Thanks, brother six minutes. Now past 11. Today's programming is made possible in part by The Advocates of Minnesota Public Radio contributors include Donaldson Company Incorporated a worldwide manufacturer of filtration products and Bemis company Foundation manufacturer of flexible packaging products. Good morning, and welcome to mid-day on this election day. I'm Gary Acton. Glad you could join us minnesotans today are electing a new governor for the state of Minnesota are also voting for legislators and an attorney general voting on other Statewide offices local officials and deciding whether to amend the state constitution like Baldur's elsewhere around the nation Minnesota voters today are also electing or re-electing eight members to the US house. Now these Congressional races in Minnesota are not attracting much national attention, but several other races around the country are getting lots of attention in most cases because some well-known big-name politicians are involved and this our midday, we're going to focus on some of those key Senate and Congressional races elsewhere around America. Now first of all, before we get started we should note. There are 34 US Senate seats up for election today at issue is whether Republicans will be able to win a filibuster-proof majority in the senate mean while all 435 House Seats are being filled today many of those house races are pretty one-sided, but about 50 House Seats are thought to be very competitive and issuing a house races as whether Republicans will be able to increase their 11 seat majority or whether Democrats might be able to regain control of the house. Either way the results of the house elections are expected to play a big role in the impeachment proceedings against the present. They were going to check in with reporters who've been following Senate races in New York, California, Illinois, Washington, North Carolina will also be talking with Nashville Public Radio is Elizabeth Arnold about the outlook for the US House and some of the overriding national issues that have surfaced this fall. We Begin our cross-country John right next door where Wisconsin Democratic senator Russ Feingold as in the mccain-feingold campaign-finance Reform Bill mystifying gold is facing stiff Challenge from Roy Harper from Republican Congressman Mark Newman chuck quirmbach with Wisconsin public radio says that raised like several others around the nation is simply too cold close to call polls have shown the two candidates Russ Feingold and Mark Newman are within a couple of percentage points of each other I find gold at a news conference Friday afternoon said he had some own as if some of his own pulling that showed him three points ahead and picking up momentum in the last week or two obviously the close enough that there's some chance for statistical error and everybody thinks it's a dead heat transfer Myra perch here in St. Paul it appears as if the senate race in Wisconsin is something of a referendum on campaign Finance reform. Would that be Call Accurate. Well, I think that it would send a sign that if I find gold is always taken off the mccain-feingold it as his fine gold himself as put it that that would deal a blow to the chance of Congress. So I don't know if there was a chance that they will pass it anyway at some point, but it would certainly dramatically change how the bill is drafted. I spend a big fight by find gold in the last few weeks here to try and keep us some of the outside money out the national Democrats, of course wanted to spend money on find gold to happen to have indeed been able to do so at least $400,000 I find gold is put up a projection to the app and it says he stopped about $200,000 from coming in but it's what it is. What did indeed put some big question mark over what sort of shape campaign Finance reform would take what are some of the other issues that the Wisconsin voters are considering is a try. Decide who to vote for your be on this issue of a clean campaigns of you. Will he is an opponent of big government spending as that. He has a post things like the B-2 bomber and so on a Newman has tried to put his own stress on being an anti spender and also in favor of tax cuts the Newman voted for a tax cut last year at were fine gold did the Newman said they did it because it was offset by other cuts and government spending Feingold said it was because of the money came from Social Security basically the tax and spending issues been prominent Newman has entered the races that has an underdog and his pushed a couple of hot button issues. Especially the so-called partial birth abortion issue. Newman the favors an exception only for the life of the mother find Gold Bond with band partial birth abortions except to making exceptions for the life and health of the mother Newman is also aired mini tv ads and pictures and self with veterans groups against flag burning a fine gold yesterday was campaigning with veterans around the state and saying he appear to be two opposing flag burning, but he just doesn't think that there needs to be a constitutional amendment on the issue and of a traditional liberal vs conservative, or is it more complex than that play traditional? Liberal conservative on a something's like abortion. I mean find gold is an abortion rights supporter in general with some of the details before partial-birth issue, but there is some move to the center on both parts on the expanding issued an anti spending issue and also refined gold has the stress in recent weeks that he's all in favor of a referendum on the ballot here today basically be enforcing a constitutional right to bear arms and find gold says he grew up in Janesville, Wisconsin and everybody around him went deer hunting in November and he's not opposed to that so that if he if he had come out against that referendum that we've been a much bigger issue, but it's one of the several issues for the candidates have come no closer together historically. Is there any pattern to who's held the seat the Democrat Republican or is it kind of move back and forth? Office in 92 defeating a republican incumbent Bob Kasten find gold emerge from sort of a three-way Democratic primary with the other two Democrats would have self-destructed against each other and find gold emerged some say that the Bill Clinton's popularity in 92 got a lot of middle of the road or Democratic voters happened to refine gold as well before cast and held it for two terms. I was held by Gaylord Nelson held it for at least eighteen twenty-four years and was big in the environmental movement. So fine gold says he's in the tradition of Gaylord Nelson love for the environment and is trying to get that across the coldest. It's been also another issue here environment may not make huge on people's lives, but it makes the top 5 or 10 in those surveys and find gold has gotten many endorsements to environmental groups were human has gotten back income property rights groups, Wisconsin Public Radio. Chuck quirmbach no Senate race is attracted more attention or cost more than the US Senate race in New York public and Senator alfonse. D'Amato is being challenged this year by New York congressman Charles Schumer that race is said to be the most expensive in the nation and apparently one of the closest and one of the nastiest former Minnesota Public Radio news director Dick Dale a who's now the senior vice president for broadcasting at wned public radio and TV in Buffalo, New Buffalo, New York has been tracking that race and joins us now morning Richard. I would say among the nastiest or whatever. You said. I can't believe that anywhere in the United States anyting could possibly have taught this thing. It's just been unbelievable to watch. These guys have just been hammering each other. You're not going at it hammer and tongs for four months now and it's fascinating because they've managed to to push one another's likability rating approval ratings down so that my guess is as the voters go to the polls today either going to have to kind of hold their noses and you know choose one or the other but not feeling awfully good about either candidate. Is there any issue in the race? Other than that the other guy's a bum really paid a lot of attention particularly to television in the last couple of weeks, since you you asked me to at 2 to chat about this thing and I have not seen a single issue address. They just keep telling you how terrible the other guy isn't boy. They are pretty terrible according to these ads. Neither Man, by the way, I mean aside from the Tanner of the campaign either and neither man comes off as a terribly appealing or likable person either. So it it's really just kind of fascinating to watch think I have to ask you if it was her done then Ash public radio this morning, Senator D'Amato probably proclaiming himself Senator Pothole. Now, what's that all about? Where are these always been known sort of is the guy who, you know brings home, but the local bacon, you know those though can all those those fix the roads kind of issues and so on and he he I think he was dumped Senator Pothole by by the Democrats at one point, but he sort of where is that, you know that mantle with great pride today in the end, you know wants to be known as a guy who worries about those kinds of things. But again, I mean, it's sort of typical of the campaign. I don't hear them talking about the federal budget in the future of Social Security. Those kinds of things, you know, they're just I mean not. Let me give you a couple of for instances. I was really looking a little taken aback because I believe it was D'Amato kept accusing Schumer of raising your property taxes six times that I kept scratching my head and saying but stays a congressman currently Congress doesn't set pro property taxes, you know, it's a local issue for schools and counties and cities and so on and it finally came out that he was referring to a one-time Schumer was a local government officials and it's somewhere in the New York City area back in the 70s and he wasn't smoking some property tax increases. I mean, what does that have to do with a 1998 US Senate race, but again, that's the kind of thing that's been going on another case them out of work you Schumer of caring more about the people in Mongolia than he did about to Upstate New York storm victims because he voted for somebody from Mongolia, but he voted against money for storm victims mean. It's just crazy. Is it possible to cast this is the classic liberal vs conservative? All right. Well, I don't I don't think Again, I mean, I think that that that almost surely Schumer is more liberal than than the bottle although tomado, you know can can be fairly issue a fairly liberal the times of it give it suits his purposes. But that is that is not the way the race has been has been cast at all. I mean, you know you you can be summed it up in the in the beginning. It's just telling you how awful the other guy. Is it sits there and all these approval ratings way down very tough to figure out who's going to win. I mean there have been multiple Falls and they keep showing essentially a dead heat. I suppose it will probably be decided on a basis of you know, things like voter turnout and so on their they're there is you know, one little X Factor here, that's kind of interesting and I want to go to this morning. I took the trouble to look over the ballot and make sure I was right about this but in New York, it is possible to appear on multiple. Party lines on the same ballot in the Schumer's on at least three lines. He's a first the Democratic candidate but he's also on the independent and Liberal Party check out says, you know, they're there all official candidate end of the models on both Republican and conservative lines The Independents may turn out some votes in the state this year because a guy named valona Rochester New York. Businessman has his running for governor. He's dumped a lot of his own money into it. He's going to get massacred but he probably will get more votes than you know, the typical minor party candidates that might help Schumer a little bit on the other hand the Republican Governor very popular Governor. George Pataki is going to sleep get out of a huge win, and maybe he'll have some coattail. She helped them out. So it's it's really truly just too close to call in my opinion. Thank you Richard good talking with you. Absolutely. And TV in Buffalo New York used to be the news director here at Minnesota Public Radio and lest you think that they're Richard isn't accustomed to rough-and-tumble politics. He cut his teeth covering Iron Range politics here in Minnesota. Bi California Senate race, at least in terms of national attention has been overshadowed somewhat by the California governor's race for the first time in 16 years. It looks like Californians will elect. The Democrat is Governor less clear is whether Democratic incumbent Senator Barbara Boxer Will Survive a challenge from Republican state treasurer. Matt van Steve. Scott is tracking that race Mister Scott is the political are the California Journal nonpartisan monthly magazine morning. Mr. Scott. Good morning. Glad you could join us. I pray there now. The last we had heard was at Barbara Boxer was starting to fall. I had a little bit is that true the light poles which of course always have to be kind of taken with a grain of salt to some extent because the poles that we're getting now tend to be those from from the campaign for themselves rather than from rather than from independent sources, but there was an independent poll week out which showed boxer Up by Five Points. Excuse me up by nine points. Most people believe that that is not necessarily where the voters are. Now most of the of the week weekend polling suggested that it was within the margin of error the boxer had a two-point lead, but there is some anecdotal information to suggest that she is comfortable certainly her campaign Kingfield felt pretty comfortable yesterday when I talked to them they felt as though that if turn out was what it's predicted to be by the Secretary of State's office. They should be okay. What's the following people would tell you that they think that that they are there on a roll right? Are there any major issues in this race or just personalities? Everybody assumed that it was going to be a referendum on Barbara Boxer. She's one of the more liberal members of the US Senate. She doesn't really have a huge resume of accomplishments in the US Senate in part because she Has spent a good portion of her term in the minority party and so on Deception was that that as soon as van started talking about Barbara Boxer then the race would be over. Well, the problem was Van didn't start talking about Barbara Boxer until after Barbara Boxer had talked a lot about Matt Fang and she was able to essentially turn the race for being a referendum on Barbara Boxer to be more referendum on on Matt Fong and on her and and she also was affected and turning it to her issues. Her issues are abortion rights and I am gun control assault weapons. Hm over form. She managed to dominate the the issue Matrix and really brought herself her campaign kind of brought itself back into this race where most analysts I think felt as though she was she was probably out the door is Matt Fong sound of a classic conservative. Republican or more moderate or where does he fit into the scheme of things. But he is an extremely cautious politician. And so it's he he he is squishy on the issue of abortion rights that you really it was essentially the boxer campaign had to drag out of in the fact that he supports abortion rights for the first trimester, but he didn't want to talk about it. He didn't want to characterize himself as the as pro-life or pro-choice. He he is fairly up is the one issue that really kind of identifies him as a as a conservative is his support of the flat tax. So he slept very much and economic Financial conservative, but he's generally considered to be a reasonably moderate on social issues and that was thought to be a problem for for for Boxer but boxer again was very successful in in targeting. Specific areas where he seemed to be out of the out of the mainstream hammering away at those areas and then Fang had a had a mistake happen to him had a mistake revealed late in the can paint when notwithstanding his desire to try to be viewed as a modder on an abortion. It was revealed that he had contributed $50,000 to an organization called the Traditional Values Coalition to help them qualify a Defense of Marriage ballot Initiative for the year 2008 that kind of allowed boxer again to to re-emphasize the point that mask fog is really a conservative. He's really too conservative for California stick with the incumbent which is her are California and zeroed in on this race or is the governor's race really at will overshadow the second race. Will the governor's race was overshadowing the senate race for a long time because the governor's races do if that's the most important both the people cast but what often happens in California is the people will start to make Their minds on the governor's race and then they'll turn their attention to the other races down the tickets. So about a week and a half to two weeks out. You started to see the numbers gel in the gubernatorial race around Gray Davis. They started to be fairly constant which and the number of undecided was dropping which indicated the people are starting to make up their mind about that. And then so the next one that they turn to what candida beat the the US Senate race are the US Senate race has been probably got more more the attention in the last week then then the gubernatorial race the races started. The last week is starting to look pretty much like a Victory lap for for great Davis the lieutenant governor. Thanks. I appreciate you joining us a journal. That's a nonpartisan monthly magazine. This is midday coming to you on this election day. That's our were focusing on key US Senate and House races around the nation a reminder that the pole Cheer in Minnesota will remain open until 8 this evening and our special election night coverage will begin at 7 this evening with complete election results from around the country from national public radio so we can catch up on just how these races of actually turned out. I'm going to take a short break here and then we'll continue our survey of races around the country still to come to other Democratic women elected to the Senate during the year of the woman. At least one of them appears to be in some big trouble also will check the race in North Carolina where Republicans may lose a seat in the Senate and national public radio's Elizabeth. Arnold will be joining us with her observations on the battle for control of the house and some thoughts on what issues are the big issues this year. We'll get to those stories in just a moment on Bill Clinton president of Minnesota Public Radio on October 28th in PR held the annual meeting of its Board of Trustees and it pleased to report that the NPR Auditors confirm that once again, we ended the year with a balanced budget support from our listeners came in at about 4% above last year. We were able to strengthen the talent that produces our radio broadcasts and we made major strides in the development of content for those of you who use our Internet site. Thanks for your support and for making this such a successful year. Reminder that programming on Minnesota Public Radio is supported by Ecolab Global partner with leading Hospitality Healthcare in food processing customers improving cleaning and sanitation standards worldwide www.ecolab.com. Also a reminder over the noon hour today drive to the University of Minnesota for a Carlson lecture the speaker Elie Wiesel, Nobel Peace Prize winner Holocaust Survivor Carlson lecture over the noon hour today weather forecast sunny across Northern Minnesota partly cloudy in southern Minnesota highs today on this election day mid-thirties to the mid-40s Twin Cities partly cloudy with a high in the low to mid 40s right now. It's sunny in the Twin Cities 37 degrees. Listening to us special election day edition of midday here on Minnesota Public Radio. I'm Gary. I can this hour we're focusing on key races around the nation for the US Senate and US House Republicans. So whenever the election controlling 55 seats in the US Senate are trying to reach the 60 seat Mark which would allow them to prevent Democrats from using the filibuster to block legislation Republicans. Also control the US House. The question in the house is whether Republicans can increase their majority or where the Democrats can regain control of the house. The two Senate race is that we're going to focus on now both involve Democrats who are elected 6 years ago in the year of the woman. First of all, let's check in with Elizabeth Brackett, who is the chief political correspondent for WTTW public television in Chicago. She's also a national correspondent for the Jim Lehrer NewsHour. He's been tracking the race between incumbent Democrat Carol Moseley Braun the first black woman ever elected to the US Senate and Republican state legislator. Fitzgerald, good morning. Miss bracket. Just fine. What are the latest polls showing your race? Some people still have Carol Moseley Braun down about the six or seven points others in downstate olds have her even so this is been a big a big swing in the last several weeks previous to that Peter Fitzgerald a very conservative Republican candidates who is sort of a surprise winner in the Republican primary. He beat a woman states to the State Comptroller who everyone thought would be a very very tough candidate against Moseley Braun, but he won their primary and I has been a very strong candidate know I read a story somewhere that said that this race was essentially a referendum on mostly Brian's Behavior. True. That's absolutely true in the year of the women. There was people were very excited here in Illinois as they were across the country and she was elected with a big help from Republican women particular Republican serving women who have crossed over to go for Carol Moseley Braun, and she sort of immediately didn't live up to those expectations. She got into through some personal trouble. He was investigated immediately for your campaign spending by the Federal Election Commission investigation has lasted almost all of her six years. He finally there is finally a no fines were have to pay any fines and she was basically exonerated but it all that made it very difficult for her to raise money during your entire year your entire six-year term. She also made some questionable personal decisions or fiance who ran her campaign was accused by some of sexual harassment for campaign staff. She did well end up taking two rather ill-advised trip to Nigeria with her fiance. And so suddenly in the midst of the Illinois race for the US Senate Nigerian politics became a big issue and Peter Fitzgerald took those character issues and questions are personal judgment early on hit her very hard in in in commercials and he is Very wealthy and he's finances campaign basically out of personal wealth and he'd to find the issues right off the bat as questions of her character and judgment and it had a big effect on her character and judgment ice. Is it fair to say that Moseley Braun and Fitzgerald are kind of Polar Opposites on most of the major issues roll. And Peter Fitzgerald is that is a much more classic conservative the issue of abortion is, you know, of course, I very big divisive issue which which strangely not wasn't really being focused on very much until the last two weeks of the campaign even last week of the campaign commercials have now been cut both pro-choice and pro-life hers are playing in the northern part of the state where Chicago is in his airplane down state which is more conservative and also the whole question of having a woman as a as a United States Senator Willie wasn't focused on again until late in the campaign as first lady Hillary Clinton came in to campaign for Caribou on that definitely energize the campaign and I think that probably is one of the reasons why she has pulled up in the last several weeks lots of interest in the race or not so much. So I think predictions of glove low turnout may not be that applicable here in Illinois. I think there's probably going to be a pretty strong turnout is also the question of Carol Moseley Braun the p on the African-American community and that has been energized greatly in the last several weeks as well. And again also by the concern by the visits from the first lady and the African Americans concerned about President Clinton and seeing his behavior punished of this week, which is something I definitely do not want to see so both of those things to give energize turn out. Thanks so much Elizabeth Elizabeth Brackett Chief political correspondent for WTTW public television in Chicago sides, Carol Moseley Braun in Illinois and Barbara Boxer in California, a third woman elected to the senate in 1992 is also up for re-election this year Democrat Patty Murray who campaigned and 9th. 92 is the mom in tennis shoes is being challenged this year by Republican representative Linda Smith. It's only the third time and US history when two women that faced each other in a US Senate race joining us from to call me this morning is Peter Callahan a political writer for the Tacoma News Tribune morning Peter. Good morning. Patty. Murray was said to be pulling ahead. Is that correct? Well, I wouldn't say pulling ahead cuz that suggests the momentum was on her side. I think she has that held onto a lead that she's had throughout the campaign. I don't think it's as large as that used to be a classic liberal vs classic conservative call Linda Smith a classic conservative anybody who? Thumbs your nose at the party on campaign Finance reform is rejected for a National Party money by Mitch McConnell the chairman of the Republican Campaign Committee. One of the few people who voted against Newt gingrich's re-election as Speaker. I wouldn't call her classic conservative certainly on most of the social issues and even some economic issues. She's a conservative. What's her? What's your position? White? Why did you vote against Newt Gingrich Newt Gingrich in the midst of his ethics problems and considered him to be really Unworthy of getting a second term as Speaker. She knew she was not going to Prevail and all that really did was get her in touch with the speaker in the leadership. But she did it anyway, which really Mark's Linda Smith politics. You'll do a lot of things that people might think or not too wise pragmatically. Is there a lot of enthusiasm for the two candidates picked up a fair amount of attention. We also have some initiatives on the ballot including an affirmative action initiative, which is also getting a lot of attention but we had Fairly High turnout in the primary and I think we'll get the relatively high for a off year election this year, maybe 60% That's so pretty good. Tell us a little bit more about Patty Murray's record in the Senate fairly traditional Democrat. Governing, she's probably one of the five or ten most liberal members of the Senate and maybe even in the top five very classic liberal or support. It's in the labor in the environmental movement among Women Voters. She got started slowly with some staff a turnover. And therefore I think she sort of a fuck blue her first two years with her her only years in the majority in the Senate, but she's settled down a little bit since then and started the doing what people in the state of Specter Senator to do which is a mean potatoes issues are working on the money in funding and projects all I warned Magnuson and Henry scoop Jackson. So I think she's had a better last 4 years. Is she getting much mileage out of her tennis shoes this year Well, if you covered her as I have for that whole time you do get a little weary of the mom and Tennis Shoes line. I can tell you this it was political genius when she formed it in 1992. She certainly benefited by the year of the woman in 1992, but I can tell you she was talking about those issues 18 months before that election before I heard many other women talking about the types of issues she was talking about so I give her some credit for founding the year of the woman and she never talks about know she had to give up the tennis shoes for combat boots that she was fighting for you in the Washington DC that sirloin this is one of the few times that whim a one-woman is running against another for US senate seat. Is that getting much attention in Washington and Washington, but Washington is really one of the states that is most willing to a nominating like women there more women in the Washington legislature than any other state a week nominated a lot of women for Statewide elected office and Beck. We've had other a woman Against Woman Statewide races for other Statewide elected offices. Unique nature of this race one last question before we go here Peter. You mentioned the ballot question on affirmative action. What's the latest reading on how that may turn on latest polls have it fairly close? 5545, but I think that's a polling question where you get the socially acceptable response and I don't think you pull the no vote is accurately as you might otherwise, I think that will pass fairly easily and that essentially will ban affirmative action programs in Washington state what removes most of the programs that apply to women and minorities in college admissions Contracting and state employment fairly similar to the California Proposition. Nice peter for the Tacoma News Tribune joining us to talk about the senate race in the state of Washington. Now as we've noted during this our most of the well-known incumbents Senators who are in some trouble this year. Are Democrats but two Republicans are also in danger of losing their sanity alfonse D'Amato and New Yorker. We reported on earlier and lock Faircloth. It was seeking his second term in the Senate. He's being challenged by Democrat John Edwards national public radio's Adam hochberg has been following that race and join just now from Raleigh. Good morning. Morning, Adam. Good morning. We frankly don't know. I don't know. I think it's fair to say most people are in Minnesota don't know all that much about either of the candidates going to give us a thumbnail. Sketch. A lot of North Carolina voters don't know a lot about their incumbent Senator lock Faircloth and there lies one of Senator Faircloth biggest problems going into this race car cloth. As you mentioned is a first-term republican running for his second term and as you might expect with a senior senator with the name recognition and the ability to make headlines Like Jesse Helms, I'll lock their coffee sort of melted into the background over the last six years. He went into this election was very low name recognition for an incumbent and very low approval ratings for an incumbent. But what we can tell you about him is that he is one of the more conservative members of the Senate he is very pro-business Senator. He has carried a lot of legislation for the banking industry for the farming in Des. He is somebody whose business Lobby on noses is likely to return their calls and act on a lot of legislation that's important to them. He has not been very involved in the paternalistic North Carolina issues. He has not been a leader for instance in the The Tobacco legislation that there was a big issue to a lot of North Carolina farmers. He hasn't been too terribly involved in environmental issues initiative has not made a lot of headlines over there over his past six years in the Senate as for John Edwards. He is a political newcomer. He has no political experience has never run for office has never been involved in a campaign and in fact hasn't bothered to vote in a lot of recent elections is a very wealthy trial attorney who has made something of a reputation for himself and legal Circles by winning some large settlements in personal injury cases. He is Young. He is telegenic he is articulate and he's running a surprisingly strong race. Is this a traditionally been a Republican or a Democratic seat Well, it has been neither. No incumbent has been re-elected to this seat since 1968. You're going back to Sam Ervin with the last incumbent to be elected. And since then the seat has switched party it every 6 years and an in each of the last election since 1972. The incumbent has lost. So Jesse Helms is an institution but the other seat is purely up for grabs is the anomaly is it is it an anomaly that Helms can get re-elected every six years like clockwork or is it an anomaly that the other senates see changes parties every six years that there that will Define or decide who actually wins this election has tried to make the rice a referendum on President Clinton over the last few weeks of the campaign. He's pulled all of his positive advertising. Stop the television and has just been running negative ads that show John Edwards and Bill Clinton side-by-side. Probably the one that voters will remember most is one that shows a caricature of Clinton and a caricature of John Edwards. It's just a 10-second commercial but over those 10 seconds. Both. Clinton at Edwards noses grow like Pinocchio and the announcer says that liberal Bill Clinton a liberal. John Edwards are two candidates who have a habit of stretching the truth. Now hooked of the commercial does not say exactly what John Edwards ever has stretched the truth on in fact, the most of Faircloth negative ads have been a little short on the specifics, but the tickets to the fair Co-Op campaign. They are attempting to make this a referendum on Bill Clinton as for the Edwards campaign. He is trying to run as a Washington Insider. He has said that he will not accept Pac contributions political action committee contributions during the campaign yet on the other hand. He has put millions of dollars of his own personal fortune in The rice more than 6 million dollars of his own money. I have to ask you a course. They question that is on a lot of minnesotans Minds which one of these candidates will refuse to accept the Minnesota Twins as a friend of mine. Greensboro the spring probably would suggest otherwise reading as to who actually going to end up winning any any guesstimate and them. Well, the polls are showing if the tistical Dead Heat there was one pole last week that showed Edwards with a slightly but still within the margin of error of the pole. There was another pole that showed Faircloth leading Edwards 44% to 43% that that's that's the best difference is statistically meaningless. I don't have a lot to do with who gets their voters to the polls today. Thanks so much for joining us. Thank you National Public Radio is Adam hochberg joining us from Raleigh. North Carolina where Republican incumbent lock Faircloth is being challenged to buy a Democrat John Edwards. Now, there are some other Senate races thought to be very close around the country in South Carolina Democratic and cumin Ernest Hollings is said to be in some trouble Democrat Harry Reid out Nevada could lose his seat and at last report the contest in Kentucky to replace Democrat Wendell Ford who is retiring is a virtual Pasa. We will have all the latest election returns as they come in this evening a national public radio goes on the air at 7 tonight with complete election night coverage and will join their coverage at 7 this evening so we can find out how some of these races have turned out at 8 tonight. Of course, that's when the polls close here in Minnesota and right after 8, we will Start to our coverage of the local races here in the state of Minnesota. There are eight members of Congress on the election ballot plus, of course the top of the ticket to the race for governor. Minnesotans are also electing a Full Slate of constitutional officers. Everybody will be voting on a legislative candidate and there are the Constitutional Amendments to decide three of them one having to do with the weather to continue dedicating Lottery funds to the environmental natural resources trust fund II which would preserve the privilege of hunting and fishing in the state of Minnesota and a third Constitutional Amendment which would have balash the office of State Treasurer. So all of those are on the ballot, there are interesting local races, including a lot of hotly contested races for County attorney will have all the results as they become available. We'll be talking with the candidates this evening. And we'll have analysis will be joined by our political commentators. So we hope you'll be able to join us through the evening. Once again 7 or coverage begins with national public radio coverage of races around the country and it will be on the air at 8 this evening with the all the latest on the Minnesota election returns. Now, we should also note that for those of you who can't join us this evening or who I just can't get enough of the of the political coverage. We're going to be back on the air or first thing tomorrow morning Morning Edition actually will get an early start tomorrow full coverage through Morning Edition here on Minnesota Public Radio, and then from 9 to 1 tomorrow mid-morning. And midday. We're going to join forces Katherine Langford, and I will be hosting a combined election special from 9 to 1. I will be hearing from the candidates will have reports and all the races will be opening the phone lines for your reactions. And so we hope you'll be able to join us over. The noon hour. Tomorrow will be going off to the Minnesota meeting for comment on the election from former, Minnesota Congressman Tim. Penny and Vin Weber all of that coming up. Now. We are trying to locate national public radio's medical correspondent National political correspondent. Elizabeth Arnold. She is scheduled to join us or she's been traveling the nation to get a reading on many of the house races around the country. And so as soon as we can get that connection made we'll be talking with Elizabeth Arnold to get her observations on just what issues have been the big issues around the country want her best guess is in terms of how the Senate races will turn out whether or not the Clinton story has played much of a role. There was talk, of course early on that the Clinton scandal Would virtually guarantee huge Republican gains in both the Senate and the house that over the last month or so the consensus seemed to be that no. No that wasn't going to happen. And in fact the Democrats seem to be making quite a surge in part playing off the theme that the Republicans said overplayed their overplayed their hand so it will be interesting to see how all these races turn out across the country as soon as we can get ourselves. So hooked up with Elizabeth Arnold in Washington at National Public. Radio will be talking with her about that get a reminder about the special coverage here on Minnesota Public Radio. The polls are open in Minnesota right now, and they will be open until 8 this evening. And even if you haven't registered to vote don't feel like you can't vote today. It's very very easy to Register to vote in the state of Minnesota. You can do it right at the poles take some identification with you best way is driver's license. There are several other ways to get yourself identified as well. And then of course you can go ahead and vote. This is midday coming to you on Minnesota Public Radio on this election day. The weather has certainly turned out to be a non-factor here in the state of Minnesota over the years. Of course, we've had the elections that have been conducted in blizzards icy conditions cold wet rain we had pretty much all kinds of weather today's weather for the election really very nice for this time of the year. Sunny skies prevailing across Northern Minnesota partly cloudy skies prevailing across the southern half the states with highest today quite mile for this time of the year mid-30s to the mid-forties Twin Cities right in the same pattern partly cloudy this afternoon with a high temperature in the lower to mid forties just to review we have been at this hour taking a look at some of the big Senate races around the nation and there are several that we're going to be tracking this evening as the return Things come in from national public radio right next door one of the most closely-watched Senate races in the United States the race in Wisconsin between the incumbent Democrat Russell Feingold and Republican representative Mark Newman that race is attracting the immense amount of attention and large part because Senator Feingold is the I just to find gold half of the mccain-feingold bill. That's the big Bill that was pushed as a way to improve campaign Finance procedures in the United States, Senator. Feingold says sent throughout the campaign that he wanted to follow the model that he was trying to get the nation to adopt and has imposed spending limits and is also Tried and his words tried to keep soft money contributions out of the state state of Wisconsin Senate race, discouraging political contributions from the parties and also independent expenditures. So that race is attracted. Lots of attention and is said to be a dead heat earlier this hour we heard from Dick daily out in New York where a senator alfonse D'Amato and New York congressman Charles Schumer Have Been Going Hammer and tongs at each other for the longest. Of time. That is become the most expensive Senate race in the United States also said to be one of the nastiest if not be nastiest and the said to be very very close indeed that'll be another race that will be tracking through the evening tonight to see how that turns out out in California and in Illinois and in Washington 3 Democrats women who are elected during the year of the woman in 1992 are all facing very very close races Barbara Boxer in California, Carol Moseley Braun in Illinois and Patty Murray in Washington state. All three of those races are getting lots of attention will have the latest as night goes on and as you just heard interesting race down in the Carolinas in North Carolina where lock Faircloth Republican may lose his seat to a virtual unknown Democrat John Edwards. Those are some of the races that will be tracking this evening. Unfortunately. It appears that we're not going to be able to talk with Elizabeth Arnold at National Public Radio. She apparently has gotten hung up with some other duties. I imagine. She's quite busy getting ready for the big election coverage this evening our apologies for not being able to have that conversation for you. But we all here lots from Elizabeth Arnold and all of The national public radio staff this evening starting at 7 live coverage here on Minnesota Public Radio as you sort out of the mail this fall that pile of various Seasons events and holiday catalogs seen envelope from Minnesota Public Radio make a point to open it. How many envelopes can you open 24 hours of news and information you can trust that make you think and provide stimulating discussion on and off the air when you get that notice from NPR, please send in your membership payment right away, or call one 800-227-2811 your membership matters for Minnesota Public Radio. Over the noon hour today. It's off to the University of Minnesota for today's Carlson lecture. Elie Wiesel is the speaker Nobel Peace Prize winner Holocaust Survivor, excellent. Excellent speaker Elie Wiesel today at the Carlson lecture and we can we'll have live coverage here on Minnesota Public Radio time now for The Writer's Almanac