park, how would you slam it into a building? >> it's difficult to say. obviously he didn't pass his driving test. i'm wondering, was that the big fail? >> it should be if it wasn't. >> maybe he was looking at the balloons. >> exactly. with the car in park. >> exactly. >> better luck next time, buddy. i hope everybody is okay. i hope people weren't badly hurt. >> that's going to wrap it up for us. thanks for joining us on this "american morning." >> don't go anywhere. kyra phillips starts right now. >> today you'll meet a young veteran of the anti-bulling crusade. he couldn't turn away. what do the mine rescue and jerry springer have in drama? drama, of course. as the buried men come out, the

buried secrets with them. and bill o'reilly and the ladies for "the view." you'll fwget the full exchange. i promise. happy friday, everyone. i'm kyra phillips. you're live in the cnn "newsroom." 18 days until midterm elections. washington's balance of power at stakes and imcoupncumbents find their jobs on the line. >> senator reid voted 300 times to raise our taxes. he voted for poor public policy like stimulus and bailout. and he voted for unconstitutional bills like obama care. >> these ideas of my opponent are really extreme. >> harry reid, the top democrat in the house facing a withering challenge from sharron angle. the tea party darling is seizing on the voter anger.

time is running out and tempers are running hot. >> he is benefitting tremendously in this campaign from millions of dollars of these ads, and i am not. i don't want them. you say you don't want them. will you call on them to stop? >> i have no control over that. that's their right to free speech. >> will you ask them to stop? that's your right of free speech to ask them to stop. >> people have a right to free speech. >> the answer is no. so here we are in wisconsin. we want our own election. a guy who wants to be the u.s. senator will not use his free speech to say, will you please stop? >> that's russell feingold. he's in danger of losing his senate seat in wisconsin. the democrat in danger of losing control of congress. now less than three weeks away. jessica yellin is in las vegas. jim acosta in milwaukee and in

wisconsin, candy crowley. let's begin with jessica and the showdown in nevada. jess? >> reporter: well, there wasn't much show to the show yn down. it was probably the dullest thing that happened in las vegas last night. senator harry reid, known to get awkward, was last night. he missed openings to take on his opponent, sharron angle. that her the opportunity to be the real aggressor in the debate. she had difficulty recalling facts and got lost in her own answers. i'll give you an example of one exchange between the two of them. one of the few times harry reid came to life where she accused him of using his office in the senate to make himself rich. we have no sound. i'm sorry. there was -- there was an exchange here. i guess we don't have it. kyra.

he said it was a low blow. he said it was unfair. and he gave plenty of evidence, came to life and hit back. these two, despite their low energy appearances, they did have starkly different visions of what government should do in our lives. he believes government should help create jobs here in nevada, which has the highest unemployment rate in the nation. she says it's up to the private sector. that's where this debate really turns. early voting begins tomorrow. neither one of the folks delivered a knock-out punch. neither made a major gaffe. now it's up to the formidable ground to see who gets more vote. >> now let's talk about the senate race in wisconsin. russ feingold is fighting for re-election. jim, you actually had interaction with sharron angle, before we get to that. >> i did about a month ago. had a chance to briefly talk to

sharron angle. what's interesting about the race is harry reid has had opportunity to put sharron angle away, and he hasn't done that. he didn't do it last night from all appearances. that appears to be much of what's going on here in wisconsin. russ feingold, you would think, being a three-term democrat would be able to take out this tea party candidate, ron johnson, who really came out of nowhere. he's running for election for the first time. at this point russ feingold has not come up with the knockout punch still. >> i'm just -- just just a regular guy. >> it doesn't get more out of the beltway than ron johnson. >> have you been to congress before? >> i've never been to washington, d.c. >> you've never been to washington, d.c. >> until this election. i've gone three times to familiarize myself and meet with some groups. that's it. >> suddenly this 55-year-old millionaire businessman is favored to take down three-term

senate democrat russ feingold. >> as of this moment i am no longer behind. >> who disputes the latest cnn poll showing him eight points behind. >> what would you say to the democrats all over the country shaking their heads and saying, my goodness, russ feingold may lose. what's going on here? >> well, it's not going on anymore. washington has to catch up with the reality on the the ground in wisconsin. >> for johnson it started when hi picked up the backing of the tea party movement. >> america needs to be pulled back from the brink of socialism. >> you don't think that was overstating the case that we're on the the brink of state control. >> no, i don't. they're trying to take over one-sixth of the economy. >> health care reform. >> yes, health care reform. >> johnson wants to repeal health care reform. and he isn't sold on climate change. >> it's unsettled science. >> which may explain why this liberal with the independent streak is making his own appeal to the tea party. >> he's for the patriot act. i'm the only guy that voted

against the patriot act. he's for the trade deals that ship the jobs of wisconsin overseas. i'm against them. >> so you're with the tea party movement. >> i agree with them on key issues. >> they don't like the health care reform. >> it's because they weren't told the truth about what was in it. >> russ feingold wants it both ways. >> reporter: but he's getting slammed by attack ads and billboards run by outside groups. not to mention the millions johnson spent on his own bid. ask any voter like small business owner and it all takes a backseat to one issue. >> you can't afford to be in business. something has got to change. >> it's putting pressure on feingold to save one job in particular. his own. >> you going to win this race? >> yes, i am. >> russ feingold still very confident in the race. kyra, you could not have a more sharp contrast when it comes to the issue of health care reform. ron johnson says it's the

greatest assault on our freedom in his lifetime. russ feingold on the other hand, he is running ads in this campaign touting his vote for health care reform. so you couldn't have a better contrast when it comes to that issue, kyra. >> jim, thanks. talk about being fed up with washington. that's been quite if theme this election season. savvy politicians are definitely seizing on it. we've seen unknown candidates just coast through the primaries. we've also seen some of them lose momentum. big time. candy crowley, our chief political correspondent and the the host of cnn's state of the union joining us from washington to talk about this. candy, there's definitely been this romantiromanticism, yes? >> yes. and honestly, they're reinventing the wheel here. in many ways races have always been about i'm not that guy. i'm not the guy who that be there stealing your money, raising your taxes, whatever it

happens s ts to be. ronald reagan in his second term bid for the presidency ran against washington and the insiders. there are a number of people who go home after decades in washington and try to frame themselves as the outsider kind of guy. the problem is it doesn't take. the insider petina sticks to you. that's why people tend to run this year, it's the tea party. in 2008 it was president obama. now look at the kind of questions he's getting in some of these town hall meetings. the mtv meeting with kids and with faculty. some of his biggest supporters in the 2008 election. well, about your so-called support for gay rights. well, why didn't you do this? quickly you become an insider who didn't deliver. which is why people run from the outside. >> it all sounds good at the

beginning. once they sit down for interviews or debates, they're caught with, you find out the depth of your knowledge. christine o'donnell created quite the momentum. it came to the debate. she was asked about stream court cases. she says i can't think of any. i'll post them on the website. i don't want to pick on sarah palin or christine o'donnell. but we're seeing that among more than just these two. why is that? because they focus on the issue. they haven't educated themselves enough? >> sure. if you've never run for office before, sarah palin was not on the national scene before, you would think they would go back and see the questions that other people get asked. about now, i think probably every candidate out there, i

don't care what they're running for on a national level, they ought to be able to figure out a supreme court decision and say we're going to get asked the supreme court decision question. to me it's a lack of preparation. a freshman campaign. of course, these people are running on hope. not on experience. president obama ran on here's why i'm a different guy. i'm from outside washington. i've only been there two years. and there's a learning curve there. sometimes when they get to the debates. remember the first couple of debates. everybody said he's new to this. sometimes it works for you, i have to say. i don't know that people sat out there in delaware -- i mean, certainly some people did. but i don't know that people went, oh, i'm not voting her because she can want name a supreme court decision.

sometimes well i couldn't name a supreme court decision. what i want to know is how is this people going to bring me jobs. i'll tell you what democrats are hoping for this season right now. they say this whole year is about angry. i'm angry at the democrats. i'm angry at the president. now they say it's a choice. they want to take the more well seasoned person, i.e. the democrat, because they know how to get jobs. at least that's what they're hoping. >> thanks so much. great to see you on a friday. >> thanks, kentucky rachlt. the miners are out, and the secrets came out with them. it's hard to keep your mistress and wife in the dark when the whole world is watching. i'm rob marciano watching a couple of things, including an earthquake that rocked central arkansas a little while ago. 4.4 magnitude quake 15 miles

north of conway. 35 miles north of little rock. it's shallow enough at three miles in depth that certainly folks felt this one. talk about that and a nor'easter rolling off the new england coastline. a touch of that... yup, there's a new head chef in the kitchen. introducing new quaker mix up creations. does your breakfast make you amazing?

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three chilean miners back with their families this morning. this is a video from late last night as they left the hospital looking healthy, happy, wearing sunglasses at night. one is talking about his time underground as well. he was ten feet away from where the ceiling began to cave in. >> we were all waiting for that. we were all very thin. i lost 12 kilos. i was afraid i was not going to meet the child on the way. it was the thing that most scared me. i think the worst thing is to pass three, four, five days without food. to know there may not be a future. >> right now it's looking like all the miners will go home by sunday. talk about the definition of awkward. how about when your wife and

mistress show up at the same time at a prayer vigil for you. who knew the miners were such casanovas? >> his first glimpse of fresh air and freedom in more than two months as he takes off the harness, he looks around to see who will greet him. a woman comes to embrace him, kiss him and cry on his shoulder. not a wife, but a woman believed to be the mistress he lives with. he may not be the only one in the situation. several published reports saying the rescue operation brought together not families but the awkward mix of wives and mistresses. one report said one miner faced competing exclae ining claims f women. i spoke about that with a noted psychiatrist. >> how complicated does it make their lives now? they have to deal with girlfriends, mistresses and wives finding out about each

other for the same guy. >> they went down in the mine with their faults and flaws like everybody else. they came out with lights on them. every mistake they have made and will make in the near future is going to be broadcast. everybody will be able to see it because the whole world is interested in them. >> another complication, money. these miners are expected to be offered book deals, movie rights and gifts that could bring life altering sums to them and those closest to them. >> that can add fuel to the fire. everyone is hoping something beautiful and fantastic and easy will come for the future in their lives because of the money and the fame. the danger, of course, is this will not be a solution and will exacerbate preexisting problems. >> the new exprekations make this such a time problem for miners who had other women in

their lives. now add mistresses or girlfriends competing for attention from the wife. >> well, the rescue was a source of national pride for chile. a tragedy that became a triumph 33 times over. the world watched it happen. anderson cooper takes a look back. don't miss it tonight at 10:00 eastern. rob marciano talking about the the nor'easter we saw yesterday. what more do we know about that? >> it's getting stronger now, kyra wchlt the system comes a number of things. wave, wind, rain and mountain snow. here it is developing across the coast of cape cod. and just bringing in that northeast wind across down east maine. bringing in cold air as well. where it's not raining heavily you're going to see some wind with this. that includes new york to philadelphia. and the wind, i'm sorry, tonight

and tomorrow with this. so we're already starting to see cooler air begin to mix in. where you see pink, that's where the radar is picking up a mix. it will see that at the higher elevations later on today and tonight. we could see anywhere from two to seven inches of snow above 2,000 feet. so you have to go up fairly high for these mountains, at least, to get to that snow. but it will be wet. in some cases the leaves are still on the trees. that will cause tree limbs to come down because of the heavy, wet snow. that's dangerous this time of year. where it's not raining or snowing, it will be windy with the system. 30 to 50 miles an hour wind gusts. as far south of new york city and then back through philly and d.c. it will be chilly and on the blustery side. watching that carefully. also watching this. this is tropical depression paula weakening rapidly.

it's almost completely dissipated. we haven't seen a lot with this. i suspect our friends in little rock will be calling in with reports of having felt this earthquake. 4.4 magnitude earthquake at three miles in depth. we've seen several smaller quakes in the zone over the past week. just a few days ago we had the 4.3 quake across oklahoma. so the heart land rocking and rolling just a little bit this morning. >> it always is. did you see the burglary suspect caught while in deep cover? okay. this was the highlight of the morning meeting. shall we just roll the video? this is his mug shot. dressed as a tree. >> you have to go in character. he's from where you used to work, oregon. he was trying to break into the museum there. i'm trying to see. i don't know if you've been to this museum or not. it's natural resource museum.

it has pieces of gold and unique rocks and minerals. >> i've been to hillsborough, but i haven't been there. i guess i was underdressed. >> apparently he was trying to work his way up, right, hoping nobody would notice. the police dog smelled something weird, came up and bit him, and he had to go to the hospital. didn't work out so well. >> only in oregon. love it. [ advisor 1 ] what do you see yourself doing one week,

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top stories, a troubling concern for forces in afghanistan. a new report says the insurgency is getting stronger and picking up more recruits in areas where the taliban has not been prominent in the past. insurgent attacks are up 59% from the same time last year. a legal victory for opponents o it have health care reform law. a federal judge in florida turned down a government motion to dismiss some counts of a multistate challenge to the law. the judge threw out four other counts. florida and 19 other states claim part of the reform law is unconstitutional. a visitor you may not expect in the oval office. condoleezza rice dropping by to see president obama. the president and the former secretary of state will talk about foreign policy issues.

>> a l a kentucky boy is only 11 years old but already a veteran of the anti-bullying crusade. his story is coming up. (announcer) energy security. climate protection. challenges as vast as the space race a generation ago. and vital to global security. to reach this destination, our engineers are exploring every possibility. from energy efficiency to climate monitoring. securing our nations clean energy future is all a question of how. and it is the how that will make all the difference. is all a question of how. hi, may i help you? yes, we're looking to save on car insurance, even if that means we have to shop all day, right, honey? yep, all day.

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introducing the new 2011 cts-v coupe. from cadillac. the new standard of the world. we head to wall street where stocks are headed for a slightly lower open. alison kosik joining us from the new york stock exchange. hi, alison. >> hi, kyra.

we are expecting to see stocks make modest gains as investors react to positive news development. that includes hopeful comments from the chairman of the federal reserve a short time ago. ben bernanke wrapped up a speech in boston. he says the central bank has what he calls a case for further a. to stimulate the economy because of the the high unemployment rate and low inflation. that's what investors want to hear. he stopped short of saying how aggressive the fed will be. he offered the clearest signal yet that the fed will act. there's a big batch of upbeat economic reports out today showing a rise in retail sales and an small uptick in inflation. we have strong earnings from google and general electric. the dow industrial is up 29. the nasdaq is higher by 26. big bank is hiring.

bank of america. the company's ceo says they intend to higher about 1,000 small business bankers nationwide. the new employees will work out of dallas, l.a., baltimore and washington, d.c. get the resumés out and get them out early. >> thanks so much, alison. >> sure. >> well, tyler clementi. you remember him. and seth walsh. how about billy lucas and asher brown? these are all teens who were gay, or thought to be gay, they were all harassed, tor meanted a tormented and bullied to the breaking point. these kids didn't think life would ever get better. now a gay city councilman in ft. worth, texas, has put his political life on the line to tell other kids it does. that was joel burns speakg from

experience. you'll hear from him in a second. he used the city council as a forum to tell how bullies went after him as a teen. it left such an emotional scar -- let's listen to him quickly. >> i want to use my taime to tak about another issue that pulls at my heart. the parents of asher brown, who you can see above, complained to school officials outside of houston that their son was being bullied and harassed in school. the bullies called him faggot and queer. they shoved him and punched him. in spite of his parents' calls to city councounselors and the , the threats and tormenting continues. for years it continues. he went home, found his father's gun and shot himself in the head. his father found him did when he

came home from work. asher was 13 years old. >> he pointed out all these specific examples of these kids that died by suicide because they were getting bullied. and he actually came out in that council meeting saying that he's gay, that he was bullied as a kid, and it has to stop. it was a powerful and emotional speech. it's gone viral on the internet. you don't have to be a grown-up to take a stand. a kentucky boy just couldn't look the other way when bullies started picking on his friends. now his classroom crusade has spread through the entire town. and our joe johns got to meet him. >> it's nice to meet you. how are you doing? >> two yearing ago dylan took a stand. he was just 9 years old. a fourth grader. a little guy with a big sense of right and wrong. >> his name is cole jackson. >> reporter: what happened? >> he feels getting called mean names.

i didn't think that was too cool. i was wanting to help him out. >> reporter: how was rereacting? >> i knew he didn't feel good. he doesn't want people picking on him. >> cole is autistic and had difficulty communicate iing. he was bullied because of it. dylan sent the message to classmates it wasn't okay. >> they were born with that disorder. they can't help they were born with autism. they don't need to be treated different than anybody else. >> dylan didn't know it at the time, but he was about to launch an anti-bullying crusade that would spread from his classroom to his school and all over his hometown of bowling green, kentucky, the moment when he stood up for cole is now the subject of a public service announcement that's been posted on youtube and played in every classroom in the school district. the message, stop the scarring that bullying causes. >> i stood up for my friend cole. you should stand up for anyone cut down or scarred as well. >> to young activist is hoping to raise $0,000 for the kelly

autism program. he's already raised over $10,000 through drives like this one. and he's encouraging other students to do the same. but beyond the dollars, dylan has also raised awareness and changed hearts, including his friend's, kade lawrence. >> had you been a kid that teased the other kids? >> yeah, i done it for a little while. but i went and apologized to the people i did it to. >> yes, ma'am. >> and dylan is giving hope to students. especially those with autism who are bullied. >> it just hurts, you know. believe me. i'm used to it. >> like 8-year-old christian who has heard about dylan and seen the video and now is headed to meet the kid who started the anti-bullying movement. >> dylan is a hero. i'm this excited! hi! you are the best! why is here your hero?

>> he helps kids to not be bullied and to know that they're just like everybody else. we are. we are just are -- we're not that different. we just have autism. what does that change with us? >> so that's the story of dylan beckham, an 11-year-old, with one simple answer to the bullying of autistic kids. >> i know they all get picked on sometimes, but now it's starting to turn around. >> reporter: and just perhaps a model showing how kids can get results when they're allowed to lead the way. joe johns, cnn, bowling green, kentucky. >> and we want to keep this conversation about bullies going. go to my blog, cnn.com/kyra. tell me what you thinks schools are doing. if it's enough or if they have a good program many place. and coming up, we're talking to a mom who kept silent about her bullied son's death.

until the bullies have now gone after her daughter. now she's got a lot to say since her son died by suicide, and she's concerned about her 12-year-old. she's also speaking to the president of the united states. we'll tell you about that next hour. orld. 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. i have the bank of america mobile banking app. i can take care of things on my break. i can check my balance... while i'm on a bus. waiting at the barber shop. at the studio. oh, my paycheck's already in. [ chuckles ] i just transferred money. i went online and set up alerts to let me know if... my balance drops below $200. you can pay your bills online. you enter the amount. then, "make payment."

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>> don't ask, don't tell. the military's policy that bars gay men and lesbians from serving openly. the justice department asked an emergency stay on a california court ruling overturning the law. president obama says he wants congress to change the law. and the president's pledge to reduce the deficit. the congressional budget office says this year's deficit is $125 billion less than last year's. still $1.3 trillion. and the toxic sludge disaster in hungary. nine people died after a river of mud broke through an industrial company's reservoir. the company's ceo is accused of

public endangerment and harming the environment. he told cnn he will try to help the people of the devastated region but denied there was evidence of a dam leak week before the spill.

going cross country now. headed to outer space. well, kind of. it takes a lot to freak out new yorkers, as you well know. apparently this did. some strange, unexplained objects in the sky. dozens of people called police and even the faa to report ufos. but it looks like they were just some party balloons that got

loose. in pennsylvania, not a good thing if you just got your driver's license. a teen driver passed his test and was parking the car when he slammed it into the testing office. the teen was dropping off the man who gave the test. three people were hurt. thankfully not seriously. and the show is over for mr. showm showmanship. the museum closing its doors in vegas. tough economy and fewer visitors are to blame. no more pink feather boas on display. no more fur coats. no more big gaudy rings. the foundation says it will now focus all the resources on scholarships. yes, that was liberace playing chop sticks. 18 days until americans cast their votes, we're bringing you the stories to shape the voters'

decisions. park preston at the political desk. did you ever learn to play chop sticks, mark? >> i don't know how to use chop sticks when i'm eating sushi. i don't know if i could learn to play them. i'm sitting here with john talking about what our plan is for cnnpolitics.com. he has good stories on the site on the senate race in nevada. another great story our viewers should look at is from deidra wallace. she talks about democrats running from nancy pelosi. she's not liked in their district. specifically in mississippi and also out in pennsylvania. one of them, at least one of them has an ad up saying, look, i don't vote with nancy pelosi all the time. i'm an independent person. some of the folks are down in mississippi. mark out in pennsylvania.

shows you democrats are telling the folks ey need to win no matter how they win. president obama had a very tough question, some would say, thrown at him down his town hall style meeting. he was at at youth meeting with all students. it was on mtv and b.e.t. he talked about the economy and health care. he was also asked about homosexuality. do you think it's something your born with? he said bottom line, we're all god's children. we don't make determinations about who we love. he says he doesn't think homosexuality is a choice. today at the white house condoleezza rice will be meeting with president obama. she's a republican. he's a democrat. sometimes you can put politics aside. kyra? >> really? that's possible. >> well, at least for a few minutes anyway. >> okay, thanks, mark. for more political news and you

can always go to our website, cnnpolitics.com. flashback 59 years ago today. that's when her 'splainig really began. >> we can handle this. >> this is one of the classics from the disney productions archives. on this day in 1951 the situation comedy "i love lucy" premiered on cbs. >> listen, ethel -- client comes in and they have a box. and inside that box is their financial life. people wake up and realize i better start doing something. we open up that box. we organize it. and we make decisions. we really are here to help you. they look back and think, "wow. i never thought i could do this."

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the national conversation about gay bullying has a new voice. when it was burns' turn to speak at this week's meeting, his focus wasn't city business. he revealed for the first time his own experience with bullies. one that stuck with him all these years and that he did not

plan to share until the recent rash of suicide among our kids. his passionate, emotional speech has gone viral on the internet now. chris haas talked with burns about is the joel ft. worth knows. tuesday night, he shared what his life was like as a boy of 13, beaten up and terrorized. >> they said that i was a -- and die and go to hell where i belonged. that erupted the fear that i had kept pushed down, that what i was beginning to feel on the inside must somehow be showing on the outside. >> reporter: burns what followed recent stories of kids who killed themselves after being bullied but it was an article that pushed him this week to make tuesday's speech. >> do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the

kingdom of god. >> reporter: a teenager went to a city council meeting. >> what of what he heard their, he killed himself. that's what drove me to do something now. >> reporter: burns says his message is that life does get better, pointing to his many friends and long-time partner. today that message resonating around the world through the internet. >> literally thousands of messages and quite a few phone calls. >> reporter: he received calls particular national television producers and accolades from community organizers. the goal, he says, was to reach the children who needed to hear him. >> bravo to councilman burns. during his speech he added that life gets so much better and encouraged gay teens to stick around for the good times because they will come and the

jerks will go. burns is what this conversation about bullying needs, influential people with a sbrois a platform to step up and speak out, set an example in a political position to affect policy. pushing ahead to our next hour, let's check in with our team of reporters. let's start with poppy harlow in atlanta today. >> i am. we're talking about marijuana on the ballot. guess what. we caught up with the first ever marijuana critic. we're talking about a guy who gets paid to smoke pot. >> can't wait to see that one. you heard the political ploy i'm just like you, so elect me. does that political ploy really work, though? do you want a politician just like you? we'll delve into the matter in just a bit. and how big an outsider is the republican running against russ fine goal up in here wisconsin? well, up until just recently, he

had never been to washington. i'll explain at the top of the hour. >> sounds great. also coming up, we're talking to a mom who kept silent about her bullied a sons suicide until the bullies went after her daughter. now she has a lot to say to us now she has a lot to say to us and president obama. ♪ if you have gout, high uric acid can lead to more attacks. ♪ to help reduce attacks, lower your uric acid. uloric lowers uric acid levels in adults with gout. it's not for the treatment of high uric acid without a history of gout. uloric reduces uric acid to help you reach a healthy level. [ female announcer ] don't take uloric if you are taking azathioprine, mercaptopurine, or theophylline. gout may flare when starting uloric. don't stop taking it. your doctor may give you other medicines to help prevent flares. a small number of heart attacks, strokes, and heart-related deaths were seen in studies. it's not certain uloric caused them. certain tests to check liver function may be required.

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well, drama on the set of "the view." bill o'reilly was the guest yesterday and it started out nicely with hugs, kisses, until the topic of the islamic center near ground zero came up. >> what are you talking about? >> muslims killed us on 9/11. >> i, my god! >> muslims didn't kill us on 9/11? >> extremists. >> what religion was mr. mcveigh? he was an extremist as well, and he killed americans. >> i don't want to sit here. i don't want to sit here. i'm outraged by that statement. >> you're outraged about muslims killing us on 9/11? [ applause ] >> i want to say something.

i want to say something to all of you. you have just seen what should not happen. >> here comes one of them back. >> we came back because you apologized. >> as you can see, whoopi and joy did come back after walters calmed things down a bit and after o'reilly said it was muslim extremists, not all muslims that killed us. as you can imagine, that generateded a lot of talk. >> bill oh rilely and joy behar discussed this on their own tv shows. let's look at how o'reilly summarized it on fox news channel's "the o'reilly factor."

fireworks on "the view" as the liberal sensibility regarding muslims is challenged by me. he then went on to discuss it. he says no one he knows wants to insult muslims but people are tired of political correctness. >> i'm not in the business of sugar-coating harsh reality. this states the truth as i see it. i enjoy jousting with the view ladies because they don't see it my way and i want the audience to hear both sides. i loved that today, didn't you? >> meanwhile, on her program on hln, joy behar discussed it@as well. you need to know the title of bill o'reilly's new book is "pinheads and pate traits." >> i was angry. i saw him and i thought he was saying something that i con true as hate speech. i'm joined by former minnesota

governor jesse ventura. it upsets me because i think to say muslims killed us on 9/11 is like -- you could say that about any group, to lump an entire group like that. >> she then went on to have a conversation with, as you saw, jesse ventura. this is one of the top stories on cnn.com. we talk about the visit and you see some of the key video. i have been thinking about this. it is interesting to see these people combat, but it is also potentially a touched upon moment in america for us to have a conversation about how you have respectful disagreements and how you talk about 9/11 and the ground zero mosque without mistakenly or for any reason grouping muslims together into one unit. what we want to do is you to take part in that, respectful conversation. you have my facebook and twitter pages. we're following what you have to say about this. i will be back next hour with

some more of the reactions, including reactions from our viewers who can weigh in right now. >> thanks, josh. >> you got it, sure. a recent suicides of students who were gay or perceived as gay has started a national conversation on bullies and how to stop them. bullying and harassment have had fatal consequences in several cases just within the last month. one example, 19-year-old tyler clementi, the rutgers freshman who jumped off a bridge after two students allegedly posted a sex video of him with another man. seth walsh of california was just 13 years old and hanged himself from a tree after years of harassment. friends say bullies targeted him because he was gay. billy lucas of indiana was 15 when he took his own life last month. friends say that bullies picked on billy for years.

and asher brown of texas was only 13 when he shot himself in the head. his parents say bullies picked on him because he was small, didn't wear designer clothes and because they thought he was gay. these are just four cases that we have talked about. we're talking about one of those other cases right now as well and that's jahim herrera. he was 11 years old when he took his own life last year right here in atlanta. school bullies tormented him, called him a virgin, feminine, gay, beat him up in the bathroom, held him down until he passed out. he didn't see any escape, so he took his own life. his mother was too distraught to even talk about what happened, but her silence broke when bullies started picking on her daughter. no way is she going to let history repeat itself. she's not just talking to us. she's taking her case all of the way to the president of the

united states. she joins us now along with activist gerald rose. i thank you so much for being here. you're going to make me cry because you're tearing up. sorry, you're getting me emotional now. i remember when this happened and we reached out to you and wanted to talk about this story, and you weren't talking, and we can totally understand why. it's just horrible, especially when i sit here with parents like you and see what your parents went through and learn soy much about your son. in this message to the president, you actually say as you address him, a year has passed since jaheem's suicide and i haven't gotten any justice. mr. obama, i really don't know what to do. i cried so much and i feel like a failure to my son. why do you feel like a failure? >> because i just keep seeking the justice, and these people don't want to accept responsibility that my son was getting bullied in school.

you know, they always want to say, oh, no, it wasn't going on, so i feel i'm trying to my best to let these people know it was bullying going on with him and they keep sweeping it under the rug. so i feel like i failed him. i can't get no justice. a year has passed and it's still the same thing, they keep denying it. >> if i remember correctly, you went to those folks to school. you said, my son is coming home. he's tormented. he's aching. you've got to do something. you told them about this a number of times, right? >> yes, yes, i did. >> and we know what happened to jaheem. and now your 12-year-old daughter, very close with her brother. what started happening to her? >> well, she started to get bullied like two weeks ago. >> what were they saying to her? >> the little boy was telling her that he's a ghost whisperer, and he don't see jaheem because

he's in hell and her brother was crazy and he should come back again and do it again. he should have done that a long time ago. so my daughter is very hurt right now. >> what did she do? did she come home and say, mom, you're not going to believe what happened. >> she said, did you receive a call at school. i said, no, what happened. she said i got into it with a little boy because he was teasing me about jaheem, and i'm tired of it. i started to cry. >> what did you do this time around? did you go back to the school once again, and say, what gives? >> yeah. i went the following day to the school and went to meet with the assistant principal because i was willing to sit down with the parents and resolve this problem because i can't afford to lose another child. >> god forbid. did they do anything to the bully? did they react differently this

time around than what you went through this time? >> yes, they did discipline the little boy but they did mess up because they let him slip out of his classroom and harass my daughter with the same tauntings again. >> has he been suspended? >> he got suspended but his mom came and withdrew him from school. >> this does his mom under that your son took his life because of this and her son is harassing your daubt about her brother? >> i guess so. i tried to reach out to her the following day, and they attempted to call her four times and she never returned the call. she wanted to me me the following monday. she wasn't there. she came to the school in the afternoon, and i was far away. i couldn't get to the school on time. so i asked this lady to please wait for me, give me 30 minutes because i'd like to meet her and squash this in the school.

she said she got to go home and feed her kids. so i guess she doesn't care. >> gerald, you got involved. you are founder and ceo of new order national human rights organization. that's a long title there. got it all out, though. tell me what you're doing here in atlanta and what you hope to do more across the country with your organization as you have gotting to know this family and the story around jaheem. >> seek justice. this situation happened last year. my job is it to mobilize, get unity, bring this case back up and get justice for this mom. i had an opportunity to meet with the young girl and when i met with her, she's a very, very smart young lady, and you can tell she's going through something now. >> you're talking about the daughter? >> she had a diary that said, i miss my brother, please get justice for my brother. that's why i'm here. i'm here to reopen the case, take it to a national movement

and get justice for this family. once the cameras and we leave, she has to go home inside her apartment and think about her son. i'm committed to this to the end. i plan to get other organizes involved and get justice for this family. >> you deal with cases like this a lot. what is wrong with our kids? or should we say, what's wrong with our parents? >> yes. >> what do you think it is? you both probably want to weigh in on this. let me start with you, gerald. is it the kids and the surroundings, the parents and how they're raised in the home? >> it stars at home. if my neighbors saw me do something wrong, they had the right to do something and then my parents disciplined. these days, if you discipline a child, the parents disrespect you. it's a new way of life. i have a 13-year-old daughter who lives in virginia with girls who were bullying her for a minute, but statement, we stopped that and that's why

we're here to stop this and make sure it doesn't happen again. >> you're taking your message to the president. i read through your speech and you talk about what happened to your son and there wasn't enough could you do, and now you're seeking help from him. do me a favor and read the specific message you are going to say directly to the president when you hold this news conference this afternoon. >> mr. president, bullying is still an ush here in georgia and all over the united states. our children are dying because they think this is the only way out. i think that the parents and administrator should be held accountable for my son's untimely death and if the parents could sue the school system federally, that would make them get their act together and be responsible for our kids' well being. and last, not least, change the federal law bullying in the

whole united states. please, justice for jaheem. >> finally, you're addressingle president. we'll hear it here. i appreciate your strong words. what are you telling your daughter now as she wakes up in the morning? she's probably nervous about going to sool and facing a lot of friends and teachers. what do you tell her when she rolls out of bed and starts getting dressed and has her breakfast? >> i just tell her to be like careful, you know, just do her work. concentrate on what she's doing. if anybody talks to you, try to bring up anything -- just try to ignore them. you know, i'm always going to be there to protect her. jaheem is not here, but i'm going to seek justice for my kids. my kids need to live a normal life. >> amen, i think we all agree with that. thank you for joining us. you are just fantastic. we will stay on top of the story and the news conference this morning.

i know it's been a long morning for you. >> thank you. >> thank you both. boss: and now i'll turn it over to the gecko. gecko: ah, t, as we all know, geico has been saving people money on rv, camper and trailer insurance... ...as well as motorcycle insurance...

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18 days until the midterm elections. washington's balance of power at stake, and incumbents are finding their jobs on the line. nevada's harry reid, the top democrat in the house facing a challenge from sharron angle, the tea party darling that like many challengers is seizing on all of the voter anger. the same is true in wisconsin where russ feingold is in danger of losing his senate seat. time is running out, tempers are running hot, and time is critical. let's begin in nevada where reid is locked in what dead heat with

sharron angle. she says reid is part of the problem with washington. they traded words at last night's debate in las vegas. the first and only such showdown in the highly watched race. >> social security is a promise we have to keep. it takes care of seniors in their golden years. that's why i work so hard to protect social security. i feel so strongly about this that i took on the president of the united states when he tried to privatize it, and we won that battle. the deal was made by president reagan and tip o'neill is holding strong. the money is there, and it's taking care of our folks and will for the next 35 years. >> man up, harry reid. you need to understand that we have a problem with social security. that problem was created because of government taking that money out of the social security trust fund in 1990.

you said it was stealing to use social security for anything but social security, and then you voted to take that social security money into the general fund where it could be generally used for generally anything. >> well, now the senate race in wisconsin. our cnn/"time" opinion research poll shows russ feingold trailing his challenger. ron johnson is a newcomer who won the backing of the tea party movement. jim acosta has more. >> reporter: this is that race that democrats all over the country are just scratching her heads and wondering how did russ feingold get into this mess? it is sort of understandable that harry reid would be in the tough battle he is in. he's the senate majority leader. not so much the case hires in wisconsin. unemployment is high here as well, though. russ feingold is trying to find a way to come from behind. he disputes some of the poll numbers, and his internal

campaign saying the race is tighter than it is. he is challenging ron johnson. he's a millionaire businessman who runs a manufacturing company in oshkosh. he came from nowhere to pick up the backing of the tea party movement. it's no a surprise that russ feingold would make a play for tea party supporters but it caught a lot of wisconsin liberals off guard. russ feingold is very much doing that, understanding that his opponent johnson is pretty much the ultimate outsider in this race. >> he's for the patriot act and i'm the only guy that voted against the patriot act. he's for the trade deals that ships the jobs of wisconsin overseas. >> you are with the tea party movement. >> reporter: you have never been to washington, d.c.? >> not until this election. i have gone three times to familiarize myself and meet with some groups. >> reporter: that's it.

he hadn't been to washington, d.c. until he started running for the senate. sort of an extraordinary side note about ron johnson. and he is not only pumping his own money into this campaign, speaking of ron johnson, he's also getting the help of those third-party outside groups that we have been hearing so much about, that the democrats have been complaining about in the last couple of weeks. a new study just came out from wesleyan university saying that the senate race here in wisconsin is the biggest and most we've seen in the last month in all of the senate races around the country. even more ads for the senate race here in wisconsin than in nevada. just another example of just how much trouble russ feingold is in here in wisconsin. a lot of those ads that are running are against him. 20 states will get to keep their fight alive. a florida judge issues a rule

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top stories -- troubling concern for allied forces in afghanistan. a new report says the insurgency is getting stronger and picking up more recruits in areas where the taliban has not been prominent in the past. insurgent attacks were up 59% from last year. a federal judge in florida has turned down a government motion to dismiss some counts of a multi state challenge to the law. the judge threw out four counts. florida and other states claim the reform law is unconstitutional. problems coming if from a nor'easter. >> this is really exploding off the long island and cape cod coastline. a number of variables that are going to adversely affect people who live from new york city up through boston and northward. this is throwing a lot of

moisture across of parts of northern new england and off the atlantic soegs. the bulk of the heavier rains are back off the coastline where the flood watches are being issued. in some of these areas, we could see a fair amount of snow, anywhere from 2 to 7, especially above 2,000 feet, upstate new york, adirondacks, snowing in some of the higher elevation places now, and in some places, there are still leaves on the trees. that will catch the snow and likely tree branchs will break be we will see power outages. we are seeing rain where it is not snowing. nasty temperatures in the 40s and windy. where it is not raining in new york, winds will gust 30 to 40 miles an an hour. it will be a blustery day.

73 degrees expected in los angeles with showers out that bay. i think the folks in the eastern half of the country are going to enjoy a decent fall weekend once the storm goes through but it will be breezy the further east you go. >> rob, do me a favor. i got a hostage situation going on south of dallas. trying to get a point on waxahachie. we are getting pictures in from our affiliate in dallas, text, wfaa, our affiliate there. this is the vintage bank on highway 77 if you know where that is. apparently a hostage situation. we don't know how many hostages are inside that bank right now. we just got these pictures in

and getting information just within the past 60 seconds. so all i can tell you is the vintage bank, highway 77, south of dallas in waxahachie, texas. we'll keep you posted and try to keep you posted as we get it.

well, marijuana is on four state ballots this november. for the past week, cnn newsroom has been taking a close look at the issue, too. it's already legal for patients to smoke medical marijuana in 14 states and been legal in colorado for a decade.

we found one man in denver who actually gets paid to smoke pot. poppy harlow reports. >> reporter: not only is this legal. it pays the bills. so you get paid to smoke pot and write about it? >> i get paid to smoke pot and write about it. >> reporter: his pen name is william breathes, and his one of the first marijuana critics in the country. we can't show you his face because he job depends on staying anonymous, like a restaurant critic. you can be high doing the job. >> and my boss knows it. >> reporter: it's estimated about 2% of the state's population, or more than 100,000 people have applied for medical marijuana licenses. according to one harvard economist, roughly $18 billion is spent on pot every year in the u.s. and denver's westward paper has capitalized on just that, hiring breathes as a pot

critic to evaluate the dispensaries and the quality of the marijuana they sell. >> he has his degree and is a good writer and can punctuate and spell. >> reporter: as for breathes, he's been smoking for 15 years to ease chronic stomach pains, but now his medicine pays his mortgage. we tagged along to see for ourselves, and we didn't take our cameras inside, but take a listen. >> oh, that's great. i'm going to have to go with that. >> an eths or -- >> i'll go with an eighths. >> can you show us what you got? >> yeah. i got a joint, a prerolled joint of stour diesel and some really chunky, real good-looking pot. >> i can smell it. it's permeating the whole car. >> yeah. that muskiness is something you look for. >> reporter: does that mean it's good? >> yes.

>> reporter: back at the hofs, it's time to get to work. >> load up a little bit and taste it. try and taste the smoke as it comes out. you know, like i was saying, it has a real like woody finish, and then after a few hits of it, you try and feel what type of buzz it is and what it's doing to my body medically. >> reporter: you know the critics would say you just want to get high. >> oh, yeah, definitely, and i'm not goin medicine, but if could you see me on a morning when i'm really sick and pot helps me the most, it's truly medical. >> we're lucky today. we have poppy in studio. we will talk about why you're here in a minute. marijuana has become a huge industry in colorado. >> it's amazing. it's very accepted there. you know, you drive down the main street there, and there's dispensaries left and right, but when you look at what they're doing legally, they passed laws

to further regulate it. felons are barred from owning dispensaries, doctors who give the prescriptions have to be much more open about why they're giving them. the people who own the dispensaries have to grow 70% of their own pot. you don't want it import frds other countries, from mexico, so there are a lot more rules so it's becoming extremely accepted. we are talking about this guy, william breathes, this pen name, he shocked me. he was very straight laced and responsible guy. e he takes his job responsibly. >> he's been doing this for 15 years. >> people say you do it to get high. he says he thinks it works. >> has he said, i can see how it's affected me. >> he gets up early in the morning, 8:00 a.m., normal day. smokes before lunch because he

can't eat otherwise. he's responsible about it, you know what i mean? he does it as responsibly as possible. he doesn't drive high. that's a big question, do you drive around like that? he's changing the perception, and in denver, everyone reads his blog on westward's website and flocks to in the newspaper. the question is does this become an industry luke restaurant critics. some people call it the best job in america. >> you'll have a lot of people debating that. i want to get in a plug for why you are here. you are speaking at a fabulous event. >> art reach project america, i have been working with them since i was in high school. they teach art therapy positive kids around the world. they started in bosnia and are working with iraqi refugees. they helped tons of kids and

last year they launched project america to help vets returning with ptsd, and their families. they have worked with 185 veteran families. you can donate at their website, a artreach.org. they want to take it outside of just georgia, take it across the country. i've seen it help people. it helps people express what they can't say in words. they have a big fund racer tomorrow night. >> we were talking about van gogh, when he cut off his ear, and still in province they have that institution there. >> it's been going on a long time. >> it goes way back. senate candidate christine o'donnell has gotten a lot of attention saying she's just like you.

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we do our best to make that work. deal! my money. my choice. my meineke. we're not quite sure of all of the specifics or what exactly is happening. all we can tell is that the brooklyn bridge has been evacuated, clear. they're not letting anybody cross over. we're sending crews over there. we're not sure what's going on, why this has been done, but we want to let you know, if you're wondering about what's happening, if you live in the area, we're working it and will brung you as much information as possible as soon as we get it. remember when american presidents were on a pedestal, very polished, proper, and nothing like most ordinary people. think fdr, jfk, even ronald

reagan. then things started to change, you had bill clinton munching down at mcdonald's, and george bush in a cowboy hat. president obama chowing down on fast food, hitting the local diners, mingling with the peeps. democratic senate candidate christine o'donnell says she's one of you, but she's not the only politician saying that. a lot of them are saying that. but 18 days before the midterm elections, we thought we'd find out whether voters are buying into the just like you think thing. carol costello is with us. >> it's become cliche. how many politicians have you heard say, i'm just like you. i understand your pain? how many have you heard say that? >> probably almost every single one of them. and that's what they're feeding off the voter anger. hey, i get you. i understand you. i'm anti-washington, anti-elight

establishment. that's what people want to hear in a bad economy and when they can't find a job. >> you've hit on something and it does seem every politician is fighting for the i'm just like you crown because of the anger. so, it must work, right? we wondered. so, does it work? do you want a politician in office just like you? christine o'donnell wasn't the first to say she's you. >> i'm not a witch. i'm not you've heard. i'm you. >> reporter: but you could argue she was the first to say it in a way that arrested america's attention in a way few politicians have. parodies aboind, queue youtube. >> america's a 300-pound bearded diabetic man. send me your donations, and i will go to grandma's house and

order pizza tonight. i'm you. >> reporter: all joking aside, the i am you political strategy is ubiquitous, seems to be in every politicians' play book. if you wonder why? >> because it's been done. >> reporter: so politicians bowl, drink, hunt or ride a horse, but president reagan on a horse was a lot more subtle than, say, big clinton's i'm like you grab. all those hamburgers and jogging shorts and marriage problems. he was a baby boomers i am you dream. he connected, and he won. >> thank you very much. >> reporter: actually, analysts say the i am like you strategy really exploded in 2008. everyday american people, joe six-pack, hockey moms across the nation, i think we need to band together and say never again. never will we be exploited and taken advantage of again. >> reporter: and although some

political strategists say it's a tired tactic, the idea of you running the country resonated with many voters. >> because they're angry, they don't trust anybody. who are they most likely to trust? themselves. >> reporter: but is that what voters want, peanut farmer, a cowboy, a good old boy or a hockey mom, you know, someone just like them to run the country. in the end, zimmerman, a democratic strategist says no. >> this election is not about whether a politician is like the electorate. it's about what the politician will do for the electorate. that's what people are demanding and that's what's resonating. >> reporter: and, keer ray, zimmerman adds voters are more cynical today than they were back in the '90s when bill clinton was here. they say when the words i'm just like you comes from a politician, it sounds like the

check's in the mail. >> it did work for clinton, playing the sack phone on the arsenio hall show, and even president obama, too, driving his truck with his cowboy hat. people do definitely respond to that sort of down to earth image. >> reporter: i guess when it's done well. zimmerman says those candidates had something to back them up. they were experienced politicians, which mattered back in the day and george w. bush wasn't that far back in the day. today, if you have no experience at all, and you're even more like the you out there, you're more apt to get attention from voters and perhaps get elected into office. >> thanks for the gut check. >> reporter: any time. >> see you next week. we want to update you. we are told now the brooklyn bridge has been reopened. we just got word it has reopened. we'll try to figure out what happened there and why it was

closed down in the first place. as a part time sales associate with walmart. when william came in i knew he had everything he needed to be a leader in this company. [ william ] after a couple of months, i was promoted to department manager. like, wow, really? me? a year later, i was promoted again. walmart even gave me a grant for my education. recently, he told me he turned down a job at one of the biggest banks in the country. this is where i want to be. i fully expect william will be my boss one day. my name is william and i work at walmart. ♪ style that lasts a lifetime. what do you say we get the look we want, the softness we need, and an unbeatable lifetime stain warranty for whatever life throws at it. then let's save big on the installation. ♪ we're lowering the cost of going barefoot. more saving. more doing. that's the power of the home depot. get exclusive martha stewart living and platinum plus installed in your whole house for only 37 bucks.

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let's go to bowling green, kentucky, shall we and meet young crusader who is definitely making his mark. dylan beckham was 9 years old when people started to pick on his friend cole. he stood up for cole and that was the moment dylan's crusade was born. now, two years later, he's standing up for everyone with autism. he was part of a public service announcement posted on youtube and it's played in every classroom in his school district. >> i know that they all get picked on sometimes, but now

it's starting to turn around. >> dylan is a hero. >> i'm this excited. >> hi. you're the best. oh, thank you. >> why is he a hero? >> he helps kids with autism not to be bullied and to know that they're just like everybody else and we are. we just are -- we're not that different. we just have autism. >> dylan's raising money this weekend by taking part in a run/walk event for autism. we'll follow it. the national conversation about gay bullying has a new voice. joel burns is an openly gay city councilman in ft. worth, texas. when it was his turn to peek at this week's meeting, well, his focus wasn't city business. he actually revealed for the first time his own experience with bullies, one that stuck with him all these years, and that he didn't plan to share until the recent rash of teen

suicides. >> life got so much better for me and i want to tell any teen who might see this, give yourself a chance to see just how much life -- how much better life will get, and it will get better. you will get out of the household that doesn't accept you. you will get out of that high school, and you never have to deal with those jerks again if you don't want to. you will find and you will make new friends who will understand you, and life will get so, so, so much better. i look back and my life is full of so many happy memories that i wish i could share with those whose photos were shown above earlier and those who have taken their lives. >> his passionate, emotional speech has gone viral on the internet. chris haas from our affiliate talked to him about it. >> reporter: this is the joel

burns ft. worth knows, confident, openly gay council member elected in 2007, but tuesday night, burns shared what his life was like as a young boy of 13, beaten up and terrorized because bullies realized he was different. >> they said i should die and go to hoel where i belonged. that erupted the fear that i had kept pushed down that what i was beginning to feel on the inside must somehow be showing on the outside. >> reporter: burns has followed recent stories of teens who killed themselves after being bullied for their orientation but it was an article he have saw this week that pushed him to make tuts's speech. >> do you not know the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of god. a teen who attended this debate about whether a city would recognize a gay, bisexual and transgender history month in his city. >> because of what he heard there, he killed himself. that drove me to do something

now. >> reporter: burns says that his message is that life does get better, pointing to his many friends and long time partner. today that resonated through the nation on the internet. >> literally thousands of e-mails and phone calls. >> reporter: he received calls from national television producers and accolades from equality organizes. >> perhaps it was not the political best thing for me to do but that wasn't the goal. >> reporter: the goal he says, was to reach the children who needed to hear him. >> we sure hope he did reach the children. bravo to councilman burns. he added that life does get so much better and encouraged gay teens to stick around for got times because they will come, and the jerks will go. burns is just what his national conversation about bullying needs, empathetic, influence tl people with a voice and a platform to step up and speak out and set an example in a political position like his that

can affect policy. joel burns is going to be on cnn later today and join ali velshi 1:00 p.m. eastern time right here in the cnn newsroom. hi, may i help you? yes, we're looking to save on car insurance, even if that means we have to shop all day, right, honey? yep, all day. good thing you're starting here. we compare your progressive direct rate to other top companies', so you can save money! look! we saved a lot! and quick, too. and no more holding her purse! it's a european shoulder bag. it was a gift. mm-hmm. shopping less and saving more. now, that's progressive. call or click today. [ e. clark ] i'm an engineer. i love my job. i can see what's it's doing for the community on a day-to-day basis.

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just 18 days until americans cast their votes in the midterm elections. we're counting down to bring you all of the stories that shape the voters' decisions. paul steinhauser is in washington at the political desk. what's crossing, paul? >> i got brand new stuff for you, kyra. the biggest question, will the republicans win back control of the house of representatives? they need a net gain of 39 seats to do that. check this out, kyra, our brand new cnn poll of polls for the generic ballot. 47% say they would vote for the generic republican in their congressional district, 41% say they would vote for the generic democrat. that is the most widely used baf rom terror. we average in the most recent national polls and that's how we get that number for you. take that look at this, something else brand new on the ticker. sarah palin on monday, the tea party express.

sound familiar, she kicked off a rally in nevada in the spring and she is doing it again. the tea party express is targets democrats, including harry reid. finally, barack obama, joe biden teaming up today. where are they going? delaware? we were talking about the debate between chris coons and christine o'donnell. today the president and vice president going to wilmington, delaware to fund raise for chris coons. even though he's way up in the polls, christine o'donnell has more money than him. kyra, back to you. >> more political news at the top of the hour. if you're away from the tv and need the political fix, go to cnnpolitics.com.

♪ well i never thought that this would be the way you'd come back home ♪ well, every day at this time, we honor the men and women in uniform who have given their lives in iraq and afghanistan for all of us. today we're lifting up lance correspondent colin joseph wolfe from virginia. he was killed in combat in august of 2006, just 19 years old. margaret sharmen sent us this memory. we met between seventh and eighth grade. he was one of my best friends. we talked on the phone daily. we remained close up until he left for iraq. i know for sure he was fighting

for a cause he truly believed in. he's my hero and i love him. well, if you have a loved one you would like us to honor, go to cnn.com/homeandaway and type in your service member's name in the upper right hand search field, pull up the profile and send us pictures and thoughts. we will keep the memory of your hero alive. ♪ soldier on [ indistinct shouting ] ♪ another day ♪ another dollar ♪ daylight comes [ dogs barking ] ♪ i'm on my way ♪ another day ♪ another dollar ♪ working my whole life away ♪ another day ♪ another dollar i just wish that all of the important information was gathered together in one place.

[ printer whirs ] done. ♪ thanks. do you work here? not yet. from tax info to debunking myths, the field guide to evolving your workforce has everything you need. download it now at thinkbeyondthelabel.com.

there was drama on the set of the view. what do you expect? bill o'reilly was the guest. started out with hug and kisses until the topic of the islamic

center came up. >> muslims killed us on flep. >> oh, my god! >> muslims didn't kill us on 9/11,that what you're saying? >> extremists did that. >> did doesn't matter. >> mcveigh was an extremist as well. >> i don't want to sit here now. i am outraged. >> you're outraged about me saying muslims killed us on 9/11? [ applause ] >> i want to say something. i want to say something. you have just seen what should not happen. >> basically barbara said that everybody should be able to have a civil conversation. whoopi and joy did come back after barbara calmed things down and after o'reilly said it was muslim extremists, not all

muslims, who are responsible for the 9/11 attacks. o'reilly and behar talked about the dispute on their shows last night. josh levs with other views, your views, the viewers. >> we have it all. bill o'reilly discussed it this in some depth on "the o'reilly factors" he says no one he nose wants to insult muslims but people are tired of political correctness. >> this program and my book state the truth. i enjoy just aing with the view ladies because they don't see it my way with the es sepgs of elizabeth hasselbeck. i loved that today, didn't you? >> joy behar talked about it. to understand this, you need to know o'reilly's new book is called "pinheads and patriots." >> today bill o'reilly had a real pinhead mom