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Glenn Beck

Will Obama-Clinton Word War Affect Polls?; Breaking Down Candidates` Tax Plans; Sheriff Under Fire from Phoenix Mayor

Aired April 15, 2008 - 19:00   ET

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

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MICHAEL SMERCONISH, HOST (voice-over): Tonight, Barack and Hillary continue to slug it out for the Keystone State.

SEN. HILLARY CLINTON (D-NY), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Shame on you, Barack Obama.

SEN. BARACK OBAMA (D-IL), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Shame on her. She knows better.

SMERCONISH: Will the mud-slinging continue, as well?

Plus, the pope comes to America, but has his outspoken nature made him a target for radical Islamists?

And what about that rumors that Al Gore and Jimmy Carter are about to have an intervention with Hillary?

All this and more tonight.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SMERCONISH: Hello, America. I`m Michael Smerconish from Philadelphia, sitting in for Glenn Beck this week.

The Pennsylvania primary`s exactly one week away, and as a Pennsylvanian myself, I`m eager to watch it play out. Senator Obama`s recent comments about small-town America being bitter and folks clinging to their faith and their guns, appears to be the dominant issue right now in the Keystone State. Or is it?

There are different schools of thought on this. One group believes these are comments an awfully big deal that will cause harm to Obama`s campaign. However, another school of thought, so far supported by some polling evidence that the argument has no legs and, actually, nobody cares.

I know one person who cares. That would be Senator Hillary Clinton, who has used this opportunity to run a negative campaign commercial against the Illinois Senator.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CLINTON: I`m Hillary Clinton, and I approve this message.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Barack Obama said that people in small towns "cling to guns or religion as a way to explain their frustrations."

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I was very insulted by Barack Obama.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It shows how out of touch Barack Obama is.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I`m not clinging to my faith out of frustration and bitterness. I find that my faith is very uplifting.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The good people of Pennsylvania deserve a lot better than what Barack Obama said.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hillary does understand the citizens of Pennsylvania better.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hillary Clinton has been fighting for people like us her whole life.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SMERCONISH: Joining me now is Terry Madonna, director of the Center for Politics and Public Affairs at Franklin and Marshall College, also the director of the Franklin and Marshall College Poll. Folks, nobody knows Pennsylvania politics than Terry Madonna.

Terry, is this going to put a dent in his armor or not?

TERRY MADONNA, FRANKLIN AND MARSHALL COLLEGE: Well, Michael, the candidate, to be candid, we don`t know yet. Most of the polls that have been released today and tomorrow, we were in the field, it`s just not settled into the voter level. We`re going to have to wait a couple of more days to find out.

It`s obvious to me that Senator Clinton believes this is going to work, because she`s using that commercial very heavily. On the other hand, it just could reinforce the views of the voters she already has. She`s going to win small-town Pennsylvania. She`s going to win the Catholic voters. She`s going to win the voters who are union members, who have, you know, union backgrounds. She`s going to win voters who are more conservative -- conservative Democrats. I think we need to get to about Friday to find out.

But this is pretty important. Because the Obama surge from 15 to 17 points, Michael, to 6, 7, 8 or 9 has been stopped for the moment. Last week the polls had him 6, 7, 8. This week, 6, 7, 8.

SMERCONISH: Terry, I`m looking. And this is, I guess, what you`re referring to. Here`s Gallup that says nationwide, he`s hanging tough, still up 10. Quinnipiac says that she`s up six in the commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

MADONNA: Right.

SMERCONISH: Then there`s this ARG poll that says that he`s now down 20. But I saw the "Wall Street Journal" poke some holes into where they`ve been in the past.

And what you`re telling me is, hey who knows is the bottom line.

MADONNA: Well, I don`t know. I think we do know. I mean, I think that not arguably, Senator Clinton was up three weeks ago in Pennsylvania by 15 to 17 points.

Then two weeks ago, as you know, because you`ve talked about this, he started to run these commercials, 3 to 1 in terms of their volume. Then, he spent a lot more money campaigning throughout the state. He did a six- day tour that was very successful. And, not arguably, ate into that lead. It`s probably somewhere between 5 and 10. But he has cut into the lead.

SMERCONISH: I think you make a great point. Dr. Madonna, what I hear you saying is this, that minds not -- minds, perhaps, are not being changed on the so-called bitter comment. But it is solidifying her base, maybe, and driving out her vote.

MADONNA: Exactly right.

SMERCONISH: In other words, there`s not a person out there. There`s not a prototypical voter out there in Pennsylvania, who says, "Well, I was going to vote for Barack Obama. But what the hell? Now I`m going for Hillary Clinton." But instead, this is going to drive out the Clinton base.

MADONNA: That might be. And remember, ultimately, what we`ll have in Pennsylvania is kind of an east-west configuration. We`ll have these various demographics that everybody`s been talking about, ad nauseum.

And I think, Michael, at the end of day, we need to look at the turnout. In the southeast, Philadelphia, and the ring counties around it, he will do well. In the western part of the state, this is going to be a turnout battle the likes of which we`ve not seen in years.

But we will -- we will know by Thursday or Friday of this week, whether the San Francisco comments that Obama made have hurt him and with what voter groups.

SMERCONISH: And Dr. Madonna, a quick final point, an equally important audience, not Pennsylvania voters but the super delegates, who are all watching from the outside.

MADONNA: There was no doubt about it. And if Barack Obama gets 2, 3, 4, within that range, I think a lot of super delegates, what, the 254 or so that are left, will really have to look at this.

Here`s the point: this campaign in Pennsylvania has taken a divisive turn far more than we`ve seen in the previous...

SMERCONISH: And they`re going to want to -- and they`re going to want to wrap it up. I`ve got to wrap it up myself.

MADONNA: You got it.

SMERCONISH: But they`re going to want to wrap it up. All right, Dr. Terry Madonna, many, many thanks.

MADONNA: Well, it`s certainly not a foregone conclusion that Senator Clinton will win Pennsylvania. And with Senator Obama`s commanding lead in the next primary state of North Carolina, Senator Clinton`s chances of winning the Democrat nomination appear to be narrowing.

So is Senator Clinton going all-out to win in Pennsylvania? Would it even matter? Peter Fenn is a Democratic strategist and former advisor to Vice President Gore. Jim VandeHei is the executive editor for the Politico.

Jim, let me start with you. You had something at the Politico that really caught my eye. What Clinton wishes she could say. Is he muzzled out on the campaign trail? And if so, why?

JIM VANDEHEI, EXECUTIVE EDITOR, THE POLITICO: Everybody that we talk to that`s talking to the Clintons all the time says she`s been frustrated and has been frustrated for some time. She can`t say what she really wants to say and that is that she feels he`s really not electable in a general election.

This was even before. This predates the whole "bitter" controversy. She was saying, look it, if you look at the numbers, he has big problems with Hispanics, with Jewish voters, with working-class whites.

And she says that, "Listen, Republicans are going to be much more ruthless in using the Reverend Wright comments and other associations."

SMERCONISH: So what`s she afraid of? Is she afraid of being called a racist? Because what`s replaying in my mind is -- you`re saying this -- is within President Clinton stood up, and he regarded the Obama campaign, or at least the position vis-a-vis Iraq, as a fairy tale.

And I remember, you know, Donna Brazile and others immediately saying that they were taking umbrage as African-Americans. I mean, people are saying this is a dirty race. I think it`s a muzzled race on both sides.

VANDEHEI: Mike, I totally agree with you. I don`t think this has been a dirty race at all, and I think what frustrates her, she feels like the Democratic Party is pretty wimpy. They won`t tolerate any negative or sharp attacks or even contrasts, because people will cry either racism or they`ll say it`s dirty politics or it`s not a new kind of politics.

So she has to be very careful, because she understands that there is a backlash whenever she goes on the attack. So she can`t be the one to actually voice it. You pointed out the fairy-tale comment. Great illustration. To most people, OK, maybe it`s insulting, maybe it`s not insulting, but it`s certainly not the type of dirty politics that we`ve seen so many times in campaigns before.

SMERCONISH: Peter Fenn, is he a Teflon candidate? Is he the incarnation of Ronald Reagan now in the Democratic Party?

PETER FENN, DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST: No, I don`t think he`s Teflon. I don`t think anybody`s Teflon out there these days.

I think the crucial point here is -- you`re both raising it, which is that the winnability argument is what is going to sway those super delegates. If they have a sense that there`s a candidate out there that can`t win in November, boy they`re going to move.

And it`s Hillary`s job right now, because she is behind, because you know, there`s been 150 laps in the Indianapolis 500, and she`s still a couple of laps behind, she has to change the basic dynamics of this race. And she`s got to show, basically, that Barack Obama`s going to blow an engine.

SMERCONISH: Peter, is there anybody who can step in from your party, anyone who has the stature, who can bring this thing to a close? Or is that a pipe dream?

FENN: Look, I think you`ve got a trifecta. You`ve got -- you`ve got Al Gore, and you`ve got Jimmy Carter, who`s -- who carries weight out there. And you`ve got John Edwards. I think if the three of them came together and sat down and said, "Look, it`s over. We`ve got to move. We`ve got to unite this party. We`ve got to get going," that would have a huge impact on the race. I`m not saying they`re going to do it.

SMERCONISH: But Jim VandeHei -- but Jim VandeHei, how does somebody do that?

VANDEHEI: I`d throw Pelosi and Reid into that. I would throw Pelosi and Reid into that mix, as well. The congressional leadership...

SMERCONISH: If this goes -- man, if this goes the way that they forecast it will -- and I should tell you that before the "bitter" comment, I was predicting in Philadelphia that Obama would carry my state. Now I`m not so sure.

Let`s say that she ekes out a victory, and it`s somewhere in the three- to five-point range, but it`s a victory nonetheless, how can someone go -- go to her in the aftermath of winning the state and saying now it`s time to get out.

Jim, what`s your thought?

VANDEHEI: I don`t think it will happen right after Pennsylvania. I think it won`t happen until probably after Indiana. If she`s able to win Indiana, it probably won`t happen until at least June and maybe beyond that.

I mean, like you said, if she wins Pennsylvania, people say, wow, you know, you`re less electable today than you were before you won Pennsylvania. That`s an absurd argument. And that`s why, I think, that people will hold off at that point.

But if you go into North Carolina, which has a huge African-American population, presumably, Barack Obama will do tremendously well there. If he wins big there, everybody`s going to be looking at Indiana.

SMERCONISH: Hey, Peter -- Peter, this is not a guy who`s going to get swift-boated. I mean, you know, you strike out at Barack Obama, man, you`re getting it right back, tenfold.

FENN: Listen, I tell you, he knows how to throw the elbows on the basketball court. He also knows how to throw them out there on the political court.

But you know, you guys are absolutely right on this. I mean, how do you tell somebody who keeps winning that they should get out? Not going to happen. But you know, in order for this thing to go Hillary`s way, the basic dynamics of this race do have to change.

SMERCONISH: Jim VandeHei and Peter Fenn, quick final question for each of you: yes or no, does John McCain benefit from that which is going on the Democratic side of the aisle right now?

VANDEHEI: Absolutely yes. Nobody`s paying attention to any gaffes that he has, and he`s able to rebuild his organization, which he desperately needs to rebuild.

FENN: And I totally agree. I wrote a piece for Jim`s paper, the Politico, last week, where I said, "Come on, Democrats, let`s focus on John McCain."

SMERCONISH: I disagree. I disagree with both of you. I think out of sight, out of mind. And I think that, in the end, the D`s can patch it up and keep everybody under the same umbrella and that McCain needs to be more engaged in this battle than he is right now.

VANDEHEI: We`re right, you`re wrong.

FENN: I hope so.

SMERCONISH: Hey, put it on the Politico.

Thank you, men. I really appreciate it.

FENN: Thanks, Michael.

SMERCONISH: Coming up, how will the new president affect your tax returns next year? We`ll examine each candidate and their individual tax plans.

Plus, Pope Benedict XVI`s six-day, two-city trip to America. What`s on the pontiff`s itinerary? And what influence could it have on the election?

And just a reminder, tonight`s show brought to you by the Sleep Number bed. Sleep Number, it`s the bed that counts.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SMERCONISH: Coming up, next week`s primary in Pennsylvania could finally determine the Democratic Party`s nominee for president, and it`s about time. But why is my hometown state so pivotal in the race for the White House? Find out in tonight`s Pennsylvania Political Facebook. That`s coming up in just a bit.

But first, it`s tax day, America. And to be blunt, it`s awful. There is some good news, however. Tax day promotions. At Dunkin Donuts, you can get a free doughnut with your coffee. At Staples, they`ll copy your tax forms for free, but you better hurry on that one. And to ease the post-tax burden, if you bring your burrito receipts to Chipotle Mexican Grill tomorrow, you get a free one. You feel better now? Good. Because here comes the bad news.

No matter who takes control of the White House this November, free burritos aren`t even going to come close to alleviating next year`s tax pain. Grover Norquist is president of Americans for Tax Reform and author of "Leave Us Alone: Getting the Government`s Hands off Our Money, Our Guns, Our Lives," and he joins me now to review the candidates.

Hey, Grover, little difference among the D`s relative to tax proposals. Is that accurate?

GROVER NORQUIST, PRESIDENT, AMERICANS FOR TAX REFORM: Yes. There`s not a dime`s worth of difference between the Democrats, but to paraphrase George Wallace, there`s a great -- about $2 trillion worth of difference between the two Democrats and the Republican, John McCain.

SMERCONISH: All right. Am I reading from my right-wing talking points, or is it accurate to simply say that they`re going to raise your taxes and John McCain is going to cut them?

NORQUIST: Well, John McCain has called for continuing the 2001 and 2003 tax reductions, which means your child is a $1,000-tax credit. Not what the Democrats want to do, is drop them $500 to $500 tax credit.

The tax rates if the Democrats get in and undo or allow to lapse the Bush tax cuts, the rates go -- the bottom rate goes from 10 percent up to 15 percent, a 50 percent increase. The top rate goes from 35 up to almost 40 percent. It`s a rather significant change.

SMERCONISH: Is it a pipe dream, still, to think that someday we`ll have a one piece of paper filing, and it will involve a flat tax?

NORQUIST: No. It`s just going to take a while. It will probably take several elections. It`s going to take 60 senators that really want to do it, because you`re going to have to break a filibuster. And it certainly takes the president and the House together. We don`t have -- we have a president who would sign that bill but neither a House or Senate right now.

SMERCONISH: Is John McCain the best hope for those who would like to see our filings reduced to a single page and encompass a flat tax?

NORQUIST: Today, John McCain outlined an entire tax set of proposals that all move in that direction. He even endorsed the idea that Congressman Ryan of Wisconsin has put forth of an alternative flat tax, that says if you don`t like the present system, here`s a system -- I think it`s a 25 percent flat rate tax, which would be a tremendous improvement.

SMERCONISH: When did you start feeling the love for John McCain? Because I recall seeing it in print somewhere -- maybe it`s an Internet creation -- that you referred to him in derogatory terms, vis-a-vis his tax plans.

NORQUIST: Look, this was back in 2001, 2003 when unfortunately, Senator McCain voted against both of those very significant tax cuts. My sense is that he was because he was fighting with Bush.

Today he`s not fighting with Bush. And he has recognized and stated that those tax cuts are what turned the economy around, that they`re necessary to keep the economy growing and that he wants them to continue.

He`s gone beyond that, to calling for full expensing for business investment, taking the corporate rate from 35 percent down to 25 percent, which is the European average. We ought not to be dumber than the European average on our tax policy.

So McCain has put together a very positive, pro-growth tax agenda.

SMERCONISH: Hey, Grover, speaking of politics, it was reported a week ago that Secretary Rice came and addressed a group that you`re the chairman of or titular head of. And many people drew an implication from her appearance that perhaps he wants to be considered vice presidential timbre. What`s the deal?

NORQUIST: She came and spoke to our Wednesday meeting. We put together 120 or so center-right activists ever week for an hour and a half to go through maybe 30 different issues.

For the first time, the secretary of state, Condoleezza Rice, came. We`ve had representatives from the State Department come regularly to let us know what`s happening on foreign policy. But Condoleezza Rice came, spoke, was brilliant, articulate, explained what the Bush administration is doing, trying to do, hopes to do on foreign policy.

And people left with two thoughts: they wished Bush could articulate his foreign policy that well and thought that she was quite bright. And second, that that is a woman -- she is a woman who could be president. What`s led to a lot of speculation.

SMERCONISH: Did you -- did you interpret her willingness to come before your group, in the waning months of the Bush administration, as a sign that she`d like to be considered as vice president?

NORQUIST: You know, she didn`t tell me why she came. She just told me she wanted to come to present the -- Bush`s foreign policy stuff. She accomplished two things, though. She gave us a good sales pitch on Bush`s foreign policy, and she did a good advertisement for herself. What she had in mind, you`d have to ask her.

SMERCONISH: Grover, good luck with your book and thank you for being here.

NORQUIST: Thank you.

SMERCONISH: Coming up, things are heating up in Phoenix. Sheriff Joe Arpaio, a key figure in the battle to keep our borders safe, has come under attack from that city`s mayor. The sheriff will join me next.

Plus, Pope Benedict comes to America, and we`ve got his planned itinerary. He`ll swing by the White House, the U.N., and Yankee Stadium? I`ll explain what that`s all about in just a bit.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SMERCONISH: The border crisis is heating up in Phoenix and in ways that you might find surprising.

On April 4, Phoenix mayor Phil Gordon wrote a letter to the U.S. attorney general and asked him and the FBI to investigate the actions of Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio. The letter cites the sheriff department`s recent patrols and sweeps between predominantly Hispanic neighborhoods, which have led to 73 arrests of illegal immigrants.

That may sound like it`s working, but Mayor Gordon calls Sheriff Arpaio`s actions, pattern and practice of conduct that includes discriminatory harassment, improper stops, searches and arrests.

Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio joins me now.

Hey, Sheriff, are you profiling?

SHERIFF JOE ARPAIO, MARICOPA COUNTY: No, we`re not profiling. We`ve been trained, 160 of my officers, by ICE. By the way, that April 4, that`s when ICE was here with their top officials. And they saw our operation. They liked it at the same time.

SMERCONISH: You mean the feds, right?

ARPAIO: Yes. And the minute they hit the headlines supporting me, he writes a letter, which is garbage. I was a high federal law enforcement official in the Justice Department. I never seen a letter of this type where all his complaints were from the media. He didn`t have the facts. He just wants to camouflage his pro-immigration philosophy by trying to get to people to go after me, like I`m under federal investigation.

SMERCONISH: Sheriff, one part of the letter, and you`re right, sir, in so far as it relies on the media. "The Arizona Republic" says, quote, "By my math, that means Latinos represented 100 percent of his stops." Do Latinos account for 100 percent of the stops that you`re making, automobile stops?

ARPAIO: We -- of course not. We have all ethnic backgrounds when we arrest.

SMERCONISH: so where`s he getting that?

ARPAIO: I don`t know. He gets it from the sky. He has -- all that is all garbage, when you`re reading that report that you sent to Washington. It`s all garbage, including I don`t go after 70,000 warrants. They`re his warrants. Not mine. I can go on and on.

So you know what? I`m going to keep doing my job. I will be back in Phoenix. I will enforce the illegal immigration laws. We`re the only ones doing it. We`re the only ones doing the state law, which is the human smuggling. And we blocked 900 already. I`m going to continue to fight this battle.

SMERCONISH: If two cars are going down the road and each has a burned-out tail light, one driven by a Hispanic and you know that, and one driven by a white guy, what I`m getting from you is you`re pulling them both over?

ARPAIO: Of course. We -- I`m an equal opportunity guy. We like everybody. And that racial profiling is garbage. He knows it. He doesn`t want me to enforce the illegal immigration laws. No one else is doing it. His police department can`t do it. They can`t ask. They can`t do nothing. So all the businessmen have come to me, and legislators, and said, "Please, sheriff, come on into Phoenix and enforce the law." And that`s what I`m doing.

SMERCONISH: What do you think the feds are going to do in response to the letter from the mayor?

ARPAIO: Well, I`m not worried about it. When you read that letter, it doesn`t even make sense. You think he`d get some facts. But I`m not concerned about it.

SMERCONISH: The part I don`t understand, Sheriff -- I only have a minute left -- is why, if Washington can`t figure out what to do with the 10 to 12 million who are here illegally, why don`t they at least seal the board and then sort it out?

ARPAIO: That`s an issue. But right now, I`m concerned about enforcing the laws in Maricopa County. That`s what I took an oath of office for. That`s what I`m doing. I`m not going to wait for the feds. I`m enforcing the illegal immigration laws and the crime laws right here in Maricopa County.

SMERCONISH: All right. Sheriff Arpaio, we thank you. Appreciate your being here tonight, sir.

Up next, get ready for tomorrow night`s Democrat debate with a who`s who in Pennsylvania politics. Stick around.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SMERCONISH: Coming up as the pope comes to America, we`ll take a closer look at what his visit really means to us and the rest of the world. But first, tomorrow night the Democratic presidential candidates will be in my home town of Philadelphia for their final debate in Pennsylvania primary. We thought that was reason enough to create our own guide for political junkies across the country. We`re calling this the Pennsylvania face book for politics. Some things you may not know about some of these individuals.

Take Governor Ed Rendell he was first a district attorney. His office got a murder conviction and death sentence in the Mumia Abu Jamal cop killer case. Rendell supports Senator Clinton.

Then there`s Governor Tom Ridge -- former Governor Tom Ridge, he`s the state chair and long-time friend for Senator John McCain. Ridge is a Harvard educated Vietnam Vet, elected governor after airing a brilliant TV commercial. I remember this, showed the house where he grew up on a cold day, the screen door opens and his mother pokes her head outside and says Tom, you forgot your hat. People loved it.

Pittsburgh Mayor Luke Ravenstahl is a Steelers fan, also a Clinton supporter. Check this out. Ravenstahl became the mayor of Pittsburgh when he was just 26 years old.

Congressman Patrick Murphy, he hails from the all important Philadelphia suburbs, he is only member of Congress that served in Iraq. He is the state co-chair for Senator Barack Obama.

Then there is Congressman John Murtha, arguably the biggest critic of the Bush administration`s Iraq policy and a Hillary Clinton supporter. Murtha also represents a battleground area of the state in western Pennsylvania.

And last but not least, Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter. Mayor Nutter just came into office, is getting a lot of good national press. He is an Ivy League educated policy wonk who has endorsed Senator Hillary Clinton.

By the way, a huge fan of the hit HBO show "The Wire." Here he is, to give us the breakdown on Pennsylvania politics, his honor, Mayor Nutter. And by the way, mayor, congratulations. Am I right that today`s your 100th day in office?

MAYOR MICHAEL NUTTER, CLINTON SUPPORTER: It is.

NUTTER: It is, thank you.

SMERCONISH: All good things so far. Even survived Colbert last night.

NUTTER: Yeah, one of the tougher moments of the past 100 days. Going head to head with Stephen Colbert.

SMERCONISH: Respectfully, do you matter in that race because we just set forth all of the endorsements. Congressman Brady said to me the city Democratic chairman, the mission on election day for the ward leaders has opened the polls, get out of the way because people know what they want to do.

NUTTER: Generally, voters coming out for the presidential race, sometimes governor and mayor, executive races are a little different. I think the various endorsements have some impact. It helps to shape public opinions to some extent. And some voters maybe trying to figure out differences and nuance between and among the candidates. Will often look to their political leaders.

I think the most important issue here is staying focus on the real issues. Public safety, education, economic development and jobs. Dealing with issues of poverty, mass transit and infrastructure developments. Making sure that citizens know which candidate represents those kinds of issues and values.

For me, of course, that`s Senator Clinton. Getting your voters out. Make sure they get out to the polls on Election Day and drive that turnout.

SMERCONISH: Was it her urban agenda when push came to shove that you thought separated Senator Clinton from Senator Obama?

NUTTER: Absolutely. As well as just a tremendous depth of understanding of the challenges of these issues, how tough they are, but also wanting to have, and encouraging the kind of relationship with a city like Philadelphia and many other cities across the country. Where millions of people live and have real problems. And are trying to get the federal government to step up the plate.

So I interviewed, not interviewed, met with both Senator Clinton and Senator Obama, talked about these issues made the judgment back in December that Senator Clinton was the best on those issues and I think also matches up well with the Republican in the fall.

SMERCONISH: Arguably the nation`s poised to elect its first African American president. Has this caused any angst for you in the community, in other words, are you catching heat from folks saying that you should be for Barack Obama?

NUTTER: No. And the country is also poised to elect the first woman of the United States. Either one of these candidates represent historic points in our country`s history. In our electoral process. You know, people are entitled to their opinions. I think folks here in Philadelphia recognize that I took my time, I was deliberative in my decision making.

But also, everyone has the right to be for whichever candidate they want to be for. The most important thing, for us is that as Democrats we unite, once we have a Democratic nominee and do everything we can to win in the fall. That`s where I`m going to spend my time and efforts regardless of which one is the eventual nominee.

SMERCONISH: Mayor Nutter, final question, what`s the net effect in your view of the bitter comment?

NUTTER: I think it remains to be seen. Appears to have some continued life to it. I think voters are trying to figure it out. Trying to analyze it. Of course it`s left to Senator Obama to try to explain it. But I think it appears to have some residual effect. People keep talking about it. It`s a concern that many voters certainly share.

SMERCONISH: Congrats on your first 100 days in office. We really appreciate you being here.

NUTTER: Thank you. Thank you.

SMERCONISH: Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter. From the political fight for votes in Pennsylvania, to the Pennsylvania politician who won his fight of his life. Senator Arlen Specter was diagnosed with Hodgkin`s lymphoma in 2005 and underwent an intense chemotherapy course. Through it all he kept working on the Hill.

In the new book, "Never Give In, Battling Cancer in the Senate," Senator Arlen Specter tells his story. Senator, welcome to the program.

SEN. ARLEN SPECTER, (R) PA: Thank you, Michael, nice to be with you.

SMERCONISH: You set forth in the book, a litany of misdiagnoses that have occurred over the span of your life, what occurs to me is, if this the level of health care that you have been afforded what does it say about the health care in the United States?

SPECTER: It says if you have a diagnosis, you better get a second opinion. I was once diagnosed with Lou Gehrig`s disease which is a fatal disease. They were wrong. Once diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor, given three to six weeks to live, and they were wrong. So I write in my book, "Never Give In," if you have a opinion like that, get a second opinion. Don`t give up hope.

SMERCONISH: You didn`t just go to work, you went to the work as chairman of Senate Judiciary Committee at a time when you were dealing with Supreme Court nominations.

Not everyone`s in that sort of position. In their own lives if they find themselves similarly afflicted is that Senator Specter`s advice in the book, go to work and stay active?

SPECTER: It is, Michael. I`m a squash player. I dragged myself out of bed literally to play squash. Couldn`t play five or six games, played two or three. Really just dragged myself to the hearings. I had a break in a sense, there was so much intense work, and I was dealing with the most liberal Democrats on the left and the most conservative Republicans on the right. And the tougher the day, the better I liked it. I had no time to think about myself.

SMERCONISH: Why didn`t you shave your head?

SPECTER: Well, I considered it. Once I was bald and pale and thin, I got more suggestions on my hair style than my public policy. I thought of shaving my head and becoming a sex symbol. I decided not to, Michael. For two reasons, number one, my wife was dead set against it. Number two, unlike you, a great sex symbol, I wouldn`t qualify.

SMERCONISH: There is a photograph of yourself shaking hands at a distance mind you, with the president of the United States. What`s that all about?

SPECTER: Well, it`s quite a photo. It was taken at the White House. You can see the president`s body language. He`s sort of pull away from me. And in my book, I write and speculate that the president might be thinking, they say it`s not contagious, but who knows? And I put this picture in the book and I write about it so if people see what happens to me, and it happens to them, they`ll understand it`s not unusual. Similar occurrence happened with Governor Rendell, a man I have known for decades. Gave him his first job out of law school when I was district attorney. Bumped into him at 76ers game. I said, how you doing, Ed?

He looked at my and didn`t recognize me. My appearance had so changed. So I write about it in the book, if it happens to them, you can take it in stride. Try to ease the pain and burden.

SMERCONISH: You look well today. Hey, we only 30 seconds left, who wins that Pennsylvania Democratic primary next week?

SPECTER: Well, had been thinking that Obama was going to overtake Senator Clinton. Now, I`m not too sure with the bitter comment. Bitterness comment. I`m not sure. I think it`s a real horse race. If I had to make a bet on a photo finish, I would still call it Obama. But I`m an expert but I don`t know anything.

SMERCONISH: Senator Specter, "Never Give In." A great read. An inspirational tale. Thank you, sir.

SPECTER: Thanks, Michael. Nice being with you. Thank you.

SMERCONISH: Appreciate you being here.

Coming up -- Pope Benedict comes to America. We`ll have all of the details of his six-day visit right after the break. Stick around.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SMERCONISH: Pope Benedict has arrived, he landed at Andrews Air Force Base earlier today where he was greeted by President Bush and the first lady. The pontiff plans to spend six days here reaching out to the 70 million Catholics in America. The pope also intends to talk about some of the issues that are currently on the minds of American voters, like the war in Iraq and immigration. But will his words carry weight with an increasingly secular populace?

Diehl Hudson is the director of insidecatholic.com. He is also the author of "Onward Christian Soldier, the Growing Political Power of Evangelicals and Catholics in the U.S."

Diehl, it occurs to me that this guy has some guts. He baptized an Islamic journalist on Easter weekend and that came after he was threatened after Osama bin Laden. And yet he continued on with his mission.

DIEHL HUDSON, INSIDECATHOLIC.COM: It also comes just before a big meeting in the Vatican with over 140 Muslim leaders. Benedict XVI is not afraid of anybody. He`ll stand in face of Islamic extremist to get his message out.

SMERCONISH: Pope John Paul II often credited with the role he played relative to the fall of communism. Berlin Wall and so forth, the fall of Soviet Union. Could it be, am I being overly optimistic to think that perhaps the legacy of Pope Benedict will be in playing a role in regard to the fall of al Qaeda.

HUDSON: I think Benedict sees the future of the West, western civilization as either being Islamic or Christian. Think he`s determined to make it Christian even if it means taking on Muslim extremism directly.

SMERCONISH: Diehl, the visit comes the last few days of campaigning in Pennsylvania. And one would expect that the sort of thing he would say would have political ramifications, if he talks about immigration, if he talks about the war in Iraq, if he talks about the life issue, do you think that His Holiness speaks knowing that he could influence the outcome of that election? Or am I being naive in thinking he could influence the outcome of that election?

HUDSON: Well, he knows that he`s already influenced the outcome of the 2004 election when his office issued a statement, a doctrinal note on political participation where he insisted that bishops consider not giving communion to pro abortion politicians.

He knows the power he can have and so he will watch his words very closely when he talks about the war in Iraq. Knowing that will be an advantage to the Democrats. And he`ll watch his words closely when he talks about immigration and life issue knowing that it will be advantageous to John McCain.

SMERCONISH: Diehl, what`s - Tell me about the way in which he operates? His modus operandi for lack of a better description. In other words, on the immigration issue, would you expect, with your credentials, that he would make a public statement on that issue or deal with President Bush behind closed doors.

HUDSON: I think he`ll make a public statement on that issue. The issue of immigration between countries and of refugees is a very high priority in the Vatican. Because there are people all over the world, who are waiting to get out of poverty and suffering and camps. I think he`ll talk to president about that, he will talk to the president about Iraq. About AIDS in Africa.

But I think when he has his public moments he will talk about those issues as well.

SMERCONISH: I hope that he says something publicly about the scandal that`s rocked the church.

HUDSON: The word from the Vatican, the advance word is that he`ll address that. He will not a centerpiece of his comments. He`s definitely going to apologize. Because he knows that issue is something that still worries American Catholics very badly.

SMERCONISH: His Holiness scheduled to conduct mass at Yankee Stadium in this, the final season at Yankee Stadium.

HUDSON: And at Nationals Stadium. The first season at Nationals Stadium.

And I think these public masses are going to be the time when America will fall in love with Benedict XVI just the way they did with John Paul II. Many people said that Benedict wouldn`t not be able to compete with John Paul. And he is competing. I think he`ll see a great outpouring of love for him.

SMERCONISH: He seems to be growing into the role, I hope that doesn`t sound as if I`m offering it a demeaning sense because that`s not my intention.

HUDSON: Not at all. He`s growing into it. Here`s a man who was pretty much locked away in his office, protecting sacred doctrines for over 20 years. He`s an academic, he`s an intellectual, he`s a writer. He is someone who has lived in the world of ideas. Now he`s running the entire universal Catholic Church.

I think anybody has to grow into that job.

SMERCONISH: Diehl, thank you for being with us. We appreciate your insights.

HUDSON: Thank you, Michael.

SMERCONISH: And time now for tonight`s real America. Brought to you this evening by CSX. One man has taken an unconventionally approach to helping the homeless. By doing so Felix Middleton is not only helping others, he`s helping himself.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

GLENN BECK, CNN HN HOST (voice-over): Down in the basement of the Phoenix House, a drug treatment center in Brooklyn, New York, sits an electrical closet. But there are no circuit breakers or wires here. Instead, you`ll find a makeshift closet filled with sleeping bags and understand the of tossed out material. And a few feet away from that sits Felix Middleton, sewing and designing and single handedly making a difference one stitch at a time.

FELIX MIDDLETON, PROJECT WEAR: This is one of the bags, sleeping bags that i have made already. These plastic bags that are holding the sleeping bag, they were donated from a church in Queens.

BECK: It`s called Project Wear. The idea came to Felix while he was being treated for his own drug problems at the Phoenix House.

MIDDLETON: When I came here the facility was getting new blankets. And some of the older ones were damaged. They were going to throw them out. I decided since I was a tailor, maybe I could put in a request with the director, that I can make them into sleeping bags and go and give them to homeless people.

BECK: He slowly stitched his idea into reality and now, he makes sleeping bags, sweat shirts, even umbrellas. Whatever material is donated. Felix will turn it into something useful. The weekend he hands them out to homeless people in need.

MIDDLETON: The person was asking for money. They were laying there, they had their blanket, they had a cup for money. When I said, you know, I made sleeping bags, and I give them out to people. I don`t have any money to give you to at this moment. The person they were overjoyed. You`re going to give me this instead of giving me a dollar?

BECK: Ironically, Felix says if it wasn`t for the treatment center and Project Wear he would be on the streets again in the exact same situation as the people he`s handing out sleeping bags out to.

MIDDLETON: I would have been sleeping in the parks. Like I have done once before. It`s a shame that we as New Yorkers, we walk by people like this and we consider it, just like a piece of paper on the ground. We walk by them like they`re not even there. If one person tries to help, maybe another person will help. Then maybe another person will help. Then maybe another person will help. We`ll have a lot more help.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SMERCONISH: If you would like to see more stories just like this one. Click on cnn.com/glenn and look for the "Real America" section. Tonight`s "Real America" sponsored by CSX, how tomorrow moves.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SMERCONISH: Welcome back. Candidates are firing shots. They`re also drinking them. CNN`s Jeanne Moos looks for sweet spot in Barack Obama`s bittersweet gaffe.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEANNE MOOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Shots and shooting.

SEN. BARACK OBAMA, (D) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: She`s packing a six shooter.

MOOS: It`s the latest tune the candidates are dancing to. On the road to the White House. Remember weeks ago, when Hillary said to Barack.

SEN. HILLARY CLINTON, (D) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Shame on you, Barack Obama.

MOOS: Now.

OBAMA: She knows better, shame on her.

MOOS: Will the bigger elitist please stand up?

Is it the candidate declared income of $109 million since she and Bill left the White House? Or the one who said small-town Americas cling to guns and religion because they`re bitter. Those comments?

CLINTON: They seem kind of elitist and out of touch.

OBAMA: Who do you think is out of touch?

MOOS: Obama`s suggests it`s Hillary who`s been clinging to guns lately.

OBAMA: She`s talking like she`s Annie Oakley.

MOOS: Remember Annie Oakley? As in "Annie Get Your Gun."

(MUSIC)

OBAMA: Hillary Clinton`s out there, you know, like she`s out in a duck blind every Sunday.

MOOS: Talking about her dad.

CLINTON: Taught me how to shoot when I was a little girl.

OBAMA: She knows better.

CLINTON: I shot and I shot a banded duck.

MOOS: Obama mocked her for playing Annie Oakley and he mocked her for trying to knock back a few like the average Joe.

OBAMA: They`ll come around with TV crews in tow and throw back a shot and a beer.

MOOS: Not that Senator Obama would ever stoop to such a thing. In a restaurant in Indiana, the locals played gotcha with Hillary Clinton. When the bartender asked Hillary Clinton if she wanted a shot with her beer. The peer pressure was on.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yeah, baby.

MOOS: That would be a Crown Royal whisky that Hillary is about to drink. Photos of the shot heard round the world resulted in a call for captions on Michelle Malkin`s conservative blog. Captions like - "Hillary Clinton encounters more shots than she did in Bosnia."

As for Barack Obama`s alleged elitism.

(on camera): What critics consider to be Senator Obama`s nose in the air attitude has already been immortalized on merchandise.

(voice-over): They took a pro-Obama image that says Hope and turned it into one that says Snob.

In the meantime, Obama has developed a dismissive he`s been using when he talks about Hillary.

OBAMA: Hah.

MOOS: Having a good time yet, candidates? Funky good time.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SMERCONISH: I`m Michael Smerconish in for Glenn Beck. From New York, good night.

END