Live Blog from the Anchor Desk 10/01/08
Don’t forget to watch Erica Hill’s webcast during the commercials. LINK TO WEBCAST
And take a look at Anderson and Erica on our live web camera from the 360° studio. We’ll turn the camera on at 945p ET and turn it off at 11p ET. LINK TO THE BLOG CAMERA
Wondering why some comments are posted while others aren’t? Here’s a post that may help: LINK TO COMMENTS POST
We’ll start posting comments at 10p ET and stop at 11p ET.
Evening Buzz: Bailout Vote
Maureen Miller
AC360° Writer
We're just moments away from the Senate vote on the $700 billion plan to rescue America's banks.
The RSVPs were legit. John McCain, Barack Obama and Joe Biden are all on Capitol Hill for the vote.
The bill is expected to pass due to the add-ons – including a temporary raise in the FDIC insurance cap to $250,000 from $100,000.
Senators who approve the updated plan will encourage the House to do the same.
The other chamber is expected to vote on Friday, four days after it rejected the original bill.
But there are some House republicans who are still not happy with the new version.
"While some of the language and the length of this bill may have changed in the last week, it is still the same old bailout for Wall Street with a few extra sweeteners intended to buy off votes," said Sen. Jim Bunning, R-Kentucky. "In the end, this bill still puts the taxpayers on the hook for Wall Street's losses and takes America's free market system down the path toward socialism. I cannot and will not support that", he added.
What do you think of the revised bill?
We'll have the breaking details on the vote tonight on 360 at 10pm ET.
Hope you'll join us.
ON THE RADAR: Thursday
Lisa Ort
360° Producer
Biden and Palin debate…and other stories on our radar:
ON THE TRAIL: Sen. McCain will be in Denver where he’ll attend a town hall meeting. Sen. Obama spends the day in Michigan with rallies in Grand Rapids and East Lansing.
VICE-PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE: The first vice-presidential debate will be held at Washington University in St. Louis. It will be moderated by Gwen Ifill of PBS.
1966 MURDER CASE: A hearing is scheduled for Edward McGee on charges of killing 9-year-old Deborah Ray 42 years ago. Ray and her cousin Phyllis Seibers were killed together in 1966. McGee was convicted of Seiber's murder in 1967 but never tried for Ray's. He was charged with Ray's murder in August 2008, the day he was to be released from prison.
DNC ARRESTS: A mass arraignment is scheduled for the 154 people who were arrested at the Democratic National Convention in August.
O.J. SIMPSON TRIAL: Witness testimony is finished. Jury instructions and closing arguments are expected. The jury could begin deliberating in the afternoon.
O.J. mistrial?
[cnn-photo-caption image=http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2008/images/10/01/oj.eye.jpg]
Paul Vercammen
CNN Senior Producer
The testimony in the O.J. Simpson kidnapping and robbery trial exploded with an 11th hour loud cry for a mistrial from defense lawyers.
Lead detective Andy Caldwell blurted out, "Mrs. (Sabrina) Scotto," (the wife of key defense witness Tom Scotto) was allegedly kicked out of the Simpson preliminary hearing for witness tampering.
Only after a recess and court review, was it determined that Caldwell was talking about Mrs. Scotto and not Mr. Scotto.
Before sorting out the Scotto mess, a visibly angered judge Glass immediately stopped the trial and moved the jury out of the courtroom.
While she denied the motion for a mistrial, Glass firmly admonished Caldwell saying "you put my case in jeopardy with the defense calling for a mistrial."
Glass then warned Caldwell about giving "spontaneous answers."
Simpson lawyer Yale Galanter said he could not "unring the bell" after Caldwell's alleged witness tampering comment before the jury.
What John McCain needs to fix
[cnn-photo-caption image=http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2008/images/10/01/art.mccain.obama.split.jpg]
Editor's note: See John King's full report on shifting polls in key battleground states on AC360° tonight at 10p ET.
John King
CNN Chief National Correspondent
John McCain has a problem with Baby Boomers – and if he doesn't fix it, it's hard to map out a Republican Electoral College victory.
First a national look: two weeks ago, a Pew Research Center poll showed McCain leading Obama 48 percent to 43 percent among voters in the 50 to 64 age group.
But in a new survey released Wednesday, Obama leads among those voters 51 percent to 39 percent.
One poll does not warrant panic.
But some new CNN battleground state polling shows a similar trend – as voters who are closing in on retirement, and who therefore arguably have the most immediately at stake in the financial crisis, trend toward the Democratic candidate.
Erica’s News Note: Clues
Erica Hill
AC360° Correspondent
It’s amazing how people seem to find the money to feed their addictions, even in the worst financial times. But even addiction isn’t recession-proof. Yes, I know it may not be an official recession, but for many Americans it definitely feels that way. And when the casinos quiet down, it’s hard not to notice.
Connecticut’s Foxwoods Casino is cutting 700 jobs and in case there was any doubt, the casino says the economy is to blame.
The trickle-down could be vast. In addition to the hundreds of families affected by the layoffs, think of all the local businesses who will feel the pinch. The hairdressers whose clients will have to stretch their regular visits out a bit farther, the grocery stores, the daycares…all will feel these 700 job cuts. Keep in mind, these cuts come on top of those announced last week at the neighboring Mohegan Sun Casino.
__________
I love Craigslist. When I lived in San Francisco in the late 90’s, this was the place to get everything – an apartment, a car, a job even a date. A job as a decoy in a bank heist, though? Who knew that, too, could be had on the site?
The alleged robber recruited his apparently unassuming decoys with promises of $28.50 an hour, but when the dozen or so men dressed exactly like him showed up at the Bank of America in Monroe, Wash. Tuesday, there was no boss there to tell them what to do. It seems he’d split, on his way to the Skyhomish River and an inner tube getaway. You can’t make this up.
__________
A year after Steve Fossett’s plane disappeared over the Sierra Nevada, hikers in California found a sweatshirt, money and a pilot’s license with the adventurer’s name. The license did not have a picture.
Beat 360° 10/01/08
Ready for today's Beat 360°?
Everyday we post a picture – and you provide the caption and our staff will join in too.
Beat 360° is web-only tonight. Check back here tomorrow to see if you are our favorite!
Here is 'Beat 360°’ pic of the day:
Former President Bill Clinton responds to cheering supporters as he takes the stage at the University of Central Florida to campaign for Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama in Orlando, Fla., today.
Have fun with it. We're looking forward to your captions!
Make sure to include your name, city, state (or country) so we can post your comment.
________________________________________________
But wait!… There’s more!
When you win ‘Beat 360°’ not only do you get on-air prime-time name recognition (complete with bragging rights over all your friends, family, and jealous competitors), but you get a “I Won the Beat 360° Challenge” T-shirt!
Good luck to all!
Update: See the winners!
10 rules for winning a debate
[cnn-photo-caption image=http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2008/images/10/01/viceprez.jpg caption ="Workers prepare for Thursday's vice presidential debate at Washington University in St. Louis. "]
Paul Begala
CNN Contributor
I have been involved in most of the presidential and vice presidential debates over the past 20 years.
I've done debate prep, been a spin doctor, convened the greatest comedy writers in Hollywood in a one-liner factory, even played George W. Bush for Al Gore's practice debates.
So now that I'm merely observing the debates as a CNN political analyst, I thought I'd offer our readers and the candidates my Top 10 rules for debates:
1. Debates are easy. It's a dirty little secret, but for all the hype, debates are easier than news conferences, town-hall meetings or in-depth, one-on-one interviews on Sunday morning television. You hit your mark, you deliver your lines, you try not to pass out or throw up, then you declare victory. So relax, candidates, you might even have fun.
2. 20 questions, 20 answers, one message. This is not "Jeopardy," where you're at the mercy of the topics Alex Trebek (or in this case, Jim Lehrer, Gwen Ifill, Tom Brokaw and Charlie Gibson) select. There is really only one question in an election: Why should we vote for you and not the other candidate?
Your answer to that question - your basic message - should be marbled throughout your substantive answer on everything from Waziristan to Social Security.
John McCain's basic message, it seems to me, is, "I'm experienced, Obama's too risky." Barack Obama's, on other hand, is, "I'm for change, McCain is more of the same."
Each answer to each question should be a variation on that theme. A good debater introduces or ends lots of answers with "That's another example of why we need change... (or experience, or whatever it is he or she is running on) ..."
The five most important people in American politics not running for president
Mark Halperin
Editor-at-large & Senior analyst, TIME Magazine
The Page, TIME.com
- McCain pollster Bill McInturff
- Roy Blunt
- John Boehner
- Todd Palin
- Harry Reid
On Twitter
