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Chief Justice William Rehnquist Recovering from Throat Surgery; Bill Clinton Stumps for Kerry; Giuliani Stumps for Bush; Record High Prices for Home Heating Oil Likely This Winter

Aired October 25, 2004 - 14:30   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.


(STOCK MARKET UPDATE)
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Check stories now in the news. The Supreme Court says Chief Justice William Rehnquist is recovering from throat surgery after a diagnosis of thyroid cancer. Rehnquist underwent a tracheotomy at the National Naval Medical Center just outside Washington. The court statement says he's expected to be released this week and back on the bench a week from today.

Israeli TV reports say that Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat is being allowed to leave his compound for medical treatment. Seventy- five-year-old Arafat would be treated in the same city where he lives -- Ramallah in the West Bank. He's been under virtual house arrest for the past two-and-a-half years.

And new attacks in Gaza -- Palestinian sources now say that 15 people were killed in Israeli operations near a refugee camp in southern Gaza. Dozens of people were wounded. Israel says the strikes are aimed at stopping mortar attacks against Israelis.

TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Well, just eight days before the election, Senator Kerry campaigns with a heavy hitting Democrat. Former President Bill Clinton appeared with Kerry a short time ago before a raucous crowd in Philadelphia. Referring to the warm reception and his recent bypass surgery, Clinton said, "If this isn't good for my heart, I don't know what is."

And who's that man in the shadows behind President Bush? Maybe not so in the shadows. It's Rudy Giuliani. The former New York mayor flew with the Bushes to Colorado today to campaign with the president there. He also appears in a newly-released television ad being run by the Bush re-election effort.

Well, here we go. It's the last full week before the election. And joining me now to assess where we stand, from New York, Democratic consultant Morris Reid, and here in Atlanta, former Congressman, now a CNN contributor, Republican Bob Barr. Bob, Morris, good to see you both.

MORRIS REID, DEMOCRATIC CONSULTANT: Tony, how are you doing?

BOB BARR, FMR. REPUBLICAN CONGRESSMAN: Thank you.

HARRIS: Well, Bob, let me start with you. As a Republican, if you see former President Clinton on the stump, is it a good day? BARR: Well, it's a good day for Mr. Kerry. Bill Clinton, despite all of the problems -- and Lord knows we've had our differences in the past -- he still is a phenomenally popular Democrat. And it's probably a very smart move on Kerry's part to bring him out to energize the Democrat base. Because I think particularly in those key battleground states, it's all going to depend on voter turnout.

HARRIS: And Morris, what do you get out of this -- out of this appearance today?

REID: Well, it's awesome for the Democrats. Also, it's important for the Republicans. You get really a twofer with both of these guys. With, Rudy Giuliani, you get a very popular Republican, but you also get that subtle reminder of 9/11 and how the Republicans handled it. With Clinton, you get him and the popularity he brings, but you also get to remember the good times that he had the stewardship under. So, it's really a twofer for both campaigns, and it's great to see them both on the stump.

HARRIS: Bob, here we are, just a little over a week, eight days from the election. Give me a sense from where you sit where we stand.

BARR: We stand -- and I've done a lot of traveling across country in recent weeks -- I sense, particularly in key battleground states. I was in Pennsylvania recently. I was with some folks from Ohio recently. Those key battleground states, people are very concerned about jobs and the economy. They're very concerned about immigration. They're very concerned about taxes and healthcare, domestic issues.

Despite the efforts by the Bush campaign to paint sort of everything with the anti-terrorism brush, I think in those key battleground states, more traditional issues are going to pull people out to vote. And I think it's going to be extremely close.

HARRIS: You do.

BARR: I do.

HARRIS: OK. And Morris, where do you stand?

REID: Bob's right. Bob's right. I think that in your -- in the critical states -- and there's 11 of them if you count them on. But the one I'm focused on is Ohio. I believe Ohio -- whoever wins Ohio is going to win the presidency.

All things being equal, if Al Gore had stayed the course instead of pulling out, he would have won Ohio and he could have swung this election to his favor. I'm looking to see a great turnout in Ohio. There's a lot of issues. There's already some voting problems there, just like in Texas and Florida, but I think whoever takes Ohio will be the next president of the United States. Hope it's John Kerry.

HARRIS: Bob, how concerned are you about this election -- in the fairness of this election, and thoughts of irregularities at the polls?

BARR: I'm very concerned about it. For example, this whole new process of what are called provisional votes, where you can have people showing up who don't appear on the voter rolls, yet who can demand and under federal law are entitled to cast a provisional ballot, is just asking for all sorts of problems down the road. And I think we're going to see some very serious challenges all across the country.

HARRIS: Morris, you agree with that?

REID: I agree. I wish Bob was still in Congress, because I really think this falls at the feet of the Congress. They did not provide the type of leadership they should have provided on this issue. I think if Bob was still in Congress, we would have gotten this fixed.

But I'm really concerned about this, particularly in Florida where you have an African-American electorate who feels really disenfranchised. I think everyone is scared and nervous. It's going to be a long night. I plan to be up all night counting the ballots.

HARRIS: Bob, give me a sense of this -- we are pretty much -- do you agree that we're pretty much evenly divided when it comes to the war on terror and the war in Iraq?

BARR: Yes.

HARRIS: OK. So, what then becomes the tiebreaker for folks when they go to the polls next Tuesday?

BARR: I think the tiebreaker for people going to the polls, particularly in battleground states, is how confident are they in the direction in which each of these candidates will take our country from an economic standpoint. I think those down-home, basic, economic issues are going to pull people one way or the other.

HARRIS: Morris, what do you think?

REID: Confidence. Confidence, and if this guy can lead this country at this time and place. George Bush led the country down to war. There's a lot of questions about this. Kerry's been pegged as a flip-flopper. Can he lead? It's really about leadership. And whoever the folks feel that they have the most confidence walking in their voting booths is going to be the victor.

HARRIS: And Morris, what are thoughts on the news today that the chief justice of the United States has thyroid cancer? What are your thoughts? Any fallout for the campaigns?

REID: I don't think there's any fallouts, but it really underscores that -- how important the Supreme Court is going to play in this next election. I think there's going to be at least one or two justices that the next president is going to appoint.

So, if I was Kerry or Bush, I would start to add that to my rhetoric, my stump speeches. So, it's just a critical time. We're at a very important time in American history, and I'm glad to see that Americans are really going to step up. I think we're going to have record turnout. And I'm looking forward to seeing what happens on November 2nd.

HARRIS: Bob, what do you think?

BARR: I think that the issue of the Supreme Court -- it came up in a couple of the presidential debates. I think Morris is right. This really does highlight the fact that a very important duty of any president is to pick those Supreme Court nominees.

And with the fact that you have Chief Justice Rehnquist and a couple of others not in the best of health and really entering, you know, their twilight years, I think this is going to play perhaps more of a role in people deciding which way to go more than normally.

HARRIS: Morris Reid and Bob Barr, thanks for talking to us. Thanks for taking the time. We appreciate it.

REID: Tony, thanks so much.

BARR: Thanks.

HARRIS: Thank you.

PHILLIPS: All right. If you want to stay warm this winter, you better get ready to dig deep into your wallets. We're going to explain after the break.

HARRIS: And still to come -- is it live, or is it Memorex? The fallout from a pop star's embarrassing SNL moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Well, it may be a cold, crude winter for home owners this year. The high cost of crude oil is translating to record high prices for home heating oil. CNNfn's Kathleen Hays has more on the cost of cranking up the heat and some cost-cutting tips.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KATHLEEN HAYS, CNNFN ECONOMICS CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Cranking up the heat could put you in a cold sweat this winter. As temperatures drop, your heating bill is going to soar.

PETER BEUTEL, ENERGY CONSULTANT: We're going to spend anything from $350 to as much as $800 more to heat our homes this winter. And needless to say, the further north you live, the higher the number is going to be.

HAYS: Crude oil prices are up more than 60 percent so far this year, driving the price of home heating oil through the roof. It hit a 26-year high in the past week.

Don't breathe a sigh of relief if you switched over to natural gas. That price is expected to climb 11 percent this winter. Home owners might get lucky if Mother Nature cooperates. Mild winter weather could send sky-high prices back down to earth.

JOHN KILDUFF, OIL ANALYST, FIMAT USA: The only thing we can hope for is that if the price break that we have the potential for still occurs into December or January when you're in the height of the heating season, those refills of your tank won't be as bad as what we're seeing right now.

HAYS: But if the winter is bitter, all bets are off.

BEUTEL: If we get a brutally cold December and January, prices will go back up and heating oil prices could go through the roof. So, a lot depends on how cold it gets this winter.

HAYS: You can't control the weather or the price of crude oil, but experts say you can trim your bill a bit here and there. Turn down the thermostat. Check the weatherproofing on your house. Look at buying portable electric heaters. And play the waiting game.

KILDUFF: You might want to trot out some of those electric heaters that are pretty good. And yeah, I'd say try to live hand-to- mouth a bit on your heating oil and just see if this price can break later in the season.

HAYS (on camera): Low-income families have another alternative. You can get up to $400 in help from the state's Energy Assistance Program.

Kathleen Hays, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARRIS: All right. Take notes. Need some help here with the bill.

PHILLIPS: Are you going to go out shopping today?

HARRIS: Turn down the thermostat. It's going to be tough in the house.

(INAUDIBLE) it was $5 to the American Cancer Society or thousands to the Red Cross, Americans were giving more last year.

PHILLIPS: Well, that's good news. Rhonda Schaffler with that story from the New York Stock Exchange. Hi, Rhonda.

(STOCK MARKET UPDATE)

HARRIS: Rhonda, thank you.

With just eight days to go, who is pulling ahead in the presidential polls?

PHILLIPS: In just a few minutes, Judy Woodruff has the latest numbers as "INSIDE POLITICS" is on the road in Philadelphia. SIBILA VARGAS, CNN ENTERTAINMENT CORRESPONDENT: I'm Sibila Vargas. What if you started singing, but your lips weren't moving? An embarrassing moment for Ashlee Simpson on "Saturday Night Live." I'll tell you what she's saying about it when LIVE FROM continues.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: Is that the center? That's the center.

PHILLIPS: That's inside of CNN Center.

For those of you that don't know, Tony is new to CNN. He hasn't checked out.

HARRIS: ... lobby downstairs.

PHILLIPS: You haven't down to the food court?

HARRIS: Not yet.

PHILLIPS: Get your coffee and your...

HARRIS: OK.

PHILLIPS: Yeah.

HARRIS: I got to do that. Are you going help me on this? you need to help me on this.

PHILLIPS: I'll help you with the pronunciations here.

HARRIS: A world champion figure skater says she's ready to get back to work following a face-first fall into the ice during a televised competition. It happened as thousands watched the performance over the weekend in Pittsburgh. Tatiana Totmianina and her partner Maxim Marinin spoke with CNN's Daryn Kagan this morning.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TATIANA TOTMIANINA, CHAMPION SKATER: Many people thinking that I'm crazy, but anyway, you know, if you love what you doing, you just will continue anyway. And actually, I appreciate the support from the people who is taking care of me, and I'm glad to be back.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRIS: Wow. Her trainers said she could be back to skating in about 10 days.

PHILLIPS: Wow. Well, some people are calling it a microphone malfunction, others say it's a Milli Vanilli moment. Whatever you call it, singer Ashlee Simpson's performance problem on "Saturday Night Live" is the talk of the entertainment world.

CNN's Sibila Vargas has the story in out Hollywood headlines. She's live from L.A. So, you don't blame it on the rain, you blame it on the band? Is that the...

VARGAS: You blame it on the band. You just do whatever you got to do. But I'm telling you one thing, I have been singing for LIVE FROM, but pretty much guarantee you it was not lip synching, it's all a cappella.

So, let's get to Ashlee Simpson. She will have another chance tonight to prove that she can sing live after all. NBC confirmed she will perform as scheduled tonight at the Radio Music Awards, two days after an apparent lip synching SNAFU on "Saturday Night Live."

Her record label claims a computer glitch caused a recording of Simpson's voice to start playing just as she was about to perform. Realizing the faux pas, the confused singer made up a few impromptu dance moves before walking off the stage.

NBC quickly cut to a commercial. And at the end of the program, Simpson blamed her band for playing the wrong song and tried to make light of the situation, Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Oh, boy. Well, her dad, Joe, right, he's the manager and her father. What's he saying about this?

VARGAS: Well, Simpson talked with Ryan Seacrest's radio show today, and he's got a different explanation for what happened. He says Ashlee was suffering from acid reflux Saturday night, so they planned to use the backup tracks of her voice to disguise the fact that she was hoarse.

He says the plan would have worked, but Ashlee's drummer cued up the wrong song. So, it's the drummer's fault.

OK, another singer is experiencing problems of another sort. Rocker Lenny Kravitz is being sued for more than $300,000 for an overflowing toilet. The suit claims a toilet in the rocker's lavish Manhattan condominium became blocked, clogged, and congested with various materials, causing damage to a neighbor's home.

The Amica Mutual Insurance Company is suing Kravitz for close to $334,000, which it says it's paid out to the singer's neighbor. So, we're going to file this under the more than I needed to know.

HARRIS: Absolutely.

PHILLIPS: People using that bathroom, huh? Woo!

Lot of stinky ways we can go with that. Let's move on. Thank you, Sibila.

VARGAS: Thank you.

PHILLIPS: That wraps up this very clean edition of LIVE FROM.

HARRIS: Yes. And now to take us through the next hour of political headlines is "JUDY WOODRUFF'S INSIDE POLITICS," broadcasting live from Philadelphia today. Hello, Judy. JUDY WOODRUFF, HOST, "INSIDE POLITICS": Hi, Tony. Thank you to you and to Kyra.

With just eight days to go until Election Day, I am here in Philadelphia. Today, we will look at what both President Bush and Senator Kerry are doing as we enter the final stretch.

Plus, both campaigns are using every last minute to get out the vote. But how effective are their efforts? We'll look at the get out the vote ventures in the critical showdown sates of Florida and Iowa when INSIDE POLITICS begins in just a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: Now in the news -- Chief Justice William Rehnquist is being treated for thyroid cancer. But when the high court goes back to work next week, he is expected to take his seat. Rehnquist's health could have an impact on the U.S. election. Details in several minutes on "INSIDE POLITICS."

For the first time in two-and-a-half years, Israel is allowing Palestinian Authority President Yasser Arafat to leave his West Bank compound. Israeli officials say he can go into Ramallah for a medical checkup -- he's recently had the flu. Palestinian officials say Arafat will likely decline the offer since his compound has a clinic.

Some powerful explosives are missing in Iraq. The fallout from 380 tons of missing munitions could have an impact in two time zones -- Iraq and the U.S. It's already shaking things up on the presidential campaign trail. Details in one minute on "INSIDE POLITICS."

Now, "JUDY WOODRUFF'S INSIDE POLITICS."

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com


Aired October 25, 2004 - 14:30   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(STOCK MARKET UPDATE)
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Check stories now in the news. The Supreme Court says Chief Justice William Rehnquist is recovering from throat surgery after a diagnosis of thyroid cancer. Rehnquist underwent a tracheotomy at the National Naval Medical Center just outside Washington. The court statement says he's expected to be released this week and back on the bench a week from today.

Israeli TV reports say that Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat is being allowed to leave his compound for medical treatment. Seventy- five-year-old Arafat would be treated in the same city where he lives -- Ramallah in the West Bank. He's been under virtual house arrest for the past two-and-a-half years.

And new attacks in Gaza -- Palestinian sources now say that 15 people were killed in Israeli operations near a refugee camp in southern Gaza. Dozens of people were wounded. Israel says the strikes are aimed at stopping mortar attacks against Israelis.

TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Well, just eight days before the election, Senator Kerry campaigns with a heavy hitting Democrat. Former President Bill Clinton appeared with Kerry a short time ago before a raucous crowd in Philadelphia. Referring to the warm reception and his recent bypass surgery, Clinton said, "If this isn't good for my heart, I don't know what is."

And who's that man in the shadows behind President Bush? Maybe not so in the shadows. It's Rudy Giuliani. The former New York mayor flew with the Bushes to Colorado today to campaign with the president there. He also appears in a newly-released television ad being run by the Bush re-election effort.

Well, here we go. It's the last full week before the election. And joining me now to assess where we stand, from New York, Democratic consultant Morris Reid, and here in Atlanta, former Congressman, now a CNN contributor, Republican Bob Barr. Bob, Morris, good to see you both.

MORRIS REID, DEMOCRATIC CONSULTANT: Tony, how are you doing?

BOB BARR, FMR. REPUBLICAN CONGRESSMAN: Thank you.

HARRIS: Well, Bob, let me start with you. As a Republican, if you see former President Clinton on the stump, is it a good day? BARR: Well, it's a good day for Mr. Kerry. Bill Clinton, despite all of the problems -- and Lord knows we've had our differences in the past -- he still is a phenomenally popular Democrat. And it's probably a very smart move on Kerry's part to bring him out to energize the Democrat base. Because I think particularly in those key battleground states, it's all going to depend on voter turnout.

HARRIS: And Morris, what do you get out of this -- out of this appearance today?

REID: Well, it's awesome for the Democrats. Also, it's important for the Republicans. You get really a twofer with both of these guys. With, Rudy Giuliani, you get a very popular Republican, but you also get that subtle reminder of 9/11 and how the Republicans handled it. With Clinton, you get him and the popularity he brings, but you also get to remember the good times that he had the stewardship under. So, it's really a twofer for both campaigns, and it's great to see them both on the stump.

HARRIS: Bob, here we are, just a little over a week, eight days from the election. Give me a sense from where you sit where we stand.

BARR: We stand -- and I've done a lot of traveling across country in recent weeks -- I sense, particularly in key battleground states. I was in Pennsylvania recently. I was with some folks from Ohio recently. Those key battleground states, people are very concerned about jobs and the economy. They're very concerned about immigration. They're very concerned about taxes and healthcare, domestic issues.

Despite the efforts by the Bush campaign to paint sort of everything with the anti-terrorism brush, I think in those key battleground states, more traditional issues are going to pull people out to vote. And I think it's going to be extremely close.

HARRIS: You do.

BARR: I do.

HARRIS: OK. And Morris, where do you stand?

REID: Bob's right. Bob's right. I think that in your -- in the critical states -- and there's 11 of them if you count them on. But the one I'm focused on is Ohio. I believe Ohio -- whoever wins Ohio is going to win the presidency.

All things being equal, if Al Gore had stayed the course instead of pulling out, he would have won Ohio and he could have swung this election to his favor. I'm looking to see a great turnout in Ohio. There's a lot of issues. There's already some voting problems there, just like in Texas and Florida, but I think whoever takes Ohio will be the next president of the United States. Hope it's John Kerry.

HARRIS: Bob, how concerned are you about this election -- in the fairness of this election, and thoughts of irregularities at the polls?

BARR: I'm very concerned about it. For example, this whole new process of what are called provisional votes, where you can have people showing up who don't appear on the voter rolls, yet who can demand and under federal law are entitled to cast a provisional ballot, is just asking for all sorts of problems down the road. And I think we're going to see some very serious challenges all across the country.

HARRIS: Morris, you agree with that?

REID: I agree. I wish Bob was still in Congress, because I really think this falls at the feet of the Congress. They did not provide the type of leadership they should have provided on this issue. I think if Bob was still in Congress, we would have gotten this fixed.

But I'm really concerned about this, particularly in Florida where you have an African-American electorate who feels really disenfranchised. I think everyone is scared and nervous. It's going to be a long night. I plan to be up all night counting the ballots.

HARRIS: Bob, give me a sense of this -- we are pretty much -- do you agree that we're pretty much evenly divided when it comes to the war on terror and the war in Iraq?

BARR: Yes.

HARRIS: OK. So, what then becomes the tiebreaker for folks when they go to the polls next Tuesday?

BARR: I think the tiebreaker for people going to the polls, particularly in battleground states, is how confident are they in the direction in which each of these candidates will take our country from an economic standpoint. I think those down-home, basic, economic issues are going to pull people one way or the other.

HARRIS: Morris, what do you think?

REID: Confidence. Confidence, and if this guy can lead this country at this time and place. George Bush led the country down to war. There's a lot of questions about this. Kerry's been pegged as a flip-flopper. Can he lead? It's really about leadership. And whoever the folks feel that they have the most confidence walking in their voting booths is going to be the victor.

HARRIS: And Morris, what are thoughts on the news today that the chief justice of the United States has thyroid cancer? What are your thoughts? Any fallout for the campaigns?

REID: I don't think there's any fallouts, but it really underscores that -- how important the Supreme Court is going to play in this next election. I think there's going to be at least one or two justices that the next president is going to appoint.

So, if I was Kerry or Bush, I would start to add that to my rhetoric, my stump speeches. So, it's just a critical time. We're at a very important time in American history, and I'm glad to see that Americans are really going to step up. I think we're going to have record turnout. And I'm looking forward to seeing what happens on November 2nd.

HARRIS: Bob, what do you think?

BARR: I think that the issue of the Supreme Court -- it came up in a couple of the presidential debates. I think Morris is right. This really does highlight the fact that a very important duty of any president is to pick those Supreme Court nominees.

And with the fact that you have Chief Justice Rehnquist and a couple of others not in the best of health and really entering, you know, their twilight years, I think this is going to play perhaps more of a role in people deciding which way to go more than normally.

HARRIS: Morris Reid and Bob Barr, thanks for talking to us. Thanks for taking the time. We appreciate it.

REID: Tony, thanks so much.

BARR: Thanks.

HARRIS: Thank you.

PHILLIPS: All right. If you want to stay warm this winter, you better get ready to dig deep into your wallets. We're going to explain after the break.

HARRIS: And still to come -- is it live, or is it Memorex? The fallout from a pop star's embarrassing SNL moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Well, it may be a cold, crude winter for home owners this year. The high cost of crude oil is translating to record high prices for home heating oil. CNNfn's Kathleen Hays has more on the cost of cranking up the heat and some cost-cutting tips.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KATHLEEN HAYS, CNNFN ECONOMICS CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Cranking up the heat could put you in a cold sweat this winter. As temperatures drop, your heating bill is going to soar.

PETER BEUTEL, ENERGY CONSULTANT: We're going to spend anything from $350 to as much as $800 more to heat our homes this winter. And needless to say, the further north you live, the higher the number is going to be.

HAYS: Crude oil prices are up more than 60 percent so far this year, driving the price of home heating oil through the roof. It hit a 26-year high in the past week.

Don't breathe a sigh of relief if you switched over to natural gas. That price is expected to climb 11 percent this winter. Home owners might get lucky if Mother Nature cooperates. Mild winter weather could send sky-high prices back down to earth.

JOHN KILDUFF, OIL ANALYST, FIMAT USA: The only thing we can hope for is that if the price break that we have the potential for still occurs into December or January when you're in the height of the heating season, those refills of your tank won't be as bad as what we're seeing right now.

HAYS: But if the winter is bitter, all bets are off.

BEUTEL: If we get a brutally cold December and January, prices will go back up and heating oil prices could go through the roof. So, a lot depends on how cold it gets this winter.

HAYS: You can't control the weather or the price of crude oil, but experts say you can trim your bill a bit here and there. Turn down the thermostat. Check the weatherproofing on your house. Look at buying portable electric heaters. And play the waiting game.

KILDUFF: You might want to trot out some of those electric heaters that are pretty good. And yeah, I'd say try to live hand-to- mouth a bit on your heating oil and just see if this price can break later in the season.

HAYS (on camera): Low-income families have another alternative. You can get up to $400 in help from the state's Energy Assistance Program.

Kathleen Hays, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARRIS: All right. Take notes. Need some help here with the bill.

PHILLIPS: Are you going to go out shopping today?

HARRIS: Turn down the thermostat. It's going to be tough in the house.

(INAUDIBLE) it was $5 to the American Cancer Society or thousands to the Red Cross, Americans were giving more last year.

PHILLIPS: Well, that's good news. Rhonda Schaffler with that story from the New York Stock Exchange. Hi, Rhonda.

(STOCK MARKET UPDATE)

HARRIS: Rhonda, thank you.

With just eight days to go, who is pulling ahead in the presidential polls?

PHILLIPS: In just a few minutes, Judy Woodruff has the latest numbers as "INSIDE POLITICS" is on the road in Philadelphia. SIBILA VARGAS, CNN ENTERTAINMENT CORRESPONDENT: I'm Sibila Vargas. What if you started singing, but your lips weren't moving? An embarrassing moment for Ashlee Simpson on "Saturday Night Live." I'll tell you what she's saying about it when LIVE FROM continues.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: Is that the center? That's the center.

PHILLIPS: That's inside of CNN Center.

For those of you that don't know, Tony is new to CNN. He hasn't checked out.

HARRIS: ... lobby downstairs.

PHILLIPS: You haven't down to the food court?

HARRIS: Not yet.

PHILLIPS: Get your coffee and your...

HARRIS: OK.

PHILLIPS: Yeah.

HARRIS: I got to do that. Are you going help me on this? you need to help me on this.

PHILLIPS: I'll help you with the pronunciations here.

HARRIS: A world champion figure skater says she's ready to get back to work following a face-first fall into the ice during a televised competition. It happened as thousands watched the performance over the weekend in Pittsburgh. Tatiana Totmianina and her partner Maxim Marinin spoke with CNN's Daryn Kagan this morning.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TATIANA TOTMIANINA, CHAMPION SKATER: Many people thinking that I'm crazy, but anyway, you know, if you love what you doing, you just will continue anyway. And actually, I appreciate the support from the people who is taking care of me, and I'm glad to be back.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRIS: Wow. Her trainers said she could be back to skating in about 10 days.

PHILLIPS: Wow. Well, some people are calling it a microphone malfunction, others say it's a Milli Vanilli moment. Whatever you call it, singer Ashlee Simpson's performance problem on "Saturday Night Live" is the talk of the entertainment world.

CNN's Sibila Vargas has the story in out Hollywood headlines. She's live from L.A. So, you don't blame it on the rain, you blame it on the band? Is that the...

VARGAS: You blame it on the band. You just do whatever you got to do. But I'm telling you one thing, I have been singing for LIVE FROM, but pretty much guarantee you it was not lip synching, it's all a cappella.

So, let's get to Ashlee Simpson. She will have another chance tonight to prove that she can sing live after all. NBC confirmed she will perform as scheduled tonight at the Radio Music Awards, two days after an apparent lip synching SNAFU on "Saturday Night Live."

Her record label claims a computer glitch caused a recording of Simpson's voice to start playing just as she was about to perform. Realizing the faux pas, the confused singer made up a few impromptu dance moves before walking off the stage.

NBC quickly cut to a commercial. And at the end of the program, Simpson blamed her band for playing the wrong song and tried to make light of the situation, Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Oh, boy. Well, her dad, Joe, right, he's the manager and her father. What's he saying about this?

VARGAS: Well, Simpson talked with Ryan Seacrest's radio show today, and he's got a different explanation for what happened. He says Ashlee was suffering from acid reflux Saturday night, so they planned to use the backup tracks of her voice to disguise the fact that she was hoarse.

He says the plan would have worked, but Ashlee's drummer cued up the wrong song. So, it's the drummer's fault.

OK, another singer is experiencing problems of another sort. Rocker Lenny Kravitz is being sued for more than $300,000 for an overflowing toilet. The suit claims a toilet in the rocker's lavish Manhattan condominium became blocked, clogged, and congested with various materials, causing damage to a neighbor's home.

The Amica Mutual Insurance Company is suing Kravitz for close to $334,000, which it says it's paid out to the singer's neighbor. So, we're going to file this under the more than I needed to know.

HARRIS: Absolutely.

PHILLIPS: People using that bathroom, huh? Woo!

Lot of stinky ways we can go with that. Let's move on. Thank you, Sibila.

VARGAS: Thank you.

PHILLIPS: That wraps up this very clean edition of LIVE FROM.

HARRIS: Yes. And now to take us through the next hour of political headlines is "JUDY WOODRUFF'S INSIDE POLITICS," broadcasting live from Philadelphia today. Hello, Judy. JUDY WOODRUFF, HOST, "INSIDE POLITICS": Hi, Tony. Thank you to you and to Kyra.

With just eight days to go until Election Day, I am here in Philadelphia. Today, we will look at what both President Bush and Senator Kerry are doing as we enter the final stretch.

Plus, both campaigns are using every last minute to get out the vote. But how effective are their efforts? We'll look at the get out the vote ventures in the critical showdown sates of Florida and Iowa when INSIDE POLITICS begins in just a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: Now in the news -- Chief Justice William Rehnquist is being treated for thyroid cancer. But when the high court goes back to work next week, he is expected to take his seat. Rehnquist's health could have an impact on the U.S. election. Details in several minutes on "INSIDE POLITICS."

For the first time in two-and-a-half years, Israel is allowing Palestinian Authority President Yasser Arafat to leave his West Bank compound. Israeli officials say he can go into Ramallah for a medical checkup -- he's recently had the flu. Palestinian officials say Arafat will likely decline the offer since his compound has a clinic.

Some powerful explosives are missing in Iraq. The fallout from 380 tons of missing munitions could have an impact in two time zones -- Iraq and the U.S. It's already shaking things up on the presidential campaign trail. Details in one minute on "INSIDE POLITICS."

Now, "JUDY WOODRUFF'S INSIDE POLITICS."

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