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CNN Live Today
Bush and Kerry Continue Stinging Exchange on Missing Weapons; News Crew Tape Shows Weapons Looted After U.S. Troops Arrived; Yasser Arafat Arrives In Paris For Medical Treatment
Aired October 29, 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: Here's what's happening right now in the news.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN CO-ANCHOR: Speaking of next week, just four days to go, four stops to make. The president will visit two states today with two rallies in each. President Bush will be in Manchester and Portsmouth, New Hampshire before heading to Toledo and Columbus, Ohio. The latest on the president's travels coming up in just a couple of minutes.
Certainly not to be outdone in this tight race, Senator John Kerry is barnstorming Florida today. In about 45 minutes, Senator Kerry is scheduled to hold a rally in Orlando. Later, he'll stump in West Palm Beach and Miami before flying back to Wisconsin to spend the night. More from the Kerry campaign trail, also straight ahead.
Yasser Arafat is in Paris at this hour. The ailing Palestinian leader was taken there for diagnosis and treatment of a blood disorder. Arafat suffers from a blood platelet deficiency and doctors will perform tests to determine its cause. Much more in a live report from Paris in about 15 minutes.
And new video suggesting that 360 tons of explosives missing in Iraq were not moved prior to the U.S.-led invasion. Video shot by an American television crew following along with the U.S. Army shows the Army entering the bunkers at al Qaqaa and finding barrels filled with powdered explosives. The Pentagon has suggested the missing explosives may have been moved before U.S. troops got there in April 2003. More on this story is also ahead.
And a good Friday morning to you. I'm Daryn Kagan.
SANCHEZ: And I'm Rick Sanchez. And we're down to one long weekend. The final four days of this campaign. And the candidates, they are making a final push to rally their bases and sway the dwindling number of undecided voters. President Bush has two appearances each in New Hampshire and Ohio today.
CNN's Suzanne Malveaux is joining us from the president's first stop that's in Manchester.
Good morning, Suzanne.
SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, good morning. As a matter of fact, this is really only the president's seventh visit here to New Hampshire this year. But it shows this last-minute trip really just how important this state has become, critical in those four electoral votes to President Bush's win. Bush aides tell us that today the president, wrapping up his final week of campaigning, is really going to deliver a personal message. Talking about how he and the American people have faced many challenges together over the last four years.
And as his top political adviser Karl Rove told me earlier in the week, he says the winner of this race is going to be determined by the character of that candidate, not by the headlines.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(CHEERING)
MALVEAUX (voice-over): A new theme song, confetti, fireworks. All images of a man who has already won. But also signs of worry in the Bush camp. The president adding some sting to his rhetoric against Senator John Kerry for blaming him for the missing explosives in Iraq.
GEORGE W. BUSH (R), PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Senator Kerry will say anything to get elected.
(BOOING)
BUSH: The senator's willingness to trade principle for political convenience makes it clear that John Kerry is the wrong man, for the wrong job, at the wrong time.
(CHEERING)
MALVEAUX: The Bush campaign used retired U.S. Forces commander Tommy Franks and a new TV ad to emphasize the point.
(BEGIN BUSH-CHENEY AD CLIP)
NARRATOR: Just when you thought there was a limit on what John Kerry would say.
(END BUSH-CHENEY AD CLIP)
MALVEAUX: But later in the day, the Bush campaign was forced to acknowledge a misrepresentation in its closing ad titled "Whatever it Takes." The ad had been doctored. Soldiers depicted listening to the president speak, were electronically copied to fill the audience. Campaign officials said it was not intended to deceive.
Now, in the final days of the campaign, both camps are enlisting their biggest stars to attract voters and help portray their guy as the winner. Mr. Bush will kick off the weekend with the man some consider the Republicans' biggest rock star, California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. The two will appear to together at a rally in Columbus, Ohio.
(END VIDEOTAPE) MALVEAUX: And of course, Rick, considered another rock star is World Series pitcher Curt Schilling. Of course, he was the one who was supposed to actually introduce the president this morning. It was yesterday, ironically it's a Republican from Kerry's hometown who said in an interview that he was supporting Bush, and asked others to go out and vote for the president.
But his doctor says that he is not allowed to travel. As you know, he played on that injured tendon. He's going to have surgery later on, of course. So the Bush campaign a little bit disappointed. But also, of course, very appreciative of that last-minute endorsement -- Rick.
SANCHEZ: Suzanne Malveaux following the president. We thank you. We'll get back to you.
Daryn, over to you.
KAGAN: Well, John Kerry's going to keep it in a single state today but it is a critical one. The senator has three stops in Florida beginning in Orlando later this hour.
Our Kelly Wallace on the campaign trail, grateful to get to a warmer state for at least for the day.
Kelly, good morning.
KELLY WALLACE, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Daryn. We're not minding three stops in the Sunshine State in one day.
The senator, though, getting some help getting out the vote. He will be with Bruce Springsteen yet again at a rally later in Miami. Also, former President Clinton in Nevada today and the senator's daughter Alexandra in Hawaii, which has suddenly become a surprising new battleground in this race. But while all that is going on, the senator still facing a bit of a challenge, and that is making the case that it's time for change.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
WALLACE (voice-over): Politics 101, big names draw big crowds, and big crowds could energize supporters in a campaign's final days. So enter Bruce Springsteen, before tens of thousands first in Wisconsin, later Ohio, singing his "No Surrender," which just so happens to be Camp Kerry's theme song.
Senator Kerry, fired up by Bruce and the Boston Red Sox, now trying to seal the deal with those undecided voters, who despite all they have heard, still haven't gotten behind him.
SEN. JOHN KERRY (D-MA), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: We can do better than we're doing today in America.
(CHEERING)
WALLACE: As the campaign believing daily attacks over those missing explosives in Iraq are working.
KERRY: Now George Bush's shifting explanations, an effort to blame everybody except themselves is evidence that he believes the buck stops anywhere but with the president.
WALLACE: In one of his final television ads, now running across Florida, according to the Kerry campaign...
(BEGIN KERRY-EDWARDS AD CLIP)
KERRY: If you believe we need a fresh start in Iraq...
(END KERRY-EDWARDS AD CLIP)
WALLACE: Senator Kerry trying to make the election a referendum on the president's record, with President Bush trying to make it all about his opponent.
The senator starts today in swing vote, rich Orlando, before making his way to West Palm Beach, and Miami to rally the Democratic base with Florida and the other battlegrounds likely to be decided by the campaign that does a better job turning out the vote. And so, in these final days, a specific plea.
KERRY: I want to get the job done. I want you to give me a chance, please.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WALLACE: And a senior Kerry adviser saying the campaign feeling good; that this team feels it has what a campaign wants to have in the final days. And that is momentum. At the same time, Daryn, there is still a great deal of caution coming from Kerry's advisers because they still have not seen the polls swing significantly out, putting Senator Kerry out front -- Daryn.
KAGAN: Kelly Wallace from Florida. Thank you.
SANCHEZ: Remember those absentee ballots that we told you about Thursday? Now election officials in Florida are scrambling. Literally scrambling to try and mail out new ones. Up to 14,000 ballots are due to go out today to Broward County residents who requested them weeks ago, but never got them. The "Miami Herald" reports today the vast majority of those ballots would have gone to Democrats.
The county is blaming the post office. But officials there say they did nothing wrong. Law enforcement officials say they found no illegal activity.
"CNN'S PAULA ZAHN" now goes on location on election eve to Florida. Tune in Monday for a town hall meeting in the undecided vote. That's at 8:00 p.m. Eastern.
Four days now to CNN's special election night coverage, live from the NASDAQ market site in New York City. Our coverage includes real- time election results on 96 screens simultaneously. We are going to track the exit polls, the voting, and report on any voting irregularities and legal challenges, as well. We will also have dozens of reporters coast to coast going all night long, as long as the latest information reactions continues to come in.
KAGAN: Yes. Let's get our own promo in here. You and I, we'll be on all night. We'll be overnight anchors.
SANCHEZ: Working a little extra hours, yes.
KAGAN: Absolutely. Stay up with Rick and me here. See that, we put in our own promo.
SANCHEZ: Bring doughnuts and coffee, though.
KAGAN: Absolutely. Appreciate the company.
There are new developments in the case of those missing explosives in Iraq. As CNN's senior Pentagon correspondent Jamie McIntyre reports, pictures taken before and after the U.S. U.S.-led invasion are adding to the mystery.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JAIME MCINTYRE, CNN SR. PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The Pentagon's argument that the stockpile of powerful HMX explosives were likely long gone from the al Qaqaa facility, when U.S. troops arrive in April of 2003, was seriously undercut by this video, shot by Minneapolis television station KSTP.
Reporter Dean Staley was embedded with soldiers from the 101 Airborne Division when they entered a locked bunker at the Qaqaa facility on April 18, 2003. Nearly a month into the war. But to get in, they cut what now appears to be an International Atomic Energy Agency seal.
DEAN STALEY, KSTP CORRESPONDENT: We thought it might have been some sort of booby trap, because it was such a thin wire. But we broke the lock and broke that wire to get in.
MCINTYRE: That IAEA seal, arms experts tell CNN, is the strongest evidence yet that at least some of the missing explosives were inside, because HMX was the only material placed under seal at al Qaqaa. And the reporter says the troops he was with were on an unofficial mission, just looking around. They were not searching for, or securing any material. There was, he said, nothing to stop anyone from looting.
STALEY: And some of the bunkers weren't even locked. We had to break a couple padlocks to get into some of them. Others we did not. They were wide open. We also saw Iraqis at the time driving around in a pickup truck, an old beat up pickup truck, clearly scavenging. I mean clearly sort of looking around. And we kept an eye on them because this was sort of no man's land.
MCINTYRE: The revelation came on a day when the Pentagon released this satellite photograph taken on March 17, 2003, a few days before the war began. It shows a truck and heavy equipment transporter outside one bunker that is not believed to have contained HMX. But the Pentagon admits the photograph is inconclusive, showing only there was activity at the site, and not that any explosives were moved.
Still, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, in a series of radio interviews, repeated the Pentagon's contention, that it's unlikely the stockpile could have been looted after the U.S. got there.
DONALD RUMSFELD, DEFENSE SECRETARY: We had total control of the air. We would have seen anything like that. And so the idea that it was suddenly looted and moved out all of these tons of equipment is, I think, at least debatable. And it's very likely that just as the United States would do, that Saddam Hussein moved the munitions when he knew the war was coming.
McIntyre (on camera): The Pentagon says the video is just another piece in the puzzle, as it tries to reconstruct to what happened to what the IAEA now says is more than 360 tons, not 380 tons of missing high explosives. Still unclear is whether any was stolen, or successfully destroyed by U.S. troops.
Jamie McIntyre, CNN the Pentagon.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KAGAN: Former weapons inspector David Kay spoke earlier on CNN's "AMERICAN MORNING." He says he believes the new footage suggests the material was kept sealed until American forces arrived. And he believes the site does appear to have been looted.
SANCHEZ: Oil services giant, Halliburton is in the news once again today. The FBI has begun an inquiry into allegations that one of the company's subsidiaries unfairly won no-bid contracts in Iraq worth billions of dollars. The FBI has formally requested an interview with one of the officials from the Army Corps of Engineers who first brought out the charges weeks ago.
The source says there is no federal investigation, though, at this point at the White House or the vice president who ran Halliburton before he became vice president.
KAGAN: Well, here's an interesting change -- transition for you, from ballet to the throne. Still to come, one Cambodian heir hangs up his dancing shoes for robes, swords and a golden litter.
SANCHEZ: Also, how accurate are the predictions? One man says he's got a foolproof method to determine who will become the next president.
KAGAN: And for the first time in years, Yasser Arafat leaves his compound. We'll go live to Paris where he arrived just hours ago for medical treatment.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK) KAGAN: To world news now. Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat has arrived in France where he will receive treatment for what is believed to be a blood disorder.
CNN's Paula Hancocks is in Paris with the latest -- Paula.
PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Daryn. Well, Yasser Arafat is, in fact, inside the military hospital you can see behind me right now. We're also having some statement statements being read out by Layla Shahid, who's a long-standing Palestinian representative here in Paris, hopefully giving us a little bit more news.
There's been very little news coming out this afternoon. But a confirmation that he did arrive, yes, Arafat arriving at around about 10 past 2:00 local time by helicopter. He was greeted from that helicopter by his wife, and also by many doctors who put him onto a stretcher and then took him inside to the military hospital.
Now this is a site just west of Paris, very close to the military airport where he flew into. President Jacques Chirac of France had authorized a plane to pick him up from Jordan and bring him here. Very good relations they have the French Authorities with the Palestinian Authorities.
Jacques Chirac made some statements a little earlier on today, as well, from Rome, saying that it was a difficult situation when he heard about Yasser Arafat's condition. But it wasn't a difficult situation deciding that he could be treated here.
Also, back in June, Jacques Chirac actually sent his foreign minister over to the Ramallah compound for Yasser Arafat to show a sign of solidarity, and to show that he believed the presidency was legitimate. Very different to the way the United States and Israel feel. They feel that Yasser Arafat is not a legitimate partner and a true partner for peace.
So for the moment, Daryn, the latest we know is Yasser Arafat is inside. He's believed to be undergoing tests because his physician did say that he does have a blood disorder. They are trying to find out why he has been so ill for the last 15 days --Daryn.
KAGAN: But in terms of any medical update in terms of exactly what's wrong with him, I guess we'll have to wait till those tests come back?
HANCOCKS: That's right. It is a military hospital, so inevitably they are going to be very tight lipped. Usually they will only treat people from the Armed Forces. It's quite unusual for them to have civilians. But obviously a high profile civilian like Yasser Arafat they're going to make concessions for. It's a very secure area, as well. So that's obviously a consideration.
One spokesman earlier did say that they had the equipment to undertake any emergency medical instigations. Anything they needed to. But he would not venture a guess on what the treatments would be. All we know is his physician has said he has a blood disorder. They are trying to find out the cause of that. His physician does believe that if they find out the cause it might be easy to treat. But there are a lot of other doctors that have seen Yasser Arafat who are not that optimistic, Daryn.
KAGAN: Paula Hancocks from Paris, thank you.
SANCHEZ: Let's check now on some of the other stories making news around the world.
Norodom Sihamoni, he was crowned today as Cambodia's new king. A panel of political and religious leaders chose Sihamoni to replace his ailing father. The new king is 52 years old and a former ballet dancer.
In southern Thailand, two bombs exploded in a market today, 20 people were wounded. Most of them police officers. More than 400 people have been killed in the attacks this year in the Muslim dominated southern region of the country.
And the leaders of 25 countries outside the European Union's first constitution. The treaty is expected to take effect in two years after being ratified by the individual nations. The constitution is designed to speed up the E.U.'s decision-making processes.
KAGAN: Well, we've been thinking about who will win the White House on Tuesday. We've heard from analysts and from experts. They've all chimed in.
SANCHEZ: Indeed they have. And now so has this man. You may recognize him. The only difference, he's been right the last several times. His win-win formula is coming up.
KAGAN: Plus our Gerri Willis joins us with some Halloween home tips.
Hello.
GERRI WILLIS, CNN-FN PERSONAL FINANCE EDITOR: Hey, guys. There are creepy things crawling around your house. We're going to tell more about this house of horrors when CNN LIVE TODAY continues.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SANCHEZ: Well, with Halloween coming up this weekend, we thought we'd take a look at some household horrors that can strike fear into the heart of just about any homeowner. This is the type of, well, it's the type of scary secret that may lurk in the recesses, in fact, of your own home.
CNN personal finance editor Gerri Willis has today's ghoulish "Top Five Tips."
And we begin with like what? Bed bugs?
WILLIS: We begin with don't let the vampires bite, Rick. SANCHEZ: Ugh!
WILLIS: Naturally bed bugs suck your blood. You may not realize this. But they're pretty darn common. People are getting them when they travel. They travel in the cuffs of your pants and in your suitcases, then you bring them home. And not only do they live in your bed, they live in the rugs. They live all over the house. They're annoying. They're ugly.
They look like little lentil beans actually, until they bite you. They turn from brown to red. Pretty dangerous stuff. You definitely want to get somebody in to get rid of them if you have them. So watch out for the bed bugs.
SANCHEZ: How about the eight-legged creatures? Seen plenty of those growing up in Florida.
WILLIS: I bet you have. Well, you probably heard of Black Widow spiders. You know those are poisonous. Well, there's another kind of spider that's poisonous, the Brown Recluse spider. You need to watch out for that too. Now, as you know, these are poisonous. You've really got to be careful if you see one of these things to avoid them.
If you in mind that if you get bitten by a Black Widow spider, you'll start getting night sweats, your eyes will swell up, it will be obvious that you have a problem. Good news here is that only about 4,000 people each year get bitten by one of these spiders. So it's not likely but you've got to keep your eyes peeled.
SANCHEZ: And then there's the creepy critters that make people run, or climb things.
WILLIS: Yes, mice. Don't you just hate mice? Especially when they get inside your house. It's really bad for people who suffer from asthma, because they're droppings increase the problems that asthma sufferers have. You definitely want to keep them out of your house.
One of the best things to do if you're trying to avoid them, check around the perimeter of your house, particularly now before the snow starts to fall. Make sure there aren't any cracks in your foundation, any way for the critters to get in to your house. Seal those up. Keep them out because they're a real pain.
SANCHEZ: Speaking of winter though, those festering molds that develops inside a lot of our houses.
WILLIS: Yes. Mold is a big issue, as you probably well know. And it's mostly about places where in your house where water collects, whether it's in the bathroom, around the shower, around plumbing that's leaking. It's easy enough to keep that water away.
If you have a flood, though, you're going to have to be especially careful, particularly as the fall weather, you know, often brings flooding. So keep your eyes peeled for any creeping mold, and your nose actually will probably tell you before your eyes do that you have it.
SANCHEZ: How about a group on all the ghouls in particular, I guess none in particular, the whole problem that could develop with homes.
(LAUGHTER)
WILLIS: Well, listen to this. Guess what? There's actually a term that real estate agents and experts use for houses that are haunted. They're called "stigmatized houses."
SANCHEZ: Hmm.
WILLIS: Now, this is a house where, you know, somebody dies. Maybe there's a suicide. People don't want to buy it. Even though it might be a perfectly good house it's tough to sell. Do you know that in 20 states, real estate agents have to tell you if there's a problem like that with the house. So it's something you might want to ask about.
And if you want information, more information about this fascinating topic, realtor.org has some information to help you get some experts in if you're afraid your house is haunted.
(LAUGHTER)
SANCHEZ: That's an interesting question to ask a realtor. Has someone died here, by the way?
WILLIS: Right. Exactly.
SANCHEZ: Hey, Gerri Willis, thanks so much. Appreciate it.
WILLIS: You're welcome.
SANCHEZ: All righty.
KAGAN: Go like this. You've got a little festering mold.
SANCHEZ: Oh, stop that. You're out of control.
(LAUGHTER)
KAGAN: All right. Children are often told to look to adults but what happens when kids are right?
SANCHEZ: I thought you were serious.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We need to finance education. We need a new tax reform. Many things this country needs, and I feel like I can branch with, and it's one issue I really do represent.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SANCHEZ: Watch out Mr. Bush. Watch out Senator Kerry. This little guy has his eyes on 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.
KAGAN: Well, OK. No need to wait until Tuesday. One man says he already knows who will become the next president. And he's been correct for the past six elections. We'll take a look at his formula coming up.
SANCHEZ: And then later, agreeing to agree. Fox News' Bill O'Reilly and his former producer say everything is OK now.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
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Aired October 29, 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: Here's what's happening right now in the news.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN CO-ANCHOR: Speaking of next week, just four days to go, four stops to make. The president will visit two states today with two rallies in each. President Bush will be in Manchester and Portsmouth, New Hampshire before heading to Toledo and Columbus, Ohio. The latest on the president's travels coming up in just a couple of minutes.
Certainly not to be outdone in this tight race, Senator John Kerry is barnstorming Florida today. In about 45 minutes, Senator Kerry is scheduled to hold a rally in Orlando. Later, he'll stump in West Palm Beach and Miami before flying back to Wisconsin to spend the night. More from the Kerry campaign trail, also straight ahead.
Yasser Arafat is in Paris at this hour. The ailing Palestinian leader was taken there for diagnosis and treatment of a blood disorder. Arafat suffers from a blood platelet deficiency and doctors will perform tests to determine its cause. Much more in a live report from Paris in about 15 minutes.
And new video suggesting that 360 tons of explosives missing in Iraq were not moved prior to the U.S.-led invasion. Video shot by an American television crew following along with the U.S. Army shows the Army entering the bunkers at al Qaqaa and finding barrels filled with powdered explosives. The Pentagon has suggested the missing explosives may have been moved before U.S. troops got there in April 2003. More on this story is also ahead.
And a good Friday morning to you. I'm Daryn Kagan.
SANCHEZ: And I'm Rick Sanchez. And we're down to one long weekend. The final four days of this campaign. And the candidates, they are making a final push to rally their bases and sway the dwindling number of undecided voters. President Bush has two appearances each in New Hampshire and Ohio today.
CNN's Suzanne Malveaux is joining us from the president's first stop that's in Manchester.
Good morning, Suzanne.
SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, good morning. As a matter of fact, this is really only the president's seventh visit here to New Hampshire this year. But it shows this last-minute trip really just how important this state has become, critical in those four electoral votes to President Bush's win. Bush aides tell us that today the president, wrapping up his final week of campaigning, is really going to deliver a personal message. Talking about how he and the American people have faced many challenges together over the last four years.
And as his top political adviser Karl Rove told me earlier in the week, he says the winner of this race is going to be determined by the character of that candidate, not by the headlines.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(CHEERING)
MALVEAUX (voice-over): A new theme song, confetti, fireworks. All images of a man who has already won. But also signs of worry in the Bush camp. The president adding some sting to his rhetoric against Senator John Kerry for blaming him for the missing explosives in Iraq.
GEORGE W. BUSH (R), PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Senator Kerry will say anything to get elected.
(BOOING)
BUSH: The senator's willingness to trade principle for political convenience makes it clear that John Kerry is the wrong man, for the wrong job, at the wrong time.
(CHEERING)
MALVEAUX: The Bush campaign used retired U.S. Forces commander Tommy Franks and a new TV ad to emphasize the point.
(BEGIN BUSH-CHENEY AD CLIP)
NARRATOR: Just when you thought there was a limit on what John Kerry would say.
(END BUSH-CHENEY AD CLIP)
MALVEAUX: But later in the day, the Bush campaign was forced to acknowledge a misrepresentation in its closing ad titled "Whatever it Takes." The ad had been doctored. Soldiers depicted listening to the president speak, were electronically copied to fill the audience. Campaign officials said it was not intended to deceive.
Now, in the final days of the campaign, both camps are enlisting their biggest stars to attract voters and help portray their guy as the winner. Mr. Bush will kick off the weekend with the man some consider the Republicans' biggest rock star, California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. The two will appear to together at a rally in Columbus, Ohio.
(END VIDEOTAPE) MALVEAUX: And of course, Rick, considered another rock star is World Series pitcher Curt Schilling. Of course, he was the one who was supposed to actually introduce the president this morning. It was yesterday, ironically it's a Republican from Kerry's hometown who said in an interview that he was supporting Bush, and asked others to go out and vote for the president.
But his doctor says that he is not allowed to travel. As you know, he played on that injured tendon. He's going to have surgery later on, of course. So the Bush campaign a little bit disappointed. But also, of course, very appreciative of that last-minute endorsement -- Rick.
SANCHEZ: Suzanne Malveaux following the president. We thank you. We'll get back to you.
Daryn, over to you.
KAGAN: Well, John Kerry's going to keep it in a single state today but it is a critical one. The senator has three stops in Florida beginning in Orlando later this hour.
Our Kelly Wallace on the campaign trail, grateful to get to a warmer state for at least for the day.
Kelly, good morning.
KELLY WALLACE, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Daryn. We're not minding three stops in the Sunshine State in one day.
The senator, though, getting some help getting out the vote. He will be with Bruce Springsteen yet again at a rally later in Miami. Also, former President Clinton in Nevada today and the senator's daughter Alexandra in Hawaii, which has suddenly become a surprising new battleground in this race. But while all that is going on, the senator still facing a bit of a challenge, and that is making the case that it's time for change.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
WALLACE (voice-over): Politics 101, big names draw big crowds, and big crowds could energize supporters in a campaign's final days. So enter Bruce Springsteen, before tens of thousands first in Wisconsin, later Ohio, singing his "No Surrender," which just so happens to be Camp Kerry's theme song.
Senator Kerry, fired up by Bruce and the Boston Red Sox, now trying to seal the deal with those undecided voters, who despite all they have heard, still haven't gotten behind him.
SEN. JOHN KERRY (D-MA), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: We can do better than we're doing today in America.
(CHEERING)
WALLACE: As the campaign believing daily attacks over those missing explosives in Iraq are working.
KERRY: Now George Bush's shifting explanations, an effort to blame everybody except themselves is evidence that he believes the buck stops anywhere but with the president.
WALLACE: In one of his final television ads, now running across Florida, according to the Kerry campaign...
(BEGIN KERRY-EDWARDS AD CLIP)
KERRY: If you believe we need a fresh start in Iraq...
(END KERRY-EDWARDS AD CLIP)
WALLACE: Senator Kerry trying to make the election a referendum on the president's record, with President Bush trying to make it all about his opponent.
The senator starts today in swing vote, rich Orlando, before making his way to West Palm Beach, and Miami to rally the Democratic base with Florida and the other battlegrounds likely to be decided by the campaign that does a better job turning out the vote. And so, in these final days, a specific plea.
KERRY: I want to get the job done. I want you to give me a chance, please.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WALLACE: And a senior Kerry adviser saying the campaign feeling good; that this team feels it has what a campaign wants to have in the final days. And that is momentum. At the same time, Daryn, there is still a great deal of caution coming from Kerry's advisers because they still have not seen the polls swing significantly out, putting Senator Kerry out front -- Daryn.
KAGAN: Kelly Wallace from Florida. Thank you.
SANCHEZ: Remember those absentee ballots that we told you about Thursday? Now election officials in Florida are scrambling. Literally scrambling to try and mail out new ones. Up to 14,000 ballots are due to go out today to Broward County residents who requested them weeks ago, but never got them. The "Miami Herald" reports today the vast majority of those ballots would have gone to Democrats.
The county is blaming the post office. But officials there say they did nothing wrong. Law enforcement officials say they found no illegal activity.
"CNN'S PAULA ZAHN" now goes on location on election eve to Florida. Tune in Monday for a town hall meeting in the undecided vote. That's at 8:00 p.m. Eastern.
Four days now to CNN's special election night coverage, live from the NASDAQ market site in New York City. Our coverage includes real- time election results on 96 screens simultaneously. We are going to track the exit polls, the voting, and report on any voting irregularities and legal challenges, as well. We will also have dozens of reporters coast to coast going all night long, as long as the latest information reactions continues to come in.
KAGAN: Yes. Let's get our own promo in here. You and I, we'll be on all night. We'll be overnight anchors.
SANCHEZ: Working a little extra hours, yes.
KAGAN: Absolutely. Stay up with Rick and me here. See that, we put in our own promo.
SANCHEZ: Bring doughnuts and coffee, though.
KAGAN: Absolutely. Appreciate the company.
There are new developments in the case of those missing explosives in Iraq. As CNN's senior Pentagon correspondent Jamie McIntyre reports, pictures taken before and after the U.S. U.S.-led invasion are adding to the mystery.
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JAIME MCINTYRE, CNN SR. PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The Pentagon's argument that the stockpile of powerful HMX explosives were likely long gone from the al Qaqaa facility, when U.S. troops arrive in April of 2003, was seriously undercut by this video, shot by Minneapolis television station KSTP.
Reporter Dean Staley was embedded with soldiers from the 101 Airborne Division when they entered a locked bunker at the Qaqaa facility on April 18, 2003. Nearly a month into the war. But to get in, they cut what now appears to be an International Atomic Energy Agency seal.
DEAN STALEY, KSTP CORRESPONDENT: We thought it might have been some sort of booby trap, because it was such a thin wire. But we broke the lock and broke that wire to get in.
MCINTYRE: That IAEA seal, arms experts tell CNN, is the strongest evidence yet that at least some of the missing explosives were inside, because HMX was the only material placed under seal at al Qaqaa. And the reporter says the troops he was with were on an unofficial mission, just looking around. They were not searching for, or securing any material. There was, he said, nothing to stop anyone from looting.
STALEY: And some of the bunkers weren't even locked. We had to break a couple padlocks to get into some of them. Others we did not. They were wide open. We also saw Iraqis at the time driving around in a pickup truck, an old beat up pickup truck, clearly scavenging. I mean clearly sort of looking around. And we kept an eye on them because this was sort of no man's land.
MCINTYRE: The revelation came on a day when the Pentagon released this satellite photograph taken on March 17, 2003, a few days before the war began. It shows a truck and heavy equipment transporter outside one bunker that is not believed to have contained HMX. But the Pentagon admits the photograph is inconclusive, showing only there was activity at the site, and not that any explosives were moved.
Still, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, in a series of radio interviews, repeated the Pentagon's contention, that it's unlikely the stockpile could have been looted after the U.S. got there.
DONALD RUMSFELD, DEFENSE SECRETARY: We had total control of the air. We would have seen anything like that. And so the idea that it was suddenly looted and moved out all of these tons of equipment is, I think, at least debatable. And it's very likely that just as the United States would do, that Saddam Hussein moved the munitions when he knew the war was coming.
McIntyre (on camera): The Pentagon says the video is just another piece in the puzzle, as it tries to reconstruct to what happened to what the IAEA now says is more than 360 tons, not 380 tons of missing high explosives. Still unclear is whether any was stolen, or successfully destroyed by U.S. troops.
Jamie McIntyre, CNN the Pentagon.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KAGAN: Former weapons inspector David Kay spoke earlier on CNN's "AMERICAN MORNING." He says he believes the new footage suggests the material was kept sealed until American forces arrived. And he believes the site does appear to have been looted.
SANCHEZ: Oil services giant, Halliburton is in the news once again today. The FBI has begun an inquiry into allegations that one of the company's subsidiaries unfairly won no-bid contracts in Iraq worth billions of dollars. The FBI has formally requested an interview with one of the officials from the Army Corps of Engineers who first brought out the charges weeks ago.
The source says there is no federal investigation, though, at this point at the White House or the vice president who ran Halliburton before he became vice president.
KAGAN: Well, here's an interesting change -- transition for you, from ballet to the throne. Still to come, one Cambodian heir hangs up his dancing shoes for robes, swords and a golden litter.
SANCHEZ: Also, how accurate are the predictions? One man says he's got a foolproof method to determine who will become the next president.
KAGAN: And for the first time in years, Yasser Arafat leaves his compound. We'll go live to Paris where he arrived just hours ago for medical treatment.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK) KAGAN: To world news now. Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat has arrived in France where he will receive treatment for what is believed to be a blood disorder.
CNN's Paula Hancocks is in Paris with the latest -- Paula.
PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Daryn. Well, Yasser Arafat is, in fact, inside the military hospital you can see behind me right now. We're also having some statement statements being read out by Layla Shahid, who's a long-standing Palestinian representative here in Paris, hopefully giving us a little bit more news.
There's been very little news coming out this afternoon. But a confirmation that he did arrive, yes, Arafat arriving at around about 10 past 2:00 local time by helicopter. He was greeted from that helicopter by his wife, and also by many doctors who put him onto a stretcher and then took him inside to the military hospital.
Now this is a site just west of Paris, very close to the military airport where he flew into. President Jacques Chirac of France had authorized a plane to pick him up from Jordan and bring him here. Very good relations they have the French Authorities with the Palestinian Authorities.
Jacques Chirac made some statements a little earlier on today, as well, from Rome, saying that it was a difficult situation when he heard about Yasser Arafat's condition. But it wasn't a difficult situation deciding that he could be treated here.
Also, back in June, Jacques Chirac actually sent his foreign minister over to the Ramallah compound for Yasser Arafat to show a sign of solidarity, and to show that he believed the presidency was legitimate. Very different to the way the United States and Israel feel. They feel that Yasser Arafat is not a legitimate partner and a true partner for peace.
So for the moment, Daryn, the latest we know is Yasser Arafat is inside. He's believed to be undergoing tests because his physician did say that he does have a blood disorder. They are trying to find out why he has been so ill for the last 15 days --Daryn.
KAGAN: But in terms of any medical update in terms of exactly what's wrong with him, I guess we'll have to wait till those tests come back?
HANCOCKS: That's right. It is a military hospital, so inevitably they are going to be very tight lipped. Usually they will only treat people from the Armed Forces. It's quite unusual for them to have civilians. But obviously a high profile civilian like Yasser Arafat they're going to make concessions for. It's a very secure area, as well. So that's obviously a consideration.
One spokesman earlier did say that they had the equipment to undertake any emergency medical instigations. Anything they needed to. But he would not venture a guess on what the treatments would be. All we know is his physician has said he has a blood disorder. They are trying to find out the cause of that. His physician does believe that if they find out the cause it might be easy to treat. But there are a lot of other doctors that have seen Yasser Arafat who are not that optimistic, Daryn.
KAGAN: Paula Hancocks from Paris, thank you.
SANCHEZ: Let's check now on some of the other stories making news around the world.
Norodom Sihamoni, he was crowned today as Cambodia's new king. A panel of political and religious leaders chose Sihamoni to replace his ailing father. The new king is 52 years old and a former ballet dancer.
In southern Thailand, two bombs exploded in a market today, 20 people were wounded. Most of them police officers. More than 400 people have been killed in the attacks this year in the Muslim dominated southern region of the country.
And the leaders of 25 countries outside the European Union's first constitution. The treaty is expected to take effect in two years after being ratified by the individual nations. The constitution is designed to speed up the E.U.'s decision-making processes.
KAGAN: Well, we've been thinking about who will win the White House on Tuesday. We've heard from analysts and from experts. They've all chimed in.
SANCHEZ: Indeed they have. And now so has this man. You may recognize him. The only difference, he's been right the last several times. His win-win formula is coming up.
KAGAN: Plus our Gerri Willis joins us with some Halloween home tips.
Hello.
GERRI WILLIS, CNN-FN PERSONAL FINANCE EDITOR: Hey, guys. There are creepy things crawling around your house. We're going to tell more about this house of horrors when CNN LIVE TODAY continues.
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SANCHEZ: Well, with Halloween coming up this weekend, we thought we'd take a look at some household horrors that can strike fear into the heart of just about any homeowner. This is the type of, well, it's the type of scary secret that may lurk in the recesses, in fact, of your own home.
CNN personal finance editor Gerri Willis has today's ghoulish "Top Five Tips."
And we begin with like what? Bed bugs?
WILLIS: We begin with don't let the vampires bite, Rick. SANCHEZ: Ugh!
WILLIS: Naturally bed bugs suck your blood. You may not realize this. But they're pretty darn common. People are getting them when they travel. They travel in the cuffs of your pants and in your suitcases, then you bring them home. And not only do they live in your bed, they live in the rugs. They live all over the house. They're annoying. They're ugly.
They look like little lentil beans actually, until they bite you. They turn from brown to red. Pretty dangerous stuff. You definitely want to get somebody in to get rid of them if you have them. So watch out for the bed bugs.
SANCHEZ: How about the eight-legged creatures? Seen plenty of those growing up in Florida.
WILLIS: I bet you have. Well, you probably heard of Black Widow spiders. You know those are poisonous. Well, there's another kind of spider that's poisonous, the Brown Recluse spider. You need to watch out for that too. Now, as you know, these are poisonous. You've really got to be careful if you see one of these things to avoid them.
If you in mind that if you get bitten by a Black Widow spider, you'll start getting night sweats, your eyes will swell up, it will be obvious that you have a problem. Good news here is that only about 4,000 people each year get bitten by one of these spiders. So it's not likely but you've got to keep your eyes peeled.
SANCHEZ: And then there's the creepy critters that make people run, or climb things.
WILLIS: Yes, mice. Don't you just hate mice? Especially when they get inside your house. It's really bad for people who suffer from asthma, because they're droppings increase the problems that asthma sufferers have. You definitely want to keep them out of your house.
One of the best things to do if you're trying to avoid them, check around the perimeter of your house, particularly now before the snow starts to fall. Make sure there aren't any cracks in your foundation, any way for the critters to get in to your house. Seal those up. Keep them out because they're a real pain.
SANCHEZ: Speaking of winter though, those festering molds that develops inside a lot of our houses.
WILLIS: Yes. Mold is a big issue, as you probably well know. And it's mostly about places where in your house where water collects, whether it's in the bathroom, around the shower, around plumbing that's leaking. It's easy enough to keep that water away.
If you have a flood, though, you're going to have to be especially careful, particularly as the fall weather, you know, often brings flooding. So keep your eyes peeled for any creeping mold, and your nose actually will probably tell you before your eyes do that you have it.
SANCHEZ: How about a group on all the ghouls in particular, I guess none in particular, the whole problem that could develop with homes.
(LAUGHTER)
WILLIS: Well, listen to this. Guess what? There's actually a term that real estate agents and experts use for houses that are haunted. They're called "stigmatized houses."
SANCHEZ: Hmm.
WILLIS: Now, this is a house where, you know, somebody dies. Maybe there's a suicide. People don't want to buy it. Even though it might be a perfectly good house it's tough to sell. Do you know that in 20 states, real estate agents have to tell you if there's a problem like that with the house. So it's something you might want to ask about.
And if you want information, more information about this fascinating topic, realtor.org has some information to help you get some experts in if you're afraid your house is haunted.
(LAUGHTER)
SANCHEZ: That's an interesting question to ask a realtor. Has someone died here, by the way?
WILLIS: Right. Exactly.
SANCHEZ: Hey, Gerri Willis, thanks so much. Appreciate it.
WILLIS: You're welcome.
SANCHEZ: All righty.
KAGAN: Go like this. You've got a little festering mold.
SANCHEZ: Oh, stop that. You're out of control.
(LAUGHTER)
KAGAN: All right. Children are often told to look to adults but what happens when kids are right?
SANCHEZ: I thought you were serious.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We need to finance education. We need a new tax reform. Many things this country needs, and I feel like I can branch with, and it's one issue I really do represent.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SANCHEZ: Watch out Mr. Bush. Watch out Senator Kerry. This little guy has his eyes on 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.
KAGAN: Well, OK. No need to wait until Tuesday. One man says he already knows who will become the next president. And he's been correct for the past six elections. We'll take a look at his formula coming up.
SANCHEZ: And then later, agreeing to agree. Fox News' Bill O'Reilly and his former producer say everything is OK now.
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