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CNN Live Saturday
Doctor's Rule Out Leukemia As Arafat's Illness; President Bush Campaigns In Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Florida Today; Interview with Aaron David Miller
Aired October 30, 2004 - 18:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome to CNN LIVE SATURDAY. Here is what's happening right now in the news. On the campaign trail today, President Bush and John Kerry each said they are the best choice to lead the nation in the war on terror. The increased focus on security follows the release of a new videotape by Osama bin Laden.
And Yasser Arafat underwent tests today at a Paris hospital. But the nature of his illness still remains a mystery. Now, there are reports Arafat's condition has improved since yesterday, but sources close to the Palestinian leadership say he's not in complete control of his mental faculties.
And in Iraq, the deadliest attack on U.S. troops in about a half a year. At least eight U.S. Marines are killed, nine wounded in a single incident in the Al-Anbar Province.
An official welcome now, I'm Carol Lin. Welcome to CNN LIVE SATURDAY. We've got more fallout today, a day after the new bin Laden tape surfaces. How will this affect U.S. security during the election?
Also, the latest on Yasser Arafat's condition. I'm talking to a man who was at his bed side just a few days ago for the inside story. No it wasn't George W. Bush.
But right now we do begin with the presidential campaigns. They are moving at warp speed this weekend in a final drive to visit the battleground states before Tuesday. Now the outcome of the Electoral College vote is still anybody's guess with at least eight states still too close to call. And both sides are vying for every chance they can to speak to the voters.
It has been a high-mileage day you might say for the president. He made stops in Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota today and will wrap up his travels with another rally in Florida about two hours from now. Our John King is keeping up with the president's campaign.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JOHN KING, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A five-state day to open the final weekend. Staple lines in the speech suddenly elevated by the re-emergence of Osama bin Laden.
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: The terrorists who killed thousands of people are still dangerous and determined to strike.
KING: Here in Wisconsin and earlier in Michigan, no mention of the new bin Laden message. But Mr. Bush hit hard on his central campaign theme, that he is a proven war-time president. His opponent, a man with a soft on security voting record and few core convictions.
BUSH: My opponent's positions are kind of like the weather here in Green Bay. If you don't like it, wait a little bit and it'll change. Whether you agree with me or disagree with me, you know where I stand, you know what I believe, and you know I'm going to lead.
KING: Vice President Cheney challenged Senator Kerry's assertion that bin Laden is at large because Mr. Bush diverted resource from Afghanistan to Iraq. In Pennsylvania, Mr. Cheney says the commanding general at the time says Senator Kerry is wrong.
DICK CHENEY, VICE PRESIDENT OF UNITED STATES: Given a choice between John Kerry and General Tommy Franks, I'll take General Franks anytime.
KING: Bin Laden's re-emergence is a challenge for Mr. Bush both as president and as a candidate in the final hours of a tough reelection contest.
BUSH: I ask for your trust. I ask for your vote. I ask for your help.
KING: National Security Adviser Rice joined the president for a morning secure video conference to discuss the tape. Homeland Security Secretary Ridge, CIA Director Goss, Attorney General Ashcroft and FBI Director Mueller among those participating. Senior administration officials say initial analysis suggests the tape is more a political statement than a warning of new attacks. But then Mr. Bush convened the morning call to make sure all precautions were being taken.
His campaign day began in Ohio and then rallies in Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota and Florida. And the president claiming progress in the war on terror, just as Americans are reminded al Qaeda's leader remains at large.
BUSH: We are staying on the offensive against the terrorists across the globe so we do not have to face them here at home.
KING (on camera): Senior Bush aides have long voiced hope that the campaign in the end would boil down to a referendum on which candidate would be a stronger leader in the war on terror. None, however, could have predicted that Osama bin Laden would add his menacing voice to that debate in such a dramatic fashion.
John King, CNN, Grand Rapids, Michigan.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LIN: Well, John Kerry is tapping into a little star power today. Appearing with rocker Jon Bon Jovi and actor Ashton Cutcher in Des Moines, Iowa and then he attended rallies in Wisconsin. Also, in Iowa talking tough on terrorism and ending his day in Ohio. Our Frank Buckley is traveling with the Kerry campaign.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
FRANK BUCKLEY, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Three days away and Senator John Kerry was back in Iowa where he was this year's comeback kid during the caucuses.
SEN. JOHN KERRY, DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: In three days this election ends, and it is in your hands. Get out the vote, my friends.
BUCKLEY: Kerry fired up the faithful in Iowa and worked a canvassing operation in Wisconsin on the final weekend of campaigning. But even the final stretch of electioneering acrimonious with both campaigns accusing the other of using the Osama bin Laden tape for political gain. Kerry trying to knock down the incumbent with this:
KERRY: Let me make it clear to people all across the world. As Americans, we are absolutely united, all of us. There are no Democrats, there are no Republicans. As Americans, we are united in our determination to destroy, capture, kill Osama bin Laden and all of the terrorists.
BUCKLEY: But adding...
KERRY: ... as I have said for two years now, when Osama bin Laden and al Qaeda were cornered in the mountains of Tora Bora, it was wrong to outsource the job of capturing them to Afghan warlords.
BUCKLEY: Kerry's Saturday swing from Wisconsin to Iowa to Ohio, an effort to keep Wisconsin and Iowa that barely went Democrat in 2000 blew and to take away Ohio, which has gone for the Republican every time a GOP candidate has captured the White House.
KERRY: It's not about me. It's not about George Bush. It's about two different visions of how we achieve what we need to achieve in this country. Every time he's had a choice, his choice has been for the powerful.
BUCKLEY (on camera): Senator Kerry's advisers say the Osama bin Laden tape will not affect their strategy. Kerry intends to continue with his criticism of President Bush on his handling of the war on terror. Will the tape affect voters? As one senior strategist put it, we'll know on Tuesday.
Frank Buckley, CNN, Des Moines, Iowa.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LIN: And of course, you're going to join CNN for our complete coverage on election night because we're going to bring you real time results live from Times Square and the big board at the NASDAQ. Our election team kicks off a full court press of coverage beginning at 7:00 p.m. Eastern Tuesday night. Well, the Bush administration says it has no plans to raise the terror threat level ahead of Tuesday's election, this despite a new videotape that surfaced from No. 1 terrorist Osama bin Laden. CNN's Kathleen Koch joins me now from Washington with more on what intelligence agencies are learning from the tape.
Kathleen, was there a political motivation? Why now should we see Osama bin Laden?
KATHLEEN KOCH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Carol, that's one part of the many questions that they're trying to answer right now. Officials are pouring over this tape. They're looking for clues on where Osama bin Laden might be on possible attacks against the United States. And his is not the only tape that they're scrutinizing.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KOCH (voice-over): The government is analyzing two tapes, Osama bin Laden's and this one aired by ABC News Thursday, on it, a man calling himself Assam (ph). The American threatens a new wave of terror attacks against the United States. But officials say neither cites specifics like time or place. So the national alert level won't be raised to orange.
TOM RIDGE, HOMELAND SECURITY DIRECTOR: But we don't have to go to orange to take action in response either to these tapes or just general action to improve security around the country.
KOCH: The government will implement measures already under consideration like beefing up Coast Guard patrols and inspections at ports and airports. It will also reroute hazardous material shipments around major cities. And the FBI is posting the Assam (ph) video on the website asking for help identifying the man. There is no doubt about who is on the newest tape. Though Osama bin Laden uses a different tone, trying to present himself as a political leader and setting aside his usual religious terminology.
PETER BERGEN, CNN TERRORISM ANALYST: I don't think there's any warning in this videotape. In fact, bin Laden is less belligerent in this videotape than he's been in the past. He's almost offering some kind of truce with the American people, providing American foreign policy changes.
KOCH: Still a cautionary government bulletin went out Friday evening to federal, state and local law enforcement officials -- quote -- "We remain concerned about al Qaeda's interest in attacking the American homeland, and we cannot discount the possibility that the video also may be intended to promote violence or serve as a signal for an attack."
The tape marks the first time Osama bin Laden has claimed responsibility for the 9/11 attacks. One Middle East expert says that could have a huge impact on those in the Muslim world who believe the conspiracy theory that the attacks have been staged by the U.S. and Israel to create an excuse to invade Arab countries. MAMOUN FANDY, INSTITUTE FOR PUBLIC POLICY: It will create more allies for the United States. It will create also a general sense of guilt amongst the many Muslims who believed that the Americans did it to themselves. All of this will really change the whole attitude.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KOCH: And it is important to note that bin Laden spoke on the tape for nearly 15 minutes, but only about five minutes of that has been released by the Arab network, al Jazerra. And here in the U.S., federal officials aren't saying what the rest of it contains good or bad -- Carol.
LIN: All right. Thanks very much, Kathleen. Surely analysis is still going on on that tape as well.
Well, U.S. officials did warn that al Qaeda may try to do something to influence the presidential election. I've got CNN military intelligence analyst Ken Robinson joining me from New York right now.
Ken, good to have you. Why do you think Osama bin Laden made this tape now?
KEN ROBINSON, CNN MILITARY INTELLIGENCE ANALYST: The timing. He gets a lot of return on his investment. If he releases it during this high time of anxiety leading into the election, his message gets reported around the world. He is seen as a diplomat, as has been discussed earlier. He presents...
LIN: A diplomat?
ROBINSON: Yes.
LIN: In what sense?
ROBINSON: He's presenting a case. He's speaking directly to the American people and he's saying it doesn't matter who you choose, the foreign policy issue of your culture and your interventionist activities have to change. You've got to deal with me. I'm still here.
LIN: Well -- but is he trying to directly influence the U.S. election because surely he doesn't really believe that the average American is going to look at this tape and take him seriously or even care what he thinks. People just only care if he's sending out more terrorists to bomb more buildings.
ROBINSON: No, I don't think anyone thinks he's trying to influence the election. Al Qaeda knows what most Americans know, which is that both George Bush and John Kerry are good men who have a vision for America that's different. And -- but bin Laden has a vision for the Islamic world and his vision is being promoted now by the issuance of this videotape. He wants America and the west out of the Islamic countries.
LIN: And he wants America and the west to know that he's still alive and healthy.
ROBINSON: And remember, his network is no longer a line and block chart. It's an ideology. So the United States and the west cannot kill an idea. They've got to change the idea. And to do that, it's going to be a generational process.
LIN: Can the United States and the west -- I mean the west with the most sophisticated intelligence network in the world -- why is it that this guy can brazenly make videotapes, hand them out to al Jazerra, in this case for the second time, to the Pakistani bureau chief for the Arab network al Jazerra? Why isn't military intelligence staking out these locations and grabbing these messengers and taking -- having these messengers take them to Osama bin Laden?
ROBINSON: Well, it is a big world and you can bet that there are stakeouts on frequencies. There are stakeouts on communications and on buildings and places, but it's still pretty easy to generate a tape, move it by mule and get it to a location where it's cut out and get it into the public domain. It's a very tough task. And unfortunately, because the United States has never been able to be unilateral in the tribal areas of Pakistan, to be able to really move in there with large forces, they've been prevented from being able to do what they did in Iraq, which is go from one part of the country to the other.
LIN: And Ken, yet another videotape, this by someone calling himself Assam (ph), the American, presumably an al Qaeda operative, warns Americans in this videotape airing on ABC News of a -- brace yourself for a major attack. Now the FBI -- what's interesting is this tape's been out there this week, but the FBI today posted this videotape on its website, clearly wanting people to know, to hear the voice, see the face, see if anybody can identify this person. What does it take for the FBI to put this guy on the website? They -- how do they know that he's not some crack pot?
ROBINSON: Well, they have to hope for the best and that is the most prudent measure in intelligence is to run down every lead and disprove its credibility.
LIN: But something -- something made them want to put it on their website. Something told them it was a big enough threat that they need to get this out there in the biggest way they can to find this guy, right?
ROBINSON: Well, I think probably that would have generated from the point of origin, which was Pakistan and the liaison with both the intelligence services there and our own intelligence activity in Pakistan. It makes sense because if you can listen to the voice, if some friend, relative or acquaintance can identify it, you can bet that some of these people have been in communication and that's always their downfall. If you go back and look at every wanted man, his downfall has always been communications with friends, relatives or acquaintances.
LIN: Do you believe in...
ROBINSON: And that's what they're hoping for.
LIN: Do you believe him, Ken, that we should brace ourselves for another major attack?
ROBINSON: Well, I believe it's a dangerous world. I believe al Qaeda wants to up the body count, and I believe it's very dangerous for us to try to predict their behavior. We should assume the worst. We should not be complacent. Vigilance is the answer as we move forward and try to take away that which is their angst, which was causes them to conduct terrorism. We need to look at our foreign policy.
LIN: Ken -- oh, a big note to end on, but thank you very much.
ROBINSON: Thank you.
LIN: Still ahead tonight, a big change could be in store for the Palestinian people. Some say Yasser Arafat may no longer be physically or mentally fit to remain in power. I'm going to have the very latest from Paris.
Plus, taking the fight to Fallujah. The U.S. mounts another major offensive. Insurgents in Iraq step up the attacks.
And later, prejudice professors? Well, some students at Columbia University claim they are being silenced. Those accused say it's a political witch hunt.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LIN: It's a question being asked all over the Middle East. Is Yasser Arafat sick, dying, mentally incapacitated? He's undergone a battery of tests since arriving at the Paris hospital. CNN's Paula Hancocks reports from Paris.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Tight security protects the Percy Military Hospital's most famous patient. Yasser Arafat spends a second day at the hands of French specialists. There were hopeful words from the Palestinian delegate for France, Leila Shahid.
LEILA SHAHID, PLO REPRESENTATIVE: What I can tell you is that the doctors exclude from already what he has done in terms of exams, any possibility of leukemia. I repeat, the doctors exclude for the time being, any possibility of leukemia.
HANCOCKS: She has said she has been at Arafat's bed side along with his wife, Sua (ph).
(on camera): It could be several days before French doctors make their official diagnosis. Leila Shahid says the tests are ongoing, but Yasser Arafat is showing daily improvement both physically and psychologically. (voice-over): A small group of French Palestinians gathered outside the hospital to show their solidarity with the leader and show their appreciation to the French authorities.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): Most French people support the Palestinian cause. The French don't like injustice. They hold liberty dear.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): I hope he will return, but I know he's old and he's tired. Maybe he should delegate to others to follow his path along the line he has traced.
HANCOCKS: Specialists are continuing to run tests on Arafat with an initial diagnosis expected by Tuesday or Wednesday.
Paula Hancocks, CNN, Paris.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LIN: Well, Yasser Arafat is a simply put an irreplaceable symbol of the Palestinian movement and a hero to some, not all but many Palestinians. A Palestinian state without Arafat is unthinkable right now because in many ways there is no one in the wings with his charisma and his power. Aaron David Miller is the president of Seeds of Peace.
Aaron, good to have you.
AARON DAVID MILLER, PRESIDENT, SEEDS OF PEACE: Thanks, Carol.
LIN: You met with Arafat just last week. In fact, we're going to show some videotape. You met with him just days before this videotape of a very frail and ailing Yasser Arafat arriving in Jordan en route to Paris, was taken. Clearly, he's shaking. He's struggling to bring his fingers to his lips to blow kisses to his followers. What mental state did you find Yasser Arafat in when you were talking with him?
MILLER: Carol, I saw him in August, about six weeks before I saw him about 10 days ago and the transformation was marked. In August, he was alert and forceful and argumentative, as always. Ten days ago, I found him, and I saw him in his bedroom. He had lost a lot of weight. He could not focus. He needed a lot of help to actually get up to greet me. And I'm not even sure he recognized me.
LIN: Really?
MILLER: He was not the Arafat that I had encountered during hundreds of hours of negotiations during the 1990s.
LIN: What were you there to talk to him about?
MILLER: I'm president of Seeds of Peace and we're considering opening up an office in Ramallah and he's been a supporter of this program for a long time. And we need support from the Palestinian Authority. LIN: Which is like an exchange program to bring kids of different backgrounds together to talk about it?
MILLER: Israelis and Palestinians, Egyptians, Jordanians, yes.
LIN: All right. So you didn't feel that you could even have this conversation with him. So it sounds to me like this is a pretty serious condition he's in. He is in no shape to be any sort of authority figure to the Palestinian people right now.
MILLER: Well, I'm not a physician, and I'd hate to make a judgment or determination. The question, whether he is incapacitated or whether in fact this is the beginning of the end, the question is whether or not he is capable of remaining or retaining the monopoly and decision making that he had exercised during the '90s. I'm not sure he is. I suspect that -- and he's ruled the West Bank and Gaza before when he was outside of those territories. But I think this signifies the beginning of an historic change of leadership. I believe that's the case.
LIN: Yes, but leadership by whom? Is it Abu Masen (ph)? Is it Ahmed Korai (ph)? Is it the people that the United States has already done business with or is it Hamas or perhaps even Hezbollah's influence in the territories?
MILLER: Well, again, a newer perspective here. I mean here's a guy who dominated the Palestinian National Movement for 50 years. He has more access to guns, to money, to political influence, to international weight and standing than any other Palestinian leader has now or is likely to have in the foreseeable future.
I support Abu Lan (ph), Abu Masen (ph), together with the security chiefs; will create a formal succession process. But that's really not the key. The question is who is going to be in power to make decisions and to deal with security issues? And if, in fact, there are negotiations with the Israelis, who is going to be legitimate and authoritative enough to take those decisions?
LIN: That's...
MILLER: That's the core question.
LIN: And your sense -- do you have an answer to your own question?
MILLER: Yes, my sense is that this is a generational problem. And Abu Massam (ph) and Abu Lan (ph) will try to hold it together. But on core issues, in permanent status negotiations, I doubt, frankly, right now at the moment if there's any Palestinian leader that has his authority and legitimacy.
LIN: Aaron David Miller, these are historic times. We'll see what happens as he tries to be diagnosed and get better perhaps in Paris. Thank you very much.
MILLER: Thank you, Carol. LIN: Well, in Iraq, a costly day for U.S. Marines. Eight Marines were killed in Al-Anbar province. The attack was the deadliest against the U.S. military in weeks. Nine other Marines were wounded.
And in Baghdad, a car blew up outside the Al-Arabiya television network killing five people. An Islamic website has posted a claim of responsibility from the Iraqi militant group, the 20th Brigades.
Now, south of the capital, insurgents opened fire on a main road hitting several minibuses. The attack left at least a dozen Iraqis dead, most of them civilian.
A major military operation today in Fallujah is raising speculation that an all-out offensive on the rebel stronghold could be just days away. CNN's Karl Penhaul is embedded with the 1st Battalion 3rd Marines and he filed this report.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KARL PENHAUL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A smoke plume billows over the Fallujah skyline after heavy artillery bombardments Saturday by Marines massing outside the rebel-held city for a possible all-out assault. Parts of field guns opened fire on resistant positions inside Fallujah when the insurgents dropped mortars on a Marine reconnaissance force probing territory just southeast of the city limits.
A Marine spokesman said the artillery barrage was one of the most sustained in the last two months. He said no Marines were injured in the clash.
Marine jets buzzed over Fallujah, at times dropping chaff to reduce the risk of insurgent fighters taking aim with surface-to-air missiles. Marine intelligence officers believe between 2,000 and 5,000 insurgents may be holed up in Fallujah, Iraq's most notorious resistant stronghold.
The Iraqi Prime Minister Iyad Allawi has called on insurgents to surrender their weapons and turn over a group of foreign fighters believed to be based there or face attack. Intelligence reports suggest more than three quarters of the city's civilian population may have fled. Marine commanders are giving no timeline for a possible assault but are speaking of when, not if.
Karl Penhaul, CNN, near Fallujah.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LIN: Well, up next, tonight, the bonds that form in battle.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SPEC. NICHOLAS CRUZ, U.S. ARMY: The thought of getting hit again and the thought of probably losing my life has always crossed my mind every time I roll out of the gate now. But I at least know that, you know, I'm fighting for what I believe in. I'm fighting with the guys who I'd rather be with.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LIN: Young soldiers on the front lines in Iraq, building camaraderie in combat.
And later, putting on a show for the Sox. Fans in Boston gather for a once in a lifetime event.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LIN: In our continuing look at stories on the frontlines, they are among the youngest soldiers fighting the insurgency in Iraq. They're called The Punishers, soldiers who have seen combat almost every day since arriving in Iraq. CNN's Jane Arraf talks to the soldiers about what drew them to the war.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JANE ARRAF, CNN BAGHDAD BUREAU CHIEF (voice-over): These are supposed to be the best years of their lives and for many of these young soldiers in Iraq, they believe they just might be. A lot of the younger ones don't seem to think much about whether the United States should be here but most are clear on why they're here.
(on camera): For a lot of younger soldiers, September 11th was a defining moment in their lives. They didn't know the Cold War. The Vietnam War was just a piece of history. For them, the attack on the World Trade Center has shaped their view of the world.
(voice-over): Many have very personal reasons for enlisting.
SPEC. CHARLES COPP, U.S. ARMY: Basically just to get out of Utah and see the world, meet new people.
ARRAF (on camera): How has it been so far for you?
COPP: Well, I've definitely seen parts of the world -- so.
ARRAF (voice-over): This platoon, The Punishers, is part of the 3rd Brigade of the 1st Infantry Division, which has seen combat almost since it arrived eight months ago. Thirty-six hours before, the soldiers were in a seven-hour firefight in Faritz (ph) near Ba'qubah.
SGT. STEVE PETTY, U.S. ARMY: I dismounted patrol, clearing houses. It was fun.
ARRAF (on camera): It was fun?
PETTY: Yes, it was.
ARRAF (voice-over): And that's the surprising truth about what keeps a lot of them going -- it's thrilling -- that and the camaraderie. Here 30 is considered old. Most of these younger soldiers don't have wives and kids back home. They're with each other virtually 24 hours a day, and they form the most intense friendships they'll ever have. So intense, Specialist Nicholas Cruz, who's 21, thought to rejoin his platoon buddies after being shot in the leg. They are closer to him, he says, than his family.
CRUZ: The thought of getting hit again and the thought of probably losing my life has crossed my mind every time I roll out of the gate now. It's crossed my mind before, but now it hits closer to home. But I at least know that, you know, I'm fighting for what I believe in and I'm fighting with the guys who I'd rather be with.
ARRAF: Company commander, Doug Chadwick, who's 29, says the younger men seem to be from a generation different even from his.
CAPT. DOUG CHADWICH, U.S. ARMY: Who knew what to expect from them? And they come into an Army at war and have just formed bonds and performed beyond what anyone could have expected of them.
ARRAF: Jane Arraf, CNN, near Ba'qubah, Iraq.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LIN: Well, still to come tonight, the campaign countdown. President Bush motivates his base in Minnesota. John Kerry eyeing votes in Iowa. But could it all come down to just one other state? I'm going to be talking with political analyst Ron Brownstein.
Plus, it's been called too harsh by its critics, but is California's three strikes you're out law on its way out? We're going to look at Proposition 66.
And this...
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Here I am. I'm sitting here just, you know, defenseless and all these people are starting to really heat up the room. I started to get scared.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LIN: The controversy at Columbia. Some students claim the university promotes an anti-Semitic atmosphere. And now they are fighting back with a film.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LIN: Both candidates are milking the mileage out of their campaign planes today. With three days until the election, the excitement is growing and who will emerge as the winner is still too close to call. At rallies today, John Kerry focused on the war on terror, telling supporters he would be a better commander in chief. And he also warned the president that his moment of reckoning is near.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KERRY: We've been waiting four years. Here you are, two and a half days. This is our moment to hold George W. Bush accountable. This is the moment.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LIN: President Bush is seeking his own edge from the recently released bin Laden tape. He drilled home his argument today with supporters in Minnesota that Kerry's legacy is one of indecision and inaction. President Bush maintains his goal against terrorism has not changed.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BUSH: We are determined. We are steadfast. We are resolute. We will stay on the offensive against the terrorists around the world so we do not have to face them here at home.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LIN: The vice presidential contenders are covering some of the same ground today. John Edwards took the Democrats' message to supporters in Marietta, Ohio, saying he and John Kerry offer a fresh start for the nation. While Vice President Dick Cheney made stops at rallies in Zanesville, Ohio and Pennsylvania today. Now, Dick Cheney is echoing Bush's campaign speeches, stressing the need to stay focused on the war on terror.
Well, the Democrats are getting some high-powered help from the comeback kid. Former President Bill Clinton campaigned in Nevada today talking about health care for senior citizens. He's expected to attend a rally in New Mexico about a half hour from now.
But with less than 54 hours to go before the first polls open, what message is each candidate trying to get across to the electorate and how is the race really shaping up when you look at these polls? According to the latest "Newsweek" poll, the Bush/Cheney ticket has a slight lead over Kerry/Edwards among registered voters. Among likely voters, the lead is greater, 51 percent to 45 percent.
Now, we're going to be talking about some numbers with CNN political analyst Ron Brownstein, picking his brain tonight. He's live from Washington.
Hi there, Ron.
RON BROWSTEIN, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: Hey, Carol.
LIN: Well, let's talk about the poll that you have in your own newspaper. I mean the "Los Angeles Times" has President Bush up by eight percentage points in Florida, among likely voters, but John Kerry has an edge in Pennsylvania and Ohio. Our Bill Schneider says it really gets down to those three states that whoever wins two out of three wins the presidency. What do you think?
BROWSTEIN: I don't think it's quite that simple. Whoever wins two out of three will have an advantage but not necessarily a decisive advantage. Here's a situation -- someone from the Kerry campaign, I think, put it well the other day. You need to win two out of three of those states but also two out of three of the upper Midwestern battlegrounds, which are Iowa leading toward Bush right now, Minnesota probably leaning toward Kerry right now, and Wisconsin, impossible to call. My guess is that in the end, Wisconsin will be very critical when we're looking back on this and how it tipped one way or the other.
LIN: Well, a political scientist from the University of Akron, John Green, said this to you, that "unless something breaks loose in the next couple of days," he says, "it's going to be a muscle campaign on Election Day." What did he mean by that?
BROWNSTEIN: And I agree with that. You know you mentioned the "Newsweek" poll. There were five other polls out today. Five other national polls came out today; all showed the race within two points either way for Kerry or Bush. And what that says is that in the end this race may be too close for polling to give us a decisive or a clear indication of who's going to win. Instead it's going to be turn out, who brings out their vote, who mobilizes their vote and to some extent, somebody beyond the control of any campaign, how many of the new voters show up. We've had a lot of registration this year, as you know, Carol. But it's unclear how many of those voters come out. Probably benefits Kerry if they come out in large numbers. Most polls have shown him leading at least somewhat among first-time voters.
LIN: Ron, how big of an influence do you think -- or any influence do you think the bin Laden tape is going to have on this election?
BROWNSTEIN: You know we've all been speculating about it. I think it's very hard to parse out. I can say that if you -- again if you look at the polling that came out today, which does include last night, it's hard to see much of an effect. For most of them, Kerry's position is slightly better than it was earlier in the week. It was not as -- I think bin Laden -- the message may be more about changing bin Laden's profile or enhancing bin Laden's profile than influencing the election. It doesn't really point to it on either side. It may benefit Bush in the sense we're talking about terror, not the missing munitions in Iraq. But on the other hand, as the Kerry people point out and the other analysts have pointed out, it does remind people that bin Laden is still at large. My guess, not a decisive factor either way.
LIN: All right. Ron, when we wake up November 3, do you think we're going to know for sure who is the president of the United States to be?
BROWNSTEIN: I hope so. I hope so. I don't think anybody in the country really wants to go through another post-election battle. If it's close, there are lots of opportunities for litigation. The biggest flash point, Carol, is this question of provisional ballots, which is something that Congress mandated in the post-Florida reforms that every state allow anyone who doesn't show up on the voter list at their polling place to cast a provisional ballot whose validity will be determined after the fact.
LIN: Right. BROWNSTEIN: Now, each state has different rules for how they're going to do that and that could inspire litigation if it's close enough to matter.
LIN: You bet because those provisional ballots can be held up to 10 days after Election Day in some cases.
All right, thanks, Ron.
BROWNSTEIN: Thank you.
LIN: We'll keep our fingers crossed.
Well, be sure to join "THE CAPITAL GANG" for their pre-Election Day special tonight at 7:00 Eastern, 4:00 Pacific.
Now, there's more on California's ballot than just candidates. Voters will decide on Proposition 66. It's just a number, but really it's a measure that's aimed at changing the Three Strikes and You're Out Law. But as CNN's Donna Tetrault reports, Proposition 66 is stirring up controversy.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: In this particular case, it's a third strike case, the defendant is facing 25 years to life.
DONNA TETRAULT, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Three Strikes is a law meant to lock up repeat felony offenders for 25 years to life. It was prompted by the high-profile murder of 12-year-old Polly Klaas in California in 1993. Richard Alan Davis was convicted of her murder. He was a violent repeat felon. Now, Proposition 66 on the ballot Tuesday is aimed at amending Three Strikes and that's driving division even among the Klaas family.
JOE KLASS, POLLY KLAAS' GRANDFATHER: I helped lead the fight for a Three Strikes law because of a personal tragedy in my family. That law has put a lot of dangerous people in prison.
TETRAULT: But now, Joe Klaas, Polly's grandfather, is a force behind Prop 66. If passed, it would require that a second or third strike offense must be a violent felony instead of any felony as the current law dictates.
KLAAS: What we're after is violent crime, and Prop 66 makes it solely applicable to violent crime.
VINCENT SCHIRALDI, JUSTICE POLICY INSTITUTE: Prop 66 would really return some balance to the system so that so many nonviolent offenders aren't getting life sentences. And I think that's what the people want.
TETRAULT: But that's not what Polly's father, Mark Klaas wants.
MARK KLAAS, POLLY KLAAS' FATHER: To take a law that's been working very well and totally gut that law and really give a get out of jail free card to horrible people is not the way to reform a piece of legislation.
TETRAULT: And he's not alone in his fight against his father and Prop 66. Former governor Pete Wilson, who signed Three Strikes into law in '94, backed by current California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and three other former governors, is urging voters to vote no on 66.
PETE WILSON, FORMER CALIFORNIA GOVERNOR: It is estimated that some two million Californians did not become crime victims because those who would have victimized them had no chance to do so. They were locked up.
KLAAS: Every judge, every district attorney, has the ability not to charge a strike. They have the discretion not to do so. Three strikes is about a criminal history.
TETRAULT: If she had lived, Polly Klaas would have been 23. She had aspirations of becoming an actress. Her father wants to prevent what happened to her from happening to anyone else. But her grandfather says justice is what has to prevail.
Donna Tetrault for CNN, Los Angeles.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LIN: Up next on CNN LIVE SATURDAY, allegations of intolerance. Some of the student body at Columbia are accusing the university of bias. And now they put out a documentary that they say proves it.
And later -- presidential politics and pumpkins. Our Jeanne Moos carves up the competitors. Stay right there.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LIN: A new documentary makes serious allegations against Columbia University professors. Some students say their views on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict are not being heard. CNN's Alina Cho has this story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ALINA CHO, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Columbia University students, past and present in their own words...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There was definitely an intimidation factor. People don't feel like they can express their points of views.
CHO: ...on certain professors.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He looked right into my eyes and he said, "See, you have green eyes." He said,"You're not a Semite." He said, "I am a Semite. I have brown eyes." He said "You have no claim to the land of Israel."
CHO: Allegations so explosive, this student requested anonymity. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Before I could continue he stopped me and said, "Are you Israeli (UNINTELLIGIBLE)?" I said "Yes." So his next question was how many Palestinians have you killed.
CHO: We watched the 25-minute documentary, "Columbia Unbecoming," with one of the filmmakers and students who took part in it. Senior Noah Liben and recent grad, Aharon Horowitz.
AHARON HOROWITZ, COLUMBIA GRADUATE: I don't think the professors are anti-Semitic. I do think that they're working very hard to squelch one point of view in the classroom and that has to be stopped.
NOAH LIBEN, COLUMBIA STUDENT: Students shouldn't feel uncomfortable expressing their points of views. This is Columbia University.
CHO: One of the eight Ivy League schools, yet students featured in the film accuses professors in the Middle Eastern Studies Department, like Joseph Massad, of silencing them.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Joseph Massad is probably one of the most dangerous intellectuals or self-proclaimed intellectuals on campus. He uses the classroom as a platform for political propaganda.
CHO: The David Project, a pro-Israel group, produced the documentary. Professor Massad calls it a political witch hunt.
JOSEPH MASSAD, COLUMBIA PROFESSOR: I am one of many professors on campus who hold views that are not accepted by the pro-Israel lobby.
CHO: More than 700 professors from colleges across the country have even written a letter in support of Massad.
MASSAD: Even though the majority of professors on campus may hold views that are not critical of Israel, a number of us are indeed critical of Israel and this is something the pro-Israel lobby does not like.
CHO: Eric Posner has taken a class with Professor Massad.
ERIC POSNER, COLUMBIA STUDENT: In his classrooms, not only does he offer, you know, his own opinions. He offers other perspectives.
CHO (on camera): Columbia's president, calling it a serious matter, has appointed the university provost to investigate the allegations. The provost is evaluating the film and will compose the university's response.
(voice-over): The findings are expected in a few weeks. Until then, the debate will continue over whether there is an open debate on Columbia's campus.
Alina Cho, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE) LIN: Up next, the boys are back in town, Bean Town that is. Boston puts on a parade for the World Series champions.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LIN: The Boston Red Sox paraded before a crowd estimated at more than 3 million today. They celebrated their World Series victory and the breaking of the curse of the Bambino, which they blame for not winning a world series for 86 years. Now the crowd was so huge, officials lengthened the original three-mile parade route by extending it into the Charles River.
All right, a quick reminder. Don't forget to set your clocks back an hour before you go to bed tonight. Daylight Savings Time comes to an end Sunday morning at 2:00 a.m., an extra hour of sleep.
Have you ever thought of Halloween as political? Well, neither have we, but our Jeanne Moos changed that. We're going to explain, but first, here's Mark Shields to tell us what's ahead on the gang, "THE CAPITAL GANG."
Hi, Mark.
MARK SHIELDS, CO-HOST, "THE CAPITAL GANG": You're right, Carol. It is. It's "THE CAPITAL GANG's" pre-election night special. With only three days to go, the very latest on the run for the White House, plus key House and Senate races. And we'll go beyond the beltway to the all-important battleground state of Ohio. All that and much more right near next on CNN.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LIN: With Election Day and Halloween so close at hand, it's time to forget about political footballs and start talking about political pumpkins. CNN's Jeanne Moos has more on this curious intersection of presidential politics and the gourds.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEANNE MOOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Sharpen your knives whip out the power tools. While the candidates are carving up each other, why not carve up a pumpkin?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Can anything be spookier than a George Bush jack-o'-lantern?
MOOS: Well, maybe a John Kerry hello weenie beverage coaster or what some call Senator Kerry's great pumpkin tan. But spookiest of all, a presidential rotting contest. Will the Kerry or the Bush pumpkin rot first? Ask Tom Nardone.
TOM NARDONE, EXTRME PUMPKINS.COM: Here's what makes it an extreme pumpkin.
MOOS: Nardone runs extremepumpkins.com, featuring everything from the puking pumpkin to the drowning pumpkin in a bag. By day two of the rotting contest, squirrels had gotten to George Bush's ear and by day five, they knocked the little Ralph Nader pumpkin out of the race. By day nine, Bush was way ahead in the rotting, which meant Kerry was losing, but looked better doing it.
While the candidates themselves are photographed picking pumpkins, critics use pumpkins to pick on the candidate. Take this name Kerry's pumpkin contest on an anti-Kerry website. And then there are bipartisan pumpkins, huge painted ones to stick it to the president. A liberal group called True Majority Action has designed a no "W" pumpkin.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There you go. You've got a line through your w.
MOOS: It shows up better by candlelight. The group came up with a stencil that 30,000 people have downloaded. But after poking the pattern...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's easier than I'm making it look, guys. I assure you.
MOOS: But will folks get it?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I see lots of eyes.
MOOS (on camera): What do you see here?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I see confusion. I don't see a pattern. I see it's all screwed up.
MOOS (voice-over): And when told it was an anti-Bush pumpkin, they imagined things.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, I see the ears and the eyes and there's his, like, little goofy, let me worry grin.
MOOS: No grinning back at the rotting contest where both candidates have completely collapsed. Bush won by a day, but who wants to win a rot race?
Jeanne Moos, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LIN: That's all the time we have for this hour. Coming up next, "THE CAPITAL GANG." Then at 8:00 Eastern on "CNN PRESENTS," the fight over faith. What does it mean to be an evangelical in America today? And at 9:00, "LARRY KING TONIGHT," the best of moments from Larry's recent interviews with Bush and Kerry. And I'm going to be back at 10:00 Eastern. Tonight, the defense rests in the Scott Peterson case. What is in store for the final week?
But right now, here's what's happening right now in the news.
"THE CAPITAL GANG" in just a moment, but first, here is what's happening right now in the news. President Bush and John Kerry each tell campaign crowds they're the best choice to lead the war on terror. The increased focus on security follows the release of a new videotape...
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Aired October 30, 2004 - 18:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome to CNN LIVE SATURDAY. Here is what's happening right now in the news. On the campaign trail today, President Bush and John Kerry each said they are the best choice to lead the nation in the war on terror. The increased focus on security follows the release of a new videotape by Osama bin Laden.
And Yasser Arafat underwent tests today at a Paris hospital. But the nature of his illness still remains a mystery. Now, there are reports Arafat's condition has improved since yesterday, but sources close to the Palestinian leadership say he's not in complete control of his mental faculties.
And in Iraq, the deadliest attack on U.S. troops in about a half a year. At least eight U.S. Marines are killed, nine wounded in a single incident in the Al-Anbar Province.
An official welcome now, I'm Carol Lin. Welcome to CNN LIVE SATURDAY. We've got more fallout today, a day after the new bin Laden tape surfaces. How will this affect U.S. security during the election?
Also, the latest on Yasser Arafat's condition. I'm talking to a man who was at his bed side just a few days ago for the inside story. No it wasn't George W. Bush.
But right now we do begin with the presidential campaigns. They are moving at warp speed this weekend in a final drive to visit the battleground states before Tuesday. Now the outcome of the Electoral College vote is still anybody's guess with at least eight states still too close to call. And both sides are vying for every chance they can to speak to the voters.
It has been a high-mileage day you might say for the president. He made stops in Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota today and will wrap up his travels with another rally in Florida about two hours from now. Our John King is keeping up with the president's campaign.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JOHN KING, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A five-state day to open the final weekend. Staple lines in the speech suddenly elevated by the re-emergence of Osama bin Laden.
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: The terrorists who killed thousands of people are still dangerous and determined to strike.
KING: Here in Wisconsin and earlier in Michigan, no mention of the new bin Laden message. But Mr. Bush hit hard on his central campaign theme, that he is a proven war-time president. His opponent, a man with a soft on security voting record and few core convictions.
BUSH: My opponent's positions are kind of like the weather here in Green Bay. If you don't like it, wait a little bit and it'll change. Whether you agree with me or disagree with me, you know where I stand, you know what I believe, and you know I'm going to lead.
KING: Vice President Cheney challenged Senator Kerry's assertion that bin Laden is at large because Mr. Bush diverted resource from Afghanistan to Iraq. In Pennsylvania, Mr. Cheney says the commanding general at the time says Senator Kerry is wrong.
DICK CHENEY, VICE PRESIDENT OF UNITED STATES: Given a choice between John Kerry and General Tommy Franks, I'll take General Franks anytime.
KING: Bin Laden's re-emergence is a challenge for Mr. Bush both as president and as a candidate in the final hours of a tough reelection contest.
BUSH: I ask for your trust. I ask for your vote. I ask for your help.
KING: National Security Adviser Rice joined the president for a morning secure video conference to discuss the tape. Homeland Security Secretary Ridge, CIA Director Goss, Attorney General Ashcroft and FBI Director Mueller among those participating. Senior administration officials say initial analysis suggests the tape is more a political statement than a warning of new attacks. But then Mr. Bush convened the morning call to make sure all precautions were being taken.
His campaign day began in Ohio and then rallies in Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota and Florida. And the president claiming progress in the war on terror, just as Americans are reminded al Qaeda's leader remains at large.
BUSH: We are staying on the offensive against the terrorists across the globe so we do not have to face them here at home.
KING (on camera): Senior Bush aides have long voiced hope that the campaign in the end would boil down to a referendum on which candidate would be a stronger leader in the war on terror. None, however, could have predicted that Osama bin Laden would add his menacing voice to that debate in such a dramatic fashion.
John King, CNN, Grand Rapids, Michigan.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LIN: Well, John Kerry is tapping into a little star power today. Appearing with rocker Jon Bon Jovi and actor Ashton Cutcher in Des Moines, Iowa and then he attended rallies in Wisconsin. Also, in Iowa talking tough on terrorism and ending his day in Ohio. Our Frank Buckley is traveling with the Kerry campaign.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
FRANK BUCKLEY, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Three days away and Senator John Kerry was back in Iowa where he was this year's comeback kid during the caucuses.
SEN. JOHN KERRY, DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: In three days this election ends, and it is in your hands. Get out the vote, my friends.
BUCKLEY: Kerry fired up the faithful in Iowa and worked a canvassing operation in Wisconsin on the final weekend of campaigning. But even the final stretch of electioneering acrimonious with both campaigns accusing the other of using the Osama bin Laden tape for political gain. Kerry trying to knock down the incumbent with this:
KERRY: Let me make it clear to people all across the world. As Americans, we are absolutely united, all of us. There are no Democrats, there are no Republicans. As Americans, we are united in our determination to destroy, capture, kill Osama bin Laden and all of the terrorists.
BUCKLEY: But adding...
KERRY: ... as I have said for two years now, when Osama bin Laden and al Qaeda were cornered in the mountains of Tora Bora, it was wrong to outsource the job of capturing them to Afghan warlords.
BUCKLEY: Kerry's Saturday swing from Wisconsin to Iowa to Ohio, an effort to keep Wisconsin and Iowa that barely went Democrat in 2000 blew and to take away Ohio, which has gone for the Republican every time a GOP candidate has captured the White House.
KERRY: It's not about me. It's not about George Bush. It's about two different visions of how we achieve what we need to achieve in this country. Every time he's had a choice, his choice has been for the powerful.
BUCKLEY (on camera): Senator Kerry's advisers say the Osama bin Laden tape will not affect their strategy. Kerry intends to continue with his criticism of President Bush on his handling of the war on terror. Will the tape affect voters? As one senior strategist put it, we'll know on Tuesday.
Frank Buckley, CNN, Des Moines, Iowa.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LIN: And of course, you're going to join CNN for our complete coverage on election night because we're going to bring you real time results live from Times Square and the big board at the NASDAQ. Our election team kicks off a full court press of coverage beginning at 7:00 p.m. Eastern Tuesday night. Well, the Bush administration says it has no plans to raise the terror threat level ahead of Tuesday's election, this despite a new videotape that surfaced from No. 1 terrorist Osama bin Laden. CNN's Kathleen Koch joins me now from Washington with more on what intelligence agencies are learning from the tape.
Kathleen, was there a political motivation? Why now should we see Osama bin Laden?
KATHLEEN KOCH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Carol, that's one part of the many questions that they're trying to answer right now. Officials are pouring over this tape. They're looking for clues on where Osama bin Laden might be on possible attacks against the United States. And his is not the only tape that they're scrutinizing.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KOCH (voice-over): The government is analyzing two tapes, Osama bin Laden's and this one aired by ABC News Thursday, on it, a man calling himself Assam (ph). The American threatens a new wave of terror attacks against the United States. But officials say neither cites specifics like time or place. So the national alert level won't be raised to orange.
TOM RIDGE, HOMELAND SECURITY DIRECTOR: But we don't have to go to orange to take action in response either to these tapes or just general action to improve security around the country.
KOCH: The government will implement measures already under consideration like beefing up Coast Guard patrols and inspections at ports and airports. It will also reroute hazardous material shipments around major cities. And the FBI is posting the Assam (ph) video on the website asking for help identifying the man. There is no doubt about who is on the newest tape. Though Osama bin Laden uses a different tone, trying to present himself as a political leader and setting aside his usual religious terminology.
PETER BERGEN, CNN TERRORISM ANALYST: I don't think there's any warning in this videotape. In fact, bin Laden is less belligerent in this videotape than he's been in the past. He's almost offering some kind of truce with the American people, providing American foreign policy changes.
KOCH: Still a cautionary government bulletin went out Friday evening to federal, state and local law enforcement officials -- quote -- "We remain concerned about al Qaeda's interest in attacking the American homeland, and we cannot discount the possibility that the video also may be intended to promote violence or serve as a signal for an attack."
The tape marks the first time Osama bin Laden has claimed responsibility for the 9/11 attacks. One Middle East expert says that could have a huge impact on those in the Muslim world who believe the conspiracy theory that the attacks have been staged by the U.S. and Israel to create an excuse to invade Arab countries. MAMOUN FANDY, INSTITUTE FOR PUBLIC POLICY: It will create more allies for the United States. It will create also a general sense of guilt amongst the many Muslims who believed that the Americans did it to themselves. All of this will really change the whole attitude.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KOCH: And it is important to note that bin Laden spoke on the tape for nearly 15 minutes, but only about five minutes of that has been released by the Arab network, al Jazerra. And here in the U.S., federal officials aren't saying what the rest of it contains good or bad -- Carol.
LIN: All right. Thanks very much, Kathleen. Surely analysis is still going on on that tape as well.
Well, U.S. officials did warn that al Qaeda may try to do something to influence the presidential election. I've got CNN military intelligence analyst Ken Robinson joining me from New York right now.
Ken, good to have you. Why do you think Osama bin Laden made this tape now?
KEN ROBINSON, CNN MILITARY INTELLIGENCE ANALYST: The timing. He gets a lot of return on his investment. If he releases it during this high time of anxiety leading into the election, his message gets reported around the world. He is seen as a diplomat, as has been discussed earlier. He presents...
LIN: A diplomat?
ROBINSON: Yes.
LIN: In what sense?
ROBINSON: He's presenting a case. He's speaking directly to the American people and he's saying it doesn't matter who you choose, the foreign policy issue of your culture and your interventionist activities have to change. You've got to deal with me. I'm still here.
LIN: Well -- but is he trying to directly influence the U.S. election because surely he doesn't really believe that the average American is going to look at this tape and take him seriously or even care what he thinks. People just only care if he's sending out more terrorists to bomb more buildings.
ROBINSON: No, I don't think anyone thinks he's trying to influence the election. Al Qaeda knows what most Americans know, which is that both George Bush and John Kerry are good men who have a vision for America that's different. And -- but bin Laden has a vision for the Islamic world and his vision is being promoted now by the issuance of this videotape. He wants America and the west out of the Islamic countries.
LIN: And he wants America and the west to know that he's still alive and healthy.
ROBINSON: And remember, his network is no longer a line and block chart. It's an ideology. So the United States and the west cannot kill an idea. They've got to change the idea. And to do that, it's going to be a generational process.
LIN: Can the United States and the west -- I mean the west with the most sophisticated intelligence network in the world -- why is it that this guy can brazenly make videotapes, hand them out to al Jazerra, in this case for the second time, to the Pakistani bureau chief for the Arab network al Jazerra? Why isn't military intelligence staking out these locations and grabbing these messengers and taking -- having these messengers take them to Osama bin Laden?
ROBINSON: Well, it is a big world and you can bet that there are stakeouts on frequencies. There are stakeouts on communications and on buildings and places, but it's still pretty easy to generate a tape, move it by mule and get it to a location where it's cut out and get it into the public domain. It's a very tough task. And unfortunately, because the United States has never been able to be unilateral in the tribal areas of Pakistan, to be able to really move in there with large forces, they've been prevented from being able to do what they did in Iraq, which is go from one part of the country to the other.
LIN: And Ken, yet another videotape, this by someone calling himself Assam (ph), the American, presumably an al Qaeda operative, warns Americans in this videotape airing on ABC News of a -- brace yourself for a major attack. Now the FBI -- what's interesting is this tape's been out there this week, but the FBI today posted this videotape on its website, clearly wanting people to know, to hear the voice, see the face, see if anybody can identify this person. What does it take for the FBI to put this guy on the website? They -- how do they know that he's not some crack pot?
ROBINSON: Well, they have to hope for the best and that is the most prudent measure in intelligence is to run down every lead and disprove its credibility.
LIN: But something -- something made them want to put it on their website. Something told them it was a big enough threat that they need to get this out there in the biggest way they can to find this guy, right?
ROBINSON: Well, I think probably that would have generated from the point of origin, which was Pakistan and the liaison with both the intelligence services there and our own intelligence activity in Pakistan. It makes sense because if you can listen to the voice, if some friend, relative or acquaintance can identify it, you can bet that some of these people have been in communication and that's always their downfall. If you go back and look at every wanted man, his downfall has always been communications with friends, relatives or acquaintances.
LIN: Do you believe in...
ROBINSON: And that's what they're hoping for.
LIN: Do you believe him, Ken, that we should brace ourselves for another major attack?
ROBINSON: Well, I believe it's a dangerous world. I believe al Qaeda wants to up the body count, and I believe it's very dangerous for us to try to predict their behavior. We should assume the worst. We should not be complacent. Vigilance is the answer as we move forward and try to take away that which is their angst, which was causes them to conduct terrorism. We need to look at our foreign policy.
LIN: Ken -- oh, a big note to end on, but thank you very much.
ROBINSON: Thank you.
LIN: Still ahead tonight, a big change could be in store for the Palestinian people. Some say Yasser Arafat may no longer be physically or mentally fit to remain in power. I'm going to have the very latest from Paris.
Plus, taking the fight to Fallujah. The U.S. mounts another major offensive. Insurgents in Iraq step up the attacks.
And later, prejudice professors? Well, some students at Columbia University claim they are being silenced. Those accused say it's a political witch hunt.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LIN: It's a question being asked all over the Middle East. Is Yasser Arafat sick, dying, mentally incapacitated? He's undergone a battery of tests since arriving at the Paris hospital. CNN's Paula Hancocks reports from Paris.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Tight security protects the Percy Military Hospital's most famous patient. Yasser Arafat spends a second day at the hands of French specialists. There were hopeful words from the Palestinian delegate for France, Leila Shahid.
LEILA SHAHID, PLO REPRESENTATIVE: What I can tell you is that the doctors exclude from already what he has done in terms of exams, any possibility of leukemia. I repeat, the doctors exclude for the time being, any possibility of leukemia.
HANCOCKS: She has said she has been at Arafat's bed side along with his wife, Sua (ph).
(on camera): It could be several days before French doctors make their official diagnosis. Leila Shahid says the tests are ongoing, but Yasser Arafat is showing daily improvement both physically and psychologically. (voice-over): A small group of French Palestinians gathered outside the hospital to show their solidarity with the leader and show their appreciation to the French authorities.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): Most French people support the Palestinian cause. The French don't like injustice. They hold liberty dear.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): I hope he will return, but I know he's old and he's tired. Maybe he should delegate to others to follow his path along the line he has traced.
HANCOCKS: Specialists are continuing to run tests on Arafat with an initial diagnosis expected by Tuesday or Wednesday.
Paula Hancocks, CNN, Paris.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LIN: Well, Yasser Arafat is a simply put an irreplaceable symbol of the Palestinian movement and a hero to some, not all but many Palestinians. A Palestinian state without Arafat is unthinkable right now because in many ways there is no one in the wings with his charisma and his power. Aaron David Miller is the president of Seeds of Peace.
Aaron, good to have you.
AARON DAVID MILLER, PRESIDENT, SEEDS OF PEACE: Thanks, Carol.
LIN: You met with Arafat just last week. In fact, we're going to show some videotape. You met with him just days before this videotape of a very frail and ailing Yasser Arafat arriving in Jordan en route to Paris, was taken. Clearly, he's shaking. He's struggling to bring his fingers to his lips to blow kisses to his followers. What mental state did you find Yasser Arafat in when you were talking with him?
MILLER: Carol, I saw him in August, about six weeks before I saw him about 10 days ago and the transformation was marked. In August, he was alert and forceful and argumentative, as always. Ten days ago, I found him, and I saw him in his bedroom. He had lost a lot of weight. He could not focus. He needed a lot of help to actually get up to greet me. And I'm not even sure he recognized me.
LIN: Really?
MILLER: He was not the Arafat that I had encountered during hundreds of hours of negotiations during the 1990s.
LIN: What were you there to talk to him about?
MILLER: I'm president of Seeds of Peace and we're considering opening up an office in Ramallah and he's been a supporter of this program for a long time. And we need support from the Palestinian Authority. LIN: Which is like an exchange program to bring kids of different backgrounds together to talk about it?
MILLER: Israelis and Palestinians, Egyptians, Jordanians, yes.
LIN: All right. So you didn't feel that you could even have this conversation with him. So it sounds to me like this is a pretty serious condition he's in. He is in no shape to be any sort of authority figure to the Palestinian people right now.
MILLER: Well, I'm not a physician, and I'd hate to make a judgment or determination. The question, whether he is incapacitated or whether in fact this is the beginning of the end, the question is whether or not he is capable of remaining or retaining the monopoly and decision making that he had exercised during the '90s. I'm not sure he is. I suspect that -- and he's ruled the West Bank and Gaza before when he was outside of those territories. But I think this signifies the beginning of an historic change of leadership. I believe that's the case.
LIN: Yes, but leadership by whom? Is it Abu Masen (ph)? Is it Ahmed Korai (ph)? Is it the people that the United States has already done business with or is it Hamas or perhaps even Hezbollah's influence in the territories?
MILLER: Well, again, a newer perspective here. I mean here's a guy who dominated the Palestinian National Movement for 50 years. He has more access to guns, to money, to political influence, to international weight and standing than any other Palestinian leader has now or is likely to have in the foreseeable future.
I support Abu Lan (ph), Abu Masen (ph), together with the security chiefs; will create a formal succession process. But that's really not the key. The question is who is going to be in power to make decisions and to deal with security issues? And if, in fact, there are negotiations with the Israelis, who is going to be legitimate and authoritative enough to take those decisions?
LIN: That's...
MILLER: That's the core question.
LIN: And your sense -- do you have an answer to your own question?
MILLER: Yes, my sense is that this is a generational problem. And Abu Massam (ph) and Abu Lan (ph) will try to hold it together. But on core issues, in permanent status negotiations, I doubt, frankly, right now at the moment if there's any Palestinian leader that has his authority and legitimacy.
LIN: Aaron David Miller, these are historic times. We'll see what happens as he tries to be diagnosed and get better perhaps in Paris. Thank you very much.
MILLER: Thank you, Carol. LIN: Well, in Iraq, a costly day for U.S. Marines. Eight Marines were killed in Al-Anbar province. The attack was the deadliest against the U.S. military in weeks. Nine other Marines were wounded.
And in Baghdad, a car blew up outside the Al-Arabiya television network killing five people. An Islamic website has posted a claim of responsibility from the Iraqi militant group, the 20th Brigades.
Now, south of the capital, insurgents opened fire on a main road hitting several minibuses. The attack left at least a dozen Iraqis dead, most of them civilian.
A major military operation today in Fallujah is raising speculation that an all-out offensive on the rebel stronghold could be just days away. CNN's Karl Penhaul is embedded with the 1st Battalion 3rd Marines and he filed this report.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KARL PENHAUL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A smoke plume billows over the Fallujah skyline after heavy artillery bombardments Saturday by Marines massing outside the rebel-held city for a possible all-out assault. Parts of field guns opened fire on resistant positions inside Fallujah when the insurgents dropped mortars on a Marine reconnaissance force probing territory just southeast of the city limits.
A Marine spokesman said the artillery barrage was one of the most sustained in the last two months. He said no Marines were injured in the clash.
Marine jets buzzed over Fallujah, at times dropping chaff to reduce the risk of insurgent fighters taking aim with surface-to-air missiles. Marine intelligence officers believe between 2,000 and 5,000 insurgents may be holed up in Fallujah, Iraq's most notorious resistant stronghold.
The Iraqi Prime Minister Iyad Allawi has called on insurgents to surrender their weapons and turn over a group of foreign fighters believed to be based there or face attack. Intelligence reports suggest more than three quarters of the city's civilian population may have fled. Marine commanders are giving no timeline for a possible assault but are speaking of when, not if.
Karl Penhaul, CNN, near Fallujah.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LIN: Well, up next, tonight, the bonds that form in battle.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SPEC. NICHOLAS CRUZ, U.S. ARMY: The thought of getting hit again and the thought of probably losing my life has always crossed my mind every time I roll out of the gate now. But I at least know that, you know, I'm fighting for what I believe in. I'm fighting with the guys who I'd rather be with.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LIN: Young soldiers on the front lines in Iraq, building camaraderie in combat.
And later, putting on a show for the Sox. Fans in Boston gather for a once in a lifetime event.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LIN: In our continuing look at stories on the frontlines, they are among the youngest soldiers fighting the insurgency in Iraq. They're called The Punishers, soldiers who have seen combat almost every day since arriving in Iraq. CNN's Jane Arraf talks to the soldiers about what drew them to the war.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JANE ARRAF, CNN BAGHDAD BUREAU CHIEF (voice-over): These are supposed to be the best years of their lives and for many of these young soldiers in Iraq, they believe they just might be. A lot of the younger ones don't seem to think much about whether the United States should be here but most are clear on why they're here.
(on camera): For a lot of younger soldiers, September 11th was a defining moment in their lives. They didn't know the Cold War. The Vietnam War was just a piece of history. For them, the attack on the World Trade Center has shaped their view of the world.
(voice-over): Many have very personal reasons for enlisting.
SPEC. CHARLES COPP, U.S. ARMY: Basically just to get out of Utah and see the world, meet new people.
ARRAF (on camera): How has it been so far for you?
COPP: Well, I've definitely seen parts of the world -- so.
ARRAF (voice-over): This platoon, The Punishers, is part of the 3rd Brigade of the 1st Infantry Division, which has seen combat almost since it arrived eight months ago. Thirty-six hours before, the soldiers were in a seven-hour firefight in Faritz (ph) near Ba'qubah.
SGT. STEVE PETTY, U.S. ARMY: I dismounted patrol, clearing houses. It was fun.
ARRAF (on camera): It was fun?
PETTY: Yes, it was.
ARRAF (voice-over): And that's the surprising truth about what keeps a lot of them going -- it's thrilling -- that and the camaraderie. Here 30 is considered old. Most of these younger soldiers don't have wives and kids back home. They're with each other virtually 24 hours a day, and they form the most intense friendships they'll ever have. So intense, Specialist Nicholas Cruz, who's 21, thought to rejoin his platoon buddies after being shot in the leg. They are closer to him, he says, than his family.
CRUZ: The thought of getting hit again and the thought of probably losing my life has crossed my mind every time I roll out of the gate now. It's crossed my mind before, but now it hits closer to home. But I at least know that, you know, I'm fighting for what I believe in and I'm fighting with the guys who I'd rather be with.
ARRAF: Company commander, Doug Chadwick, who's 29, says the younger men seem to be from a generation different even from his.
CAPT. DOUG CHADWICH, U.S. ARMY: Who knew what to expect from them? And they come into an Army at war and have just formed bonds and performed beyond what anyone could have expected of them.
ARRAF: Jane Arraf, CNN, near Ba'qubah, Iraq.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LIN: Well, still to come tonight, the campaign countdown. President Bush motivates his base in Minnesota. John Kerry eyeing votes in Iowa. But could it all come down to just one other state? I'm going to be talking with political analyst Ron Brownstein.
Plus, it's been called too harsh by its critics, but is California's three strikes you're out law on its way out? We're going to look at Proposition 66.
And this...
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Here I am. I'm sitting here just, you know, defenseless and all these people are starting to really heat up the room. I started to get scared.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LIN: The controversy at Columbia. Some students claim the university promotes an anti-Semitic atmosphere. And now they are fighting back with a film.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LIN: Both candidates are milking the mileage out of their campaign planes today. With three days until the election, the excitement is growing and who will emerge as the winner is still too close to call. At rallies today, John Kerry focused on the war on terror, telling supporters he would be a better commander in chief. And he also warned the president that his moment of reckoning is near.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KERRY: We've been waiting four years. Here you are, two and a half days. This is our moment to hold George W. Bush accountable. This is the moment.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LIN: President Bush is seeking his own edge from the recently released bin Laden tape. He drilled home his argument today with supporters in Minnesota that Kerry's legacy is one of indecision and inaction. President Bush maintains his goal against terrorism has not changed.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BUSH: We are determined. We are steadfast. We are resolute. We will stay on the offensive against the terrorists around the world so we do not have to face them here at home.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LIN: The vice presidential contenders are covering some of the same ground today. John Edwards took the Democrats' message to supporters in Marietta, Ohio, saying he and John Kerry offer a fresh start for the nation. While Vice President Dick Cheney made stops at rallies in Zanesville, Ohio and Pennsylvania today. Now, Dick Cheney is echoing Bush's campaign speeches, stressing the need to stay focused on the war on terror.
Well, the Democrats are getting some high-powered help from the comeback kid. Former President Bill Clinton campaigned in Nevada today talking about health care for senior citizens. He's expected to attend a rally in New Mexico about a half hour from now.
But with less than 54 hours to go before the first polls open, what message is each candidate trying to get across to the electorate and how is the race really shaping up when you look at these polls? According to the latest "Newsweek" poll, the Bush/Cheney ticket has a slight lead over Kerry/Edwards among registered voters. Among likely voters, the lead is greater, 51 percent to 45 percent.
Now, we're going to be talking about some numbers with CNN political analyst Ron Brownstein, picking his brain tonight. He's live from Washington.
Hi there, Ron.
RON BROWSTEIN, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: Hey, Carol.
LIN: Well, let's talk about the poll that you have in your own newspaper. I mean the "Los Angeles Times" has President Bush up by eight percentage points in Florida, among likely voters, but John Kerry has an edge in Pennsylvania and Ohio. Our Bill Schneider says it really gets down to those three states that whoever wins two out of three wins the presidency. What do you think?
BROWSTEIN: I don't think it's quite that simple. Whoever wins two out of three will have an advantage but not necessarily a decisive advantage. Here's a situation -- someone from the Kerry campaign, I think, put it well the other day. You need to win two out of three of those states but also two out of three of the upper Midwestern battlegrounds, which are Iowa leading toward Bush right now, Minnesota probably leaning toward Kerry right now, and Wisconsin, impossible to call. My guess is that in the end, Wisconsin will be very critical when we're looking back on this and how it tipped one way or the other.
LIN: Well, a political scientist from the University of Akron, John Green, said this to you, that "unless something breaks loose in the next couple of days," he says, "it's going to be a muscle campaign on Election Day." What did he mean by that?
BROWNSTEIN: And I agree with that. You know you mentioned the "Newsweek" poll. There were five other polls out today. Five other national polls came out today; all showed the race within two points either way for Kerry or Bush. And what that says is that in the end this race may be too close for polling to give us a decisive or a clear indication of who's going to win. Instead it's going to be turn out, who brings out their vote, who mobilizes their vote and to some extent, somebody beyond the control of any campaign, how many of the new voters show up. We've had a lot of registration this year, as you know, Carol. But it's unclear how many of those voters come out. Probably benefits Kerry if they come out in large numbers. Most polls have shown him leading at least somewhat among first-time voters.
LIN: Ron, how big of an influence do you think -- or any influence do you think the bin Laden tape is going to have on this election?
BROWNSTEIN: You know we've all been speculating about it. I think it's very hard to parse out. I can say that if you -- again if you look at the polling that came out today, which does include last night, it's hard to see much of an effect. For most of them, Kerry's position is slightly better than it was earlier in the week. It was not as -- I think bin Laden -- the message may be more about changing bin Laden's profile or enhancing bin Laden's profile than influencing the election. It doesn't really point to it on either side. It may benefit Bush in the sense we're talking about terror, not the missing munitions in Iraq. But on the other hand, as the Kerry people point out and the other analysts have pointed out, it does remind people that bin Laden is still at large. My guess, not a decisive factor either way.
LIN: All right. Ron, when we wake up November 3, do you think we're going to know for sure who is the president of the United States to be?
BROWNSTEIN: I hope so. I hope so. I don't think anybody in the country really wants to go through another post-election battle. If it's close, there are lots of opportunities for litigation. The biggest flash point, Carol, is this question of provisional ballots, which is something that Congress mandated in the post-Florida reforms that every state allow anyone who doesn't show up on the voter list at their polling place to cast a provisional ballot whose validity will be determined after the fact.
LIN: Right. BROWNSTEIN: Now, each state has different rules for how they're going to do that and that could inspire litigation if it's close enough to matter.
LIN: You bet because those provisional ballots can be held up to 10 days after Election Day in some cases.
All right, thanks, Ron.
BROWNSTEIN: Thank you.
LIN: We'll keep our fingers crossed.
Well, be sure to join "THE CAPITAL GANG" for their pre-Election Day special tonight at 7:00 Eastern, 4:00 Pacific.
Now, there's more on California's ballot than just candidates. Voters will decide on Proposition 66. It's just a number, but really it's a measure that's aimed at changing the Three Strikes and You're Out Law. But as CNN's Donna Tetrault reports, Proposition 66 is stirring up controversy.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: In this particular case, it's a third strike case, the defendant is facing 25 years to life.
DONNA TETRAULT, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Three Strikes is a law meant to lock up repeat felony offenders for 25 years to life. It was prompted by the high-profile murder of 12-year-old Polly Klaas in California in 1993. Richard Alan Davis was convicted of her murder. He was a violent repeat felon. Now, Proposition 66 on the ballot Tuesday is aimed at amending Three Strikes and that's driving division even among the Klaas family.
JOE KLASS, POLLY KLAAS' GRANDFATHER: I helped lead the fight for a Three Strikes law because of a personal tragedy in my family. That law has put a lot of dangerous people in prison.
TETRAULT: But now, Joe Klaas, Polly's grandfather, is a force behind Prop 66. If passed, it would require that a second or third strike offense must be a violent felony instead of any felony as the current law dictates.
KLAAS: What we're after is violent crime, and Prop 66 makes it solely applicable to violent crime.
VINCENT SCHIRALDI, JUSTICE POLICY INSTITUTE: Prop 66 would really return some balance to the system so that so many nonviolent offenders aren't getting life sentences. And I think that's what the people want.
TETRAULT: But that's not what Polly's father, Mark Klaas wants.
MARK KLAAS, POLLY KLAAS' FATHER: To take a law that's been working very well and totally gut that law and really give a get out of jail free card to horrible people is not the way to reform a piece of legislation.
TETRAULT: And he's not alone in his fight against his father and Prop 66. Former governor Pete Wilson, who signed Three Strikes into law in '94, backed by current California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and three other former governors, is urging voters to vote no on 66.
PETE WILSON, FORMER CALIFORNIA GOVERNOR: It is estimated that some two million Californians did not become crime victims because those who would have victimized them had no chance to do so. They were locked up.
KLAAS: Every judge, every district attorney, has the ability not to charge a strike. They have the discretion not to do so. Three strikes is about a criminal history.
TETRAULT: If she had lived, Polly Klaas would have been 23. She had aspirations of becoming an actress. Her father wants to prevent what happened to her from happening to anyone else. But her grandfather says justice is what has to prevail.
Donna Tetrault for CNN, Los Angeles.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LIN: Up next on CNN LIVE SATURDAY, allegations of intolerance. Some of the student body at Columbia are accusing the university of bias. And now they put out a documentary that they say proves it.
And later -- presidential politics and pumpkins. Our Jeanne Moos carves up the competitors. Stay right there.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LIN: A new documentary makes serious allegations against Columbia University professors. Some students say their views on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict are not being heard. CNN's Alina Cho has this story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ALINA CHO, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Columbia University students, past and present in their own words...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There was definitely an intimidation factor. People don't feel like they can express their points of views.
CHO: ...on certain professors.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He looked right into my eyes and he said, "See, you have green eyes." He said,"You're not a Semite." He said, "I am a Semite. I have brown eyes." He said "You have no claim to the land of Israel."
CHO: Allegations so explosive, this student requested anonymity. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Before I could continue he stopped me and said, "Are you Israeli (UNINTELLIGIBLE)?" I said "Yes." So his next question was how many Palestinians have you killed.
CHO: We watched the 25-minute documentary, "Columbia Unbecoming," with one of the filmmakers and students who took part in it. Senior Noah Liben and recent grad, Aharon Horowitz.
AHARON HOROWITZ, COLUMBIA GRADUATE: I don't think the professors are anti-Semitic. I do think that they're working very hard to squelch one point of view in the classroom and that has to be stopped.
NOAH LIBEN, COLUMBIA STUDENT: Students shouldn't feel uncomfortable expressing their points of views. This is Columbia University.
CHO: One of the eight Ivy League schools, yet students featured in the film accuses professors in the Middle Eastern Studies Department, like Joseph Massad, of silencing them.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Joseph Massad is probably one of the most dangerous intellectuals or self-proclaimed intellectuals on campus. He uses the classroom as a platform for political propaganda.
CHO: The David Project, a pro-Israel group, produced the documentary. Professor Massad calls it a political witch hunt.
JOSEPH MASSAD, COLUMBIA PROFESSOR: I am one of many professors on campus who hold views that are not accepted by the pro-Israel lobby.
CHO: More than 700 professors from colleges across the country have even written a letter in support of Massad.
MASSAD: Even though the majority of professors on campus may hold views that are not critical of Israel, a number of us are indeed critical of Israel and this is something the pro-Israel lobby does not like.
CHO: Eric Posner has taken a class with Professor Massad.
ERIC POSNER, COLUMBIA STUDENT: In his classrooms, not only does he offer, you know, his own opinions. He offers other perspectives.
CHO (on camera): Columbia's president, calling it a serious matter, has appointed the university provost to investigate the allegations. The provost is evaluating the film and will compose the university's response.
(voice-over): The findings are expected in a few weeks. Until then, the debate will continue over whether there is an open debate on Columbia's campus.
Alina Cho, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE) LIN: Up next, the boys are back in town, Bean Town that is. Boston puts on a parade for the World Series champions.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LIN: The Boston Red Sox paraded before a crowd estimated at more than 3 million today. They celebrated their World Series victory and the breaking of the curse of the Bambino, which they blame for not winning a world series for 86 years. Now the crowd was so huge, officials lengthened the original three-mile parade route by extending it into the Charles River.
All right, a quick reminder. Don't forget to set your clocks back an hour before you go to bed tonight. Daylight Savings Time comes to an end Sunday morning at 2:00 a.m., an extra hour of sleep.
Have you ever thought of Halloween as political? Well, neither have we, but our Jeanne Moos changed that. We're going to explain, but first, here's Mark Shields to tell us what's ahead on the gang, "THE CAPITAL GANG."
Hi, Mark.
MARK SHIELDS, CO-HOST, "THE CAPITAL GANG": You're right, Carol. It is. It's "THE CAPITAL GANG's" pre-election night special. With only three days to go, the very latest on the run for the White House, plus key House and Senate races. And we'll go beyond the beltway to the all-important battleground state of Ohio. All that and much more right near next on CNN.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LIN: With Election Day and Halloween so close at hand, it's time to forget about political footballs and start talking about political pumpkins. CNN's Jeanne Moos has more on this curious intersection of presidential politics and the gourds.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEANNE MOOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Sharpen your knives whip out the power tools. While the candidates are carving up each other, why not carve up a pumpkin?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Can anything be spookier than a George Bush jack-o'-lantern?
MOOS: Well, maybe a John Kerry hello weenie beverage coaster or what some call Senator Kerry's great pumpkin tan. But spookiest of all, a presidential rotting contest. Will the Kerry or the Bush pumpkin rot first? Ask Tom Nardone.
TOM NARDONE, EXTRME PUMPKINS.COM: Here's what makes it an extreme pumpkin.
MOOS: Nardone runs extremepumpkins.com, featuring everything from the puking pumpkin to the drowning pumpkin in a bag. By day two of the rotting contest, squirrels had gotten to George Bush's ear and by day five, they knocked the little Ralph Nader pumpkin out of the race. By day nine, Bush was way ahead in the rotting, which meant Kerry was losing, but looked better doing it.
While the candidates themselves are photographed picking pumpkins, critics use pumpkins to pick on the candidate. Take this name Kerry's pumpkin contest on an anti-Kerry website. And then there are bipartisan pumpkins, huge painted ones to stick it to the president. A liberal group called True Majority Action has designed a no "W" pumpkin.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There you go. You've got a line through your w.
MOOS: It shows up better by candlelight. The group came up with a stencil that 30,000 people have downloaded. But after poking the pattern...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's easier than I'm making it look, guys. I assure you.
MOOS: But will folks get it?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I see lots of eyes.
MOOS (on camera): What do you see here?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I see confusion. I don't see a pattern. I see it's all screwed up.
MOOS (voice-over): And when told it was an anti-Bush pumpkin, they imagined things.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, I see the ears and the eyes and there's his, like, little goofy, let me worry grin.
MOOS: No grinning back at the rotting contest where both candidates have completely collapsed. Bush won by a day, but who wants to win a rot race?
Jeanne Moos, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LIN: That's all the time we have for this hour. Coming up next, "THE CAPITAL GANG." Then at 8:00 Eastern on "CNN PRESENTS," the fight over faith. What does it mean to be an evangelical in America today? And at 9:00, "LARRY KING TONIGHT," the best of moments from Larry's recent interviews with Bush and Kerry. And I'm going to be back at 10:00 Eastern. Tonight, the defense rests in the Scott Peterson case. What is in store for the final week?
But right now, here's what's happening right now in the news.
"THE CAPITAL GANG" in just a moment, but first, here is what's happening right now in the news. President Bush and John Kerry each tell campaign crowds they're the best choice to lead the war on terror. The increased focus on security follows the release of a new videotape...
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