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GOP Has 10-Point Edge; Investigators Focus on Yemen; Study: Politics is in the Genes

Aired November 01, 2010 - 11:00   ET

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

TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning, everyone.

Live from Studio 7 at CNN world headquarters, the big stories on this Monday morning, the first day of November.

The final full day of the midterm campaign, and we are dabbling in a little office politics. Is it ever OK to wear your political stripes on the job?

Out of work and unrefined. Job hunters are going back to class in droves to brush up on interview etiquette.

And after weeks on the campaign trail, the president and first lady go home to hand out treats and to wait to see what tricks American voters have in store.

Good morning, everyone. I'm Tony Harris.

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

It is the final countdown. Just one day until the hotly- contested midterm elections, and CNN is the place to be for all things political.

At stake, control of Congress and the direction of the country on issues like taxes and the deficit, jobs and the economy. And right now Republicans have a 10-point advantage over Democrats in a brand new CNN/Opinion Research poll.

So what happens if the GOP grabs control?

Senior Political Editor Mark Preston joining us live from New York.

Mark, good to see you. Look, most of the predictions are for Republicans to take control of the House. Correct?

MARK PRESTON, CNN SR. POLITICAL EDITOR: Absolutely. And if you look at the numbers, they only need 39, Tony. But a lot of folks are saying that it could be as high as 50, maybe even more. Of course, we'll have to see what the voters say tomorrow night.

HARRIS: Wow. What about the Senate, Mark? That seems to be the big question mark right now. PRESTON: Yes, and it is, Tony, because they need to pick up 10 seats in the Senate, which is a very, very difficult task. In fact, let's just take a look at some of those seats that they need to pick up, Tony, in order for them to take control of that chamber.

Let's start off with Indiana, North Dakota, Wisconsin and Arkansas. These are seats right now that Republicans feel really good about. They feel like they are going to pick up those seats. So there's four for you.

Moving on, let's look at Pennsylvania, Colorado, Illinois, West Virginia, Washington State, California and, of course, out in Nevada, where the Senate majority leader, Harry Reid, is. Those are 11 seats right there, so basically Republicans would have to run the tables and win all but one of those seats in order to take back the Senate.

And when you talk to strategists in the Senate, they pretty much acknowledge that that's not going to happen. But, Tony, it doesn't matter, because if they pick up seven, eight or nine seats, that's going to give Republicans an incredible advantage going into 2011 than they've had over the past two years.

HARRIS: Yes, I don't know how you got to 60 votes on anything.

What does the president do if the projections hold? What does the president do moving forward? What does he focus on, Mark?

PRESTON: Well, I mean, bottom line, he needs to focus on the economy. If you look at the new CNN/Opinion Research Corporation poll, it shows that a majority of Americans overwhelmingly think the president needs to focus on the economy.

We're looking at a national unemployment rate of 9.6 percent. You're looking at people losing their houses. You're just looking at an economy right now that is sputtering at best. So he needs to focus on the economy.

In the near term, though, Tony, if we see Congress come back for a lame duck session, which we fully expect them to do after Election Day tomorrow, they're going to have to focus on those Bush tax cuts, and there's a big fight over that. Congress seems to agree that the Bush tax cuts should be extended for a household of $250,000 and under. The big fight though is that Republicans want those extended for people who make $250,000 or more, so that's a fight that we'll see in the coming weeks.

HARRIS: That number, 52 percent, focused on the economy, boy, you wonder what more -- have you given any thought -- or maybe it's something that I take up with our money team as well -- what the president might focus on specifically with respect to the economy? What more could he do that he hasn't done?

PRESTON: Well, I think it's very difficult. You know, I mean, the fact is the economy is very cyclical, and the folks at CNNMoney.com could provide a little bit more perspective. But one thing he's trying to do is that he's trying to push through this $50 billion infrastructure project that he says is going to create more jobs. Now, I don't know if he's actually going to have the Democratic votes, let alone the Republican votes for that.

Of course, Republicans are coming into office saying that spending is too high right now and the deficit is too high now. President Obama is saying that there's tax cuts for the oil companies and whatnot that would pay for that $50 billion, but it's still an incredible amount of money, and that's what he says would help get the economy going -- or at least start getting it going.

HARRIS: Yes. So you have to do something. Yes, you have to do something, but you can't do anything that might require new spending because you're not going to get the congressional support.

All right, Mark. Appreciate it.

Mark Preston for us.

And for the latest political news, you know where to go. That's CNNPolitics.com.

(NEWSBREAK)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: OK. Catching you up on the terror plot uncovered while we were on the air on Friday.

Investigators say at least one of the two explosive packages found at airports in Dubai and Britain may have traveled on passenger planes from Yemen. An official tells CNN both devices appear to have been designed by suspected al Qaeda bomb maker Ibrahim Hassan al- Asiri.

And airports tighten security ahead of next week's summit of world leaders.

CNN's Mohammed Jamjoom has spent a great deal of time in Yemen. He is in Abu Dhabi for us right now.

Mohammed, good to see you.

So, let's start here -- an aide for Yemen's prime minister said today Yemen needs a lot of help to fight al Qaeda. Now, from a Yemeni perspective, does that mean necessarily U.S. boots on the ground?

MOHAMMED JAMJOOM, CNN CORRESPONDENT: To put it simply, Tony, they're not saying that they want U.S. boots on the ground there. It's a very sensitive point. They will not answer that question directly.

What we have gotten from Yemeni officials in the past couple of months, they are starting to acknowledge an expanded role for the U.S. in Yemen's fight on terror. Not just the U.S., but the U.K. as well. When I was there in September and October, many officials said the problem is a lot worse than they originally imagined. They can't control it on their own. They're starting to acknowledge that the U.S. is helping with drone attacks, with air strikes against al Qaeda hiding places in more rugged mountainous areas. But they're also stepping back from saying they need any U.S. soldiers there or CIA personnel.

That is a very sore point for the Yemenis. Why? Because the Yemeni government is a very weak central government.

Once you get outside of the capital, basically who controls those lands? Tribes. The tribes have to have the affiliations with the government. If they think that Americans are coming in or invading, that feels that they threaten the sovereignty of Yemen, they get very upset.

So, very sensitive for the Yemenis to ask the U.S. for too much help -- Tony.

HARRIS: Yes. Well, Mohammed, as for that mail bomb plot, an engineering student was arrested, along with her mother. Both later released. Now the student is saying that she's totally innocent.

Who is she, and why did authorities go after her in the first place?

JAMJOOM: Tony, she's a 22-year-old engineering student at the University of Sanaa. Her name is Hanan Al-Samawi. And it was extraordinary, how this all happened.

Barely 24 hours after the plot was revealed, Yemen's president comes out and says that an arrest is imminent. They've surrounded the house of a suspect, that it's a female.

Everybody was scratching their heads at that. Who could this be? They were surprised that it was a female suspect.

Then they announced they had taken her. But what happened is it really kind of backfired on the Yemeni officials, because human rights officials there started questioning it right away, saying this girl had no ties to terror, that she was completely innocent. Also, her family started speaking.

Then there were demonstrations. There were protests on the campus at the University of Sanaa. That's pretty rare in a country like Yemen.

Her colleagues and friends saying she should not have been detained, that she was simply a victim of the war on terror in Yemen, a victim of mistaken identity. And because of that, what you saw is she was released pretty quickly.

A lot of people were concerned she might be held for a long amount of time. She was never charged. She was released very quickly. Now the Yemeni government is saying they are hunting for more suspects.

But this really seems to have backfired as far as showing the world if Yemen is actually capable of capturing any of these suspects or the right suspects -- Tony.

HARRIS: Right. OK.

Mohammed Jamjoom for us in Abu Dhabi.

Mohammed, good to see you. Thank you.

How you vote tomorrow may depend on your genes. And we're not talking Calvin Kleins.

And Wall Street starts this Monday with an eye on election. We've got a bit of a rally. We are up 79 points.

We're following these numbers for you throughout the morning and throughout the day right here in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: OK. The final full day of the campaign for control of the U.S. Congress. "The Best Political Team on Television" is covering every angle. And on this day, that means our senior medical correspondent, Elizabeth Cohen.

Really?

Elizabeth, good to see you.

It turns out your ideology may be in your genes? Are we talking at the molecular, cellular level here in your genes?

ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN SR. MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: That's right. Usually you think it's who your neighbors are, where you went to school, whoever you hang with. But maybe part of it is your genes.

HARRIS: Oh, come on.

COHEN: I know. This is interesting. This crops up every so often.

An interesting study done by folks at the University of California San Diego, where they took a look at people who had a specific variant in their gene, and they found that when they had that variant, plus when they had a lot of friends, it made them much more likely to be liberal, about 40 percent more likely.

But if you didn't have that gene, even if you had the friends, you weren't more likely to be liberal. So, there is something about this gene that seems to kind of tip things towards being more liberal if you have these friends.

HARRIS: Is that to suggest that you start out at the molecular, cellular level more center, more right? Anyway, so this is interesting, but why does this matter at all?

COHEN: Well, the folks who did the study, they say that maybe we shouldn't be thinking about politics as something that you can change people. Like, if I'm liberal and your conservative, and I say, come on, Tony, you need to -- I'm going to yell at you and try to get you to change, maybe it's just you're genetically predetermined to think a certain way and that there's not much that I can do, and I should just stop yelling and shrieking.

HARRIS: Well, I guess I would understand that and maybe even believe it if there weren't so many Independents -- or, I'm sorry, undecideds -- in the country who seem to go from one party to the next party depending on the election cycle.

COHEN: Right, because it's not 100 percent predetermined by your genes.

HARRIS: Right.

COHEN: It's just that your genes will have an influence, according to the folks who did the study.

HARRIS: OK. We did that. Yeah, that was good stuff.

COHEN: It's very exciting.

HARRIS: Elizabeth, appreciate it. Thank you.

The midterm elections are tomorrow. Amid all of the -- and you've seen it -- the mudslinging, the nutty ads, the strategists, pundits, and their talking points, you know it's easy to lose sight of what elections are really about. And they are, after all, about shaping what this country is and setting a course for the future, right?

So, on this show, in these two hours, we want to get back to the basics, right? We are asking you to help us answer one simple question: What does America mean to you?

It is a segment we're calling "My America Is..." Your personal experiences, your vantage point. What does this country look like from where you are standing right now?

Here is what some of you are saying to us.

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: My America is a country with the inner cities that are unsafe -- unsafe for children, unsafe for adults, unsafe for the elderly. Education is substandard, and there seems to be no hope.

(END AUDIO CLIP)

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What America means to me is freedom. Freedom of opportunity, education, stand up to use my voice for change to open doors, to help set the example for other countries to stand up for truth and justice from their oppressors, to choose to be able to worship, all because of the grace of God and the men and women who fought and died to give us that right for freedom.

(END AUDIO CLIP)

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: My America right now is fractured economically, religiously, politically, religiously, and I'm very, very afraid that we're not going to find our way back to healing.

(END AUDIO CLIP)

HARRIS: Wow. Pretty strong stuff, right?

So, if you would, send us your thoughts and start your answer with "My America is..."

I'm on, let's see, Facebook, Twitter. I'm at TonyHarrisCNN. You can also reach me at CNN.com/Tony. That's the blog page.

And give us a call if you like. The number, 877-742-5760.

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(WEATHER REPORT)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: Let's talk about some sports here. Let's bring J.A. in here.

Brett Favre managed to keep his NFL streak for consecutive starts alive, but boy did it cost him. And Tiger Woods no longer the world's number one golfer.

Former Atlanta Falcon great Jamal Anderson joining me again to break it all down.

Jamal, can we see the play?

Let's role the play as we talk about this, as we set this up.

This was yesterday's game against New England. Right? And here is the play. Ouch.

Now, we will break it down and we will show you the hit. Here it is.

JAMAL ANDERSON, FMR. ATLANTA FALCONS RUNNING BACK: Big hit underneath Brett Favre's helmet. I'm almost positive it's going to be a fine there. A tremendous hit for Favre.

HARRIS: You think so?

ANDERSON: I think so. It was helmet-to-helmet contact. Even though I think, technically, he was correct in how he tried to come in to his chest, but the blow did go up to Favre's helmet, and of course the stitches underneath his chin. The evidence is there.

HARRIS: Yes.

So, all right. Let me just ask you point blank and bluntly here. You know, 26, 27, however old the lineman is, 300-plus pounds, you know, 4.7, 4.8 speed, he is going to beat 41 years old.

All right. So here's the question -- is it time -- the injuries that Favre had coming into the game, this big hit here, is it time for Brett Favre to really seriously consider calling it a career?

ANDERSON: The remarkable thing about it is last year, Brett Favre had a fantastic year at 40. He's 41 years old, Tony. He has not been playing well. I, in fact, was not a proponent of Brett Favre starting in this game.

HARRIS: Because of his injuries --

(CROSSTALK)

ANDERSON: Because of the injuries. I thought it was a perfect opportunity.

He wasn't playing well. The Vikings aren't winning football games. I thought Tarvaris Jackson is a guy that they drafted to be the future.

HARRIS: Right.

ANDERSON: He has not gotten an opportunity. I'm a huge Brett Favre fan.

HARRIS: Right.

ANDERSON: On the football fan, as a football purist, you love the guy. He drives you crazy, he's maddening in some of the techniques and the things that he does, but you have got to love his moxie and the way he keeps coming back.

HARRIS: Yes. But this is big, right?

ANDERSON: But this is big. This is big, and this is back-to- back. And the Minnesota Vikings aren't playing well. Listen, I cannot --

HARRIS: Six losses on the season?

ANDERSON: I can't blame Brett for yesterday though. Again, I was not a proponent of him starting, but I can't blame his performance on the football field for why the Vikings lost. Jackson came in, looked sharp right away.

So, I don't know what's going to happen. The streak is an issue.

HARRIS: Do you expect him to play this week? Look, if he's playing on one leg, you know, this is what, a laceration, maybe --

ANDERSON: If he's breathing and alive and on the roster, he's going to try to play.

HARRIS: He's going to try to play?

ANDERSON: He's going to try to play. I can guarantee you.

HARRIS: What is it with athletes? I'm trying to remember the end of your career. What is it with athletes where, invariably, it seems that they go off on a cart? Why not end it when you can walk, your faculties are still intact? Why not end it when you're on top of somewhere near the top?

ANDERSON: You've got to think about this -- why do we love the greatest players of any sport at any time? Because they give it their all. They're gladiators. We're truly the last gladiators, I think.

You have got these tremendous stadiums. I don't care if it's baseball, I don't care --

(CROSSTALK)

HARRIS: Did you go out on a cart?

ANDERSON: I did not go out on a cart. I was fortunate enough, and thankfully people thought I looked kind of nice on TV. I'm like, "Hey."

HARRIS: You're the best.

Is Brett Favre going to go out on a cart? Is he going to come back so that that's not the last image that you see of him in his career?

ANDERSON: Well, I certainly don't want that to be the last image, and that's the image that everybody is talking about.

HARRIS: Yes.

ANDERSON: And people are very frustrated with Brett and the things that have transpired in the off-seasons, all of the comeback conversations -- is he going to play for the Vikings? This whole -- it's like a whole soap opera that's been going on with him, and the whole thing with him and Brad Childress.

A lot of issues. You just want to see the Minnesota Vikings, a tremendously talented team, get focused.

HARRIS: Elway goes out on top, right?

ANDERSON: I don't want to talk about that, Tony. Now, he went out on top over me.

HARRIS: Ooh. Ooh.

ANDERSON: I'm too close to you for you to bring up Elway this morning, Tony.

HARRIS: I knew that. I knew that.

So, J.A., so we wake up his morning and Tiger Woods is no longer the number one golfer in the world.

Are you a golfer?

ANDERSON: I am.

HARRIS: OK. So what are your thoughts on the fact that this game moves forward now without its biggest star at the top of the heap?

ANDERSON: I mean, first of all, he's number two.

HARRIS: Let's not get crazy about it?

ANDERSON: Well, I mean, he's number two. Obviously you know everything that's happened.

HARRIS: Yes.

ANDERSON: We don't want to go -- I mean, he's had a tremendous off-season, to say the least.

HARRIS: It is the exclamation point in the underline in what was a -- can we say disastrous year personally and now professionally, right?

ANDERSON: Yes, it was disastrous. And here's the thing -- before all of this happened, there were no chinks in Tiger Woods' armor, obviously. He was pretty much unbeatable, and psychologically he was a force of nature on the tour.

I mean, guys would go up against him the last day and it was like a foregone -- almost like, "I can't beat Tiger Woods. Forget about it." Lee Westwood is now the number one player, but --

HARRIS: Who what never won a Major.

ANDERSON: Has never won a Major. Tiger Woods was the number one player for --

HARRIS: Five years.

ANDERSON: I mean, it's ridiculous, Tony. It's ridiculous, how long he's dominated the sport.

HARRIS: Will he be back? That's the question, will he back?

ANDERSON: I think he will be back because, listen --

HARRIS: Number one?

ANDERSON: I do think he will be back. I think when he gets his thing together, when he gets -- he's focused now. Everything should be behind him. He's moved on.

HARRIS: Right, he's divorced.

ANDERSON: Yes.

HARRIS: OK, the folks at CNN International are screaming for you.

ANDERSON: I'm coming.

HARRIS: Good to see you.

ANDERSON: Are you watching the World Series, too?

HARRIS: I am watching the World Series.

It is amazing.

HARRIS: It is good stuff.

ANDERSON: Giants pitching, amazing.

HARRIS: And it could be over tonight, right?

ANDERSON: It's a rematch of game one. Cliff Lee will be better, I think, than he was in game one. But Linscum and that pitching staff right now, two shutouts. Last (INAUDIBLE) to six and six, man.

HARRIS: This guy, this guy. The Bushes throwing out the first pitch last night and then they were shut down. They were -- the Rangers were shut down. OK, we got to go, but we'll talk about it. You're available the rest of the week?

ANDERSON: I'm here.

HARRIS: I'll give you a call.

ANDERSON: my man.

HARRIS: All right, let's just go to break. We're back in a moment. You're in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: Here we are on the eve of the midterm elections and Americans are still focused on issue number one, the economy. Makes sense, 52 percent of those polled said that's the most important issue facing the country today. The talk here is all about the election. But, what about your job? Christine Romans joins us with advice on how to handle political talk in your workplace. Isn't this settled business, Christine? You don't talk about politics and religion at work?

CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: I know. Everybody is talking about the economy and part of talking about economy is talking about politics, right? And people are talking about politics. It's a fact of life.

I mean, look at this, Tony. According to a survey by the career web site, vault.com, 66 percent admit that their co-workers discuss politics in the office. And 52 percent are open about their own political views at work.

So, Tony, we know these conversations are happening but you really need to think before you speak because all of this political talk can backfire for you and your career. There's talking politics and there's talking your politics. Be very careful.

HARRIS: Well now, that's perfect because if you happen to be a political junky, there are both, I understand, legal rights and company policies you may not know about that could land you in a bit of hot water.

ROMANS: This is absolutely right. Employment attorney Robin Bond, she says, keep the political conversations to a minimum on the work dime and on work time. She says if you're in the private sector don't presume you have the right to free speech unless your state has laws on free speech rights in the workplace.

If you want to a have sensitive discussion about important political issues with a friendly co-worker, take it outside, take it to a public place. Bond also says that campaigning at work can also violate some state laws or union rights. And your company very likely has policies against putting up campaign posters. They might have a no solicitation rule that's against handing out political material at the office. So check all of these rules if you are so fired up before tomorrow that you decide to turn your cubicle into some sort of a campaign headquarters.

HARRIS: A soap box. OK, so what's your advice on getting out of some of these sticky conversations that you can land yourself in?

ROMANS: Brad Karsch (ph) is an employment recruiter. He says deafly deflect. Avoid talking about who you're voting for. Especially avoid talking about hot button issues. Simply put, just disengage, switch the topic of conversation, don't get personal about policies and the issues. Come on, you're on company time. It's a tough labor market out there. You don't want your boss to here all this, right.

Bruce Weinstein (ph), the ethics guy, he told me, you wouldn't think about asking a colleague how much money they make. Same should go for talk about a candidate or political issue. Don't ask someone who they're voting for. Also, unless you work in politics or journalism, I guess, your co-workers or your boss may see your discussions as interfering or ignoring your other work duties.

HARRIS: So become a bit of a politician yourself and duck the question.

All right. So, Christine, what about when it comes to your e-mail, social network sites and your political views? What should you do there?

ROMANS: Tony, you've heard me talk about this a lot. Your employers monitor your e-mails. Your employers can monitor your web surfing. It's their computer, it's their time. They can very well see what you're doing.

So, if you're campaigning or you're forwarding e-mails that are of campaign nature, bashing a particular candidate or party or telling off-color jokes, for example, it gets passed into an executive's e- mail box, it can be. And you can be seen as misusing company time, company equipment, company money.

Also, on Facebook, Twitter, social media, social networking, make sure it's on your own time. Be mindful if you've got friends on your friends list that's your manager or your co-workers. Weinstein says -- he's the ethics guy -- he says, while it may not be a direct reason your boss tells you, he says putting political affiliations or your opinions out there on your internet could cost you a promotion or a raise.

So maybe we can all agree, it's good to go vote, it's good to talk about going out and voting, but be very careful about talking about your politics in the workplace, Tony.

HARRIS: Christine, good to see you. Thank you. See you next hour.

How to act on the job is one thing. How to act to get a job is another.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I want to be the person that they're like this girl is great. When she came in, she smiled, she was confident, she shook my hand well. I want to be that person.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRIS: That's good stuff. We'll show you why etiquette classes are on the rise again.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: Lots of videos out there and we are bringing you the best. I shouldn't say we. It's all about Jacqui Jeras. Jacqui, what's hot today, please, in video land?

JACQUI JERAS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: We're talking about the movers and shakers of politics, right? And when I say that I mean literally. Everyone wants the young vote out there, right? So we're seeing politicians on talk shows and we're seeing them bust a move, as well.

HARRIS: Excuse me?

JERAS: Here's Suzanne Malveaux.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN CORRESPONDENT: First Lady Michelle Obama is busting a move, letting it go with Ellen DeGeneres has become a rite of passage. Just look at her husband's smooth repertoire three years ago.

Barack Obama was trying to capture the presidency, which first required capturing the attention of that all-important voting bloc: women. Michelle Obama is now trying to save her husband's agenda midterm. Showing a little leg had never been President Bush's strong suit, but he was always game.

Dancing with the politicians went to a whole new level when former Congressman Tom Delay, nicknamed the "hammer" tried the cha-cha. Of course, we media types aren't above getting into the mix. Just ask our own Wolf Blitzer and Tony Harris.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

JERAS: Yes, and Tony Harris, as well. During that entire package he was sitting there.

HARRIS: Did we edit that in there? That was not in the original piece, was it?

JERAS: It was. And you know, that's not the first time.

HARRIS: It went all over the network, all over the country?

JERAS: It went all over the network. But, hey, guess what else. Is going all over the network and all over the country.

Take a look at this. This is not the first time we've seen Tony Harris dance. There he is on the right. Do you see him? Dancing. This from the Nutcracker last Christmas.

HARRIS: Where is the Shaquille video. Can we get to the Shaquita video?

JERAS: Tell people what you did.

HARRIS: This was fun. I danced the Nutcracker in the party scene. Where's my follow spot? I need a follow spot.

I need my follow spot.

JERAS: It was great. You did you a good job.

HARRIS: Was it OK?

JERAS: You've got some moves, Tony.

HARRIS: All right. So we've got some fun next hour. Can we tease it a little bit here? Take a look at this video. Do we have it? Roll it. Talk about Halloween gone mad. Shaquille O'Neal.

Listen to this. That is Shaquille O'Neal. More of this next hour in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: Here we go. One day until Election Day and a handful of New York House races could be crucial to a Republican takeover. Dana Bash, part of the Best Political Team on Television joining us now from New York with details.

And, Dana, where do you want to start?

DANA BASH, CNN SENIOR CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, you know, Tony, New York is known as a reliably blue state in the way of votes. But of the 29 House seats, only two are Republicans. And GOP strategists in Washington, and around the country, really, are trying to increase that number in a big way here in New York. And it really adds up to the math that helps them get to their majority, generally, in the House if they win it on Tuesday.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DANA BASH, CNN SENIOR CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Democratic Congressman John Hall knows all about election year waves. Four years ago, he rode one into office unseating a Republican in this suburban New York district. Now he's fighting a GOP tide.

REP. JOHN HALL (D), NEW YORK: People are not happy because we're not out of the recession yet, and my answer to that is that we shouldn't give the keys to the car back to the people who drove us into the ditch.

BASH: Hall is neck and neck with a political novice, an ophthalmologist who preaches Republican doctrine.

NAN HEYWORTH (R), NEW YORK CONGRESSIONAL CANDIDATE: We are becoming, we, as citizens are becoming the servants of our government. They are taking far too much.

BASH: This Westchester congressional district is one of half a dozen Democratic House seats in New York Republicans are trying to snatch. A huge number in one state, and crucial to a GOP House takeover.

(on camera): Can the Republicans win the majority without winning these six seats?

JOHN MCLAUGHLIN, REPUBLICAN POLLSTER: I think it's possible. But this makes it extremely probable.

BASH: Republicans are poised to pick up former Congressman Eric Mass's seat after he resigned amid sexual harassment charges. Democratic Congressman Scott Murphy represents a conservative district in upstate New York. So does Michael (INAUDIBLE). They are prime GOP targets, as a Bill Owens, who took his seat from Republicans in a special election last year.

Democrat Dan Maffei is a freshman who's gotten help from Bill Clinton. But like others in too close to call races, is being bombarded by GOP outside groups.

Back in suburban New York, the candidates are duking it out on health care. Democrat John Hall eagerly defends it.

HALL: It is a good bill in most respects and I don't apologize for it.

BASH (on camera): You are one of the few Democrats who I have talked to, who I've even heard this election year who's not afraid to campaign on health care.

HALL: Well, that's why people elected me.

BASH: (INAUDIBLE), his opponent, a doctor, calls repealing it her top priority.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It'll take away choice and control. It will thwart innovation. It's really not what Americans deserve or desire from their health care.

BASH: Hall isn't a lifelong politician, either. He was in rock 'n' roll and hopes his '70s hit "Still the One," is what voters say to him.

HALL: We're still having fun and you're still the on.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARRIS: That was actually close to being on key. All right, Dana, so how much will it hurt House GOP candidates that the Republican at the top of the ticket, and we're talking Carl Paladino here, isn't faring too well?

BASH: Republicans are very, very worried about that, Tony. About Carl Paladino, and there are also two Senate races here where the Republicans aren't faring well. And that is why, although, you know, when they really look at the map, although there are six that are truly competitive, they believe there are eight or more that are possible if Republicans do quite well, if there's a stellar night on Tuesday. But they're worried that those Republicans on the top of the ticket could drag otherwise formidable House Republican candidates down.

HARRIS: Our senior Congressional correspondent Dana Bash in New York getting ready for the big night -- election night. Your next political update coming up in an hour. cn011150.txt channel: 4 date: 11/01/2010 time started: 11:50 time ended: 12:00 comments: Lvideo3 ------------------------------------- Tuesday, but they're worried that those Republicans on the top of the ticket could drag formidable house Republican candidates down.

Dana bash in New York getting ready for the big night. Your next political update coming up in an hour.

HARRIS: In Nevada where one of the closest races involves the U.S. Senate, a new way to track voters. We will look at how it could affect your state in elections to come. Plus a closer look at a woman who will running Latin America's biggest country, the president-elect of Brazil.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: I've got to tell you, getting a job may require more than just having the skills for it. Apparently you need to have manners as well. CNN's Alina Cho found out etiquette classes are packed around the country.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's four steps. Let me show you. One, two -- quietly, three.

CHO (voice-over): What does this -- have to do -

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I hope to lean over a little bit, is that OK?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You can tilt.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: OK.

CHO: With getting a job?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: OK. That's a big bite, Sarah.

CHO: Would you believe etiquette counts for a lot?

PATRICIA FITZPATRICK, THE NEW YORK SCHOOL OF ETIQUETTE: 85 percent of success in life and getting a job is people skills. 15 percent is technical skills or what you know.

CHO: So, how do you improve your people skills? By taking a class.

FITZPATRICK: Welcome to outclass the competition, this is etiquette.

CHO: In just a year, Patricia Fitzpatrick says her business has doubled, and she charges $200 per person for a two-hour group session.

FITZPATRICK: One, two, three shakes is OK. Four is getting strange, and five is creepy.

CHO: Others etiquette classes are going gang busters. And the students are younger, 20 somethings just out of school looking for a job and an edge.

LINDSAY YUHASZ, ETIQUETTE SCHOOL STUDENTS: I want to be the person that they're like this girl is great. When she came in, she smiled, she was confident, she shook my hand well. I want to be that person.

CHO: Which is why these young women are learning how to properly dine, communicate, and network. All the little things that can show a potential employer you're up for the job.

FITZPATRICK: First of all, you don't go to events to eat, OK? You're not there to eat. So, eat something before you go.

CHO: Make eye contact in the area Fitzpatrick calls the triangle. Anything lower is too personal. Once you get the job, know how to eat. There's always a business lunch. Number one rule, eat with the backside of your fork, cross your utensils while you rest and leave them parallel at 10:20 like a clock when you're done.

So many details, does it really matter? Anna Post is the great, great granddaughter of Emily Post, the woman who literally wrote the book on etiquette.

ANNA POST, THE EMILY POST INSTITUTE: This will quit you apart from the crowd. There are so many qualified resumes. This is a way to show that the boss can send you out and have absolute confidence that you won't embarrass them in front of a client, bottom line.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHO: That's right. That's why these classes are so popular. You know, some other rules you should know, Tony? Don't saw your food. Begin an e-mail with dear, just like you wouldn't in a business letter. And it is a business letter, really. And above all, if you're going on an interview, be on time, write a proper written thank-you note afterwards. Not an e-mail, but a proper written thank- you note. And dress appropriately. Not your idea of appropriate, but theirs.

As the saying goes, Tony, you never get a second chance to make a first impression.

HARRIS: I've been such a rule-breaker in my career. Will you send me the book, please?

Let me ask you something. Is this something that these young people came to on their own? Because I'm thinking that perhaps there aren't a lot of young people who would think of this approach on their own.

CHO: Well, they are. I mean, think about it. We're looking at almost 10 percent unemployment. Six applicants for every job available. You want to make a great first impression. And every little thing is going to count, right, if you're getting down to the wire.

And these young people, you've got to give these young people a lot of credit. One girl we talked to, she's 22 years old. She just graduated from school. She's looking for a job in marketing. And she said, you know what, this might be that one thing that puts me over the edge.

And so, you know, like I said, you've got to give them credit. I asked the woman who conducts the etiquette class, I said, listen, does all of this matter? I mean, really, how you carry your knife and fork and so forth? And she said, well, you'll never know, will you? People who know are watching and they're taking notes.

HARRIS: Alina, thank you.