealing with all kinds of controversy this new campaign season. She's trying to storm back in that race. Also we're going to hear from former President Bill Clinton. He's going to be in Rhode Island stomping for Frank Caprio the Democratic candidate for governor. The one you will remember the president visited that state on Monday and decided not to endorse the Democratic candidate who promptly told a local radio station that the president could "shove it."

Jessica you've been having some fun with teasing that event and given all of the controversy that came out. I noticed every time you tee it up it was a fun back and forth. This is something that kind of threw the White House off message for a day or so because they were going for this pretty simple campaign thing in Rhode Island and instead they had a huge controversy on their hands.

YELLIN: Yes and they ticked off the Democrats over it who felt he shouldn't have made that move. But President Clinton now wading into the middle of that seems to be having a little bit of fun. I guess for President Clinton if the Democrat happens to win after this, maybe a long shot, he can take credit for getting him over the finish line. Clinton enjoying his status as the most popular Democrat on the campaign trail right now.

Ed, as you well know there's another very popular political figure on the campaign trail. That's Sarah Palin. She's been stomping across the country for Republican candidates and yesterday she was in Charleston, West Virginia, to campaign for Republican Senate candidate John Raese. There were some other big names there rock star Ted Nugent was. He had a little bit of fun with the crowd but Sarah Palin was a big draw. Raese I should point out is running against Joe Manchin who is currently West Virginia's governor that has been a tight tossup race.

Although the Democrats seems to inched ahead still one of those that could go either way. Democrats feeling good about it but Sarah Palin turning out for the Republicans certainly couldn't hurt and she did her best to help get out the vote. Here's Sarah Palin.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SARAH PALIN, (R) FORMER VICE PRESIDENT CANDIDATE: This election is about the issues and they're crucial issues. They are jobs. It's about spending. It's about government's overreach and intrusion into our businesses and into our families and into our states. It's about a disrespect coming from Congress and the White House of the Tenth Amendment of our Constitution where states rights and individual rights are supposed to be paramount.

It's about our kids being bankrupt by an out of control White House and Congress. John Raese knows that we can't keep racking up debt, over $13 trillion in debt. Obama points backwards and blames everybody else and yet he's perpetuated the problem in these last two years. Heck, before that, don't forget he was a United States Senator casting those votes for those big old budgets and yet he wants to blame everybody else. That doesn't fly in West Virginia. Y'all are smarter than that.

Now John Raese knows that our country can no longer afford forked out budgets full of sweet heart appropriations. We do need smaller, smarter government and the only way to get that is to change the leadership in Washington. The leadership in D.C. must change and it must start listening to we --

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HENRY: Now, Sarah Palin out there on the stomp in West Virginia. She's been one of the rock stars for Republicans in this campaign season. A rock star for Democrats has been former President Bill Clinton. We told you earlier about what happened yesterday in Ohio when the former president was stomping for a Congressmen John Caprio one those vulnerable Democrats in Ohio. His wife has been pregnant. She was due on Election Day. All of a sudden at yesterday's rally things started moving up a little more quickly. And she started having the baby and they had to get her to the hospital. Bill Clinton made a little joke about it. And before the show we put our political producer Steve Russ (ph) one of those sort of a pit bull about these things. We said look, get us that photo. We want to get it first. Here it is. John Boccieri, John's daughter Emma. Here she is, the very first photo. No other network has this. A fun little cap to this campaign season, people dealing with all kinds of events beyond just campaign rallies. And I have to say, when Bill Clinton yesterday heard that the labor was starting, he joked that pregnant women start having babies when he shows up. This guy has done it all frankly for Democrats.

YELLIN: I love that. The problem with the Bill Clinton comment is you can say too much about it. I don't know where to go with that. I guess women's heart rate gets quickened when they're around Bill Clinton. But an adorable baby and a ton of hair for a newborn, just so cute.

An important reminder politicians a people too and their lives go on and really a nice human moment on the campaign trail. We'll have so much more human moments and fun political movements coming up. Christine O'Donnell will be speaking at a rally. We're going to bring that to you live on the other side of this break so stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

YELLIN: Welcome back to CNN's BALLOT BOWL. Where we are monitoring live events for you across the country including an event in Rhode Island where former President Bill Clinton is about to speak and another in Delaware where Christine O'Donnell, Republican Senate candidate will soon take the stage. We'll bring those to you.

But first, a mention of where I am. I am in Las Vegas, Nevada, where Senate majority leader Harry Reid, a Democrat, is doing what he can to defend his post in the U.S. Senate as the most powerful Democrat there fighting off a fierce challenge by Sharron Angle, the Republican Party's nominee here and a Tea Party candidate. Both parties have enormous get out the vote operations this weekend they insist.

I am here with Democrats who are dialing voters trying to get them to the polls to make sure that they will vote if they haven't already. I should point out that the Republicans also say they have hundreds of people making calls across the state, many more knocking on doors. Each side convinced that every last vote counts always we say that but in this state in particular because they think it would be so close down to just a few hundred thousand who knows votes that they need to turn out everyone they can. So many eyes on this race.

Ed Henry up on Capitol Hill, obviously it would be a sea change, Ed, if Harry Reid were not to return there. I mean he is the guy who runs the show in the U.S. Senate right now.

HENRY: That's right. That has an enormous impact on President Obama and talking to top White House aides they feel, look, Harry Reid has been the go-to person against the odds. He got health care reform through the Senate, Wall Street reform, one issue after another going back to the stimulus in the first hundred days that Republicans were opposing. Harry Reid did a lot of the heavy lifting and so that would be a sea change in terms of who is going to carry the president's agenda in the Senate number one. But number two there also would be a big leadership battle over who would replace Harry Reid as the Democratic leader. We still don't know if it will be majority leader or minority leader by the way but Chuck Schumer of New York as well as Dick Durbin of Illinois both interested in being leader if and only if Harry Reid loses. Both of them insisting they are not even thinking about it right now because they want Harry Reid to win.

There's a lot of shakeups coming in Washington one way or another. A lot of big incumbents who may fall. A lot of leadership changes up here, a lot of agenda changes and the president the person who would be most affected by a lot of this. Air Force One has just taken off from Cleveland. We have just gotten that note; he's now headed here to Washington. In part he wanted to do that rally early in Cleveland to get back here and do a little trick-or-treating with his two young daughters. They are not going to be going to any neighborhoods in Washington obviously, just randomly trick-or-treat and they do that at the White House, they invite people over to the White House to have a little Halloween party. He is going to have some family time.

I'm told on Monday the president will be staying at the White House and do a lot of satellite TV interviews with local stations across the country instead of taking Air Force One around hitting a couple states he can hit maybe a dozen markets around the country and some of those big Senate races trying to push some of these Democratic candidates over the finish line as Jessica was saying all about turnout in these final couple of days.

When we come back, we've got a couple live events. You can see there in Delaware Christine O'Donnell the Republican candidate for Senate we are still waiting for her to take the podium and former President Bill Clinton he is supposed to be there in Rhode Island standing up for Frank Caprio the Democratic candidate for governor. We have a lot more live action still to come here on BALLOT BOWL.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

YELLIN: Welcome back to CNN BALLOT BOWL where we are watching live events across the country in this last final weekend before these midterm elections. One event Bill Clinton is preparing to take the stage in Rhode Island where he seems to be attempting to make up for the fact that President Obama decided not to endorse the Democrat running for governor there.

And not far away in Delaware Christine O'Donnell preparing for a rally in her state, we will take you there. I'm coming to you from Las Vegas but I will send it over to my co-anchor Ed Henry who is in Washington, D.C. And I just have to ask you Ed before we run out of time. I'm in Vegas and I know you are a Vegas guy. I was out last night there were people in Halloween costumes around this town, I took two pictures and decided it would be better not to tweet them, but what are you going as?

HENRY: Well I'm going to take my kids trick or treating. Last weekend when I was broadcasting from Cesar's Palace they sell t-shirts from the movie "The Hangover." And there is one t-shirt that the guy with the beard wore when he had the baby. It's a t-shirt of the baby they find after this drunken bachelor party and the baby is wearing those big sunglasses. It's kind of a fun thing; it is not really that creative I have to admit. Are you going to do anything in Vegas tonight?

YELLIN: No, I'm too cool to go in costume.

HENRY: A note to Joe Cool -- well, somebody known maybe as Joe Cool, they sometimes call him Dean Martin up here in the hallways of Capitol Hill, is John Boehner the House Republican leader who would be speaker if Republicans take control of Congress, he was in his home state of Ohio yesterday campaigning for Republican Bill Johnson who hopes to unseat Democrat Charlie Wilson in Ohio's 6th District. He was the case that John Boehner was making yesterday.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. JOHN BOEHNER, (R) MINORITY LEADER: I grew up in 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, 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. But 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 that 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've got 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 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. 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. Claire's Ville or wherever he is from this district. You all know this. Remember when Ronald Reagan was president? We had Bob Hope, we had Johnny Cash. Think about where we are today. We've got President Obama, but we have no hope, and we have no cash. God bless all of you.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HENRY: There's John Boehner, the man who would be speaker campaigning yesterday in Ohio. As we come to a close here on this dramatic midterm election, I've been thinking about some of my travels with the president over the last couple of weeks. He's been crisscrossing the country. He's been getting a lot of people to these big rallies, mostly at college campuses. The big question is going to be, Jessica, there in Las Vegas, she's watching that Senate race, and one of the stops along the way was Las Vegas just last weekend.

President got a big crowd there for Harry Reid. But some of the polling people looking at the early voting, it turns out that after the president's visit there was not a surge in people going to early vote there last weekend in Las Vegas. There have been studies of that. And so I think one of the big questions is, did the president when he got these people to these big rallies, do they still turn out for early voting or on this Tuesday and is the president expected to minimize some of these big losses that are expected, is he able for example to hold on to the Senate, Jess.

YELLIN: Interesting. You know I have been in touch with folks on both sides here. So far the early vote here is indicating that more Democrats have turned out but there are more Democrats in the state. So both sides sort of spinning it in their own favor. The bottom line is it remains too close to call. Democrats believe in so many of these states they can lose on Election Day but still win the race if enough people turn out early. We're just going to have wait and see what the tallies are.

One final thought I would like to point out, we've talked about people being angry with Washington, but in spite of that there seems to be an enormous passion out there for change and for action. As much as we talk about people being disaffected, they are also engaged in the process to some extent. I go to rallies, see people very fired up, not to borrow an Obama term. I see people on both sides trying to make a difference.

I would make a pitch for people to go out and vote. That's one thing we are allowed to take a position on. We all do better if folks vote in this country. That's what's happening around this state, people trying to get others out to vote. It could be one of those elections that surprise people by the enthusiasm. Go ahead.

HENRY: It was fascinating as well, it really doesn't end on Tuesday, because November 3rd, Wednesday, is really going to be the opening shot of the 2012 campaign, not just the Republicans who are vying for the president's job and the fact the president is going to have to make some adjustments between White House staff, between what his agenda is going to be, and potentially dealing with a Republican Congress or a Democratic Congress that is at least depleted in the majorities but it is not just about the presidential race, in the Senate and the House there's still going to be a lot of hot races. Some incumbents just barely hang on.

We'll face a tough challenge in 2012. For Senate Democrats when you look at some of the races that are coming in 2012, people like Ben Nelson of Nebraska, who is likely to face a very tough race in that state; it doesn't end for Democrats with this cycle. Even if we were to lose seven or eight seats and barely hold onto the majority they are going to have a tough road to hoe there in 2012, Jess.

YELLIN: That's right. There's so much at stake because some of the issues to be decided are tax policy. What will happen with these huge companies that handle our mortgages, Fannie and Freddie and, of course, redistricting coming up next year where the congressional lines will be redrawn in so many states and who controls Congress for the next 10 years could be decided. It's impossible to overstate how momentous these elections will be on Tuesday.

We encourage everybody to stay tuned to "Ballet Bowl" next year when we come back for the next elections but stay tuned now for "YOUR MONEY" coming up here on CNN. Goodbye from me in Las Vegas.