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GOP Looks for Landslide; Terror Plot Puts Focus on Air Cargo; Topsy-Turvy Senate Contest; GOP Looks For a Landslide; What's Hot; Manners Matter for Jobs
Aired November 01, 2010 - 12:00 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. Hello, once again. I'm Tony Harris. Top of the hour in the CNN NEWSROOM where anything can happen. One day away from your vote in these crucial midterm elections and we are breaking down what's at stake this hour.
What does the most damage, a gin and tonic or a snort of cocaine? Sobering results from a new study.
And you're online right now and we are too. Jacqui Jeras is tracking "What's Hot" -- Jacqui.
JACQUI JERAS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Hey there, Tony.
It wasn't bad traffic but a faulty iPhone that made many Europeans late for work this morning. It was Daylight Savings Time, and the alarm systems on the iPhones went off an hour late.
HARRIS: Wow.
JERAS: Yes. That's the top trending story right now on CNN.com.
HARRIS: OK, Jacqui.
Let's get to the critical question here. It is a question of what is at stake.
The midterm elections now just one day away. Control of Congress and the direction of the country on issues like taxes and the economy, jobs and the deficit, really. Experts who closely track the races predict Republicans are likely to take control of the House.
Here are where things stand right now.
The GOP needs a net gain of 39 seats to take over the House. The big question is, what happens in the Senate? This is the current breakdown. Republicans need 10 seats to take charge there.
Getting supporters to the polls, that is the big push for both sides with less than 24 hours to go.
National Political Correspondent Jessica Yellin looks at the high-tech battle to get out the vote.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) JESSICA YELLIN, CNN NATIONAL POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice- over): In one of the nation's most closely watched Senate races, a new Republican group is conducting an experiment.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I just wanted to remind you about November 2nd and also check and see if Sharron Angle can count on your vote.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: She's already got it.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Wonderful.
YELLIN: CNN got an exclusive look at this test by American Crossroads, the Republican third-party organization advised by Karl Rove. They've armed volunteers in Nevada with iPads preloaded with data about voters and lists of questions.
KELLY NALLEN, AMERICAN CROSSROADS WORKER: Then you can just pull up people and ask them questions, which is really nice.
YELLIN (on camera): And it all gets fed back real time?
NALLEN: It all gets fed back into a machine. Yes, real time.
YELLIN (voice-over): The goal? To gather as much information as possible about these voters and what issues interest them to turn them out on Election Day. If the software works, they say they'll deploy it nationwide. They admit they're playing catch-up to the outreach machine then-candidate Barack Obama developed in 2008.
JONATHAN COLLEGIO, AMERICAN CROSSROADS OFFICIAL: This new technology will enable us to regain the technological edge when it comes to contacting voters for elections. Now we'll be in a situation where a voter will be able to download the app, download their walk book, and then they can do it in their spare time. So we could literally have volunteers walking their neighborhood.
YELLIN: Traditional get-out-the-vote operations are also on overdrive across the state because the race for Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid's seat is so tight.
SEN. HARRY REID (D-NV), MAJORITY LEADER: We have the best get- out-the-vote operation probably in history of the country except for a presidential election.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Do you need any help getting to the polls?
YELLIN: On Sunday morning, phone banks were full with volunteers trying to find voters who haven't cast early ballots and press them to go to the polls on Tuesday.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS: And Jessica Yellin is on the phone with us from Las Vegas.
And Jessica, what are the Democrats doing on their end to get out the vote?
YELLIN: Well, Democrats say that they have the most sophisticated operation outside a presidential election in this state. And there are -- they won't give us details, but hundreds of people making thousands of calls.
And their focus, Tony, not on undecided voters. They're not trying to persuade people who haven't made up their mind. What they're doing is trying to find those Democrats who would vote for Harry Reid but are feeling a little apathetic, and trying to tell them, you've got to go vote, because they really think this race could come down to maybe 1,000 votes difference, and so each one of those matters.
HARRIS: Wow. OK.
Jessica Yellin for us.
Jessica, appreciate it. Thank you.
And join CNN and "The Best Political Team on Television" for election night in America. We will bring you up-to-the-minute election results, plus insight and analysis of the crucial midterm races.
Coverage begins at 7:00 Eastern. That is tomorrow night.
Bombs, air cargo and security -- we have the latest on all of that.
First, though, our "Random Moment" in 90 seconds.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: Boy, oh, boy. Dude looked like a lady. A frightening "Random Moment of the Day."
NBA star Shaquille O'Neal put on a wig, a dress and falsies, and hopped on to Boston's subway for a Halloween night ride. Shaq transformed into Shaquita (ph), a tattooed, oversized Beyonce wannabe.
OK. Look, it takes a big man to pull off this kind of a stunt. And at seven feet, 345 pounds, Shaq is living life large. Right?
But Shaquita's (ph) viral video may be even bigger. Our "Random Moment of the Day."
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: Yemeni authorities say every piece of cargo and luggage at every airport is going through extensive screening. On Friday, two explosive packages were detonated after making their way from Yemen to airports outside of London and Dubai. Officials say one or both may have traveled aboard passenger planes. And American investigators think the bombmaker is the same one who designed last year's Christmas Day underwear bomb. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOHN BRENNAN, WHITE HOUSE COUNTERTERRORISM ADVISER: It is my understanding that these devices did not need someone to actually physically detonate them, that they could have been detonated in the location where they were on the plane or they could have been detonated when they reached their destination.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: OK. Let's do this -- let's bring in our homeland security correspondent, Jeanne Meserve.
And Jeanne, how much cargo is currently being inspected?
JEANNE MESERVE, CNN HOMELAND SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Well, the most recent number we have is that about 60 percent of the cargo coming into the U.S. on aircraft is screened, which means, of course, that about 40 percent is not. Administration officials are acknowledging the need to do more in the wake of the bomb plot, but it's a tough problem. And experts say we're never going to be able to get to 100 percent screening.
Probably the most problematic aspect, the head of the Transportation Security Administration told me in an interview this morning, is the need for international cooperation.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOHN PISTOLE, TSA ADMINISTRATOR: The challenge becomes worldwide that we don't have the same standards that we have in the U.S. or in certain western countries that the security, in terms of cargo packages, is applied in an even way. So that is our challenge, working with our international partners to address those issues.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MESERVE: And Pistole notes that some countries lack the technology to screen cargo and the funding to buy it -- Tony.
HARRIS: So, Jeanne, why can't we get to 100 percent? What are the experts saying?
MESERVE: Well, there are a whole lot of issues. One of them is that issue of international cooperation.
Some of the others, people say, is that shipments move from country to country and plane to plane, creating all sorts of opportunities for tampering. Cargo is sometimes on big pallets or in containers, making screening difficult.
Technology has its limitations. X-rays, for instance, wouldn't have detected the bombs last week.
And the other thing is cost. The whole point of shipping by air is to ship quickly. If they start screening every item, the system would simply grind to a halt, and that is why some experts recommend a completely different approach that would look more at data about shippers and shipments to decide what might be a threat and what needs a closer look, something like they do with cargo containers now -- Tony.
HARRIS: Yes. One more, Jeanne. How much cargo is actually shipped on passenger planes?
MESERVE: A lot in the belly of the planes. I don't have the specific number in front of me, but domestically, there was a deadline this summer that said 100 percent of cargo on domestic planes had to be screened. But on international flights, they only will say at the TSA that 100 percent of the cargo identified as high risk is screened.
That's not the same as saying all cargo screened. And a lot of the screening that is done is done on the honor system, and it's hard to verify -- Tony.
HARRIS: Right.
CNN's Jeanne Meserve for us.
Jeanne, appreciate it. Thank you.
(BUSINESS REPORT)
HARRIS: You know, it is no secret that undecided, Independent voters can determine the outcome of an election swinging red or blue. So how many of them say they plan to vote Republican this election? Is it, A, 43 percent; B, 49 percent, or, C, 52 percent? The answer in less than two minutes.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: Got to tell you, we asked you before the break whether Independent voters are leaning red or blue this year. It turns out almost half of them plan to vote Republican, compared with 36 percent who say they're going Democratic. According to Pew Research, that is a swing to the right from 2008, when exit polls pegged 52 percent of Independents voting Democratic.
(WEATHER REPORT)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: Let's get you caught up on top stories right now.
A group called the Islamic State of Iraq has claimed responsibility for a deadly attack this weekend in Baghdad. At least 58 people were killed when Iraqi security forces stormed a Catholic church where gunmen were holding hostages. Another 75 were wounded.
More than eight years after Elizabeth Smart was kidnapped from her home in Utah, jury selection gets under way in the federal trial of the man police say did it, Brian David Mitchell. Smart, who is on a mission trip in France, is expected to return to testify. Mel Gibson is expected in court today to deliver his deposition about domestic abuse claims in his child custody case. Ex-girlfriend and accuser Oksana Grigorieva is expected to be there, too.
We are focusing on Alaska's unpredictable Senate race. It will help determine whether Democrats or Republicans are in charge.
We're back in a moment. You're in the CNN NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: The topsy-turvy Senate race in Alaska, a Democrat, a write-in incumbent, a Tea Party upstart -- don't forget a dash of Sarah Palin -- it may be the most unpredictable contest to watch tomorrow.
CNN's Drew Griffin live in Anchorage.
Drew, good to see you.
Could it be so close when we're talking about this race that even the Democrat, Scott McAdams, could end up being a factor here?
DREW GRIFFIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: You know, Tony, this race has gotten so crazy just in the last few days, that Scott McAdams, the mayor of Sitka, Alaska, the Democrat, is insisting he has a chance at this. Basically, if all the stars align and the Republicans split each other up so badly, he could slip right in there.
Quite frankly, I was at a McAdams event yesterday. I don't really see the momentum there at that campaign.
More likely, this is going to come down to Lisa Murkowski, the sitting Republican senator who is not a Republican on the ballot, not even on the ballot -- she's the write-in -- and Joe Miller, this Tea Party candidate who supposedly came from nowhere with the backing of Sarah Palin, who was riding high, Tony. But his campaign has kind of imploded lately.
What is very interesting to see here is, talking to Lisa Murkowski, who now faces a write-in candidacy with 160 other write-in candidates on the ballot, of whether or not she goes back to Washington if she wins the same Republican that she came from Washington. The Senate Republicans may not be counting on the same Lisa Murkowski.
Take a listen to what she said to me over the weekend.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GRIFFIN: So if you do go back --
SEN. LISA MURKOWSKI (R), ALASKA: 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: Well, that's an odd way to put it. Let's just say I know very well who will 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: Tony, I think it's fair to say, speaking with Lisa Murkowski, she's smarting a little bit from not being the Republican on this ballot, and really gave me the impression that the Republicans in the Senate will not be able to count on her vote if she gets back to Washington after this Tuesday's election.
HARRIS: Wow. What a development that might be.
If you would, Drew, give us a sense of the latest polling here. Where are the numbers? How are they falling?
GRIFFIN: Well, I'll tell you, the numbers from last week from the CNN/"TIME" poll showed Murkowski, Miller 37 percent, and McAdams trailing 23 percent.
Now, there have been some other polls that we have not signed on to because we're not really sure how they've been done. But as I was leaving the McAdams rally yesterday -- if you could call it a rally -- it was more like a town hall meeting as a local school -- his campaign person came running out trying to show me this one poll that shows they're really showing him surging and is actually in second place behind Murkowski.
Now, what's interesting about that is you have the Miller -- if you believe that, right? -- the Miller campaign is sliding. McAdams campaign is rising. But Murkowski is staying the same.
But remember, Tony, Murkowski is not on the ballot. You've got to fill in that little black dot and then write in "Lisa Murkowski." So that's kind of an untested kind of thing that the Alaskan voters will need to do if they're going to put Murkowski back in office. That's why everybody believes this is kind of up in the air, because they're really not sure how this write-in thing is going to work.
HARRIS: Boy, that is going to be fascinating to watch.
Drew Griffin for us.
Can you imagine the potential court challenges after this decision?
All right, Drew. Good to see you. Thank you.
Brazil has elected a female president. It is the first time a woman will lead Latin America's biggest country.
Shasta Darlington joins us from Havana, Cuba, with the very latest.
And Shasta, you know, there are some questions about this president-elect and her past.
Oh, we lost Shasta. Is she back or -- OK. We'll try to check back with her in just a couple of minutes.
Shasta is back with us.
And Shasta, Brazil has elected its first woman president. We understand that there are some questions about her past. Tell us about her, if you would.
SHASTA DARLINGTON, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Absolutely, Tony.
You know, back in the 1960s and '70s, Dilma Rousseff was a Marxist guerilla fighting against the military dictatorship in Brazil. She was actually in prison and even tortured. But after that, she went on to get an economics degree and started working in local government.
So by the time we're having these elections now, people are really focused more on the present and the future. And voters elected her to continue the social and the economic policies of the very popular outgoing president, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.
So, this is historic for Brazil, a woman in office. Certainly not for the region, because right next door we have Cristina Kirchner in Argentina. Michelle Bachelet, in Chile, just finished up her term as Chile's first president. But this is big news for Brazil.
She got 56 percent of the vote, not just because she's a woman, like I said, but because people are happy with what they saw during President Lula's term -- a booming economy, millions of people climbing out of poverty and into the middle and lower-middle classes. And actually, during her victory speech, that's what Dilma Rousseff focused on. Let's listen to what she said.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DILMA ROUSSEFF, PRESIDENT-ELECT, BRAZIL (through translator): We cannot rest while there are hungry Brazilians, while there are families living on the streets, while poor children are abandoned to their fate. The eradication of poverty in the coming years is therefore a goal that I take, but for which I humbly ask the support of everyone who can help the country work to overcome the chasm that still separates us from being a developed nation.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
DARLINGTON: Of course, the fact that the economy is doing so well -- it's now the eighth largest in the world -- will certainly help Dilma Rousseff meet that goal -- Tony.
HARRIS: All right. Shasta Darlington for us.
Shasta, appreciate it. Thank you. The state of Arizona goes before the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals this hour, urging judges to reinstate its immigration law. A federal court blocked most parts of the law in July, including a requirement that police check a person's immigration status. Arizona Governor Jan Brewer says she will be in the courtroom in San Francisco for those arguments.
The most dangerous drug out there -- researchers rank the top 20. The most harmful drug is probably not what you'd expect.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: OK. One day until the midterm elections. Amid all the mudslinging and the nutty ads, strategists, pundits, the talking points, it's easy to lose sight of what all the elections all about, right? They're about shaping what the country is and the direction, where we want to go in the future.
On this program, in these two hours, we want to get back to those basics. Core principles, core values. We're asking you to help us answer one simple question. What does America mean to you? It is a segment we're calling "My America." It's your personal experiences from your vantage point, and what does this country look like from where you're standing at this moment right now?
Here's what some of you are saying to us.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIPS)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: My America is all Americans going to the polls, voting for who they want to lead this country.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: My America is confused. My America wants the government to take care of everything, but my America doesn't want a big government. People want to raise money, but they don't want social issues like legalizing marijuana, different issues like that. It doesn't make sense. My America is very confused.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: My America is like a good movie to me. I like a good movie with all the suspense. Everything into it, drama, you know, the action, you know, the moral part of the story. But it ends on a good note. And that's what America is to me.
(END AUDIO CLIP)
HARRIS: Come on and participate. Join us. Send us your thoughts. And if you would, start your answer with "My America is." I'm on Facebook and Twitter @TonyHarrisCNN. You can also go to my blog page at CNN.com/tony or you can give us a call at 877-742-5760. We'll share more of your comments right here in the" CNN NEWSROOM."
Voter turnout can be key in the elections. So, who is turning out more? men or women? the answer in three minutes.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK) HARRIS: Well, we asked if men or women are more likely to vote. Turns out the women win this one. Almost hands down here. They make up 52 percent of likely voters, according to the Pew Research Center. But to be fair, the men are simply outnumbered. There are more women than men in the country right now.
The economy is issue number one in tomorrow's election. And that's not just playing out in the individual races. Stephanie Elam joining us now from New York. Stephanie, I'm seeing that across the country, there are quite a few valid questions that call for slashing taxes and spending.
STEPHANIE ELAM, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Yes, that's right, Tony. You're seeing a lot of that. There are hefty other issues on the ballot like abortion, immigration, gay rights. But a lot of those are taking the back seat to initiatives that directly affect Americans' wallets. So, this year, there are nearly 100 statewide ballot questions on taxing and spending, plus more than 450 local questions in 33 states.
So, let's take a look at Colorado as our example first off. Three measures would slash property taxes, prohibit the state from borrowing and cut fees on everything from car registrations to telephones.
Opponents say these cuts are just too extreme. The Colorado Fiscal Policy Institute says if the measures were fully implemented today, they would effectively cut the state's general fund in half, slashing revenue by $3.4 billion. But supporters say it's necessary belt-tightening, and that it will ultimately expand Colorado's economy and create jobs.
Now, right now at this point in the polls, the states are running against -- the measures, but we also have to point out Massachusetts is also considering a hefty tax cut. Voters will decide whether to slash the sales tax to 3 percent from 6.25 percent. That would cut state revenues by $2.5 billion a year. Supporters say it would save the average family 900 bucks a year. And polls in Massachusetts show voters are pretty evenly divided on this one.
So, we got a lot of tough battles when it comes to wallet issues, Tony.
HARRIS: I don't know. The states are really, really hurting right now. All right, Stephanie, appreciate it. Thank you.
Let's get you caught up on top stories right now. A federal law enforcement official tells CNN the FBI has dispatched teams with explosives expertise to Britain and Dubai to help in the examination of printer bombs. Investigators say at least one of two bombs found at airports there may have traveled on passenger planes from Yemen.
Scientists fear Indonesia's Mount Merapi will erupt once again. The volcano spewed hot ash and lava this weekend. That was the second eruption in just a week. And insurance giant -- listen to this -- AIG says it has raised almost $37 billion to pay back the American taxpayer after the government bailout. AIG sold off one insurance subsidiary and is making an initial public offering on a second.
Critics of Sarah Palin are told to, quote, "shut up." Find out who is telling them that, to shut up, in our political update.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: So, the most dangerous drug is, take a guess. Here are your choices. Crack, heroin, LSD. Nope. None of the above. A new British study claims it is -- I'll let Elizabeth Cohen tell you, our senior medical correspondent. Okay.
ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN SENIOR MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: None of the above. It is alcohol.
HARRIS: Oh, come on.
COHEN: Yes. It's an interesting study. It was done by folks in England. And when I ran it by folks in this country, they say they think the holdings would also stand here.
And here's what they did. When you look at damage done by various substances and you look at things like did people miss work? Were their relationships ruined? Did they smash their cars? Did they ruin their livers or other important body parts that alcohol is responsible for -- more damage than drugs like meth or cocaine or any of those. So, when you look at the big picture, alcohol does more damage than drugs, according to the researchers I talked to.
HARRIS: Yes. Alcohol is legal, the other stuff isn't. But given a choice here, I mean, of taking a drink and a syringe of heroin -- the study isn't suggesting that you take the syringe of heroin. Come on.
COHEN: No, I asked an expert that. I said, okay, given that alcohol is more dangerous, if I had a glass of wine and a syringe of heroin in front of me, would you tell me to take the heroin? And he said, uh, no. I wouldn't tell you to do that.
Because it's very clear that many people can use alcohol responsibly and can use alcohol socially and drink from time to time. It's really, really hard to use heroin from time to time. You don't hear about a lot of people who can do just sort of, you know, do a little heroin in the evening and function perfectly well.
So, on an individual level, if you're not predisposed to alcohol addiction, which is a huge if, then, indeed, it may not be the most dangerous for you. But when you look big picture, alcohol does a lot of damage.
HARRIS: All right. So, bottom line this for me. What am I to take from this study? COHEN: What they want people to take from the study is that alcohol is more dangerous than you think. That many times people think, well, it's available at my friendly neighborhood supermarket, and everyone I know drinks alcohol. It must be okay. Alcohol is actually quite toxic and can do great damage to your body and can do great damage to other people and to your life. And people need to think about that.
HARRIS: Yes. That's good. Yes, we absolutely should.
Elizabeth, good to see you again. Two good segments. Yes. Thank you.
A pop star, Katy Perry, had the perfect marriage, right? In India. Then she had an episode with the -- an itsy bitsy spider.
And passing joints on the Bill Maher show? Oh, boy. We've got "What's Hot" on the Internet when we come back.
(COMMERICAL BREAK)
HARRIS: Here we go. Just one day until Election Day. The man who would be House speaker is in the headlines. Mark Preston, part of "The Best Political Team On Television," joining us live from New York, getting ready for election night. Boy, that's going to be big.
Mark, what's crossing right now?
MARK PRESTON, CNN POLITICAL EDITOR: Well, Tony, you're absolutely right. John Boehner, who a lot of people think is going to be the next speaker of the House, will be in Cincinnati this evening, and he's going to have some very sharp words for President Obama. It will be foreshadowing a relationship that might be on the rocks even before it starts. Well, he is going to criticize President Obama tonight for Mr. Obama's use last week of the word "enemy."
What happened was, as Mr. Obama was giving an interview on Univision, a radio interview -- and let me just read what Mr. Obama said. He said, "if Latinos sit out the election instead of saying we're going to punish our enemies and we're going to reward our friends who stand with us on issues that are important to us, if they don't see that kind of upsurge inviting in this election, I think it's going to be harder."
What Mr. Obama was trying to do was get the vote out. So President Obama getting -- will be criticized in just a couple hours from John Boehner, the Republican leader, who, if Republicans take back, will take back -- will become speaker of the House.
A little political chivalry from RNC Chairman Michael Steele. This morning on "American Morning," he had some kind words for Sarah Palin. And he said any of these Republican critics who say bad things about Sarah Palin should basically just, quote/unquote, shut up. So Mr. Steele coming out defending Sarah Palin.
HARRIS: Oh, my. PRESTON: He said that if Sarah Palin were to be the GOP nominee, he would be supportive of her. So, who said chivalry is dead, Tony?
And let's talk about the Tea Party. We see that the Tea Party is so supportive of Republicans in, of course, in this election cycle. But President Jimmy Carter said on CNN yesterday, on Howard Kurtz's show, that, in fact, it was Tea Party activists that got him elected more than 30 years ago.
In fact, let's see what he had to say. Mr. Carter said, "a lot of these same people, 30 years ago, put me in the White House because they were dissatisfied what's going on in government." At the same Mr. Carter said that these Tea Party activists, he thinks, are being dissuade a little bit and a little bit clouded by the judgment of the oil companies who he said are actually funding the Tea Party movement. So a lot of interesting stories out there as we head into Election Day.
Tony.
HARRIS: Oh, yes. Good stuff, Mark, as always. Thank you, sir.
And your next political update coming at the top of the hour. For the latest political news, just go to cnnpolitics.com.
I think we've got some time here to get to some "What's Hot" items.
Jacqui.
JACQUI JERAS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes.
HARRIS: What am I looking at back here?
JERAS: It's all about celebs today.
HARRIS: It is?
JERAS: Everybody's chatting about the celebrities.
HARRIS: OK.
JERAS: I don't know if it's like coming off the Halloween weekend or what, but this is what --
HARRIS: Sure, sure. OK.
JERAS: And speaking of Halloween, number one costume, by the way, right there, Lady Gaga.
HARRIS: Every day is Halloween for Gaga.
JERAS: It kind of is, isn't it?
Well, hey, check this. You want to learn how to dress like her perhaps? HARRIS: Oh, my, yes.
JERAS: You can take a class now in all things Lady Gaga.
HARRIS: What is she wearing?
JERAS: Can you believe this? The University of South Carolina --
HARRIS: What is that, oatmeal? What is that? Is that oatmeal on her face?
JERAS: I don't know what that is. I don't know. The University of South Carolina is offering a class called Lady Gaga and the Sociology of Fame. It's going to explore what makes a person famous in today's culture.
HARRIS: Really?
JERAS: And the professor, by the way, you could probably call him an obsessed fan. He's seen her 28 times, met her five.
HARRIS: Get out of here. I'm just trying to get to the show once. All right.
What else are you following here, Jacqui?
JERAS: All right. Zach Galifianakis. Say that fast five times, right, that's the tough one to say.
HARRIS: Right.
JERAS: He was on Bill Maher's show and giving up a little bit more than the audience.
HARRIS: He was smoking a cigarette on set? That's new. That's --
JERAS: Um, that would not be a cigarette, apparently.
HARRIS: What are you saying?
JERAS: It apparently was marijuana.
HARRIS: It was marijuana?
JERAS: Well, he was there talking about a debate of prop 19 in California. And you can see he passed it along with his friends.
HARRIS: And he lit it up?
JERAS: He lit it up. Watch. Here you can see the smoke. Here it comes. (INAUDIBLE).
HARRIS: Oh, boy.
JERAS: I know we can't prove that that was marijuana.
HARRIS: Yes, yes, yes.
JERAS: But that was the idea, obviously, during --
HARRIS: That's the gag, that's the joke, that's the point. All right.
JERAS: Yes, that's the whole point. He, obviously, was in favor of it there.
HARRIS: What's going on here?
JERAS: This is Katy Perry.
HARRIS: I've received 15 e-mails on this story already today.
JERAS: Have you really?
HARRIS: You tell the story. Yes.
JERAS: Yes, well, you know, she just married Russell Brand, right?
HARRIS: Yes.
JERAS: And they're on their honeymoon now in the Maldives.
HARRIS: Oh, great.
JERAS: And apparently things have not been quite so blissful on their honeymoon.
HARRIS: What do you mean?
JERAS: Apparently she was bit by a spider.
HARRIS: Oh, OK. OK.
JERAS: Yes.
HARRIS: A little salve or something to clear that up, right?
JERAS: Gave her a little rash and something. And, unfortunately, the medication for that has made her a bit drowsy.
HARRIS: Right, right, right.
JERAS: Unable to consummate the marriage.
HARRIS: Excuse me?
JERAS: It's just what they're saying. This is what they made me say.
HARRIS: It's the only thing that gets the guy through the long weekend of festivities.
JERAS: I know. And apparently there was a little bit of a wait ahead of time just to spice things up once they got married. So --
HARRIS: All right. So "What's Hot." You can find that at cnn.com, I'm sure.
JERAS: Yes. Absolutely.
HARRIS: Thank you.
Really?
JERAS: Yes.
HARRIS: We're going to leave you with a little more Gaga.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: Got to tell you, getting a job may require more than just having the skills to do the job. Apparently you need to have manners as well. CNN's Alina Cho found out etiquette classes are packed around the country right now.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PATRICIA FITZPATRICK, THE NEW YORK SCHOOL OF ETIQUETTE: It's four steps. Let me show you. One, two, three, four.
ALINA CHO, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): What does this --
FITZPATRICK: OK.
CHO: Have to do --
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I leaned over a little bit. Is that OK?
FITZPATRICK: You can tilt, uh-huh.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: OK.
CHO: With getting a job?
FITZPATRICK: OK, that's a big bite, Sarah.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I couldn't break it any smaller.
CHO: Would you believe etiquette counts for a lot?
FITZPATRICK: Eighty-five percent of success in life, in getting a job, is people skills. Fifteen 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: Business 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.
JODI R. SMITH, MANNERSMITH ETIQUETTE CONSULTING: One, two, three shakes is OK, four is getting strange and five is creepy.
CHO: Other etiquette classes are going gangbusters. And the students are younger, 20-somethings, just out of school looking for a job and an edge.
LINDSAY YUHASZ, ETIQUETTE SCHOOL STUDENT: 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 to personal. Once you get the job, know how to eat. There's always a business lunch. Number one rule, eat with the back side 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 put 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 the client, bottom line.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS: CNN's Alina Cho reporting.
OK, the midterm elections are tomorrow. And amid all the mudslinging, the nutty ads, strategists, pundits, talking points, we've been saying it for the last couple of weeks now, it is easy to lose sight of what elections are really about. And they are about shaping what this country is and setting a course for the future. So we want to get back to basics, core issues, core values. So 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 points. What does this country look like from where you're standing right now? Here's some of what you're saying to us.
(BEGIN VIDEO 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.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What America means to me is freedom. Freedom of opportunity, education, standing 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 with the men and women who fought and died to give us that right for freedom.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: My America right now is fractured, economically, religiously, political, religiously, and I'm very, very afraid that we're not going to find our way back to healing.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: Boy. If you'd like to weigh in, we would certainly love to hear from you. Now is the time. But, you know what, we're going to keep this going beyond the midterm elections. It's that important. If you'd like to share your answer with us to our question, do so. And, if you would, start your answer with "My America Is."
Let's see, where you can find us. I'm on FaceBook, I'm on Twitter at TonyHarrisCNN. And you can also go to cnn.com/tony. That's our blog page. Or -- and we love this, actually, if you want to give us a call, do that. Here's the number, 877-742-5760, 877-742-5760. We will share more of your comments in the days, weeks and months ahead right here in the CNN NEWSROOM.
One other note before I toss things to Ali Velshi in New York. If you would, join us election night, "Election Night in America" starting at 7:00 p.m. Eastern right here on CNN.
All right, CNN NEWSROOM continues right now with Ali Velshi in New York City.
Ali, all yours.
ALI VELSHI, CNN ANCHOR: Hey, Tony, on election --
HARRIS: Yes, sir.
VELSHI: On election night, I've actually got some great new technology. I'm going to be unveiling it. I showed it for the first time last night, where we'll be using exit polls with this fantastic new 3D technology that's actually quite useful in helping people understand that. So I just wanted to brag on that for a second. To put it in.
HARRIS: Can we apply it to other areas or is it just specifically to the election?
VELSHI: Yes, absolutely. No, anything that you can show that compares number and cross tabulate -- you know the stuff I love, just taking data and parsing it different ways.
HARRIS: Yes.
VELSHI: This technology will help us. So hopefully we'll have some fun with it in the future, but we'll see a lot of it on Election Day. Good to see you, bud.
HARRIS: Can't wait.
Have a great show, sir.
VELSHI: Thank you. You too, Tony Harris.
