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Bush Campaigns in Florida, Kerry Stumps in Pennsylvania; Buycott Organizer Encourages Women Not to Shop

Aired October 19, 2004 - 10:00   ET

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

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


RICK SANCHEZ, CNN CO-ANCHOR: All right. Here we go. Here's the news.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN CO-ANCHOR: Taking a look at what is happening now in the news. British authorities today filed 16 charges, including 10 counts of soliciting murder, against Abu Hamza al-Masri. The hard line Muslim cleric has been held in a London prison since his arrest two months ago. Abu Hamza has also been indicted here in the U.S. A hearing on his extradition is now postponed. The case in Britain will be prosecuted first.

And Myanmar's military regime has forced its prime minister out of office. That word today from officials in Thailand. Myanmar, formerly known as Burma borders Thailand. Khin Nyunt, a relative moderate in that junta was placed under house arrest.

In Afghanistan, an early tally of the historic October 9 vote shows Hamid Karzai with a commanding lead. In fact, with one fourth of the ballots now counted, the interim leader may win the presidency without a runoff. For that Karzai would need a simple majority of the 8 million votes cast.

Late game heroics capped the baseball playoffs in the American League. Boston beat New York 5 to 4 in 14 innings. The Red Sox victory sends the series back to New York with the Yankees up three games to two. And let's not forget the National League. Houston's Jeff Kent hit a three-run homer in the ninth inning to give the Astros a 3-0 win and a 3 to 2 series edge.

SANCHEZ: Hence forth to be called the short game.

KAGAN: Yes.

(LAUGHTER)

SANCHEZ: As opposed to the long game.

We begin this hour with politics.

KAGAN: First tell me you did not stay up for that baseball game.

SANCHEZ: I did.

KAGAN: You did. The entire 5 hours and 49 minutes?

SANCHEZ: Right at 11:00 I was ready to turn it off and go to bed but that's when they did it. The little bloop single turned it all around.

KAGAN: Sucked it in.

SANCHEZ: Oh, boy.

KAGAN: Longest game in NLCS (sic) history. We'll talk more on that, but now the other sport, presidential politics.

SANCHEZ: Presidential politics is definitely a sport these days. In fact, that presidential race has now become a sprint to the finish, with both candidates blitzing battleground states today. Right now President Bush, he's in Florida the state that decided all four years ago in the end. He begins with a rally in St. Petersburg and then he travels to New Port Richey, the villages near Ocala.

For the very latest on the push campaign, let's check in with White House correspondent Suzanne Malveaux. She's in St. Pete.

Good morning, Suzanne.

SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Rick. Well, actually President Bush just wrapped up his speech just a minute ago here. Two of the three stops, interesting enough, he lost back in 2000. Those counties, they are trying to make up for lost ground.

The central theme here, the strategy of the Bush campaign now is really to try to capitalize off of what some polls are showing a 20- point lead for the president over Kerry, when it comes to fighting the war on terror. You're going to hear those lines over and over. So, new attack lines on Kerry talking about making the case that he is inconsistent when it comes to Iraq. That he is weak when it comes to fighting the war on terror.

We saw earlier today that the president was introduced by an Iraq War veteran. Also, with the president, of course, is the Florida Governor Jeb Bush, his brother and his other brother, Marvin.

What is interesting to note, Rick, as well, is that the president is answering to some of those issues Kerry has been bringing up over the last couple of days that seems to have resonated with voters. We're talking about the issues of the debate over a possible draft, and also the future of Social Security.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH (R), PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We will keep the promise of Social Security for all our seniors.

(CHEERING)

BUSH: We will not have a draft. We'll keep the all-volunteer Army.

(CHEERING)

BUSH: With your help on November 2, the people of America will reject the politics of fear, and vote for an agenda of hope.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: And Rick, what is telling about those issues is really it speaks to those groups that are emerging as those critical voting blocks. We are talking about the youth vote when it comes to that debate over the draft, as well as women. And of course, what is critical to seniors is the idea of Social Security, as well as healthcare -- Rick.

SANCHEZ: I'm wondering, Suzanne, if the president's handlers are as befuddled as the rest of us and the rest of America, when it comes to the polls that come out every day that seem to be, boy, going in one direction one day and another direction the next?

MALVEAUX: Well, the Bush campaign tries not to take those polls too seriously. But you can bet that they are watching them very closely. They seem to fluctuate on a daily basis and some Bush aides concede that this is a much closer race than they had thought.

And what they are doing now, in the next couple of weeks, is that they are really just trying to get the vote out effort here. And they have sent out an urgent e-mail today to their supporters, saying look, if you go to the polls, take two people with you. They think that is how they are going to win this election this time around.

SANCHEZ: Suzanne Malveaux with the president's campaign there in Florida. We thank you so much, Suzanne.

Now, Bush running mate Dick Cheney is in Ohio on this day. It's a showdown state, where he's taking part in three campaign events. They began last hour with a town hall meeting that was in Carroll, Ohio. The vice president then travels on to a rally in Xenia and a roundtable discussion after that in Cincinnati.

KAGAN: Challenger John Kerry is also focusing on the nation's so-called Rust Belt and he's hammering on economic problems. Kerry has an afternoon event in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania before he, too, visits Ohio and then he travels west to Iowa.

With a preview of the candidate's message, here's CNN national correspondent Kelly Wallace. She is in Wilkes-Barre.

Kelly, good morning.

KELLY WALLACE, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Daryn. Even though Senator Kerry will be talking a bit about domestic issues, including Social Security, part of his strategy is also trying to narrow the gap with the president on the issue of terrorism.

And with that in mind, the Kerry campaign releasing two new ads today. One which the Kerry campaign is talking about what it calls "The Mess in Iraq." The other ad which you'll see now, featuring a woman whose life was forever changed on September 11.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) KRISTEN BREITWEIER, 9/11 WIDOW: My husband Ron was killed on September 11.

WALLACE (voice-over): The ad features Kristen Breitwiser, one of the most vocal and politically active of the September 11 widows.

BREITWEIER: I fought for the 9/11 Commission, something George W. Bush, the man my husband Ron and I voted for, didn't think was necessary.

WALLACE: The appeal, a senior Kerry adviser says, could help with women voters, and narrow the president's lead in the polls on the handling of the war on terror.

BREITWEIER: I want to look in my daughter's eyes and know that she is safe. And that is why I am voting for John Kerry.

SEN. JOHN KERRY (D-MA), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: We are here to make a change.

WALLACE: Team Kerry believes the question, who can keep the U.S. safer could decide the election. And so, in the swing areas of central Florida yesterday, this from Senator Kerry.

KERRY: The bottom line, Mr. President, is that your mismanagement of the war has, in fact, made Iraq and America less safe and less secure.

WALLACE: That, after the president in a speech said the senator's changing positions would lead to defeat in the war on terror. Kerry's advisers called the attack the most critical yet. One they said they won't let stand.

KERRY: Their whole strategy is to divert your attention and try to get you to think that these are such scary times that the only guy who can get you safe is the guy who got you into this mess in this first place.

WALLACE: Florida yesterday. Pennsylvania today. The senator's 20 visit since Super Tuesday. His target, eastern Pennsylvania near Scranton, Al Gore won this area by more than eight points in 2000.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(on camera): And as we've been saying, Senator Kerry coming to Pennsylvania from Florida, and then from here he goes to Ohio. Our "Morning Grind" on cnn.com, noting that this means within 12 hours, Senator Kerry will have been in the three, key battleground states. Political observers think whoever wins two out of three of these states will become the next president of the United States -- Daryn.

KAGAN: And we'll be tracking it. Kelly Wallace in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania.

Well, Kerry running mate John Edwards is also promising "A Fresh Start for America." That's the campaign title given to the town hall meeting held last hour in Windham, New Hampshire. Edwards travels later today to Minnesota and Wisconsin. He then follows in the footsteps of Vice President Dick Cheney and Kerry. And he will visit Ohio, where he will spend the night.

As the election draws closer the race appeared deadlocked. According to the latest "New York Times"/CBS News poll, both Kerry and Bush are in a statistical tie among registered voters. Bush has a one-percentage point lead among likely voters. But that is within the margin of error. A comprehensive overview of five post debate polls shows the Bush campaign having a bit more breathing room. It shows Bush with a four-percentage point lead just beyond the margin of error.

SANCHEZ: Here's a controversy we've been following. A media company that plans to air an anti-Kerry program on its 62 television stations has fired its Washington bureau chief one day after he publicly voiced his opposition to it. Jon Lieberman says the Sinclair Broadcast Group is well within its right to air the program. But he says it's deceiving the public by presenting the broadcast as a news item, when it really should be an editorial.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOHN LIEBERMAN, D.C. BUREAU CHIEF, SINCLAIR BROADCAST: I feel so strongly that our credibility was at issue here. And at the end of the day, I don't think this is about being on the right or being on the left. I think it's about right and wrong in news. And I just -- I couldn't be part of this special where we labeled this as news when clearly, what it is, is political propaganda.

It's part of a documentary. We can't validate the facts. Of course, we can't. So, I was fine if the company wanted to run it, again, as an editorial or as commentary. But just don't call it news because that's how we erode the public trust.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANCHEZ: Lieberman admits that he violated company policy by going public with his concerns. But he says he was more concerned with the public interest. Sinclair says Lieberman is a disgruntled employee.

KAGAN: It is two weeks and counting, and the voter fraud claims are mounting.

SANCHEZ: Still to come, a look at how a few Floridians say they have already been cheated out of their opportunity to vote.

KAGAN: Plus, things may look a little bit one-sided in the mall today. Why one group is calling for women to take an economic stand.

SANCHEZ: But first a familiar scene in Iraq. More mortar attacks? We're going to take you there live when CNN LIVE TODAY returns.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) SANCHEZ: And welcome back to CNN. I'm Rick Sanchez.

There has been a peculiar kidnapping according to many in Iraq. It involves a woman named Margaret Hassan. What's interesting about Miss Hassan is that she's been living in Iraq for some 30 years and actually has dual citizenship. Most would classify her as much of a peace activist if anything else.

Let's go to CNN's Karl Penhaul. He's in Baghdad with more on that story.

What's being said about this situation this morning there -- Karl?

KARL PENHAUL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Margaret Hassan, we're told by CARE International, was kidnapped in Baghdad this morning. As you say, she's a longtime resident in Iraq. More than 30 years of her life, in fact, she's dedicated to humanitarian aid work here in Iraq. She has dual Iraqi/British citizenship.

CARE International hasn't given too many more details at this stage about the circumstances of the kidnapping. They don't want to raise too much the profile of this, hoping that things can be sorted out satisfactorily here. But at the same time, they do say -- they have said in a statement that they believe that Hassan currently is well.

We are also aware of some video that has been aired on the al Jazeera TV station. That shows Margaret Hassan sitting in a room. It also shows some shots of her identification papers. It doesn't identify who the kidnappers may be, though -- Rick.

SANCHEZ: There's also another mortar attack, we understand, that happened overnight. What can you tell us, Karl, about that?

PENHAUL: Pretty substantial mortar attack this morning, in fact, about 20 miles north of Baghdad on an Iraqi National Guard base. Multiple mortar rounds slammed into that base. And so far, the Iraqi Defense Ministry tells us that eight -- that four, sorry, Iraqi National Guardsmen were killed and 80 others were wounded. The wounded were ferried out of that base by U.S. Black Hawk helicopters -- Rick.

SANCHEZ: Karl Penhaul reporting to us there from Baghdad.

Keep well, Karl. Thanks for that report.

One final story from Iraq; U.S. warplanes bombed suspected terrorist safe houses and weapons storage sites. This was in Falluja overnight. U.S. military officials say the recent air strikes have killed senior leaders within Abu Musab al-Zarqawi's group. And these latest attacks targeted people who replaced those leaders.

KAGAN: The world's top diplomat says that the international community needs to stop squabbling over the international divisions before the war in Iraq. Kofi Annan, the United Nations secretary- General, says the world community needs to come together to assure the country of a better future.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KOFI ANNAN, SECRETARY-GENERAL, UNITED NATIONS: Today we are all focused on Iraq. And I think what is important is that as an international community, we all have an interest in stability of Iraq. Regardless of where we stood before the war, or what we think about the reasons for the war, I think all our efforts should go into stabilizing Iraq, and helping the Iraqis take charge of their own destiny.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAGAN: Annan also says that Iraq appears on track for January elections and vows to speak out if he sees that mission going astray.

SANCHEZ: I know, it's interesting; we're constantly seeing these stories out of Baghdad and Iraq from reporters. What would it be like though, if the people who live in Iraq could tell their own stories?

KAGAN: Funny you should ask that?

(LAUGHTER)

SANCHEZ: We're putting something together for you on that. It's the cradle of civilization. It's been through so much turmoil and destruction.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): The Americans came and made us leave our house. We walked from Falluja to Baghdad.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANCHEZ: We're going to talk to the producers of this new film that explores, well, everyday life for the Iraqi people.

KAGAN: But first, the ladies are asked to shy away from the shopping malls today. Will it make an economic impact? We'll talk to the woman behind a nationwide Buycott, coming up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: Well, it's an effort to show the disparity between women's purchasing power and their clout in the business world, a shopping ban has been called for today.

Janet Hanson is one of the organizers of Buycott and she joins us from New York.

Good morning.

JANET HANSON, BUYCOTT ORGANIZER: Good morning.

KAGAN: Tell me exactly what you're -- the point you're trying to make by encouraging us women to stay out of the stores today.

HANSON: Well, I think it's obvious that the U.S. economy is becoming increasingly female driven. In the U.S., women account for $3.3 trillion in annual consumer spending. They buy roughly two out of three -- make roughly two out of three automobile purchases, and control over half of the personal wealth in this country. Yet, even today, there are only eight women CEOs in the Fortune 500. And women occupy only 13.6 percent of all board seats of corporate America.

KAGAN: OK, Janet, here's the thing. I mean you're not telling us, as you said it's obvious. We know who's spending the money out there. And it is the women. And people who run these corporations, they need to know that, too. So, how does just staying home one day encourage more women executives to be hired and promoted?

HANSON: I think it's very much a symbolic gesture. For women, the point that we're trying to communicate to corporate America is that we don't buy it. We don't buy the glacial pace of change for women, you know, in the United States. And we're hoping to send a very positive message to corporate CEOs across the United States that if we are that important to their profitability and their bottom line, that we are hoping to encourage them to add more women to their executive suites and board rooms.

KAGAN: Some critics are saying if all women stay home and don't shop today, you're also going to hurt some women-owned businesses.

HANSON: Well, I must tell you as a woman business owner myself, I really am thrilled to have a day where I can be very thoughtful around how it feels not to buy anything. And we're talking about nonessential goods. And I think it's very important that women really are aware. We're really trying to raise awareness around what women's enormous economic clout really is in this country.

KAGAN: Sometimes when you bring up issues like -- not you, but when these kinds of issues are brought up, people get a little bit sensitive. And there can be a lot of negative feedback on that. Thinking of, you know, what happened with the Masters when there was the debate about whether women should be in Augusta Nationals, saying that not enough male executives have access to that club. The on slot can be pretty tough. Are you ready for that?

HANSON: I think -- well, first of all we think that the message is incredibly positive. Corporations again, across America, are realizing how important women really are to their profitability. For instance, a number of the big home improvement companies are doing lots of things to make their stores more attractive to women, so that women will buy more products from their stores. A number of automobile companies are actually, and this is according to "Business Week," are adding women's magazines to their show rooms.

So, they're trying to make the whole concept around purchasing their products much more attractive to women. Having said that, we think that this is an extraordinary -- extraordinarily positive gesture to communicate that we know how important we are. We want to empower women to then say how important could we be in the corporate suites of these companies?

KAGAN: Oh, we're important, all right. There is no debate about that.

(LAUGHTER)

KAGAN: We are important. Janet Hanson, thank you...

HANSON: Thank you.

KAGAN: ... for stopping by and talking about your idea for a Buycott, which is today. Thank you.

See, he's new and he already gets it.

(LAUGHTER)

KAGAN: Your wife, I just have to say, your wife has trained you so well.

SANCHEZ: Yes. And she doesn't spend any money at all.

The hunt is on for one expensive pooch. Coming up later, you're not going to believe the bounty on this Pomeranian's head.

KAGAN: He's missing too.

SANCHEZ: Fun to say.

KAGAN: Yes. But first, hanging chads, computer glitches. There are only two weeks left to get it right. Up next, how safe is your ballot?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: Welcome back. I'm Daryn Kagan.

SANCHEZ: And I'm Rick Sanchez. And here's the news.

The presidential election is now just two weeks away from today, in fact. And the candidates are blitzing the showdown states that could prove decisive. Today, Democratic nominee, John Kerry is in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania and Dayton, Ohio. He then travels to Waterloo, Iowa.

President Bush is campaigning in Florida today. The state that ushered him into office four years ago could be decisive in this year's election as well. Mr. Bush addressed a rally at St. Petersburg last hour and appears later this morning in New Port Richey. Then he travels on to villages near Ocala before returning tonight to the White House.

Forty-seven million Americans will see a slump -- slight bump in their Social Security checks next year. But it won't stay in the pockets long. Earlier this morning, the Social Security Administration announced a cost of living adjustment of about $25 a month. Nearly half of that will likely be eaten up by a hike in Medicare premiums.

California is bracing for another powerful storm today from one end of the state to the other. Rains and 40-mile-and-hour winds are expected to lash Northern California. Southern California is under a flash flood warning. More than 10 inches of snow is expected in the higher elevations of northern Sierra and Yosemite areas, as well.

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 19, 2004 - 10:00   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
RICK SANCHEZ, CNN CO-ANCHOR: All right. Here we go. Here's the news.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN CO-ANCHOR: Taking a look at what is happening now in the news. British authorities today filed 16 charges, including 10 counts of soliciting murder, against Abu Hamza al-Masri. The hard line Muslim cleric has been held in a London prison since his arrest two months ago. Abu Hamza has also been indicted here in the U.S. A hearing on his extradition is now postponed. The case in Britain will be prosecuted first.

And Myanmar's military regime has forced its prime minister out of office. That word today from officials in Thailand. Myanmar, formerly known as Burma borders Thailand. Khin Nyunt, a relative moderate in that junta was placed under house arrest.

In Afghanistan, an early tally of the historic October 9 vote shows Hamid Karzai with a commanding lead. In fact, with one fourth of the ballots now counted, the interim leader may win the presidency without a runoff. For that Karzai would need a simple majority of the 8 million votes cast.

Late game heroics capped the baseball playoffs in the American League. Boston beat New York 5 to 4 in 14 innings. The Red Sox victory sends the series back to New York with the Yankees up three games to two. And let's not forget the National League. Houston's Jeff Kent hit a three-run homer in the ninth inning to give the Astros a 3-0 win and a 3 to 2 series edge.

SANCHEZ: Hence forth to be called the short game.

KAGAN: Yes.

(LAUGHTER)

SANCHEZ: As opposed to the long game.

We begin this hour with politics.

KAGAN: First tell me you did not stay up for that baseball game.

SANCHEZ: I did.

KAGAN: You did. The entire 5 hours and 49 minutes?

SANCHEZ: Right at 11:00 I was ready to turn it off and go to bed but that's when they did it. The little bloop single turned it all around.

KAGAN: Sucked it in.

SANCHEZ: Oh, boy.

KAGAN: Longest game in NLCS (sic) history. We'll talk more on that, but now the other sport, presidential politics.

SANCHEZ: Presidential politics is definitely a sport these days. In fact, that presidential race has now become a sprint to the finish, with both candidates blitzing battleground states today. Right now President Bush, he's in Florida the state that decided all four years ago in the end. He begins with a rally in St. Petersburg and then he travels to New Port Richey, the villages near Ocala.

For the very latest on the push campaign, let's check in with White House correspondent Suzanne Malveaux. She's in St. Pete.

Good morning, Suzanne.

SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Rick. Well, actually President Bush just wrapped up his speech just a minute ago here. Two of the three stops, interesting enough, he lost back in 2000. Those counties, they are trying to make up for lost ground.

The central theme here, the strategy of the Bush campaign now is really to try to capitalize off of what some polls are showing a 20- point lead for the president over Kerry, when it comes to fighting the war on terror. You're going to hear those lines over and over. So, new attack lines on Kerry talking about making the case that he is inconsistent when it comes to Iraq. That he is weak when it comes to fighting the war on terror.

We saw earlier today that the president was introduced by an Iraq War veteran. Also, with the president, of course, is the Florida Governor Jeb Bush, his brother and his other brother, Marvin.

What is interesting to note, Rick, as well, is that the president is answering to some of those issues Kerry has been bringing up over the last couple of days that seems to have resonated with voters. We're talking about the issues of the debate over a possible draft, and also the future of Social Security.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH (R), PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We will keep the promise of Social Security for all our seniors.

(CHEERING)

BUSH: We will not have a draft. We'll keep the all-volunteer Army.

(CHEERING)

BUSH: With your help on November 2, the people of America will reject the politics of fear, and vote for an agenda of hope.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: And Rick, what is telling about those issues is really it speaks to those groups that are emerging as those critical voting blocks. We are talking about the youth vote when it comes to that debate over the draft, as well as women. And of course, what is critical to seniors is the idea of Social Security, as well as healthcare -- Rick.

SANCHEZ: I'm wondering, Suzanne, if the president's handlers are as befuddled as the rest of us and the rest of America, when it comes to the polls that come out every day that seem to be, boy, going in one direction one day and another direction the next?

MALVEAUX: Well, the Bush campaign tries not to take those polls too seriously. But you can bet that they are watching them very closely. They seem to fluctuate on a daily basis and some Bush aides concede that this is a much closer race than they had thought.

And what they are doing now, in the next couple of weeks, is that they are really just trying to get the vote out effort here. And they have sent out an urgent e-mail today to their supporters, saying look, if you go to the polls, take two people with you. They think that is how they are going to win this election this time around.

SANCHEZ: Suzanne Malveaux with the president's campaign there in Florida. We thank you so much, Suzanne.

Now, Bush running mate Dick Cheney is in Ohio on this day. It's a showdown state, where he's taking part in three campaign events. They began last hour with a town hall meeting that was in Carroll, Ohio. The vice president then travels on to a rally in Xenia and a roundtable discussion after that in Cincinnati.

KAGAN: Challenger John Kerry is also focusing on the nation's so-called Rust Belt and he's hammering on economic problems. Kerry has an afternoon event in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania before he, too, visits Ohio and then he travels west to Iowa.

With a preview of the candidate's message, here's CNN national correspondent Kelly Wallace. She is in Wilkes-Barre.

Kelly, good morning.

KELLY WALLACE, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Daryn. Even though Senator Kerry will be talking a bit about domestic issues, including Social Security, part of his strategy is also trying to narrow the gap with the president on the issue of terrorism.

And with that in mind, the Kerry campaign releasing two new ads today. One which the Kerry campaign is talking about what it calls "The Mess in Iraq." The other ad which you'll see now, featuring a woman whose life was forever changed on September 11.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) KRISTEN BREITWEIER, 9/11 WIDOW: My husband Ron was killed on September 11.

WALLACE (voice-over): The ad features Kristen Breitwiser, one of the most vocal and politically active of the September 11 widows.

BREITWEIER: I fought for the 9/11 Commission, something George W. Bush, the man my husband Ron and I voted for, didn't think was necessary.

WALLACE: The appeal, a senior Kerry adviser says, could help with women voters, and narrow the president's lead in the polls on the handling of the war on terror.

BREITWEIER: I want to look in my daughter's eyes and know that she is safe. And that is why I am voting for John Kerry.

SEN. JOHN KERRY (D-MA), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: We are here to make a change.

WALLACE: Team Kerry believes the question, who can keep the U.S. safer could decide the election. And so, in the swing areas of central Florida yesterday, this from Senator Kerry.

KERRY: The bottom line, Mr. President, is that your mismanagement of the war has, in fact, made Iraq and America less safe and less secure.

WALLACE: That, after the president in a speech said the senator's changing positions would lead to defeat in the war on terror. Kerry's advisers called the attack the most critical yet. One they said they won't let stand.

KERRY: Their whole strategy is to divert your attention and try to get you to think that these are such scary times that the only guy who can get you safe is the guy who got you into this mess in this first place.

WALLACE: Florida yesterday. Pennsylvania today. The senator's 20 visit since Super Tuesday. His target, eastern Pennsylvania near Scranton, Al Gore won this area by more than eight points in 2000.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(on camera): And as we've been saying, Senator Kerry coming to Pennsylvania from Florida, and then from here he goes to Ohio. Our "Morning Grind" on cnn.com, noting that this means within 12 hours, Senator Kerry will have been in the three, key battleground states. Political observers think whoever wins two out of three of these states will become the next president of the United States -- Daryn.

KAGAN: And we'll be tracking it. Kelly Wallace in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania.

Well, Kerry running mate John Edwards is also promising "A Fresh Start for America." That's the campaign title given to the town hall meeting held last hour in Windham, New Hampshire. Edwards travels later today to Minnesota and Wisconsin. He then follows in the footsteps of Vice President Dick Cheney and Kerry. And he will visit Ohio, where he will spend the night.

As the election draws closer the race appeared deadlocked. According to the latest "New York Times"/CBS News poll, both Kerry and Bush are in a statistical tie among registered voters. Bush has a one-percentage point lead among likely voters. But that is within the margin of error. A comprehensive overview of five post debate polls shows the Bush campaign having a bit more breathing room. It shows Bush with a four-percentage point lead just beyond the margin of error.

SANCHEZ: Here's a controversy we've been following. A media company that plans to air an anti-Kerry program on its 62 television stations has fired its Washington bureau chief one day after he publicly voiced his opposition to it. Jon Lieberman says the Sinclair Broadcast Group is well within its right to air the program. But he says it's deceiving the public by presenting the broadcast as a news item, when it really should be an editorial.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOHN LIEBERMAN, D.C. BUREAU CHIEF, SINCLAIR BROADCAST: I feel so strongly that our credibility was at issue here. And at the end of the day, I don't think this is about being on the right or being on the left. I think it's about right and wrong in news. And I just -- I couldn't be part of this special where we labeled this as news when clearly, what it is, is political propaganda.

It's part of a documentary. We can't validate the facts. Of course, we can't. So, I was fine if the company wanted to run it, again, as an editorial or as commentary. But just don't call it news because that's how we erode the public trust.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANCHEZ: Lieberman admits that he violated company policy by going public with his concerns. But he says he was more concerned with the public interest. Sinclair says Lieberman is a disgruntled employee.

KAGAN: It is two weeks and counting, and the voter fraud claims are mounting.

SANCHEZ: Still to come, a look at how a few Floridians say they have already been cheated out of their opportunity to vote.

KAGAN: Plus, things may look a little bit one-sided in the mall today. Why one group is calling for women to take an economic stand.

SANCHEZ: But first a familiar scene in Iraq. More mortar attacks? We're going to take you there live when CNN LIVE TODAY returns.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) SANCHEZ: And welcome back to CNN. I'm Rick Sanchez.

There has been a peculiar kidnapping according to many in Iraq. It involves a woman named Margaret Hassan. What's interesting about Miss Hassan is that she's been living in Iraq for some 30 years and actually has dual citizenship. Most would classify her as much of a peace activist if anything else.

Let's go to CNN's Karl Penhaul. He's in Baghdad with more on that story.

What's being said about this situation this morning there -- Karl?

KARL PENHAUL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Margaret Hassan, we're told by CARE International, was kidnapped in Baghdad this morning. As you say, she's a longtime resident in Iraq. More than 30 years of her life, in fact, she's dedicated to humanitarian aid work here in Iraq. She has dual Iraqi/British citizenship.

CARE International hasn't given too many more details at this stage about the circumstances of the kidnapping. They don't want to raise too much the profile of this, hoping that things can be sorted out satisfactorily here. But at the same time, they do say -- they have said in a statement that they believe that Hassan currently is well.

We are also aware of some video that has been aired on the al Jazeera TV station. That shows Margaret Hassan sitting in a room. It also shows some shots of her identification papers. It doesn't identify who the kidnappers may be, though -- Rick.

SANCHEZ: There's also another mortar attack, we understand, that happened overnight. What can you tell us, Karl, about that?

PENHAUL: Pretty substantial mortar attack this morning, in fact, about 20 miles north of Baghdad on an Iraqi National Guard base. Multiple mortar rounds slammed into that base. And so far, the Iraqi Defense Ministry tells us that eight -- that four, sorry, Iraqi National Guardsmen were killed and 80 others were wounded. The wounded were ferried out of that base by U.S. Black Hawk helicopters -- Rick.

SANCHEZ: Karl Penhaul reporting to us there from Baghdad.

Keep well, Karl. Thanks for that report.

One final story from Iraq; U.S. warplanes bombed suspected terrorist safe houses and weapons storage sites. This was in Falluja overnight. U.S. military officials say the recent air strikes have killed senior leaders within Abu Musab al-Zarqawi's group. And these latest attacks targeted people who replaced those leaders.

KAGAN: The world's top diplomat says that the international community needs to stop squabbling over the international divisions before the war in Iraq. Kofi Annan, the United Nations secretary- General, says the world community needs to come together to assure the country of a better future.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KOFI ANNAN, SECRETARY-GENERAL, UNITED NATIONS: Today we are all focused on Iraq. And I think what is important is that as an international community, we all have an interest in stability of Iraq. Regardless of where we stood before the war, or what we think about the reasons for the war, I think all our efforts should go into stabilizing Iraq, and helping the Iraqis take charge of their own destiny.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAGAN: Annan also says that Iraq appears on track for January elections and vows to speak out if he sees that mission going astray.

SANCHEZ: I know, it's interesting; we're constantly seeing these stories out of Baghdad and Iraq from reporters. What would it be like though, if the people who live in Iraq could tell their own stories?

KAGAN: Funny you should ask that?

(LAUGHTER)

SANCHEZ: We're putting something together for you on that. It's the cradle of civilization. It's been through so much turmoil and destruction.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): The Americans came and made us leave our house. We walked from Falluja to Baghdad.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANCHEZ: We're going to talk to the producers of this new film that explores, well, everyday life for the Iraqi people.

KAGAN: But first, the ladies are asked to shy away from the shopping malls today. Will it make an economic impact? We'll talk to the woman behind a nationwide Buycott, coming up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: Well, it's an effort to show the disparity between women's purchasing power and their clout in the business world, a shopping ban has been called for today.

Janet Hanson is one of the organizers of Buycott and she joins us from New York.

Good morning.

JANET HANSON, BUYCOTT ORGANIZER: Good morning.

KAGAN: Tell me exactly what you're -- the point you're trying to make by encouraging us women to stay out of the stores today.

HANSON: Well, I think it's obvious that the U.S. economy is becoming increasingly female driven. In the U.S., women account for $3.3 trillion in annual consumer spending. They buy roughly two out of three -- make roughly two out of three automobile purchases, and control over half of the personal wealth in this country. Yet, even today, there are only eight women CEOs in the Fortune 500. And women occupy only 13.6 percent of all board seats of corporate America.

KAGAN: OK, Janet, here's the thing. I mean you're not telling us, as you said it's obvious. We know who's spending the money out there. And it is the women. And people who run these corporations, they need to know that, too. So, how does just staying home one day encourage more women executives to be hired and promoted?

HANSON: I think it's very much a symbolic gesture. For women, the point that we're trying to communicate to corporate America is that we don't buy it. We don't buy the glacial pace of change for women, you know, in the United States. And we're hoping to send a very positive message to corporate CEOs across the United States that if we are that important to their profitability and their bottom line, that we are hoping to encourage them to add more women to their executive suites and board rooms.

KAGAN: Some critics are saying if all women stay home and don't shop today, you're also going to hurt some women-owned businesses.

HANSON: Well, I must tell you as a woman business owner myself, I really am thrilled to have a day where I can be very thoughtful around how it feels not to buy anything. And we're talking about nonessential goods. And I think it's very important that women really are aware. We're really trying to raise awareness around what women's enormous economic clout really is in this country.

KAGAN: Sometimes when you bring up issues like -- not you, but when these kinds of issues are brought up, people get a little bit sensitive. And there can be a lot of negative feedback on that. Thinking of, you know, what happened with the Masters when there was the debate about whether women should be in Augusta Nationals, saying that not enough male executives have access to that club. The on slot can be pretty tough. Are you ready for that?

HANSON: I think -- well, first of all we think that the message is incredibly positive. Corporations again, across America, are realizing how important women really are to their profitability. For instance, a number of the big home improvement companies are doing lots of things to make their stores more attractive to women, so that women will buy more products from their stores. A number of automobile companies are actually, and this is according to "Business Week," are adding women's magazines to their show rooms.

So, they're trying to make the whole concept around purchasing their products much more attractive to women. Having said that, we think that this is an extraordinary -- extraordinarily positive gesture to communicate that we know how important we are. We want to empower women to then say how important could we be in the corporate suites of these companies?

KAGAN: Oh, we're important, all right. There is no debate about that.

(LAUGHTER)

KAGAN: We are important. Janet Hanson, thank you...

HANSON: Thank you.

KAGAN: ... for stopping by and talking about your idea for a Buycott, which is today. Thank you.

See, he's new and he already gets it.

(LAUGHTER)

KAGAN: Your wife, I just have to say, your wife has trained you so well.

SANCHEZ: Yes. And she doesn't spend any money at all.

The hunt is on for one expensive pooch. Coming up later, you're not going to believe the bounty on this Pomeranian's head.

KAGAN: He's missing too.

SANCHEZ: Fun to say.

KAGAN: Yes. But first, hanging chads, computer glitches. There are only two weeks left to get it right. Up next, how safe is your ballot?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: Welcome back. I'm Daryn Kagan.

SANCHEZ: And I'm Rick Sanchez. And here's the news.

The presidential election is now just two weeks away from today, in fact. And the candidates are blitzing the showdown states that could prove decisive. Today, Democratic nominee, John Kerry is in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania and Dayton, Ohio. He then travels to Waterloo, Iowa.

President Bush is campaigning in Florida today. The state that ushered him into office four years ago could be decisive in this year's election as well. Mr. Bush addressed a rally at St. Petersburg last hour and appears later this morning in New Port Richey. Then he travels on to villages near Ocala before returning tonight to the White House.

Forty-seven million Americans will see a slump -- slight bump in their Social Security checks next year. But it won't stay in the pockets long. Earlier this morning, the Social Security Administration announced a cost of living adjustment of about $25 a month. Nearly half of that will likely be eaten up by a hike in Medicare premiums.

California is bracing for another powerful storm today from one end of the state to the other. Rains and 40-mile-and-hour winds are expected to lash Northern California. Southern California is under a flash flood warning. More than 10 inches of snow is expected in the higher elevations of northern Sierra and Yosemite areas, as well.

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