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Campbell Brown
Rifts Forming in McCain Campaign?; Stocks Soar
Aired October 28, 2008 - 20:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAMPBELL BROWN, CNN ANCHOR: Hi there, everybody.
With seven days left before Election Day, the sense on the campaign trail, electric, a mix of urgency, anxiety, and energy, supercharged energy. The candidates are in a rush to cram in as many stops in as many battleground states as possible.
We are going to break down their strategies, the states each must hold, but may lose, plus the states both hope to grab from the other guy.
Plus, there they are, McCain and Palin, on the same stage. But are they on the same page? Tonight, we're looking into new reports that Sarah Palin and her McCain campaign handlers are way out of sync.
Also tonight, just as consumer confidence hits an all-time low, Wall Street racks up one of its biggest gains ever. That's right, a huge gain. We're going to try to explain what on earth is going on.
And the Supreme Court, the next president could pick as many as three new justices and exert a huge impact on the law of the land. Jeffrey Toobin is going to be here with us tonight to brief us on the very high stakes.
Plus, our no bias, no bull rogues gallery gets a new member tonight. We will tell you who.
First, though, cutting through the bull.
You may have heard by now that, tomorrow night, Barack Obama will be on five different TV networks speaking directly to the American people. He bought 30 minutes of airtime from the different networks, a very expensive purchase. But, hey, he can afford it. Barack Obama is loaded, way more loaded than John McCain, way more loaded than any presidential candidate has ever been before at this stage in the campaign.
Just to throw a number out, he's raised well over $600 million since the start of the campaign, close to what George Bush and John Kerry raised combined in 2004.
Without question, Obama has set the bar at new heights with a truly staggering sum of cash. And that's why, as we approach this November, it's worth reminding ourselves what Barack Obama said last November. One year ago, he made a promise. He pledged to accept public financing, to work with the Republican nominee to ensure that they both operated within those limits. And then it became clear to Senator Obama and his campaign that he was going to be able to raise on his own far more cash than he would get with public financing. So, Obama went back on his word. He broke his promise. And he explained it by arguing that the system is broken, and that Republicans know how to work the system to their advantage.
He argued he would need all that cash to fight the ruthless attacks of 527s, those independent groups, like the Swift Boat Vets.
It's funny, though. Those attacks never really materialized this cycle. "The Washington Post" pointed out recently that the bad economy has meant a cash shortage among the 527s and that this election year they have been far, far less influential.
And the courageous among Obama's own supporters concede this decision was really made for one reason, simply because it was to Obama's financial advantage.
On this issue today, former Senator Bob Kerrey, an Obama supporter, writes in "The New York Post" -- quote -- "A hypocrite is a person who puts on a false appearance of virtue, who acts in contradiction to his or her stated beliefs or feelings. And that, it seems to me, is what we're doing now."
For this last week, Senator Obama will be rolling in dough. His commercials, his get-out-the-vote effort will, as the pundits have said, dwarf the McCain campaign's final push.
But, in fairness, you have to admit, he is getting there in part on a broken promise.
We turn now to the campaign, both John McCain and Barack Obama beginning the day today in Pennsylvania. It is vital. Neither of them can afford to lose this state. For Obama, 9,000 people stood out in the rain at his rally. McCain and Palin had nearly 10,000 attend their indoor rally.
At this very moment, Obama has moved on to Virginia, his campaign hoping for a crowd of 12,000 to pack this baseball stadium in downtown Norfolk. It's pretty remarkable. Virginia, a red state, it hasn't gone for a Democrat for president since 1964.
Yet, tonight, polls show Obama may be about to turn Virginia Democratic blue.
Our Jessica Yellin covered Obama's earlier campaign stop in Virginia. She's joining us from Harrisburg -- or Harrisonburg -- excuse me.
And, Jessica, this morning, I know Obama was in Pennsylvania, second day in a row, pounding McCain as the second coming of George Bush. And let's listen first.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) SEN. BARACK OBAMA (D-IL), PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: He supported four out of five of the Bush budgets that have taken us from surplus under the Clinton years to the largest deficit in history. John McCain has ridden shotgun as George Bush has driven our economy toward the cliff. And now he wants to take the wheel and step on the gas.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BROWN: OK, there in that blue state, you have got Obama definitely playing defense. This morning, though -- or that was this morning, rather. Tonight, though, he is playing offense in Virginia in a big way, isn't he?
JESSICA YELLIN, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: He really is, Campbell.
Where I am right now, Rockingham County, Virginia, is so red, it went for George Bush by 70 percent in 2000 and 2004 percent. It's almost unthinkable to see a Democrat here this close to the election. And it shows just how bullish the Obama campaign is on their chances of winning Virginia.
Now, this area has the fourth highest rate of new voter registration in the state. It's mostly college students and African- Americans who make up those new voters. And I was speaking to an Obama aide just now. And she tells me that, look, they don't think they're going to win this county. This is still a John McCain county. But what they're looking to do is chip away at his margin, take away as many votes as they possibly can for John McCain to hurt him overall in this state.
And it really does show how confident the Obama campaign is at this stage -- Campbell.
BROWN: And, Jessica, let's also look at John McCain. Today, he said, his words, he's gaining momentum.
He's out there pushing his economic message, that Obama's plans border on socialism. Let's listen to what he said.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. JOHN MCCAIN (R-AZ), PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: Senator Obama is running to be redistributionist in chief. I'm running to be commander in chief.
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
MCCAIN: Senator Obama is running to spread the wealth. I'm running to create wealth.
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
MCCAIN: Senator Obama is running to punish the successful. I'm running to make everyone successful.
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BROWN: And, Jessica, the point he was out there trying to make today, he can beat the odds.
YELLIN: That's right.
Look, he even said, Campbell, that the pundits are wrong and he will prove them wrong. This is a guy whose history is that he's been able to come from behind and find victory. He does better when he's the underdog.
And a number of his aides are saying increasingly Obama that has a hard time closing the deal. We did see it in the primary, that time after time Obama didn't get undecided voters. The people who broke late did not break for Obama.
And, right now, there are about 6 percent undecided voters in this nation. John McCain is hoping he will get them and prove the pundits wrong -- Campbell.
BROWN: All right, Jessica Yellin for us tonight -- Jessica, thanks.
In this last week of the campaign, things moving very fast. And at CNN we have some pretty cool ways for you to get all the details. If you want to follow all this, of course, 24/7, check this out. Go to CNN.com/map, where you can track pretty much every newsworthy development, every important poll, changes in the electoral map. We have got it all there, a ton of information.
It's really fast. It's really easy to use. It's pretty much what I do here during the commercial breaks. Even an anchor can do it. I promise it's that easy. Just log on to CNN.com/map. This is worth checking out.
Also, in Pennsylvania today, John McCain and Sarah Palin were all smiles when they arrived at their huge rally. But don't you wish you could have heard the private conversation before they got there? Coming up, we are going to dig into these persistent rumors and reports that McCain's aides are seriously unhappy about his running mate.
Then, later, the record-shattering turnout of early voters, what clues are they providing about the outcome of the election?
And our no bias, no bull rogues gallery gets a new member tonight. Even though this guy promised us that he was going to step down and leave Congress a long time ago, he has not. Remember this?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. LARRY CRAIG (R), IDAHO: Therefore, it is with sadness and deep regret that I announce that it is my intent to resign from the Senate. (END VIDEO CLIP)
BROWN: So, why is Senator Larry Craig still around? Will he ever leave?
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. JOSEPH BIDEN (D-DE), VICE PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: You saw the debates. You heard the policy positions. And now -- now it's time to choose. And, with early voting in Florida, I mean, now is the time to choose, today.
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BROWN: Senator Joe Biden in Florida today calling on voters to cast their ballots early. And guess what? People are listening.
We are seeing record turnout in the 31 states that allow early voting. And those votes could offer a real clue into who will win this election one week from today.
Gary Tuchman in Las Vegas, deep in the heart of battleground Nevada, and he's joining me now to read the early vote tea leaves.
And, Gary, talk us through Nevada a little bit, because they have made it -- frankly, they couldn't have made it any easier for voters to vote early, have they -- haven't they?
GARY TUCHMAN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, that's right, Campbell.
Here at the Boulevard Mall in Las Vegas, between the Orange Julius, Victoria's Secret, and the J.C. Penney's, you can vote for the leader of the free world. Nevada may be the easiest state in the country to vote early because they have polling places in places in malls, outlet centers, health clubs, grocery stores. There are lots of machines, lots of places, lots of hours, and huge turnouts, but very few lines, because they have so many facilities for people to do the early voting.
In 31 states in the country, you're allowed to early vote in person without any reason whatsoever. And they include five of the battleground states, including Nevada, Florida, North Carolina, Ohio, and Colorado, huge numbers in all of these states.
For example, in North Carolina, more than 1.2 million people have already voted early. That's 20 percent of all registered voters. In the state of Florida, more than 1.2 people have also voted. That's 10 percent of all registered voters. The governor of Florida has just ruled that all the polling places, the early voting polling places have to be open 12 hours a day, instead of eight hours a day, because of huge lines. So, November 4, Campbell, is Election Day, but, in actuality, it's one of many election days in most of the states in the United States -- Campbell.
BROWN: And, Gary, we know a lot of people are voting early. But we also know -- or we have a sense, at least, of who they're voting for as well, don't we?
TUCHMAN: So far, Campbell, it appears that Democrats are doing well in most of the states where there's early voting.
We have a Pew poll that shows so far 15 percent of Americans have voted early, a week before Election Day, and of those 15 percent, 53 percent say they voted for Barack Obama; 34 percent say John McCain. However, Republicans are very strongly saying they expect to organize and do well on the actual Election Day, on November 4.
But here in Clark County, we have some actual numbers, Clark County, Nevada -- 131,000 Democrats have voted early, 70,000 Republicans. That's a 2-1 margin in what is generally a Republican state, although we cannot ascertain for sure whether all the Democrats have voted for Obama, whether all the Republicans have voted for McCain, of course.
BROWN: All right, a sense at least.
Gary Tuchman for us tonight -- Gary, thanks.
We should note, too, we have just gotten brand-new poll numbers for our Nevada poll of polls. It now shows Obama with a strong lead in that state, 50 percent, to John McCain's 43 percent.
So, if early voting does seem to be giving Obama this early boost, how does then McCain then make up the ground?
We are going to ask our panel now, three of the smartest political observers around, CNN senior political analyst Gloria Borger, Republican strategist and McCain supporter Kevin Madden, and CNN political analyst and Obama supporter Roland Martin. It's our regular team tonight.
Guys, welcome.
GLORIA BORGER, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: Sure.
BROWN: Kevin, let me start with you.
You heard Gary there. The bulk of the voters waiting in those long lines appear to be Obama supporters, Democrats. Did McCain do enough, do you think, to encourage early voting among his supporters or do you think the campaign could have missed a real opportunity here?
KEVIN MADDEN, FORMER ROMNEY CAMPAIGN NATIONAL PRESS SECRETARY: Well, I think the McCain campaign and the RNC together knew that they had to identify a lot of these early voters and put together the programs to reach them.
I think one of the challenges the McCain campaign had was that it grew very quickly from a one-state campaign during the primaries with New Hampshire, on the way to Florida. It had to essentially springboard into a national campaign very quickly. And there were a lot of growing pains with that.
But, look, Republican voters are traditional voters in the fact that they're probably going to show up on Election Day. These -- the voting indicators right now show that the McCain campaign has to ramp up their efforts in that critical 72-hour period before Election Day. And I expect that the folks over at the McCain campaign right now are ramping up those models and getting ready for that 72-hour push.
BROWN: And, Gloria, I guess one of the challenges, though, for McCain is that these early votes that have already been cast are essentially votes in the bank for Obama.
BORGER: Sure.
BROWN: Those voters can't change their minds, no matter what happens. I guess, is that one of the reasons we're seeing McCain really zero in, in Pennsylvania, a state where there is no early voting?
BORGER: Well, they have clearly decided that they have got to win those 21 electoral votes if they're going to win the presidency, Campbell, and they still believe that there are persuadable people, ones who haven't already voted, particularly in the western part of the state.
But to follow up on Kevin's point, what McCain also faces is a remarkable get-out-the-vote effort that the Democrats are manning. I was talking to some sources today, who told me, for example, in the state of Florida, two weeks ago, they had already had 100,000 volunteers working on get-out-the-vote efforts.
They have got a computer system that allows checkers at polling booths to scan people as they come out of the polls, send it to headquarters. And then they can know whether their voters are out there voting or not, get Obama in front of a camera, and have him talk on a local TV station to a place where he needs to get out the vote. Unbelievable.
(CROSSTALK)
BROWN: Roland, let me show you some of what I guess the challenge will be for Obama, some of what is countering that.
There's an Associated Press report out that you have got this conservative group putting anti-Obama DVDs in newspaper across Ohio and Florida, another group now running ads in Pennsylvania about Obama's relationship with Jeremiah Wright.
We haven't heard a lot from these 527s, these independent groups, in this campaign cycle. They haven't been that influential. But do you think in this final week, we could see some of this stuff coming out? And could they have an impact?
ROLAND MARTIN, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Of course we're going to see that, because they're desperate. They have no other choice to do that.
What's interesting, now, in terms of it having a major effect, I don't necessarily think so, because you also see the Obama campaign, the dollars they're spending. Of course, this 30-minute message they have is going to on TV One, MSNBC, that's going to be on NBC, CBS and FOX as well.
So, you have that going on. But what's interesting is Republicans used to have an advantage when it came to early voting, but it was absentee voting. They did very well that way. So, what the Democrats have been doing, it goes beyond just this whole get-out- the-vote effort.
In Florida, they're using Dwyane Wade and Alonzo Mourning of the Miami Heat to walk the lines to encourage people, don't get discouraged by two-or-three-hour lines. I talked to Congressman Kendrick Meek last night. He talked about the efforts going on there.
What's also interesting with Obama's early voters, they're also saying vote early, and then go to the states where people are voting on Election Day and help out there as well.
So, it's a whole different strategy they're employing than simply just, hey, just simply vote for us. It's a very concerted effort, vote early in Chicago, go help campaign in Indiana and Wisconsin.
(CROSSTALK)
BROWN: Let me quickly get your take, Gloria and Kevin, on the message that we're hearing a lot toward here the end. You have got McCain casting himself as, in part, the candidate that can -- can check or keep in check a Democratic-controlled Congress.
A new CBS poll out found that 41 percent of voters prefer to have a president of a different party than the majority in Congress. How powerful a message can this be for McCain? Do you think that's something he should be playing up?
BORGER: Well, you know, Campbell, I think early on it would be a very smart message. He would say, they're a bunch of liberals. They're all going to vote together. I am bipartisan and I can work across the aisle.
But, coming at this moment, Campbell, I think it's a little too late. If you look deeper into those numbers, what you see is that there's a real partisan divide. The Democrats are just fine with a government that's controlled by one party. This might help some congressional candidates, some Republican candidates, but at this point...
BROWN: But not overall?
BORGER: At this point, not overall.
MARTIN: Of course, you never hear Republicans talking about them controlling the chambers and the White House for six years. They had the opportunity.
BORGER: They're not bragging about that.
(CROSSTALK)
BROWN: Kevin, quickly, go ahead.
MADDEN: Real quick, I don't think voters really -- when they go into the voting booth, they're not thinking about the levers of power.
They're much more worried about the anxieties they have on issues like the economy. So, I think that, if the McCain can do it in a way that crystallizes the economic argument, that Barack Obama and Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid are going to deliver taxes and more spending, that's a better argument.
BROWN: Right. All right, guys, stand with me, because -- or stay with me, because we're going to talk in a moment about some of the stuff that we have been hearing about going on inside the McCain campaign. So, stick around, rumors, as we have reported, of sniping between the running mates, even talk that Sarah Palin is already planning her own run for the White House in 2012.
And, later, you knew it had to happen. Joe the plumber hits the campaign trail. We are going to take you to his first news conference -- briefly, believe me.
And don't even think about not voting next Tuesday, not when these guys managed to vote. They did it. They're in our bulls eye tonight. We will explain.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BROWN: John McCain and Sarah Palin started the day on the same stage in Hershey, Pennsylvania. They were all smiles, despite the behind-the-scenes blame game that has burst into the open over the past few days, Palin aides bashing McCain aides, McCain aides bashing Palin herself, not what any campaign needs one week before the election.
Dana Bash, live in Quakertown, Pennsylvania, she has been working her sources on this all day for us.
And, Dana, you have been reporting on this tension between the McCain and Palin teams. Today, the candidates themselves, they were there together. McCain himself seemed to actually even hint at a little bit of drama. Let's listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MCCAIN: We're going to clean it up. We're going to fix it, and she's going to show them what reform is all about, the same way she did in the state of Alaska, my friends.
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
MCCAIN: By the way, when two mavericks join up, we don't agree on everything, but that's a lot of fun. And I'm telling -- I'm telling you...
(LAUGHTER)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BROWN: Dana, today they really made a point of showing a united front, right?
DANA BASH, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: That's right.
And I should say, in talking to sources on this, there was no evidence at least that John McCain actually knew about the drama going on between some of his aides and Sarah Palin. He clearly knows now. He likes to say he doesn't live in a bubble.
But, yes, there's no question, over the past 24, 48 hours, they have been trying to stick to script, to the same script, Campbell. For example, yesterday, when Sarah Palin's home state Senator Ted Stevens was convicted of corruption, she didn't initially say that he should resign. Today, McCain did, and then Sarah Palin followed and did the same thing.
So, you're going to see them all basically trying to stick together. It's going to be hard for them not to. We're told, actually, they're going to spend the final days campaigning a lot together -- Campbell.
BROWN: And, Dana, regardless, frankly, of what happens on Tuesday, many conservatives do see big things in Sarah Palin's future.
But they know, I think, and she knows that her image has taken a beating in this campaign. And she seems to be taking some very real steps to repair her reputation, sort of regardless of what it may mean to the campaign and what their strategy is.
BASH: That's right.
Tomorrow, she's actually going to give a big policy speech on energy. And I'm told by a Palin source tonight that she is going to give another policy speech by the end of the week. Now, it's very unusual for a candidate six, five, four days before an election to be giving these policy speeches.
But, look, Sarah Palin is somebody with regard to this campaign who is a drag on John McCain, because people don't think she has enough experience. So, she's trying to beef up her credentials, put more meat on her bones for this campaign, but there's no question for any future run that she has on the national stage, no question about that -- Campbell.
BROWN: All right, Dana Bash for us tonight -- Dana, as always, thanks.
No matter what happens on Election Day, as we said, one thing is for certain. Sarah Palin is not going anywhere in terms of the national scene. In fact, if you listen to some conservatives these days, it's like they're already printing the Palin 2012 bumper stickers.
So, what does that mean for the Republican Party?
Let's ask Gloria Borger, Kevin Madden, and Roland Martin once again.
Kevin, you heard Dana there, Sarah Palin giving not one, but two big policy speeches this week, traditionally, not something you do in the last week of the campaign. You pretty much go out there and try to fire up the crowds. What do you make of all this?
MADDEN: Well, I think, if you look at the topic that she's going to be giving a speech on, it's a very important one to deliver to a lot of voters.
The fact that energy is the reason that Sarah Palin was picked because she's an expert on it, having been the governor of an oil- producing state, and the fact that it helps -- it's important economic -- there's an important economic component to the issue of energy. So...
BROWN: So, Kevin, she sure waited a long time to do this.
(LAUGHTER)
MADDEN: Yes.
BROWN: Has she said to herself, finally, I want to be a player in this party for a long time; I need to show voters I'm a serious person, that I can deal with and talk about big issues?
MADDEN: Well, I think it's very important, because it goes to the heart of readiness. And that's been one of the criticisms of Sarah Palin, both from pundits and from Democrat opponents, that she hasn't been ready and she's not experienced.
When she can go out there and talk about an issue with a command, like energy, and it does address the issues that people are caring about, like the economy, and she can do so with a certain degree of expertise, then she can actually convince a lot of voters that she is the right pick for John McCain.
BORGER: Campbell, finally, they have found something that works both for her and for McCain. Talking about her wardrobe, as she did the last couple of days, was really off-message.
BROWN: Wasn't working for anybody.
(CROSSTALK)
BORGER: It was not working for her. It was not working for him.
This, finally, they seem to have found some peace for the next week in the McCain campaign. It works for both of them, because, of course, she wants to have a political life if she doesn't wind up in the vice president's house. This is self-preservation.
MARTIN: Campbell, I'm going to counter the conventional wisdom here.
I do not believe -- I was going to write this piece, frankly, next week. I do not believe that Sarah Palin is the future of the GOP. And here is why.
If Obama is able to win Tuesday, if you look at the losses they will probably rack up in the House and the Senate, this is a party that's going to face the same dilemma that Democrats faced in 1988, after Dukakis failed. The right has dominated the Republican Party for years.
The problem they have now, moderates are leaving in the droves. Independents are not being appealed to them. They are going to have to get away from the far-right candidates that they have relied on. They will have to -- they will change. I will not be surprised if you see moderates rise up in this party to say we have to take back in the sense of where we are, because we can't keep going forward the way we have been.
BROWN: Gloria, we are seeing this real divide in the Republican Party right now.
BORGER: Sure.
BROWN: You have kind of got the McCain wing on one side, the Palin wing, the Palin wing very angry right now. You have got prominent conservatives who are saying these McCain aides had mismanaged her and tarnished her reputation.
This division is going to play itself out for a long time to come. How bad is it?
BORGER: Well, it's pretty bad. It's so funny you say the McCain wing and the Palin wing, when they're on the same ticket. And McCain brought her on the ticket to try and unite the party, to bring the base over.
Now, I guess it worked for a few weeks. Look, there is a civil war going on with the Republican Party. It would have continued if John McCain became president. It will continue if he doesn't become president. And it will be between the wings of the party that Roland was just talking about. She's very popular with the conservatives in the party, but they're not enough to win a presidential race. And that's her problem and that's their problem.
BROWN: So, Kevin, who wins this Republican civil war?
MADDEN: Well, I don't think it's a civil war. But I do think that we -- as a party, we have to go through a robust rebuilding phase. And I think that has to be done by -- we look at how we built our party, on strong economic conservatism and strong national security credentials. And what we did was, we reached out to the conservative Democrats and like-minded independents to build a very big, a very important viable coalition. And that's what we have to get back to as a party.
MARTIN: But that's gone. It's not going to come back.
(CROSSTALK)
BORGER: Well, don't say never. Do not say never.
(CROSSTALK)
MARTIN: I will say it right here. Look for a Republican counterpart to the DLC.
BROWN: OK.
MARTIN: Watch it come to pass.
BROWN: We have got to end it right there.
BORGER: It already exists.
MARTIN: No, no, but not conservative, moderate.
BROWN: Gloria, Kevin, and Roland, as always, thanks, guys. You can continue it all later in the green room.
Imagine. There could be as many as three Supreme Court vacancies in the next four years. How much could whoever wins the White House tip the court to the left or to the right? And what does that mean for you? Our senior legal analyst, Jeffrey Toobin, is going to break it all down for us.
Also, McCain and Obama both have big plans for reforming health care. We're going to put both plans to our "No Bull Test." Our latest final exam this week on where the candidates stand. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BROWN: Tonight with only seven days left in the campaign, time for the final exams in our "No Bull Test." From now until Election Day, we're going to take the candidates' positions on the most important issues, give them one last going over. And here is Tom Foreman with the "No Bull" final exam for McCain and Obama's health care plans -- Tom.
TOM FOREMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Don't you just love those final exams, Campbell? Both candidates have laid out extensive plans for health care reform and exhaustive complaints about the other guy. Obama all over McCain today. Let's make that point one.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. BARACK OBAMA (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Senator McCain doesn't like to talk about this plan all that much. But this morning, we were offered a stunning bit of straight talk, an October surprise, from his top economic adviser who actually said that the health insurance people currently get from their employer is, and I quote, "Way better than the health care they'd be getting if John McCain were president."
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FOREMAN: That is misleading. That aide was talking about McCain's plan to give people a tax credit they can use to buy private insurance if that works better for them than insurance connected to a job. Nothing in McCain's plan says you can't keep your job-related insurance. Yes, under McCain those benefits will be taxed, but the tax credit is intended to offset that cost. So let's go to point two.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. BARACK OBAMA (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: It turns out Senator McCain would pay for part of his plan by making drastic cuts in Medicare. $882 billion worth. It would mean a cut of more than 20 percent in Medicare benefits next year.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FOREMAN: No. Misleading again. McCain, like Obama, says he wants to cut costs in Medicare but not benefits.
Point three.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. BARACK OBAMA (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: We estimate we can cut average family's premium by about $2,500 per year.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FOREMAN: And that's misleading, too. Obama believes he can find those savings by cutting waste. Experts at the Rand Corporation and others believe he is wrong. And even if he could, they say it might take 10 years. So, let's look at what McCain is saying.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. JOHN MCCAIN (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: If I'm elected president I won't fine small businesses and families with children as Senator Obama proposes, to force them into a huge government-run health care plan, while I keep the cost of the fine a secret until I hit you with it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FOREMAN: Misleading. Obama has said repeatedly if you have employer-provided health insurance, you can keep it. And while he does want to mandate coverage for children, the campaign has no plan to fine parents who don't comply.
Point two.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. JOHN MCCAIN (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: -- to giving every American a $5,000 refundable tax credit and go out and get the health insurance you want rather than mandates and fines for small businesses as Senator Obama's plan calls for.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FOREMAN: This is false. McCain's tax credit is $5,000 for every family. An individual would get half as much, and Obama does not want to fine small businesses that do not offer insurance. He wants to give them incentives to do so. He plans to tax big businesses if they don't insure their workers.
Point three.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. JOHN MCCAIN (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I think it's a responsibility in this respect and that we should have a favorable and affordable health care to every American citizen, to every family member. And with the plan that I have, that will do that.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FOREMAN: Incomplete. How are you going to do it? A Blue Ribbon Panel at "Health Affairs Journal" found profound holes in both candidates' plans, lots of details missing, suggesting McCain may leave fewer people covered and Obama may not be able to pay for all he is proposing.
So here's the ticket. You've got to read their Web sites, listen to their promises. But like it says on medicine bottles, watch out for unexpected side effects -- Campbell.
BROWN: Well, Tom, it doesn't sound like either of them did very well on that final exam.
We'll see how they -- we'll see how they do tomorrow night. Tom Foreman will be doing this for us every night. Appreciate it, Tom.
Coming up, the latest member of our "No Bias, No Bull Rogues Gallery" seems to have trouble making up his mind. Remember the song "Should I Stay or Should I Go" and remember this tape?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. LARRY CRAIG (R), IDAHO: It is my intent to resign from the Senate --
Circumstances changed. I went back to see if I could work for Idaho for the next 14 months. (END VIDEO CLIP)
BROWN: Senator Larry Craig. We're going to remind you why he belongs on our wall of shame.
We have also got a "Bull's-Eye" tonight all the way from outer space. If the astronauts on the Space Shuttle can do it, shouldn't you?
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BROWN: Time for tonight's "Bull's-Eye." Our salute for doing the right thing in the right way at the right time. Well, now, this "Bull's-Eye" does not mean we endorse voting while high. It just means that these guys had no choice apparently.
Commander Edward Fink and flight engineer Gregory Chamitoff voted today aboard the International Space Station. They needed special permission from the Texas State legislature. Listen to what the astronauts said today. NASA added the music and the graphics.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
EDWARD FINK, ASTRONAUT: Voting is the most important statement Americans can make in fulfilling a cherished right to select its leaders. So this Election Day, take time to go to the polls and vote. If we can do it, so can you.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BROWN: Astronauts Fink and Chamitoff hitting the "Bull's-Eye" tonight. Yes, if they can vote from outer space, you can certainly do it down here on earth. Important. A lot easier for you to get to the polls than it was for them to negotiate with the Texas legislature.
One of the most important issues of the year hardly ever mentioned in the stump speeches, the next president may appoint as many as three new justices to the Supreme Court. But only one presidential candidate stands to make the biggest impact on the court. Stay there. You may actually be surprise at who and why.
And then later, the most famous plumber in the country has something to tell us. Take it away, Joe.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOE WURZELBACHER, "JOE THE PLUMBER": I don't really have a lot to say. Well, actually I do, but sometimes I get real passionate it might come out a real derogatory and I know that's not what I want.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BROWN: Now the very high stakes of the highest court. The next president could have historic impact over the Supreme Court because he may select as many as two or three new justices over the next four years and they could shape vital issues of religion, abortion, privacy rights and education. So how much could McCain or Obama tip the court to the right or the left?
Who better to ask than our senior legal analyst Jeffrey Toobin. He is the author of the best selling book "The Nine: Inside the Secret World of the Supreme Court."
Jeff, tell us, it actually turns out, you say, that one of these candidates would be a lot more influential over the court than the other and it may not be who you think.
JEFFREY TOOBIN, CNN SENIOR LEGAL ANALYST: It may not be. Indeed, this is really the issue in this campaign that has not been discussed as much as it should be because the stakes are enormous. Currently the Supreme Court is as evenly divided as it's been almost in its entire history.
There are four conservative justices: the new chief justice, John Roberts, Clarence Thomas, Antonin Scalia and Samuel Alito. There are four pretty liberal justices: Stevens, Ginsburg, Souter and Breyer. But the real opportunity here is John McCain because of the age of the justices.
Well, you have -- the three of the four liberals on the court are pretty darn old. You've got John Paul Stevens who is 88, Ruth Ginsburg is 75, and David Souter is 69, not that old, but he is interested in returning home to New Hampshire. So McCain could name three justices which would dramatically tip the balance towards the conservatives.
BROWN: Talk us through the issues, Jeff. If the change in power, the change were that dramatic, what would that mean for big issues like abortion, religion?
TOOBIN: Abortion, of course, is always the biggest issue on the Supreme Court's agenda. And at the moment, there is a tenuous 5-4 majority for preserving Roe versus Wade. You've got five justices, Kennedy, Ginsburg, Stevens, Souter and Breyer in favor of Roe, but as I said, three of those may leave in the next -- in the next couple of years.
Next big issue is detainee rights. All those big Guantanamo cases. Those cases, again, the same five justices have been against the Bush administration, but they may be leaving.
The final big issue is affirmative action. Affirmative action at the moment there is a 5-4 majority against most forms of affirmative action. So even if Obama wins, the justices he's likely to replace won't matter much because those five justices are likely to stay on through at least Obama's first term in court.
BROWN: And what do we -- what can we tell? I mean, we know about Obama who is the first black president of the Harvard Law Review, a constitutional law teacher. If the polls hold, if he does, in fact, become president, what does that tell you? Does that tell you anything about his views on the constitution?
Well, he surprisingly hasn't said that much about his views on the constitution during this campaign. But what he has said is he is likely to pick justices like Ginsburg, like Breyer, Bill Clinton's two appointments to the Supreme Court. So I think it is likely to be a status quo situation if Obama wins. But if McCain wins, very different.
BROWN: Jeff Toobin for us tonight.
TOOBIN: OK.
BROWN: Important stuff, Jeff. Thanks. We'll see you again tomorrow night.
TOOBIN: Very good.
BROWN: Coming up next, he was unwittingly thrust into national politics. But apparently, he's pretty comfortable with his new role.
We are talking about Joe the plumber, of course. And for the next week he will also be out there on the campaign trail. In a moment, we're going to take you to his first political news conference.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BROWN: Remember when Samuel Joseph Wurzelbacher of Ohio was just another concerned voter? Well, that was before he became Joe the plumber. He was the talk of the last presidential debate, of course, and then the talk of the town around the country.
Well, today in Dayton, Ohio, Joe the plumber called a news conference to endorse the man who plucked him from obscurity, John the senator.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOE WURZELBACHER, JOE THE PLUMBER, MCCAIN SUPPORTER: Yes, they're for military members. They support them. They're going to make sure that we come home in honor. The other side there's talk about cutting spending, and that's downright scary. My choice in this is McCain and Palin, a vote for real Americans.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BROWN: By the way, this was the first stop on a Joe the plumber campaign bus tour. Seriously.
Still ahead, the latest lawmaker to join our dishonor role, the "No Bias, No Bull Rogues Gallery." First, though, Randi Kaye with me for tonight's "Briefing" -- Randi.
RANDI KAYE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Lots of news tonight, Campbell. The Chicago medical examiner says Jennifer Hudson's 7-year-old nephew died from multiple gunshot wounds. His body was found in a stolen SUV yesterday. The Oscar winner's mother and brother were found murdered in their Chicago home on Friday. Hudson's brother-in-law is in custody but has not been charged. This just in to CNN. We have learned that Governor Sarah Palin will leave the campaign trail next Monday night to return to her hometown of Wasilla, Alaska, where she used to be mayor to vote on Election Day. She will then fly back to the lower 48 states to spend election night with John McCain in Phoenix, Arizona.
What a dramatic final hour of trading on Wall Street today. The Dow Jones industrial closed up 889 points, nearly 11 percent. It rocketed skywards in the last minutes of trading. It was the Dow's second biggest one-day point gain ever.
The northeast's first snowstorm of the season caused whiteout conditions. Take a look. Up to 13 inches of snow fell in eastern Pennsylvania. New Jersey, New York and New England were also hit. Some highways and schools, of course, had to be closed.
And someone near and dear to us made a very big personal announcement on "The Daily Show" last night.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, "THE DAILY SHOW WITH JON STEWART")
CAMPBELL BROWN, CNN ANCHOR: I'm pregnant.
JON STEWART, HOST, "THE DAILY SHOW WITH JON STEWART": Yes. All right.
BROWN: We just -- we just came out of the closet. So I'm happy to share them with you.
STEWART: And very excited. This is --
BROWN: Number two. Yes.
STEWART: The second one is so much easier.
BROWN: It is?
STEWART: You so don't have to even worry about it.
BROWN: Really?
STEWART: Leave them outside.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAYE: You're so casual about it. I'm pregnant. OK, let's move on.
BROWN: I have to apologize to viewers. I didn't say anything on the show last night because, you know, we do a lot of news on the show.
KAYE: Right.
BROWN: We have a lot of campaign news and that's why people watch. And I don't want to interrupt and be like, oh, by the way, I have something I want to tell you, I'm pregnant. But anyway --
KAYE: It's very personal, though. Viewers care.
BROWN: Well, and so just bear with me as I expand to the size of this desk in the coming --
KAYE: We'll just get a bigger desk for you.
BROWN: Yes, we'll get a bigger desk. Exactly, Randi.
KAYE: Congratulations.
BROWN: Thank you very much. Thanks. I appreciate it.
Coming up, the latest member of our "Rogues Gallery." Here is a hint. Remember this?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VOICE OF SEN. LARRY CRAIG: Did we bump? Ah, you said so. I don't recall that, but apparently we were close.
POLICE: Well your foot did touch mine, on my side of the stall.
CRAIG: All right.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BROWN: No more stalling. See who has made it into our hall of infamy tonight.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LARRY KING, HOST, "LARRY KING LIVE": Hey, I'm Larry King. Seven days to go. The candidates are running ragged to win votes in this all-or-nothing contest. We'll take you live to Sarah Palin's rally tonight and Barack Obama's too.
Plus, John McCain admitted today to have some problems with Ms. Palin. What's that all about? Stick around.
And three former press secretaries in the White House will be with us.
"LARRY KING LIVE" is next. And the ever-expanding Campbell Brown will be back after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BROWN: Time to add a new member to our "No Bias, No Bull Rogues Gallery." Senator Larry Craig. You, of course, remember Larry Craig. He was caught in the men's room sex sting. He pleaded guilty, said he would resign. Then he changed his mind.
Joe Johns has the whole story for us -- Joe.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JOE JOHNS, CNN SENIOR CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Remember the tape from June of last year? Senator Larry Craig explaining to an undercover cop what he was doing in the men's room at the Minneapolis Airport.
POLICE AUDIO, VOICE OF SEN. LARRY CRAIG: Your foot came toward mine, mine came towards yours. Was that natural? I don't know. Did we bump? Yes, I think we did.
JOHNS: Shortly after that explanation, Craig signed a form and mailed it to the court. He pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor. Basically he admitted to tapping his foot in a bathroom stall and signaling to solicit gay sex from an undercover cop. Now, though, Craig says the guy who arrested him got it all wrong.
SEN. LARRY CRAIG (R), IDAHO: I am not gay. I never have been gay.
JOHNS: The entire story, of course, was red meat for some of the great comedians of our time including Jon Stewart and, of course, Jay Leno.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, "THE TONIGHT SHOW WITH JAY LENO")
JAY LENO, HOST, "THE TONIGHT SHOW WITH JAY LENO": We have a clip of the press conference. Show the press conference today.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you all very much for coming out today.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
JOHNS: And yet Craig is a candidate for our "No Bias, No Bull Rogues Gallery," not because of the incident, but because of what happened after he pleaded guilty. You'll recall at the outset Craig said he would resign.
CRAIG: Therefore, it is with sadness and deep regret that I announce that it is my intent to resign from the Senate.
JOHNS: Then later he told the voters never mind.
CRAIG: Circumstances changed. I went back to see if I could work for Idaho for the next 14 months and be successful in doing that. I made the determination that I could.
JOHNS: So after pleading guilty, Craig then said he's innocent and that he could still be an effective senator. And it's true he's been impressively effective.
First, he survived a showdown with the Senate Ethics Committee, though he did get whacked with an extremely rare public letter of admonition for improper conduct. Next, and this almost slipped under the radar, Craig paid nearly a quarter million dollars in legal fees with his campaign fund. Yes, it's legal. After all, he's not running so he didn't need them. With that out of the way, Craig then got millions and millions of dollars in earmarks for Idaho. And the original guilty plea notwithstanding, Craig still says he is innocent, that he was coerced into his plea. He's now awaiting a Minnesota appeals court ruling.
The story is still incredible. And that's why Senator Larry Craig is our latest inductee into our "No Bias, No Bull Rogues Gallery."
(END VIDEOTAPE)
JOHNS: Senator Craig was traveling this week, but his office did not rule out the possibility of an interview sometime down the road. A ruling on his appeal is likely to come before the end of the year -- Campbell.
BROWN: Joe Johns for us tonight. Joe, as always, appreciate it.
So, let's make it official. The latest member as Joe said of the "No Bias, No Bull Rogues Gallery," that wall is filling up, Senator Larry Craig.
And that does it for us tonight. Have a great night everybody. I'll see you right back here tomorrow.
"LARRY KING LIVE" starts right now.
