meow and meow won. >> i think the cat would probably approve. >> reporter: jeanne moos, cnn, meow, new york. >> leave it to jeanne. i'll be back 9:00 p.m. eastern with piers morgan when the polls close in wisconsin, we'll get the first official results. thanks very much for joining us. i'm wolf blitzer in "the situation room." the news continues next on cnn. good evening, i'm john king. tonight down to the final hours of voting in wisconsin's recall election and our early exit polls show what today's voters think of the governor's race and the race between mitt romney and president obama. barely a day after helping president obama raise millions for his re-election campaign bill clinton says the united states is already in another recession, and calling for an extension of the bush tax cuts. and this hour, get this, your last chance in your lifetime to watch as the planet venus crosses the face of the sun. it isn't safe to look directly at that time but stay right here, we have the best pictures.

-- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com >> we begin in wisconsin where voters have three more hours to cast ballots in an effort to recall their republican governor scott walker and replace him with the democratic mayor tom barrett. both parties see it as a potential weather vane for november's election. the exit polls are fascinating to begin with, number one and number two show a very close race and how polarized and partisan the electorate is. we mentioned governor walker's efforts to limit collective bargaining rights, strongly disapprove of the efforts, 38% of those voting today strongly days prove but let's come to the other end, 37% strongly approve, that tells you why we think this is going to be a close race as we go through, the others in the middle there. that's the defining issue in the race. look at the electorate again today another close divide, 35% of those voting today are democrats, 33% are republicans,

we get that to highlight, 32% of the electorate today independents so a closely bre breakdown in the election results. income you see diverse electorate, the classic middle class voter, 50,000 to 75,000, that's 25% of the electorate today, 50% for the incumbent, 49% for the democratic challenger among the middle class voters in the early waves of exit polls a dead heat, telling us we're likely to have a very close election. let's look at this, this is a recall election. people are clearly fed up with the polarization in their state, 50% have an unfavorable view of the republican party, 47% say favorable. you might think that benefits the democrats. not so much. 50% the exact same number have an unfavorable view of the democratic party, 47% a favorable view. let answer get out to the ground there, three more hours to vote. senior congressional correspondent dana bash is at governor walker's headquarters. what is the move on the incumbent side in this huge

recall? >> reporter: the incumbents got off the phone with an official in wisconsin saying they are cautiously optimistic. there are a lot of nerves in the cautious optimism. we're hearing from the republican side and the democratic side and state officials that turnout across the state is incredibly high, and when it comes to governor walker, they are happy about the fact that it is high in some of the places that they really need the voter turnout to be up, for example where i am right now in wakeshaw. i talked to someone who said this is off the charts and the money and income issue in some of the wealthier areas we're also hearing that turnout is up, so that is making republicans certainly happy but they are really not betting anything, because they also know on the democratic side turnout is up in some of their key areas, john. >> i talked to a republican not

that long ago said we're done biting our fingernails and on to our toenails because of the turnout operation. i want to talk about the money being spent, unprecedented amounts of money, tens and tens of millions of dollars. was the money well spent? only 3% of the voters today say they decided today. only 4% in the last few days so you've had millions and millions of dollars spent on television ads, look at this, 88% of the people who voted today say they decided before may so dana, whether or not that money was well spent or not, there's a ton of it, right? >> reporter: there is a ton of it. i got to tell you coming into this state talking to people on both sides they knew from internal polling it was a very small number of undecided voters, but that did not stop them from raising already about total $63.5 million. we could expect at the end of the day, $80 million. i want to you look at the gulf of money raised between these two candidates. tom barrett, the mayor of

milwaukee, the democratic candidate $4 million. scott walker outspent him by 7.5 times, $30.5 million, and it's not just that. the money that walker has gotten just gives you an indication of how nationalized this race has become and 70% of it has come in the last month from outside of this state, john, and i just want to you look at these huge numbers because you have really yet to see them to believe them. he got enormous checks from people like bob perry, who is a well-known republican fund-raiser, half a million dollars, $250,000 from a couple of others and the list goes on. you just have to see it to believe it to know how mind-blowing these dollars are that have come in for the recall election in this state. >> and how much republican donors view it as a national contest. dana bash at walker headquarters, thank you. ted rowlands at the wisconsin state house in madison. as i bring you into the conversation, this will make the democratic side happy. is someone in your household a

union member? 32% said yes. that's up from 2010. here's one to counter balance in voting by age, 63 and older generally a more reliable republican constituency also up a bit. ted looks like both sides are getting out their vote. what is the view of mayor barrett's team? >> reporter: well i just talked to jim dean from democracy of america, john, and he also is cautiously optimistic so a lot of people cautiously optimistic because of the voter turnout numbers that they're getting from their people on the ground here. one thing in particular, they're very pleased with apparently they claim they're getting reports that more ballots were needed in a north milwaukee area where they are very strong, they're looking at that as a very positive indication, but i think everybody's biting both the fingernails and the toenails on both sides with three hours left to go here. >> cnn's ted rowlands at the democratic head quarters, we'll keep in touch with ted as well.

it's a massive recall. the wisconsin vote something being watched for its potential national implications and governors of both parties who want to see whether voters reward or punish governor walker for the bruising battles of his first two years. martin o'malley is maryland's governor and head of the democratic governors association. as you watch the voting and you were campaigning for mayor barrett, the democratic candidate, what will the message be? >> i think that the message that tom barrett's been taking across wisconsin is, look, we had to stop fighting one another and start fighting for jobs and for opportunity. this sort of ideological effort to roll back workers' rights, roll back womens' rights and voting rights, none of those things create jobs and as a result wisconsin has been 50 out of 50 states in the rate of job creation so i think that is the main thrust and the main message here and it will be very interesting to see, you know, if mayor barrett pulls this off, this will be one of the biggest upsets in modern american

history. he's been outspent 7:1 and the race is yet coming down to the wire. >> if he doesn't pull it off, what's the message then? >> it will be interesting to see how you handicap this as we roll out of here but every race is important to us. we'd love to see wisconsin join the ranks of those states that have effective leadership instead of ideological leadership that has wisconsin creating jobs and expanding opportunity again. >> you make the case for how important it is and yet the leader of your party, the president of the united states has been in the view of many democrats i've spoken to out in wisconsin m.i.a. he did send out a tweet and e-mail this morning to his list in wisconsin, but the president didn't go to wisconsin and campaign. if you talk to some democrats they say he's risk averse, some say it's selfish. >> i wouldn't agree with that. it's a tricky thing here. governors, i mean the people at every state select their own governor and i think the appearance of the president has

the potential to nationalize a race that, quite frankly, should be about whether or not the people of wisconsin are creating jobs and expanding opportunity again, so the chair of the dnc was there. the grassroots organization is certainly on the ground. the president and all of his people are supportive of that. >> whether the president goes out there or not or nationalizes only the voters of wisconsin can vote in the election, what is the fear of nationalizing it if that's the term you want to use, the president going out there? are you afraid if he went out there it would motivate republicans, might hurt your chances? >> i don't determine the schedule and i don't determine that sort of strategy. i can tell you this, that the grassroots effort that's going on in wisconsin is no doubt every person that's working for mayor barrett knows that president obama would like to see wisconsin effectively led by an effective democratic governor. >> the state hasn't voted

republican for president since ronald reagan's 49:1 sweep. do you think it will matter in that regard? >> i'm not sure. every race is different. i believe that president obama will carry wisconsin in the fall. you see auto manufacturing being turned around. you see that our nation instead of losing jobs every month has had 27 months of positive job creation, so there's ups and downs ahead of us but overall i believe that the president's going to carry wisconsin, what this means in terms of a bellwether for the presidential i'm not sure. i know a lot of people will be watching this in terms of these new rules that allow unlimited out-of-state big time billionaire money to come in and put points and commercials underneath facts that in the last week are sometimes made up false and dubious. >> governor o'malley, i appreciate your time. we'll touch base in the days ahead. >> thanks a lot.

>> thank you, sir. next bill clinton goes off message, way off message, his latest comments sure to raise hackles at the obama re-election campaign. the dot on the face of the sun is the earth sized planet venus. you're looking at fascinating live pictures. stand by, we've get more spectacular views. [ dad ] i'm usually checking up on my kids. but last year my daughter was checking up on me. i wasn't eating well. she's a dietitian and she suggested i try boost complete nutritional drink to help get the nutrition i was missing. now i drink it every day, and i love the great taste. [ female announcer ] boost has 26 essential vitamins and minerals, including calcium and vitamin d to help keep bones strong and 10 grams of protein to help maintain muscle. all with a delicious taste. your favorite patient is here! [ dad ] i choose great taste. i choose boost.

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chinese takeout taco truck free range chicken pancake stack baked alaska 5% cash back. right now, get 5% cash back at restaurants. it pays to discover. covering bill clinton is a bit like riding a roller coaster. just the other day he said mitt romney had asterlying business career. last night he said electing romney would be a calamity for the u.s. economy. here we go again and here he goes again, president obama makes the case as he travels things are tough but the economy is in recovery. not so, says former president clinton. he told cnbc today among other things the united states is in another recession, that's his word, a recession, and, get

this, also off message, he's calling for a temporary extension of the bush tax cuts. >> and what i think we need to do is to find some way to avoid the fiscal cliff, to avoid doing anything that would contract the economy now. >> to be clear the former president went on to say "i don't have any problem with extending all of it now," referring to the bush tax cuts, "including the current spending levels. but the real issue is not whether they should be extended for another few months, the real issue is whether the price the republican house will put on that extension is the permanent extension of the tax cuts which i think is in error." former adviser to four different u.s. presidents david gergen with me now. i've covered him for a long time, it is like a roller coaster. obama says we're in a recovery, tough recovery but a recovery. bill clinton says we're in a recession. helpful? >> helpful to the press.

he is like covering teddy roosevelt after he left office. he rattled the cages today but give him credit. he told the truth and people in washington are not often doing that right now. most americans -- >> people in chicago probably don't appreciate that. >> probably right now most americans think we're in a recession. importantly bill clinton even as he took on the republicans and you pointed out he did say the republicans were wrong about trying to make permanent tax cuts and wrong about going to austerity but we should look at and he would favor extending all the tax cuts, all of the bush tax cuts and the obama tax cuts for a few months into next year to help the recovery. there are a lot of americans who believe that, and more importantly, john, too many people in washington have refused to face what's going to come after this election and he's helping to get the ignite debate. >> to ignite an important debate for the country which has the potential of a fiscal cliff. however there's one important person the incumbent president of the united states who says the bush tax cuts should expire, wealthy americans pay more, the

buffett rule or some other way. what bill clinton says you can do as long as you can get the right price from the house republicans is contrary to that. >> absolutely he's saying we don't decouple now. it's the wrong thing to do. remember, though, this is what president obama himself did a year ago. he extended all the tax cuts for a full year. >> his base didn't like it. >> his base didn't like it but this could give the president some cover. i have to tell you this, bill clinton tells the truth but he's also the best spokesman for obama on many issues. last night he gave a very, very strong endorsement of the president. i talked to people there at the fund-raiser. they said bill clinton did a better job of framing the choice for obama in full than did obama himself. >> how he made himself national politics on the economic argument in 1992, but he could be giving the president some cover you mentioned. >> right. >> the president may feel no choice if the economy stays sluggish and the contagion from europe stays, he may feel no choice, but can the president in

the united states in a 50/50 presidential election where turnout of the base will be critical in the big battlegrounds go back to his liberal base and say nevermind again? twice he's angered them by extending the bush tax cuts. >> i think he can go back to his base and say it's too early to make the calls and we'll decide this after the election. >> how can he say that? >> he can be very clear as bill clinton was, he does not want to extend all the tax cuts permanently and does not want an austerity program next year that could throw us into recession but i think bill clinton has given him a way out to deal with this period and it can start this debate. i mean, one of the things that's happening, john, if you talk to business guys here in new york you'll find they'll tell you, the fa kt that noboct that nobo will happen at the end of the year is dampening investment and job creation. if the congress and the president would get going and say extend the tax cuts for three months, that would help the climate, if they were to pass that right now. >> to pass that now would

require the president to completely rewrite what he's telling the american people is the defining economic challenge in the election. >> what the most important responsibility is for the president to govern well. >> you just framed the choice. govern or politics. we appreciate your time. michelle obama has a new convert to her fight to help people eat better. queen elizabeth's heartfelt thank you after four days of spectacular celebration of her diamond jubilee. in here, great food demands a great presentation. so at&t showed corporate caterers how to better collaborate by using a mobile solution, in a whole new way. using real-time photo sharing abilities, they can create and maintain high standards, from kitchen to table. this technology allows us to collaborate with our drivers to make a better experience for our customers. [ male announcer ] it's a network of possibilities -- helping you do what you do... even better. ♪

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welcome back. here's kate bolduan with the news you should know now. >> yesterday a u.s. drone kills al qaeda's number two man. the terror group will have a hard time replacing him because no one comes close in terms of expertise. he even escaped from bagram air force base in afghanistan in 2005. the first eight people have been selected as jurors in the child rape trial of jerry sandusky, the former assistant football coach at penn state. the judge says the jury will not be sequestered and the court says opening statements will start monday at the earliest. it's been more than six months since sandusky was arrested and accused of abussing ten boys over a period of 15 years. and back in the u.s., over here, in california, smokers might have to pay double the tax for a pack of cigarettes.

voters head to the polls today to decide on proposition 29. it would raise the tax by an additional $1. the tax is expected to bring in more than $700 million for the state and three-quarters of the revenue would go to cancer research. michelle obama has a new ally in her work against chile hood obesitobesity, mickey mous walt disney company is banning junk food advertising from its programs for kids under the age of 12, and they're stamping a so-called mickey check label on the healthier foods in stores. the first lady joined the disney ceo in the announcement saying the move is "a game changer for the health of our children." so mickey's getting fit, john. >> i'm going to check your lurching from now on, kate, to make sure it has the mickey stamp of approval. >> very well, well you know my eating habits, you're not going to find the mickey stamp of approval. >> the goofy stamp of approval? >> exactly. >> see you in a little bit, kate, thanks. still ahead more on today's exit poll results and wisconsin's recall and what the

voter's mood means for president obama and mitt romney. more pictures as the planet venus makes its way across the sun's face.

this half hour the nation's eyes are on wisconsin tonight. two pivotal questions k republican governor scott walker survive a recall attempt and if he does, what does it mean for mitt romney come november? today venus passes between earth and the sun, not safe to stare straight at it but we have the fascinating pictures right

here taken won't happen again for more than 100 years. hear queen ealizabeth's heartfelt message to her people capping off the stunning celebration to mark her 60-year reign. we're two and a half hours from the poll closings in wisconsin. democrats want republican scott walker out and put the milwaukee mayor tom barrett in. this is bigger than just one state and the recall election. it's a fight rooted in collective bargaining and tight budgets and could be a preview of the presidential race. the exit polls show we have a close race. you look at the election today and what people think about november you see a polarized electorate. 50% of wisconsin voters have an unfavorable opinion of the republican party. only 47% favorable. so you think okay, they're more mad at the republicans. not really. they're mad at everybody.

50% the same exact number unfavorable opinion of the democratic party, 47% favorable so you have a grumpy electorate here. the question is, will they still be grumpy come november? we bring in chief white house correspondent jessica yellin. as the obama team watches this, the president did tweet this, i'm standing by tom barrett, he'd make an excellent governor, outstanding governor, sorry. he didn't go there, just keeping his distance. >> reporter: a visit by the president nationalizes the race more than it is and they're downsides on both ends. for barrett a visit by the president has the potential to turn off voters who might have sided with him but might not like the president. if the president's point if barrett is not going to win why show up and back the guy who is not going to win, bottom line. look, in the end the president's campaign says the democrats have backed barrett with $1.4 million, going into the state. they've sent supporters, they've shown up and shown support in

other ways, and barrett himself has said he doesn't feel upset or ignored by the president, but this is a very clear case of distance being the smarter choice politically for both men. >> the smarter choice they think. it was a blowout four years ago, the presidential, then senator obama easily won wisconsin. what do you think the environment will mean if walker keeps his job? >> reporter: the president won that state handily. the last time a republican won was 1984 with ronald reagan. it's a friendlier environment for republican politics in government because debt and the government are major issues, also national issues. this is what the democrats are saying the president's team, governors are doing better there in terms of republicans have a better track record running for the state house than they do for president and it's the spending, the spending they point to that walker outspent in the end

barrett over seven times, and they believe that there will be a more even playing field come november in terms of democrat and republican spending in wisconsin, so the democrats have a better shot at winning there in november and democrats sure plan to compete hard and try to win in wisconsin. john, they have to, to get the presidency. >> one of the big midwest battlegrounds hasn't voted republican for president since 1948. jessica yellin, thank you, she'll be with us throughout the night as well as we watch wisconsin, two and a half hours until the polls close. this is a picture you won't see again for 105 years. what you're looking at there is venus, the second planet in the solar system coming between the earth and the sun. astronomers and space enthuse yapss a s ya yasts are gathered to see the planet cross the sun. i love looking at these

pictures. >> me, too. >> fascinating to watch. what is the significance? >> there are a couple of significant things going on here. first of all it was this kind of transit that allowed humans to figure out the distance between the earth and the sun more than a century ago. it also helped us figure out that there is an atmosphere around venus which is something we're using to study global warming here on earth today, and we translate it out to the 21 st century these transits are precisely the kind of techniques that astronomers are using in order to find planets orbiting other solar systems, other stars, so far, this transit method is being used by the kepler satellite to stare at more than 100,000 stars in the sky, hour after hour, week after week and we found up to 2,000 planets outside our solar system using this method. >> explain the safety issues. >> well, here's the basic point. if you stare at the sun right now, you will hurt your eyes, just like any other time you stare at the sun but if you have something like this, which is

welder's glass, this gives you the opportunity, you hold it up to your face like this and stare at the sun. you won't be able to see anything else but you will be able to see the sun and venus going across like a chocolate chip across a cookie. there are other techniques you can protect your eyes with, a filter on a telescope or eclipse glasses, paper things that you can carry across your eyes. >> welding supply stores across america are getting phone calls, hardware stores getting flooded with requests. this won't happen again for 100 years. >> that's right. >> how now as we watch it now, what more can we learn than from the last time we watched this happen which was eight years ago. >> that's right. eight years ago this week in 2004, around sunrise is when it was happening here in this area of the world and now of course it's happening around sunset. what we can learn are trying to use the techniques to see how we can translate them to study galaxies, not galaxies

specifically but planets around other solar systems or stars as i mentioned earlier. every time we have one of these in our solar system to compare, we know a little bit better how to use it when we translate it else where in our studies. >> how do you do this personally between well i need to learn and take notes and to say wow, this is cool. >> it's not hard. we love what we do, we astronomers or everybody else. my colleagues at my home campus at the college of staten island are at the observatory and a line of people are hoping the sun will come out for a moment, my kids and family are out there looking as well. there's nothing that says that we can't love it and study it at the same time. in fact, it makes the loving it even better when we can study it, understand it just a little bit more. >> sorry to take you away from it. i'll let you get back to viewing and appreciate your insights. dr. lu thank you so much >> my pleasure. >> i'll have you back in 105 years. >> it's a date. when we come back the truth about the wisconsin recall election, what are we learning about the grumpy mood of the voters, the fate of the governor

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a little less than two and a half hours before the polls close in wisconsin, a recall election, voters whether to keep republican governor scott walker or replace him mid stream with the democratic mayor of milwaukee, tom barrett. as the recall plays out we can tell you we're already brewing the coffee.

early exit polls tell us we have a close race on the ground and we'll be counting the votes we think late into the night. let's explore some of the data in the exit polls. erick erickson is the editor-in-chief and cornell melcher and ron brownstein, editorial director for "the national journal." gentlemen, this started because democrats got mad, labor unions got mad at governor walker's efforts to restrict collective bargaining rights so you watch, who is voting today and what do they think on the issue? 37% strongly approve of limiting collective bargaining rights, 37% of the electorate. to the other extreme, excuse me, my friend, 38%. mr. belcher, let me start with you as someone who analyzes data, that tells me we're in for a long night. does it tell you anything different? >> no, it's right. it's tight. it looks like both sides, and you always say it comes down to turnout but this is one it's a

toss-up race that turnout on the ground efforts will make the decision. if labor and progressives get their vote out especially in the cities, we are in for a long night but we could see this one point less than one point, given early exits. >> erick, this has spilled out across the country, other governors have to deal with the issues when you see this electorate that has lived this issue for the past two years so evenly divided oen this question, 13% somewhat, 150% somewhat disapprove. you see the small middle there. what does it tell you? >> it tells me governors have to be careful how they proceed but also a lot of governors, democrat and republican alike are going to think aboutment so of the recall laws. wisconsin has some of the looser recall laws in the country. take john kasich in ohio the way he tried to do it didn't go over as well with voters in ohio for the republicans as what scott walker has done. there have been a number of

recalls so far in wisconsin and they haven't turned out very well for the side wanting the recalls. in ohio, john kasich blew up in his face. >> ron brownstein, it all depends on turnout. it comes true. 65 and older, tend to be more republican. 23% of the electorate 65 and older, that is up from the 2010 gubernatorial election. walker won then. it bodes well for his side. are you or anyone in your household a union member, that's a defining issue, yes at 32%, that's also up from 2010 so if you look at these numbers and i can't dig deeper because we don't want to give away in the early waves of the exit polls but seems both sides have done what they promised to do, turn out the vote. >> the union vote was 26% and barrett won 63% of the voters. if that goes up to 32%, presumably the 63 will be a little higher this time. that moves him much more in range, but the bottom line here is you have a state that has

been divided almost exactly in half, that has faced the political equivalent of civil war for two years and i think the core question is did all this have to be? was there a path not taken? there were other states that got significant concessions from public employees without precipitating the full scale political conflict all consuming political conflict we've seen in wisconsin the past two years. >> cornell belcher, i've talked to a lot democrats in private. mayor barrett said it would be a distraction if president obama came out. i'm not sure what the difference would be if you nationalize it. if this is the defining challenge for your party f this is the biggest election between now and november why doesn't the leader of the party, the president of the united states especially if turnout matters so much, african-american voters in madison and mill walk i-why not? >> full disclosure, mayor mitchell running for lieutenant governor is a client of mine, i have a horse in that race. one thing it is not the biggest

thing. the president's fairly busy going around the country to battleground states making his pitch right now. wisconsin is a battleground state but quite frankly, we won wisconsin by 13, 14 points last time around. i know a lot of people are trying to make this a bellwether of what will happen in november but let me be clear that's 'nonsense. the incumbent can outspend the challenger 8:1, right now has absolutely no bearing on what's going to happen in november with a presidential style election. i think that spin is just completely wrong. >> erick you agree with that? >> you no he whknow what i hear? i don't think special elections ever really have meaning. if so, the democrats would have won in 2010, given how all the special elections and republican seats went for the democrats. the issue here is this is a testing ground for republican technology that they didn't have in 2010. they've got a live test to tweak

their turnout models for november which helps them but i don't think it's necessarily crucial to this election. >> there is a but, though, right? john as we talked about it, i think people will be watching to see if the key voting blocks in wisconsin that moved away from the democrats from '08 to 2010 stay away and you mentioned older voters. there's also the calamitous decline among blue collar noncollege white voters from obama's 52% in '08 to 40% for barrett in '10. if that number stays down it is a warning sign given how poorly obama is showing in national and swing state polls among the voters today. >> let me jump in. pivot off one thing e rick said. the testing ground is the money. you've gotten big money, really rich people writing really huge checks, a lot of the money is coming from outside groups having nothing to do with the voters in the voice of wisconsin

voters. this is a testing ground to see how influential rich people can have in our system. >> the rich people are giving to the democratic cause a lot as well. >> it's 7:1 republican advantage based on what we know so far. we'll see if late reports come in and see if the advantage changes. here's my question. you brought up big money. whether you're a democrat, republican or somebody who felt like writing a big check, are you going to write another one after you see exit poll data like this, $70 million, maybe it will be $80 million in the end, a lot coming in the final few weeks, 3% of the voters said they decided today. 4% said they decided in the last few days, 5% said they decided in may. there's your 12%. 12%. 88%, nearly nine in ten voters decided before may. erick to you first. send a big check here and there, is anybody going to think wait a minute? >> i think they will largely.

88% of the people made up their mind a long time ago. it's a neck and neck race and turnout models. i think the republicans might have overplayed their hand by saying in the past week it's in the bag, don't worry about it. walker is going to win, the polls have him over 50%. that greeds overconfidence. democrats fall prey to this sometimes and it may hurt the republicans tonight. >> reporter: the big donors going to say are all the ads worth it, are people being swayed or is this a polarized electorate and issue it's not a good test case of whether you can move people? >> it's the paradox of our modern polarized era. you have 88% and 92% of the electorate in many states and nationally that is locked down long before they see a single ad but even though you have a small percentage that's left if the country and the state is divided almost 50/50, that marginal voter matters enormously, so in a strange way it creates more demand for more effort th those last few percentage points of voters are the ones that are hardest to reach that are paying the least

attention. so the paradox is the more polarized we are, the more voters that are locked in, the more valuable moving those last few percentage points could be if you have a closely divided country as all signs are, they are headed toward in november. >> i want to show people the map and bring up the 2010 governor's race, 52% for walker, 47 first for tom barrett. the recall election is a rematch and if you look at the state, let me bring it up to the center, you see a lot of red mostly over the state. we went through this in the republican primaries, you'd see rick santorum winning in the rural areas and mitt romney in the others. you have dain county, huge county, mayor last time got below 70%. dane county, that's madison. coming over here milwaukee suburbs, waukesha county, governor walker wins that above 70% last time. those are the two big counties we're watching the turnout.

assume both sides do their job and waukesha is 70% republican, dane 70% for the democrats. where will it be settled? >> democrats are saying that in milwaukee it's, turnout is up like 114%, so they're outpacing what their expectations were. i think this is one in the margins, the big sort of democrat places and the big republican places are going to do but it is really about those winning two or three more percentages in that red, three or four percentages in those red areas, the democrat can do that, it bodes well for tom barrett. he has to do one or two points better in the red areas. >> erick, what are you looking for? >> looking for the counties you cited, look to see in milwaukee and madison, how late the polls stay open after they close. how late are things going to go and will it descend into chaos?

we have the lawyers ready and i think for the republicans, please tell me scott walker hired someone other than norm coleman's recall team. >> could we have a recall recount, that brings up the question, ron brownstein. >> wisconsin has been living with a starting with protests. this is the second round of recalls. and the governor isn't the only recall. walker could win and republicans could lose control of the state senate. >> we have an interesting night ahead. thanks for coming in tonight y. might have you guys strapped into the chairs. we are going to count this one late in the night. with us will be erin burnett. >> this is a pretty amazing story. in minnesota a pastor said he supports gay marriage and he is now losing many in his congregation. it is a powerful story of conviction and the bias that is

still very prevalent in certain places in this country. we have a special report on that. and also an interview with senator ran paul talking about aid and what is going on in wisconsin. and if it would mean a mandate to tackle medicare, medicaid, social security in washington. plus weighs in on bill clinton coming out and saying let those tax cuts be extended for everyone. that's going to be a big issue. it's a drum beat of former presidents and does not coincide with president obama's point of view. >> the former president usually thinks about what he is doing. so he is doing this for a reason. >> he didn't just stumble into it. still ahead queen elizabeth says thank you to the british people after a stunning four day jubilee honoring her reign. minivans and suvs make room.

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the people of britain got a special message today. >> the events i have attended have been a humbling experience. it has touched me deeply to see so many thousands of families, neighbors and friends celebrating together in such a happy atmosphere. >> those words capped off a whirl wind celebration honoring the queen's 60 year-reign. the queen's husband, prince philip, had to watch from a hospital bed. >> reporter: the day started with a rather solemn tone with a church service, a thanksgiving for the queen on her diamond jubilee but notable in his absence was prince philip. he continues to stay in the hospital although his younger son has said that he is doing better and watched today's events unfold from a television. what a spectacular day of events

he must have seen. once the carriage procession started and went into the palace the crowd simply went wild and it was opened up to tens of thousands if not a million people some people suggesting as they walked slowly towards buckingham palace for a chance to see the royal family on the balcony of buckingham palace. there was a huge response from the crowds. it was interesting to see a slimmed down version of the royal family. you have the queen without the prince. i think tis is a sign of things to come the monarchy will be slimmed down. looking to the future i don't think there can be such a large royal family on public money. there was a huge response and the queen looked thrilled with

not just that moment but the whole day. she doesn't smile a lot but when she does smile she really means it. now she is more popular. >> kate is back with us. i love those pictures. >> thank you. this is just in to cnn. mitt romney's campaign is confirming that mitt romney's personal e-mail account has been hacked. says the proper authorities are investigating this crime and we will have no further comment on it. and late this afternoon senator mccain complained someone within the obama administration is trying to make the president look good by leaking classified information. he pointed to targets for u.s. drone strikes. >> i call on the president to take immediate and decisive

action including the appointment of a special council to aggressively investigate the leak of any classified information on which the recent stories were based and where appropriate to prosecute those responsible. >> white house officials have denied these were any authorized leaks. states economies aren't growing as fast as they were in 2010 but business in booming in, say, north dakota. its economy grew by 7.6% last year. the bureau of economic analysis says oregon and west virginia are also going strong rounding out the top three. on the flip side wyoming has the fastest shrinking economy followed by mississippi and alabama. and finally on the off chance you have been holding out on buying a ferrari because it is not family friendly, the