Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Newsroom

Michael Steele Defends Sarah Palin; Fight of Harry Reid's Life?; Investigators Sent to Help British Authorities with Yemeni Bomb Scare; Stewart and Colbert's Rally to Restore Sanity; Randy Quaid Seeks Asylum in Canada; Midterm Elections Imminent

Aired November 01, 2010 - 15:00   ET

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

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BROOKE BALDWIN, CNN ANCHOR: The new pat-downs at the airports, invasive or necessary?

And what do you tell voters hours before they head to the polls? The closing arguments as the suspense builds.

I'm Brooke Baldwin. CNN equals politics now.

MICHAEL STEELE, CHAIRMAN, REPUBLICAN NATIONAL COMMITTEE: These republican leaders who don't put their name in prints, but make comments in shadows, need to shut up.

BALDWIN (voice-over): Michael Steele defends Sarah Palin against Republicans? I will tell you why she's getting heat from her own party.

And he is in the final hours of one of the closest and most important races in the entire country. So, what is Senate majority Harry Reid suddenly promising voters? And can he keep that promise?

Bombs on board. Why the new weapons of terror may be impossible to detect.

Plus, heading to the airport?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Wiping her hand across my behind.

BALDWIN: Get ready for some big changes.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BALDWIN: Here we are, Election, Day as if you need reminding. It is tomorrow.

Hi, everyone. I'm Brooke Baldwin.

Look, one way or another, our political scene, really our whole landscape, is about to totally change. Want to show you some of the candidates here making their final pleas, closing arguments, if you will right now. You're looking at Harry Reid. He is the Senate majority leader. And he is fighting for his life in Nevada. Take a look now, Republican Rick Scott running hard today down in Florida for the gubernatorial seat. He is one of several wealthy Americans willing to part with a good chunk of his fortune to try to get elected this year.

Then you have got Nikki Haley. Remember her? She is one of the first people we tagged as Tea Party favorites, one of the first of many out there now. This was Haley campaigning just a short time ago for governor of South Carolina.

To the House side of things. Here we go, balance of power. This is where the biggest change of all really could happen come tomorrow. The Republican Party needs 39 seats to take over, and that, many agree, very much so within reach.

As for the Senate, not as easy. The margin there is much smaller, yet the GOP here, the Senate's GOP campaign chief is saying a takeover here is unlikely. Really, that is anyone's guess.

Today bringing in some pretty smart people here at CNN, the heavy hitters, if you will. We have got Jessica Yellin, Ed Henry, Shannon Travis, Dana Bash.

And want to run through this, guys. So, when I call your name, I want -- here we are, eve of elections here 2010. I want your thoughts.

So, Jessica, beginning with you, 10 seconds. Go.

JESSICA YELLIN, CNN NATIONAL POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: Ten seconds.

This will be remembered as a year of losses for women politicians. Fewer women are going to be in Congress after this election than before. And we have got to look at those women calling all these men sissies. Man up. Be man enough. What's all that about, Rick -- Brooke?

(LAUGHTER)

BALDWIN: Ed -- Ed Henry, 10 seconds.

ED HENRY, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: I was in Chicago with the president on Saturday night -- 35,000 people at a rally, and yet the Democratic candidates for governor and Senate are losing or in a dead heat right now. If he can't carry his home state tomorrow night, look out.

BALDWIN: Shannon Travis, your turn.

SHANNON TRAVIS, CNN POLITICAL PRODUCER: Brooke, call it the Tea Party experiment. Can they win tomorrow, despite one of their candidates falling in the polls besides one of them trailing badly in the polls and another still neck and neck. The Tea Party movement feels that their candidates can pull it out tomorrow. BALDWIN: Dana Bash, you have been through a lot of these elections. Your take.

(LAUGHTER)

DANA BASH, CNN SENIOR CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: I'm actually going to pick up where Shannon left of and look at the Senate and question whether or not, yes, the Tea Party is very, very strong, very, very powerful, but whether, at the end of the day, it might actually cost Republicans majority in the Senate because of that one state, Delaware, that they had in the bag, but now is going to be gone and it might be a one-seat difference, where Delaware could have been a big change.

BALDWIN: All right, I want all four of you to stand by. I want to first walk through some more of these races. Want to begin with the Senate.

So, the big race -- all four of you know -- you know, we told you about this, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid facing potential here at the hands of insurgent Republican Sharron Angle. That's that race.

To Alaska, one of my favorites to watch here, this unexpected surge for Democrat Scott McAdams -- Scott McAdams. We're going to have more from Alaska here in a couple of minutes.

Also, Washington State, incumbent Democrat Patty Murray trying to hold of Dino Rossi. Pennsylvania another close race here. You have Democrat Joe Sestak against Republican Pat Toomey. And we will talk gubernatorial races a little later here, but I want to bring all four of you back, bring back our best political team on television.

And if you look at the last two elections and now here we're coming upon our third, it seems to me that the message is voters want change, but you have to remember they voted for change in '06. They voted for change in '08.

Jessica Yellin, I want to begin with you.

Is there recent precedent for so much of this dissatisfaction?

YELLIN: Well, we, of course, keep referring to the 1994 election, where Bill Clinton was in office and saw Congress slip out of his grasp and Republicans become ascendant then.

Brooke, a lot of the political watchers like to point out that it's very rare that you see one house of Congress change without both houses of Congress changing. So, if the House were to go Republican, they'd say the Senate would too.

This doesn't look likely this year, but there's certainly a broad sense of dissatisfaction. And I will just finally point out I'm at an event where Michelle Obama just spoke and her message to troops was change doesn't come in two years. You have got to be patient.

But it seems like the electorate is not very patient -- Brooke. BALDWIN: Ed Henry, I want to go to you, same question. And just to add to that, just curious if a lot of voters right now want to vote against who's in power, a lot of dissatisfaction among Americans.

HENRY: Well, that's going to be the question, because the president said over and over that this is not a referendum election. It's not about him and his leadership. It's about a choice between the two parties, who's going forward, who is going backward. A lot of the polling so far suggests the opposite, though, that people are going to vote as a referendum and are really speaking out against him, against his administration.

But, obviously, we have got to see the actual results. That's some of the early indicators. I think, at the end of the day, though, this could actually be a blessing in disguise for this White House, if you think, as Jessica was talking about, 1994. That was a bad day for Bill Clinton, but he got his act together. He moved a little bit to the middle.

Also important to note the Republicans on the Hill worked with him. And we don't know whether these Republicans who may gain power will work with this president. We will see. But they moved to the middle, both of them. And what happened? Bill Clinton got reelected two years later.

So just because you take a beating this Tuesday doesn't mean you're going to lose reelection.

BALDWIN: Let's talk Tea Party.

And Shannon Travis, I know you have been embedded with this group, I think it's the better part of the last year. You had a great documentary on over the weekend. And you talked -- your headline was the Tea Party experiment. So, Shannon, are we going to see a net gain or net loss here for Republicans?

TRAVIS: Well, it depends on which part of the party you talk to.

The establishment Republicans might say, you know what, they knocked out some of our more viable candidates, if the Tea Party candidates don't largely win tomorrow. The establishment types may say we had viable candidates that could have won these races, and you lost it for us.

But if they win, then it could be very good for the Tea Party movement because the Tea Party movement could say, hey, we injected the much-needed enthusiasm, the muscle. We got the vote out, and we actually helped Republicans win.

BALDWIN: Dana Bash, same question to you. Do you see, given all the people you have been talking to, this -- this Republican resurgence, do you see a net gain or net loss?

BASH: Net gain, no question, for Republicans in the House and the Senate. Whether or not they will go forward and get the majority in both Houses, that's an open question. But I think when it comes to the question you asked about patience, you know, Brooke, that is one of the things that really has fascinated me this entire election season in that it is -- really, there is not a lot of patience out there.

I mean, look, we're a Twitter, fast-food nation, and it's becoming more and more so, with technology changing and, frankly, with things just remaining so bad. And I just wonder to myself a lot whether or not, if this were 10, 20 years ago, and the situation was the same, with the economy and the political atmosphere, whether things -- whether there would have been a little bit more of a break given to Democrats in charge in a different time.

BALDWIN: Right. We are a fast-food nation. We like things on the go, go, go. And something if we don't like, we just perhaps vote the opposite, as we may see come tomorrow.

Ed Henry, I want to pick up where you sort of left off, talking about Clinton in 1994. And you mentioned how Clinton played more toward the middle and was successful. Just curious, foreshadowing potentially ahead here, if -- if the president loses either one or perhaps both -- just play along with me hypothetically speaking -- will the president be willing to play small ball? Will he be willing to play the middle?

HENRY: He may be.

There are indications, in fact, that he might. I have now talked to some senior advisers to the president over the last couple of days who say that one thing he's considering now is holding a big summit of some kind after this election.

Keep in mind, right after the election, on early Friday, the president will be going to India and on to Asia, other countries in Asia, Japan, South Korea, et cetera. So, this would probably be later in November, not right away, but a summit that either be at Camp David or somewhere else in the Washington area, where he can go behind closed doors with the Republicans and say, look, you guys may have won this election. I got the last one. What are we going to do to move forward in the next two years on energy, on the economy, et cetera?

And so they're taking very seriously here right now -- they're going to wait for the results first, but they're already game-planning out a possible summit with Republicans after the election to show that they're at least serious to meet the Republicans halfway.

And when you have Mitch McConnell saying that he wants to make this a one-term presidency, when you have John Boehner saying -- indicating he's not ready to compromise, they're going to try to call their bluff maybe and say, look, are you going to work with us or not? So, look for that for sure.

BALDWIN: We know Wednesday is the beginning of the race to the White House.

Dana, Ed, Jessica, and Shannon, guys, thank all of you, fast- paced conversation, great substance. Thank you.

HENRY: Thank you.

BALDWIN: The incumbent -- we were talking about Alaska -- let's go back to Alaska -- the incumbent forced to run as a write-in. There she is. You also have that Tea Party newcomer losing some momentum, and a little-known Democrat -- if you want political drama, just check out the Alaska Senate race. We are there live. We're there after the break. Stick around for that.

Also, the devices found on board cargo planes last week have renewed fears about a powerful, almost undetectable explosive. The stuff is called PETN. What is it? How can passengers be protected if this stuff goes undetected?

That is ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: To Alaska, we go, where during the Republican primary Joe Miller was able to use his Tea Party movement backing here to win the Republican Party nomination over incumbent Lisa Murkowski.

But in the general election, independents and Democrats, they're also all part of the mix, as you know. And this cross-section of voters has created quite a race that many still say here on the eve of Election Day is really too close to call.

In fact, one of the biggest obstacles for write-in candidate Murkowski, teaching voters how to correctly spell her name. I'm not kidding. You see, if the written name is too poorly misspelled, the vote may not count.

So, what did that do? That prompted the Murkowski team to put out this ad. Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Could you please use that in a sentence?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: To reelect Lisa Murkowski, you must fill in the oval and write in her name.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Murkowski. M-U-R-K-O-W-S-K-I.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: And she passed the bee.

Drew Griffin joins me --

(LAUGHTER)

BALDWIN: -- from Anchorage, where he's all over this.

Fascinating race. And, Drew, I know you have had a chance to talk to Lisa Murkowski. Who are her supporters? Do you get a sense that she understands who those people are?

DREW GRIFFIN, CNN SPECIAL INVESTIGATIONS UNIT CORRESPONDENT: Yes.

Well, she's certainly counting on the old guard that voted for her father for senator and for governor. She's got a very strong political name. But, Brooke, as you said, it's going to come down to spelling it right on this ballot and writing it in.

But what's really interesting here, having spoken to her, I think she feels a little dissed by her own party, by her own Republican Party, which is backing Joe Miller, the Tea Party candidate, because he won the Republican primary.

But when I caught up to her this weekend, I asked her, so if you win, Lisa Murkowski, sitting Republican senator, are you going back to the U.S. Senate as a Republican? The answer was not quite a yes.

Take a listen.

(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 are to go back --

MURKOWSKI: Yes.

GRIFFIN: -- 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 -- 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: It may have been an odd way to put it, Brooke, but she basically was telling me in an extended interview there that her vote could not be counted on by Republicans, that she is going to put Alaskans first and Alaska issues first, not necessarily just go along with the party that really kind of abandoned her in this election.

BALDWIN: So, Drew, before we show poll numbers, I just want to follow up on your point. So, if we can just sort of read some of the political tea leaves, if -- or she would say when she wins, when she goes back to Washington, who would she caucus with?

GRIFFIN: Well, she's a conservative. There's no doubt. The race here is between Murkowski, the conservative Republican incumbent, or the Tea Party candidate, who is perhaps even more conservative. But what I think you will see is, on some votes which could go either way, perhaps Murkowski is going to look for an add-on to those bills or some kind of a deal where she can come away with something for Alaska, right, that would sway her vote. I don't she's going to be in her mind a slam-dunk Republican check in that U.S. Senate.

BALDWIN: Yes, just curious, just reading some of the chatter today some of on the blogs.

Let's get to the poll numbers. Let's take a look at some of our latest CNN polling. We have Murkowski and Miller tied, there you go, 37 and 37, with the Democrat, Scott McAdams, at 23 percent.

And, Drew, I know you have been following this race so closely. A lot of people haven't even known perhaps even who that third candidate is, Scott McAdams, because so much attention has been paid to Miller and Murkowski. And a lot of articles you read today talk about this three-horse race, with hope for the Democrats here.

GRIFFIN: Right.

BALDWIN: But perhaps that boils down to some poll numbers that are pushed by the Dems. Is that right?

GRIFFIN: Yes. I mean, the Democrats are trying to say basically with this feud going on between Republican candidates and one Republican who is really not on the ballot that McAdams could be the logical choice for Alaska.

And they have been floating a poll that shows McAdams actually in second place behind Murkowski and surging. The poll was done by a union that supports McAdams. Other polls I have seen do show Miller falling, Brooke, but certainly not McAdams in any position to take over this race either in second or first place.

But, again, there is that possibility that this mayor of Sitka, Alaska, could surprise us all and kind of pull out this win. But it's all going to come down to, as it does in every race, who is going to be able to get out their vote, and in the case of Lisa Murkowski, who is going to be able to spell her name correctly --

BALDWIN: Spell it right.

(LAUGHTER)

GRIFFIN: -- should they choose to write it in, right.

BALDWIN: Took the words right out of my mouth, Drew Griffin. Enjoy Anchorage. Thank you, sir.

How do the Quaids justify fleeing to Canada after facing trespassing charges in California? Guess what? They blame a Hollywood hit squad. We have their bizarre, rambling explanation ahead. You want to see that.

Also, elections don't get much tighter than this one. Beyond, you know, talking about Alaska, we also have to talk about Nevada here. You have Harry Reid, Sharron Angle. They are fighting it out here for every single vote in a race few people expected really to go down to the wire. Jessica Yellin is joining us once again. She will have more from Nevada. Mentioned the first lady there as well.

We will talk about that next here in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: It has been suggested this particular election year that Republican Karl Rove is running sort of a shadow GOP. In fact, it's a group called American Crossroads.

And our own Jessica Yellin got a look inside its operations out in Nevada in a Republican effort to topple Harry Reid.

Here's a report.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

YELLIN (voice-over): In one of the nation's most closely watched Senate races, a new Republican group is conducting and experiment.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I just want to remind you about November 2nd and also check and see if Sharron Angle can count on your vote.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: She 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 have armed volunteers in Nevada with iPads preloaded with data about voters and lists of questions.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And you can just pull up people and ask them questions, which is really nice.

YELLIN (on camera): It is all fed back?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It all gets fed back.

YELLIN: Real time?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: 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. 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.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We have the best get out the vote operation probably in the history of the country except for the 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 pressing them to go to the polls on Tuesday.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

YELLIN: Now, Brooke, Republicans don't have a lock on new technology. Democrats do have something similar. But, bottom line, what this means is, voting might end tomorrow, but election season doesn't really.

Year-round now, you might get knocks on your door from volunteers trying to find out what issues matter to you most, so they can feed that into Democratic and Republican databases who will then customize, mail, phone, someday even advertisements, for you and me and everyone watching to drive --

(LAUGHTER)

YELLIN: -- us to get out and vote.

(CROSSTALK)

BALDWIN: I can just hear the collective grumble from everyone watching you right now --

YELLIN: Right.

(LAUGHTER)

(CROSSTALK)

BALDWIN: -- trying to get more of our information.

(LAUGHTER)

BALDWIN: Before I let you go, Jess, just set the scene for me. Where are you? And it's my understanding you just heard Harry Reid speak.

YELLIN: Yes.

Harry Reid, the Senate majority leader, spoke here at a get-out- the-vote rally. And I have to say, he's usually he's very soft- spoken, sometimes even mumbling guy. I have never seen him so fired up. He really seems to be ready for tomorrow. Michelle Obama was here with him, and she was trying to get this audience of people who are die-hard Democrats excited to go and get other people to vote. Most people here had already voted.

I will also make a note, Brooke, that Michelle Obama made a pitch about what her husband has accomplished, with more detail and specifics than I hear almost anyone from the White House do. She really is her husband's best pitch person. BALDWIN: Hmm.

YELLIN: It's a wonder that they don't take some of her talking points and repeat them themselves.

BALDWIN: Oh.

(LAUGHTER)

YELLIN: Brooke.

BALDWIN: That is fascinating. And what a great race to get to cover.

Jessica Yellin, we will be seeing a whole lot of you, I'm sure, tonight and all day tomorrow. Jess, thank you.

Former Congressman Gary Condit testifies in the Chandra Levy trial. Here we go. Nine years later, what does he reveal about the relationship under oath? That's ahead. Stay there.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: All right. Let's get you caught up on some of the top stories here.

FBI explosives experts heading now to the United Kingdom and the United Arab Emirates to help investigate Friday's failed terror attack. Plus, a federal official tells CNN the man believed to have designed the Christmas Day underwear bomb is in fact linked to Friday's plot to send those bombs, remember, disguised as printer toner cartridges -- cartridges from Yemen to the U.S. Ibrahim Hassan al Asiri is a bombmaker for al Qaeda. Germany and Britain are banning flights from Yemen in the wake of Friday's plot.

And Gary Condit, you remember his name, testifying today in that Chandra Levy murder trial. Condit, you remember, allegedly had an affair with the Washington intern when he was a congressman from California. Apparently, today, Condit refused to answer a question as to whether he had sex with Levy, but he did say -- quote -- he "didn't commit any crime or do anything wrong" -- end quote.

He was never, ever a suspect in her murder. Chandra Levy's disappearance, though, you remember, became a national headline nine years ago, back in 2001. But Ingmar Guandique is the man who is on trial for allegedly attacking and killing Levy while she was out jogging.

And eight years after Elizabeth Smart was snatched right out of her own bedroom, the man accused of doing that goes on trial today. Jurors are being picked for the trial of former street preacher Brian David Mitchell. His lawyers plan to use the insanity defense.

And terrorists tried to exploit the weakest link in our air travel, cargo export. So, what are all the -- the security experts now gleaning and learning from this botched plot? And what do we need to know? What do passengers need to know before hopping on the next plane to our next destination?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: There has been a whole lot going on with the story about the packaged bombs sent from Yemen, so I want to get you caught up to speed here and then we'll have a conversation.

First, this whole plot may have been aimed at blowing up planes in mid-flight. That is what National Security Adviser John Brennan tells us. FBI explosive experts there are headed to the U.K. and the UAE to help with this investigation.

Now, airline officials say the explosives may have been shipped on passenger planes prior to getting on those cargo planes. Yemen tightening its security at all of its airports and the TSA is sending six inspectors to Yemen to help with all that cargo security.

Take a good look at this guy. This is Al Qaeda bomb-maker Ibrahim Hassan al Asiri. And investigators think this is the guy who is connected with the plot. They think he designed last year's failed Christmas day underwear bomb.

Now, another piece of the story, you had that engineering student, Hanan al Samawi. She was a 22-year-old. She's out of jail today. She was arrested and held briefly in Yemen. Police thought she may have been linked to the plot but Yemeni officials now think they think someone stole her identity and that she's totally innocent here.

Something else here we're learning, that explosive substance we've been talking about, it's PETN, which was used in these bombs, it's really, really hard to detect. It's this nonmetallic stuff so it doesn't exactly show up in the x-ray machines or dogs can't sniff it out.

So small amounts can be easily hidden in electrical equipment like computer printers used Friday and that is precisely how it was concealed in this plot.

So all of that said, I want to bring in our own Phil Black who has been following this story and the latest moving parts from London, and also CNN terrorism analyst Paul Cruickshank in New York.

And Phil, if I may, I want to begin with you. I've been trying to do some reading on Ibrahim Hassan al Asiri. So not only from what I understand is he connected to the Abdulmutallab, the underwear bomber from Christmas day last year, I also read he sent his brother to death in an effort to kill a Saudi prince. What do we know about this guy?

PHIL BLACK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Brooke. As you say, he's believed to be the designer and a maker of a suicide bomb that killed the bomber his brother, but not the target who was a high ranking Saudi official in August of last year.

As you mentioned, he is the suspect behind the underwear bomb attempt that was on Christmas day on a flight into Detroit. That one failed as well.

But he is now the key suspect and believed to be behind designing and building what are described as sophisticated, professionally built package bombs built and hidden within those computer printers. He is Saudi in origin and a most-wanted man in Saudi Arabia, but he's been in Yemen for the last three years or so. It's believed that's where he still is today.

BALDWIN: I understand he's still hiding in Yemen.

And as for the 22-year-old apparently innocent engineering student who has now been released, somehow the case of someone stole her identity, Phil, do we know if there have been any other arrests in these cases?

BLACK: Not so far. That engineering student was picked up quickly after this was detected. Her name and details were said to be all over the paperwork responsible for dispatching these particular items of freight, the two computer printers.

And, as you say, Yemeni officials now believe she's the victim of some sort of identity threat. Somebody was using her name and details to send those packages, so they're now looking for the person who did so. And I'm not sure where that leaves the investigation right now precisely because I'm unaware of any other arrests at this point, Brooke.

BALDWIN: Phil, stand by. I want to go to Paul Cruickshank. Paul, I know you're a terrorism expert and you can talk a lot about PETN, because what's fascinating to me is you have these explosives made of PETN, and it can't be detected by your x-ray machines, your bomb-sniffing dogs.

The U.S. found out about this because of a Saudi intelligence tip. So to me I think terrorists really found a loophole in our security system.

PAUL CRUICKSHANK, CNN TERRORISM ANALYST: It does seem that they're exploiting the vulnerabilities within the security system and trying to get this PETN, which is a highly explosive white powder very stable to transport it long distances, trying to get those on cargo planes and blow those cargo planes as they approach the United States.

That seems to be what we're looking at. The British authorities have said they think this was a viable device. CNN has learned there are multiple times more PETN in this device than with the underwear bombing on Christmas Day last year, which was also PETN, so an even more destructive device, Brooke.

BALDWIN: And not only was it more destructive. It appears also to be more sophisticated. When I think about what happened or could have happened on Friday, Paul, I'm just curious, did we just get lucky here with a good piece of intelligence?

BLACK: Well, it was an intelligence success. The Saudi Arabian government passed on some absolutely critical intelligence to their British partners and also to the United States. That allowed Britain and also the authorities in Dubai to actually locate these devices.

Without that intelligence tip, it's very possible that these devices would have been on cargo planes approaching the United States. And the British government is saying it's very possible that those planes would have been exploded right out of the skies.

BALDWIN: Do we have any idea -- you have mentioned how this particular bomb was sophisticated, multiple times more explosive than the bomb we saw Christmas Day, also very sophisticated the way they put the PETN in the toner cartridge. But do we know yet, Paul, if it were to have exploded how it would have been detonated? Remotely, connected to a cell phone or alarm -- do we know?

CRUICKSHANK: The hypothesis that a cell phone was involved and then perhaps a text message could have been sent, and perhaps a phone call could have been transmitted to this device even from long distance. And as the device approaches the United States, the hypothesis is that it could explode whether he the airplane comes within cell phone coverage.

But we're really still trying to understand exactly what the mechanics were in this, Brooke.

BALDWIN: As we're learning about the mechanics and as we think this could have been detonated midflight, why would this terrorist or terrorists want to send it with addresses to synagogue in Chicago? What's the message there?

CRUICKSHANK: We don't know exactly why they would have done that. Was that a way, you know, a second chance if it didn't go off on the plane it would have a second chance when these packages got to the synagogues? That's, I guess, possible.

It's also possible this is a way to sort of rally their deeply anti-Semitic base and could claim we didn't mean to attack the cargo planes. We really wanted to attack the synagogues. From their perspective, that's a way to rally their base to get more recruits for their organization.

All of these things are possible. We just don't really know at this point why they did this, Brooke.

BALDWIN: And Paul, final question. I hate to ask you, but I have to. These are just two bombs out of perhaps more. I mean, do we know, could there be other parcels still out there?

CRUICKSHANK: The British government is saying right now they do not believe there is an imminent threat at the moment. I think we can read into this meaning that they don't believe there are more parcel bombs coming the way of the west right now.

But there is a lot of concern that in the future these bomb- makers in Yemen -- and they're still out there -- will be able to make another device and try again, Brooke.

BALDWIN: They're creative and seem to be building upon their sophistication each and every time. Paul Cruickshank, Phil Black, thank you.

Who knew a photo shoot -- quick picture here -- would turn into a twitter fight. You have country superstar Leann Rimes. She sparked this whole debate and an apology and an apology retraction because she appeared on the cover of a magazine. Wait for it.

Also, Ashton Kutcher's visit made a high school student's day, of course. So why is the NCAA pretty irked at the actor? Those stories next in "Trending."

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: This is one of our favorite parts of the show where we talk about what you're talking about and blogging about and tweeting about. And for that we go to Sandra Endo who is in Washington with a look at several stories.

We have a good trending block. I saw this picture. We know Ashton Kutcher and Demi Moore are uber twitterers, but they've got into a little bit of hot water with the NCAA. Why?

SANDRA ENDO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes. This is trending, a lot of juicy ones for you today, but this is a story about two University of Iowa basketball recruits. They weren't getting punked when they met Ashton Kutcher but more like lured into going to the school.

The two recruits got to meet both Ashton Kutcher and his wife Demi Moore in a private suite at one of the Hawkeyes' home games in September. But the catch, that meeting is a violation of NCAA rules.

And the recruits, Josh Oglesby and Marcus Paige, they talked about meeting the actors and Paige even sent out a twit pic with Ashton Kutcher. There it is. He is a huge Hawkeyes fan and briefly attended the school.

The school's athletic administrator had to write to the NCAA board, saying "The university is remorseful that this occurred" and said the violations were the results of sloppy management by the basketball team staff.

Now, Oglesby, though, announced his commitment to the University of Iowa in late September after meeting the actor, so he'll be going there, and Paige says he hasn't decided where he's going yet.

BALDWIN: So it didn't mess him up too badly I guess.

Then you have and I watched this morning. I was watching Randy and Evi Quaid seeking asylum in Canada. But to hear them speak, I'll just hand it over to you.

ENDO: Did you fall off your treadmill when you were listening?

BALDWIN: I didn't fall off, but I paused.

ENDO: The Quaids say they're refugees on the run running from Hollywood quote "star-whackers." They say they are fearful and don't have a place to stay or food even some days. This is all an exclusive interview with ABC's "Good Morning America" today. Actor Randy Quaid and his wife tried to explain who these Hollywood star-whackers are.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

EVI QUAID, RANDY QUAID'S WIFE: Who would be trying to kill us? An estate planner who had created a living trust, and a county that could cash Randy's royalty stream forever.

RANDY QUAID, ACTOR: They follow us. They tail us. They tag our cell phone. They hack our computer. Now with the Internet, I mean, a celebrity is fair game. And it's all designed to sell advertising space. It is very possible that Heath Ledger could have been murdered or David Caradine.

EVI QUAID: And Robert Blake was set up.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Who are the star whackers?

RANDY QUAID: It's possible for people to gain control of every facet of your life.

EVI QUAID: They're businessmen. They're absolute businessmen. It's the mafia. It's organized crime.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ENDO: Well, the Quaids warn that other stars like Lindsay Lohan, Mel Gibson, and Britney Spears may be next.

BALDWIN: Also, you have the "Shape" magazine cover Leann Rimes looking pretty good. But it's the reason why she's looking good, the person behind that that got her in a little bit of hot water.

ENDO: Oh, yes. "Shape" magazine's cover girl singer Leann Rimes is stirring up a lot of talk, tweeting up a lot of talk. Some people were actually upset she appeared on the cover of the magazine because she reportedly had an affair with a married actor while she was also married as well.

Now in an e-mail from the editor-in-chief of the magazine, Valerie La Tonya, that e-mail was leaked saying the magazine made a mistake using a person people were calling quote a -- quote, "husband- stealer."

She has since issued another letter apologizing for that email, saying it was only a sliver of a fraction of readers who were offended by the choice, and the singer has been tweeting about this as well. In one, Leann Rimes tweets, "Talk about bullying, it goes on everywhere. For one of those 40 people that complained to take an e- mail and blast it out to media, twisting an editor's words to try to hurt me is wrong.

Someone had an agenda. I call that a "bully," and the worst kinds because they can hide behind a computer screen. Once again, I'd much rather someone have the nerve to say it to my face."

And apparently "Shape" magazine though is throwing Rimes a party and stands by their choice, featuring her as showing strength in the face of adversity.

BALDWIN: So I guess it was the man she was allegedly cheating with who got her in the gym. She explained it in the article --

ENDO: And she was working out to relieve stress and deal with all this --

BALDWIN: So viewers were irked but now I guess readers were irked. Apology accepted, done, moving on. Sandra Endo, great stuff today. Thank you.

ENDO: Sure, you got it.

BALDWIN: Jon Stewart, his rally was "Trending" all weekend long. Did you go? Did you watch this on TV? Trending obviously for good reason -- look at everyone there. We're going to have some of the highlights.

Also in the next hour, California's pot proposition, prop 19. The measure is struggling with a lot of voters today, but Hollywood says it can justify legal joints. We'll be back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: I promised you at the top of the show we'd go through some of the big governors' races. So promise kept. Here we go.

Will Jerry Brown returning to governor's mansion in Sacramento, California? Talked to voters and said, or some of the polls, say yes. Meg Whitman has shattered campaign finance records by spending upwards of $100 million of her own money.

To Ohio, very, very close race there. Watch this one for sure tomorrow. The incumbent Democrat Ted Strickland and John Kasich, former House member mounted a pretty strong challenge in the Buckeye state.

And then there's a race we mentioned before, a close race in Florida between Democrat Alex Sink and self-funded Republican Rick Scott. We will be certainly watching all of those races with you tomorrow.

And in case you missed this over the weekend, Jon Stewart said we in cable news have got it all wrong. Does he have a point? Here is Stewart addressing lots and lots people on Washington, on the National Mall. This is his "Rally to Restore Sanity or Fear." Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JON STEWART, HOST, "THE DAILY SHOW": We hear every damn day about how fragile our country is, on the brink of catastrophe, torn by polarizing hate, and how it's a shame we can't work together to get things done.

The truth is we do. We work together to get things done every damn day.

(APPLAUSE)

The only place we don't is here or on cable TV. Most Americans don't live their lives solely as Democrats, Republicans, liberals or conservatives. Americans live their lives more as people that are just a little bit late for something they have to do.

(LAUGHTER)

Often something they do not want to do, but they do it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: Jon Stewart from the National Mall.

Hey, you want to catch a flight? I caught a couple over the weekend. By the way, you may have to subject yourself to this. Look with me. Strangers with the TSA touching you in some, oh yes, pretty personal ways. This was in works before last Friday's bomb plot.

So does any of this touchy-feeliness at the airport make flights safer? That is ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: I have mentioned just before the break the TSA, how they're doing aggressive pat-downs in the airport. You can go through the full body scan, you can get aggressively patted down in places where it may surprise you.

Some people are saying this is too much. We're getting tweets people get searched more going into a club. "Wouldn't you want everyone to be searched as much as possible getting on a plane?" Tony, some people definitely disagree with you. We'll be talking with an expert, reading more of your tweets coming up. It's a fascinating conversation.

Meantime, back to politics. We're never going too far from that. Are there any last-minute surprises from the campaign trail? And what's the voter mood on election eve? Wolf Blitzer is here with the latest from the Political Ticker. That is next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: Tomorrow is the big day. Tomorrow is Election Day. And CNN has all your latest political news here with "The Best Political Team on Television." Of course, CNN = Politics. And leading the pack, Wolf Blitzer, he is now in New York.

Wolf, let's talk Tea Party. We have this huge race, we're all watching in Nevada, Sharron angle, Harry Reid. From what I understand there have been last-minute hits here from Tea Party Express toward Harry Reid. Tell me about it.

WOLF BLITZER, HOST, "THE SITUATION ROOM": Right. They have a rally that they plan for tomorrow night, the Tea Party Express in Las Vegas, get this, Brooke, at the exact same hotel where Harry Reid, the Senate Majority Leader, has his rally planned.

Now, obviously if Harry Reid wins the election over Sharron Angle, the Tea Party Express won't have much to celebrate because they support her, the Republican candidate, very strongly. On the other hand, they're saying they expect Sharron Angle to win.

Read is at the Aria Resort and Casino. They say the Tea Party Express decided to go straight into the belly of the beast just like we did when we kicked off the last tour in Searchlight a mile or so from Harry Reid's house, his hometown, Searchlight, Nevada.

We'll watch nationwide election results come from the many races we have been working in over the past year and a half. All right, so we'll see how they do in Nevada tomorrow night. Obviously we'll have live coverage of all of that.

Let's go to Ohio right now. There's a key race under way for the governors' race. Ted Strickland, the incumbent governor facing a stiff challenge from John Kasich, the former U.S. congressman.