hello there, everybody. top of the hour here now. 11:00 eastern time. i'm t.j. holmes. celebration broke out just a little bit ago. now, why are they celebrating? well, not because the miners are rescued. but there has been a significant breakthrough. a rescue drill has broken through to the underground mine where 33 miners have been trapped since august 5th. we are going to take you there live.

also legalizing and taxing marijuana. a controversial proposal to show how big an economic impact. could one single cannabis operation have? we'll have that answer. it may surprise you. coming up. also we're just 24 days until election day. politicians are attacking their rivals and ad that some say are crossing the line here. let's get back to the story from chile. celebrations this morning. it has finally happened. not that they've been rescued, but a drill has broken through to where the 33 miners are trapped. they're about a half mile underground. that's about 2,300 feet. patrick has been at the mine during this entire situation. pretty much since it happened back in early august. patrick joins me now. patrick, like i said, we can get into the details of how the rescue is going to go. but you've been there when it's been different moods and emotions. what was the mood and emotion just a few hours ago?

>>. >> reporter: there have been so many swings back and forth. i've never seen an explosion of such happiness and joy. it just broke out across the camp while we were reporting here this morning. we knew meter by meter how they were going. we knew they were on the cusp of a breakthrough, and then it happened. what an amazing moment for these families. of course, it's not the end. we're moving to the most dangerous and r and difficult part of this rescue plan. that should begin in the next e several days. it will be another part of the ongoing deal. one more thing, have you gotten word out yet whether or not they are going to go ahead and use this casing down that tunnel? cnn that would prolong how much

time it will be before they pull the men out. so we have gotten word? have they decided whether or not to make a casing in the tunnel. >> reporter: we know they have to put casing over the top hundred meters, about 300 feet or so, a little more than 300 feet of that hole that's just been drilled. it's just too ragged and rocky. it could catch up that rescue capsule. it's just dangerous. the rest of the hole, though, it remains to be seen how much more casing will need to go down the hole. that's a project that could take several more days if they decide to case more or all of the hole. so a cam are will be put down the hole. possibly today. maybe tomorrow. inspect the hole. how soon the miners could be aboveground. >> patrick has been on the story reporting here for us on cnn

saturday morning all morning long. thank you so much. we talked about a little of the emotion and the casing of the tunnel. chad myers has been engulfed in this story since the thing happened. two months now. august 5th. people are seeing the pictures of them celebrating out there. we're not going to see a miner for possibly another week. >> we've only see the jubilation on the surface. can you imagine what the miners are feeling when the whole thing happened and the drill broke through, it was dangerous for the miners to be in that room. literally the top of this room probably at the last few feet, maybe even few meters collapsed with rocks coming down. the entire room filled with dust. as the bit was in the room and they knew it was all the way there, it let go.

that's how the drillers knew they hit the hole. now, you can hit empty spaces on the way down. this is not like taking a wood drill bit and drilling through a 4 by 4 and having a nice smooth hole. let me show you what this hole looks like, all the way down there are different sand stones. there's quartz, there's granit. so the roughness and the rocks that are following out and falling down on those men right now, they're probably not even in that room. the air is probably not even breathable for them right now considering all the dust that's down there. as all this stuff continues to fall. the problem is this. this is the size of the casing they want to put in. it's bigger than the hole. the hole is rough. it's probably four inches bigger than this. the casing is almost the same size as the chamber we go up in. why they do that? because if we lose or dislodge a

rock as one of the men would be coming up, it would trap the cage between the wall of the side of the hall and the rock itself. and so this tube, this capsule going up could literally be jammed in that hole forever. they wouldn't be able to go up. they wouldn't be able to go down. there would be no force to pull it up hard enough. there would be no way to push it back down. the risk is, let's get these guys in the capsule today. let's get them up. you cannot do it for the risk of the debris falling in the hole while they're bringing these men up. and the risk of it jamming on the way up because of the rocks and stones. just random. this is not just some drill bit that's a beautiful nice metal hole going through. random rocks down. and random directions. they're going to smooth that thing out with this casing on the top. >> they've been waiting this

long. they don't want to screw it up now. >> exactly. >> but there's so many other dangerous facets to the story still. we could be -- again, we tried to make sure we were clear with the viewers, you see the celebration, but let's be clear, folks, it could be another ten days before they get these guys out. >> it could be up to an hour. we figured about six inches per second would be the maximum speed. that's still pretty fast. that would be nearly 60 minutes to get it up there. that's a lot faster than they brought the men up on cue creek. remember cue creek mine? the men were down there. the water was flooding it. they were bringing them up. they were muddy. it was a yellow capsule. they could have used that capsule. that capsule is still there. it's in a museum in pennsylvania. chile said, we want to build our own. thanks. >> we've been learning lot. chad myers helping us out as he

has been. fascinating human drama. >> the national pride that will come out of the country in the next den days will be phenomenal. >> chile has been hit with -- what? we've had some earthquakes. we thought this was going to be a disaster. it could be exactly the opposite. chad, thank you, buddy. thanks so much. still, the miners underground. 2,300 feet down. over two months now. they've only been able to communicate and get emergency supplies through a small tube. spirits are still here. here's cnn's karl penhaul. >> reporter: trapped in the depths of the earth, but spirits are high. >> translator: we're proud to be chilean and even proud to be miners. you can see things down here have changed. >> reporter: in this new video,

he wanders through the cabin half a mile deep showing how he and his 32 comrades are holding up. since rescuers found the men alive, survival rations are delivered by narrow bore holes. in these metal tubes -- the miners are getting food, water, medicine, clean clothes and music on their players. the music has arrived, and we're organizing today's party. we're super happy and we've been dancing to a couple of songs, he says. off camera a miner could be heard joking, we still want a -- aboveground seeing the new video stirred mixed emotions. of course i'm said, i miss him so much, she says.

they're happy, they're content, she says. we're very grateful to all the worker who is are above and making a great sacrifice. we know the problem is pretty big, and it's hard work, he says. johnny bareos is keeping close watch on the men's health. nasa experts reached the mine on wednesday to share lessons they've learned about keeping astronauts alive in outer space. >> we've been very impressed also with the courage and the organization that the miners have provided themselves in this very difficult circumstance. >> after 23-minute tour by the light of a head lamp, the miners bid farewell.

the little guys want to say good-bye now. i say good-bye to my beautiful family. i love them very much. and down here, we 33 miners are walking hand in hand with god, he says. karl penhaul, cnn, san jose mine, northern chile. >> i want to turn back now to the scene. live to the scene. patrick has been doing reporting for us there. he is standing by with one of the people who has been helping to actually drill down to those men. patrick, take it away. >> reporter: good morning again. and when people ask down the road who did this, they will talk about this small drilling operation for berlin, pennsylvania. ladies and gentlemen behind me were the small team that did it.

they've been up all night drilling. how tough was this? and how did you pull it off this morning? >> well, this project was unbelievably challenging. team work, i guess, is the keyword. everyone stuck together. fought through the battles. and right there at the bitter end it seemed like the last angles we were passing through and everything. i know we looked at each other and thought is this thing ever going to give up? we need to get this thing drilled. everyone gave a good effort. >> i was talking to you this morning. you never seemed like it was in the bag. >> it wasn't in the bag until it was through. absolutely. >> reporter: what was it like when you finally broke through and you knew the weeks and the work you came here to do? >> it was a huge sense of relief and joy. it's hard to explain all the emotions we felt at that time.

the emotions are still just -- everything is just crazy right now. the best part now is when someone asks when we're going to breakthrough, we already have. that question has been answered now. for you, day in and day out, how did you keep your spirits up as part of this very small drill theam? how did you back each other up? we did that. what got me through it is support from my family. they never said when are you coming home. they said we miss you. hang in there, dad. my wife was behind me 100%. that's what i needed. i needed support from back there. i knew what i was doing here. >> reporter: what was it like for you? to see the breakthrough? to see it finally come together.

you know how much it means for these families. >> i think it was an emotion i can't describe when you know the hard work these guys went through. to see it come together for them was priceless. >> you gave up a lot. you're coming from pennsylvania down to a desert piece of earth that not a lot of people have come to. why come here and put everything, your life on hold for so many days for 33 guys you haven't met? >> we felt from the beginning that we could make a difference. or at least we hoped we could make a difference. we're glad to come down here and make a difference. that's why we came. christmas wasn't an option. we heard about how long it was going to take and we felt that we could help out. and we're proud of the everyone back home in berlin.

family members. the things they've accomplished. >> what are you going to ask the miners when you see them? >> unfortunately i won't be able to say much in spanish, because i don't think spanish. it will consistent of a handshake and a hug. >> reporter: t.j., as you heard, it's going to be a message when we have the meeting that words won't be necessary for. they've worked with the miners to get them aboveground. we're one important step closer to getting these men aboveground. it was this team behind me that helped make that happen today. >> you know what, we're so glad that we got a chance to hear from them. we have been hearing from so many who are a part of this. they've been a big part of it as well. they sound exhausted, patrick. but it sounds like they're proud of the work they were able to do. we appreciate you so much once again. we'll continue to check in live at the scene. they've been at their work for

some time there. you heard the driller say the best part of it may be when somebody asks the question, when are you going to breakthrough, he can now just say he we already have. we'll continue to keep an eye on that story. we won't go too far away from that as the developments continue to take place. also, never too far away from politics here at cnn. how many of those independents out there who voted for barack obama back in 2008 possibly switching to the gop this november? important poll numbers coming your way next at 16 minutes past the hour.

well, 19 minutes past the hour now. 24 days and counting before americans cast their votes in one of the most critical midterm elections we've seen in some time. the outcome could alter president obama's agenda. we want to check in with paul steinhauser. he's in pennsylvania for us. as always he has interesting political poll numbers. paul, get off the bus please and come out here and work. >> reporter: hey, sorry, t.j. hey, man. how are you? >> you taking a bathroom break

in there or something? >> reporter: no, no, i was working. i was checking to see what you were going to ask me, but we're in pennsylvania, like you said. crucial state. what's going on, t.j.? what do you want to talk about? >> it's always a critical state. but it's playing a pretty significant royal for a lot of reasons here in this midterm:. >> reporter: you are so right. that's why we came here. we're in harrisburg. the state capitol is here. in this state you've got about, let's say if the republicans win back congress, they're going to have to do it in pennsylvania. republicans think they can win back four to six democratically held house seats. they need 39 house seats. the gain of 39 recontrols the gain there. the senate, same thing. they need ten seats. that's a tall order. if they do it, one place they'll do it right here. republicans think they can win back the senate seat. this is arlen specter's seat.

and the governorship at stake here as well. two-term governor not running again. pennsylvania is a good representation of what may, may happen in the midterms on november 2nd. >> paul, one of the more interesting polls we saw from you guys over the past couple of days. is people are divided about who they think was a better president. president obama or former president bush. >> reporter: this is a fascinating number. we put it up online. the numbers came out 24 hours ago, or not even. it's really been trending online. this is from cnn opinion research corporation. we asked who is the better president? 47% now saying barack obama. 45% saying his predecessor george w. bush. look at the right of the poll graphic. a year ago when we asked the same question a lot more people said obama than bush. why does this matter for the midterms? republicans are trying to make

these midterms election where is the president is not on the ballot, but they're trying to make it all about him. so these kinds of numbers, plus the approval rating is troubling for democrats, t.j. >> we know independents went for barack obama back in 2008. he's not on the ballot now. but still where are they going now? and what are they concerned about? >> reporter: independents are now going for the republicans. we asked in a generic ballot. among all voters, republicans have a seven-point advantage. if you break it down among the crucial independent voters, it's about a two to one swing. what's their top issue? it's the economy. they're not happy with the way the economy is right now, t.j. >> paul stein steinhauser.

it is a rolling office. so you can go back into your office and get your work done. big work space. appreciate you all morning. >> reporter: we're going to see you back on this bus real soon? >> yes, i think we're going down the east coast this time in about a week's time. i'll see you shortly, buddy. >> also we'll see paul shortly. he'll tell us why we should care so much about what's happening in pennsylvania. reynolds wolf can tell us why we should care so much about what's happening in the pacific northwest. >> yeah, they're getting hammered. no buses involved in the weather scenario. that was interesting how it started. you never know. busy times on the bus. this is a fairly potent storm system ramping up. bringing strong winds and heavy wave action back to parts of the

oregon coastline. also heavy rainfall will lift up the pacific moisture. as it interacts with the higher elevations, you'll have heavy rainfall. from now all the way to early tomorrow morning. everything is relative. back to part of the great lakes, it will be dry and cool. nice and warm in the southeast. high temperatures today are going back up in the 80s. seems like we just had a nice cool fall dougay. now it will feel like spring. 61 in boston. 71 in new york. very quickly let me show you something else. something else other than the colors of the rainfall on the radar? take a look at this. fall colors look very good. especially in the great lakes, upper michigan, the northern half of the state. even back to the air row head of minnesota, you're at the the

peak. also this should be spectacular. that's where your best fall colors will be this weekend. we have so much more coming up. t.j., let's kick it back to you. >> reynolds, they may be the prettiest map you've ever created. >> coming from you, that does mean a lot. it really does. >> for you as well. you have some good maps. but that one was outstanding. well, coming up, tacking and legalizing pot in california. supporters of the idea say it could generate jobs and also generate billions of dollars. but how exactly? 25 minutes past the hour.

california may be a trail blazer once again. in 1996 the state was the first to legalize marijuana for medicinal use. well, in november california voters will decide on prop 19. and that would legalize marijuana for recreational yuus. and it could prove to save some say california's crippling budget deficits. earlier i talked about the impact of this industry with jeff wilcox, he's the director of agrimet. he commissioned a study to show how much revenue and how much jobs a single marijuana facility could generate. >> if you look at how cannabis is managed in our society, i think we can do a much better job. >> it sounds like yours is primarily an economic argument. fair to stay? >> when i looked around the city of oakland and the current

economy was doing, the unemployment, the housing losses. if cannabis wasn't going to be eradicated through the society from the war on drugs, should we tax and regulate it and provide a new tax revenue for the city. >> let's say prop 19 goes through and you can expand a medical marijuana facility or growing operation into one for legal recreational use. how massive of an operation, and how much money could be generated for a city or for the state? >> it was amazing what the economic report showed. we looked at the property of seven or eight acres. we would produce 316 union jobs. the average pay across the board is $83,000 per individual. the special tax this would provide to the city of oakland would be in excess of $5 million

a year. when you look at the city licensing for facilities like mine, you're looking at over 1,1 1,200 jobs and $20 million tax incentive for the city. not to mention another economic benefit of a resource to provide revenue for the city of oakland for after-school programs and child care activities. >> now, what is the danger as you see it in expanding the use? the legal use of marijuana for legal purposes. do you see down sides? the governor of california said it would make us ha laughing stock. >> exactly. and that's the downside. this old idea that eradication is the only way that this is going to work. i think the downside is the public perception that we've bought into this mismanagement is the approach. if you're going have a war on drugs, eradicate it and move on.

i'm a pragmatist. i think we should manage it better. as a patriot, i think there's a better way for the society. >> and you think, mr. wilcox, just to wrap it up, you think it would expand, i guess, the potential users out there. plenty of people out there smoke marijuana. they get their hands on it, even though it's illegal for recreational use, if it becomes legal, how much is it going to expand the number of people who want the stuff? >> i don't think it will expand it. if you want et now, you can get it. the only question now are you going to buy it through criminals or a licensed regulated facility? >> we will have much more here on cnn all next week as we continue to take a closer look at this proposition 19 which could change the landscape in california and also across the nation about the legalized use of marijuana for recreational purposes. we'll have a series of reports. again, stick with cnn for that next week. also people around the world

watching the mine rescue efforts happening in chile, including miners in pennsylvania. they've been in the same spot. [ male announcer ] when it comes to energy bills, let's see how low we can go. let's do some little things... that help us save big. add some insulation here. a little weather stripping there. maybe an energy star-rated appliance, or two. let's save money on the things that keep saving money. that way, we can turn a little energy into a lot of savings. more saving. more doing. that's the power of the home depot.

we're lowering the cost of staying at room temperature with owens corning insulation -- just $10.44 per roll. to challenge ourselves on the most demanding track in the world. with us, in spirit, was every great car that we'd ever competed with. the bmw m5. and the mercedes-benz e63. for it was their amazing abilities that pushed us to refine, improve and, ultimately, develop the world's fastest production sedan. [ engine revving ]

the cts-v, from cadillac. the new standard of the world.

personal pricing now on brakes. tell us what you want to pay. we do our best to make that work. deal! my money. my choice. my meineke. well, in chile just a little while ago. sirens blared. they're rejoicing.

there's actually more rejoicing that needs to be done, because the celebration here was simply for, which is a milestone, and a big breakthrough is that the drill that they have been using to drill down to the 33 trapped miners, they were finally able to pierce the mine where the men are. so the next phase of the rescue can begin now. that part of the rescue is just days away. the miners have been down there a half mile underground for 65 days now. first it was thought they wouldn't be rescued until christmas time. you may remember the cue creek miners. remember them nine trapped in a pennsylvania mine. four frantic days later crews found them alive. their memories now and encouraging words for fellow miners in chile. >> wednesday night in 2002.

engineers showed up with flashlights. they said there's been in an accident in the mine. nine guys are missing. we think they're trapped under your farm. >> we were there within a day we heard the drilling. that was our ticket right there. then the water kept coming up, and we didn't know if we could make it or not. >> it was very uneasy through the rescue because we had so many factors in this rescue that were not in our favor. we were fighting water. we were fighting air concerns. we were fighting extreme cold. we had no communications with the men. we had a lot of things not working in our favor they they do have working in their favor in chile. >> they have a big room and it's not cold. it's 85 degrees there. ours was 55 degrees and soaking

wet, it was hell. >> we didn't have too good of spirits. we just wanted to keep warm. when you broke through, i was one happy feeling. i was about 55 feet away from it when it broke. best day of my life. it took us 10 or 15 minutes to get us out. they were all kinds of lights everywhere. >> fortunately with the chile mine rescue there was enough time because of the long distance that they had to drill down. there was enough time to build a specialized capsule for the very unique rescue. they built a capsule that they're calling the phoenix. and hopefully that will be used to bring 33 men back to their families. it's certainly one of the greatest rescues in recent history. we would love for chile to take the banner from us and say they've done one better.

>> not sure how it's going to be for the guys coming out. you have to hang in there and do your best. don't quit. keep on trucking is all you can d do. >> again, we'll continue to follow what's happening with the 33 men trapped in the mine in chile as they move to the next phase of the resrescue. coming up, a father's crusade against bullying. he's keeping a promise, even though it's too late to help his little boy. each brita filter can take up to 300 of those bottles out of the equation.

i'd get this tightness in my chest. so i went back to my doctor again. we chose symbicort to help control my asthma symptoms all day and night. [ man ] symbicort improves my lung function, starting within 15 minutes. symbicort will not replace a rescue inhaler for sudden symptoms. it is a combination of two medicines and should not be taken more often than prescribed. symbicort contains formoterol. medicines like formoterol increase the risk of death from asthma problems,

and children and adolescents may have an increased risk of being hospitalized for asthma problems. symbicort is not for people whose asthma is well controlled with a long-term asthma control medicine like inhaled corticosteroids. once your asthma is well controlled, your doctor will decide if you can stop symbicort without loss of control, and prescribe a long-term asthma control medicine. be sure to see your doctor if your asthma does not improve or gets worse. symbicort is a good choice to help control my asthma all day and night. [ inhales ] [ exhales ] ask your doctor if symbicort is a good choice for you. [ male announcer ] if you can't afford your medication, astrazeneca may be able to help.

seven people have been arrested in new york. police are still searching for two more in a series of brutal anti gay hate crimes against four men. police say the attack started last sunday when members of a street gang found out a member was gay. one of the victims was hit with a chain and sod momized with a baseball bat. this comes after a new jersey student last month jumped off a bridge when he realized a sexual encounter was streamed online. this is a personal battle for a father whose little boy committed suicide. >> reporter: kirk smalley is on a mission. there he is, an honored guest at oklahoma city's western heights high school trying to put a stop to bullying. >> i have to make a difference. i promised my son on father's day this year i would stop this from happening to another child.

>> for years his son ty struggled with a bully at school. >> and when you say he was being picked on, how was he being picked on? >> name calling. ty was always kind of small. shove here, push there. >> he was a typical kid with typical grades who took the abuse for two years. on the day ty finally decided to push back physically, he got into trouble. he was suspended from school. for ty, that was too much to bear. on that day last may he killed himself. he was 11 years old. >> ultimately my son's safety rested in my hands. i was responsible for my son's safety.

i don't hold -- >> that's a harsh thing to say about yourself. >> i'm his dad. >> i know, but he's out in the world. >> it's my job to protect him. no matter what. no matter where he was. it was my job to protect him. >> reporter: but how do you protect your child from a bully? assistant deputy education secretary kevin jennings was appointed by president obama to keep kids safe at school. ty's story could easily have been his own. >> were you bullied in school? >> like many kids i was bullied severely in junior high and high school. the first day of tenth grade i refused to go back to school. i wasn't going to back to a place where i got bullied every day. >> he organized the nation's first ever bullying summit. even he admits it's a baby step. experts can't agree on how to define bullying. is it physical? electronic? psychological? nonverbal? or all of the above?

>> when might something happen? when might the federal government act and say these are the guidelines we want to put in place, do it? >> i think it's taken us a long time to develop a bullying problem. it's going to take us a long time to solve it. >> it's why there are no guidelines schools must follow to deal with bullying. they're on their own. in smalley's own state of oklahoma, each school district deals with bullying in different ways. it's something else that infuriates smalley. >> a lot of schools in the country, their answer to bullying is they let the victim leave a little bit early. they let them go home early to get a head start on the bully. this child that's been picked on, you're singling him out now. >> real solutions will come too late for ty. but kirk smalley is on that mission. >> we've kept this alive through the summer. >> it's why he organized vigils at the oklahoma state house. he thinks bullying ought to be a

crime. it's why he tries to convince other kids to stand up for the bullied. >> save their fragile self-esteem. safe their lives. >> it's his promise to a boy who loved his family, hunting, and the st. louis cardinals. >> we haven't done ty's last load of laundry because it still smells like him. we haven't washed his sheets because i can go in there and lay on his bed and still smell my boy. you want to learn what bullying and suicide is all about, you talk to the people directly who it affects the most.

hi. we're ready to switch our car insurance to progressive. today just seemed like a great day to save. oh, it's not just today. with our free loyalty program, you earn great stuff like accident forgiveness and bigger discounts just by staying with us. oh! ooh! so, what you're saying is, it gets even better with age. oh! tell me we're still talking about insurance. rewarding loyalty. now, that's progressive. call or click today.

i'm just to excited to have my dear, dear friend. randi kaye is here for fredricka. it's good to have you here. >> it's good to see you. what have you been up to. >> they won't let you out. >> only let me come and see you every so often.

we don't have time to catch up because i have to tell you what's going on in the next few hours and be handed offer after your long morning. >> it's been a busy morning. what have you got? >> first of all, a great legal segment coming up. we have a segment we're going to talk about with our two legal experts about steven hayes, the connecticut home invasion case, which has been a tough trial to watch. he was convicted last week. his defense lawyer had a client once before he was able to get him off of the death penalty. steven hayes is facing the death penalty. it will be interesting what his defense lawyer has to say and also what prosecutors are going to say. on a lighter case, have you been following dora the explorer. >> isn't this a child? >> 14-year-old new jersey girl. she said she was cheated out of millions of dollars. >> i never knew that was the girl behind the voice. >> dora has made billions of dollars around the world, dvd, toys, et cetera.

she was paid about $5,000 an episode. when she traveled, get this, $40 a day when they would go promoting. she said she had a few minutes to sign a contract, didn't have a lawyer. we'll talk about that. at 2:00 p.m., a great segment on money fears for women. we're going to talk about some women have the bag lady syndrome, they are not going to have enough money and the swindle syndrome. >> anything for men? just the women. >> all about the ladies today. that's all i have time for since you and i needed a little time to catch up. >> so good to have you here. good to have you. we're going to try to get you out and away from those guys more often. >> good luck with that. >> we'll see her in just a second. coming up at 53 minutes past the hour, 24 days until the midterm elections, washington casting a long shadow on a lot of local races. >> he's with obama. >> turns into washington joe.

>> then washington joe does whatever obama wants. >> this ad you're seeing was actually pulled, not because of the words, not because of anything you heard them say. we'll tell you why some republicans are red faced over this. stick around.

well, 24 days now until the midterm elections. we're keeping an eye on all the latest headlines on cnnpolitics.com. here is what's crossing the ticker. gubernatorial candidate jerry brown getting a key endorsement. the states' national organization for women announced they will attack the attorney general against former hewlett-packard ceo meg whitman.

in other endorsement news, national rifle association backing candidates from both sides, 64 democrats. some of those dems are in vulnerable districts. the gop thought they could capture. also former president clinton heading out on the campaign trail next week. he'll be in west virginia to support joe manchin. he's in a battle for the seat left vacant by robert byrd. time short, tone ugly. as we all know bare knuckle tactics can backfire. >> reporter: a gop ad aimed at west virginia voter concerns about democratic senate candidate joe manchin. >> he's not bad as governor. when he's with obama. >> he turns into washington joe. >> washington joe does whatever obama wants. >> we better keep joe manchin right here in west virginia. >> reporter: but get this, those men are not in west virginia.

they are actors 250 miles away in philadelphia. republicans paid a talent agency to hire them for the ad. the casting call obtained by cnn asks for a, hockey, hicky blue-collar look. these characters are from west virginia so think coal miner/trucker looks. not only that, it asks the actors to bring specific wardrobe items, a trucker hat, not brand-new, preferably beat up. see that here. flannel jacket, t-shirt, check. a spokesman said they did not know about the casting call language and pulled the ad. the irony is republicans didn't have to use actors in philadelphia to capture concerns about manchin. we went to the real west virginia diner this week and heard the sentiment unscripted. >> generally pretty happy here in the state. i won't be voting for him for senate. i'd vote for someone with a straightup proposal for the