------------------------------------------------------ The Hardball Briefing On MSNBC ------------------------------------------------------
Tonight we're on live for 3 hours direct from Democracy Plaza...7 pm and 9-11 pm ET...4 & 6 pm PT Don't tune out now folks, we're in the home stretch...We're just hours away from election day and we're all over the coverage at MSNBC...In one of those big shot network meetings last week (the type I just listen in on my muted phone) Chris said something to the effect of "we have to show our audience that this election is an organic living thing on election night. It's happening in real time. We'll tell the viewers to vote and then come watch the election results with us." We want you to be part of our coverage. No joke! check out our Citizen Journalist page http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6348977/ On with the show...Our 7 pm ET Hardball All Star panel: Dee Dee, Willie, Pat & Howard...Before we get to the panel though we're going to treat you to a little song and dance...No, not from the panel, from the USO girls who'll sing "God Bless America." Shuster is on his way from W. Palm Beach to Ft. Lauderdale and he'll do a little ditty on early voting from there...Lots of action down in that area...We'll also talk to several kid reporters from Scholastic, so that'll be kind of cute...In the rough and tumble of politics you gotta watch out for the kids and make sure they understand what's going on...We're kid friendly at Hardball and hope they grow up to be interested in politics and their country.. In the 9 to 10 ET hour we'll throw in Ron Reagan and Ron Silver into the mix and get their take on the horse race...Brokaw sat down with President Bush over the weekend for a wide ranging interview...We'll "chunk" it heavily in the front half and then Chris sits down with Tom in the back half.. 10p-11p panel: Andrea, Willie, Meacham & Scarborough...We'll probably throw in there DNC Chair Terry McAuliffe and funny man Ben Stein...Plus, Chris will kick it freestyle with the audience in our "bullpen" area...If you're in the neighborhood stop by and say Hi! We might just put you on TV...We're at Democracy Plaza, formerly Rockefeller Plaza... Please join us...A good time is guaranteed...An oh yeah, we'll have some killer aerial shots of Democracy Plaza courtesy of the Goodyear Blimp... NBC/WSJ Poll: Bush, Kerry still deadlocked...Good news for president on bin Laden, explosives? http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6376974/ Shuster just called into Briefing Central and reports the following from W. Palm Beach: There are a number of folks on the streets near polling centers but one person struck him in particular...An elderly seventy-something woman who used a walker to help get around had the thing decked out in Kerry/Edwards signs...She shook her fists at cars driving by and gave thumbs up to folks honking...David, in his infinite editorial wisdom, scored an interview, in which she explained why she's been out doing this for the past four days...It got pretty emotional for her and she even cried...We'll bring you the interview and see if we can't put some of it up on the blog as well.. Dominic Bellone wrote, compiled and edited The Briefing from Washington, DC Sen. John Kerry has erased President Bush's modest lead and the two candidates head into Election Day tied at 49%-49%, a nationwide USA TODAY/CNN/Gallup Poll shows as an extraordinarily bitter and expensive campaign prepared to end. http://www.usatoday.com/news/politicselections/nation/polls/2004-10-31-poll-x_x.htm More polls http://www.realclearpolitics.com/polls.html Kerry, Bush crossing paths in Midwest...President Bush laid on a six-state, seven-stop tour Monday stretching from early morning into late night, mostly in the Midwest. His Democratic opponent was working the heartland for a final time, too. (MSNBC) http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6363692/ An upbeat President Bush launched a six-state, 19-hour day of final campaigning Monday, saying he was "energized" by his supporters and confident he would win re-election. (AP) http://apnews.myway.com/article/20041101/D8635KN02.html Voter turnout is likely to be higher than in recent presidential elections - especially among young voters - in a very close race, weekend polls suggest. Those polls suggest the race is very close nationally with some polls showing President Bush and Democratic Sen. John Kerry even and another showing Bush slightly ahead. (AP) http://apnews.myway.com/article/20041101/D86351CO0.html Cheney invokes memory of Pearl Harbor...Major party candidate visits Hawaii for first time in 44 years (AP) http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6380124/ Sammon: Campaigns clash over bin Laden...The presidential campaign of Sen. John Kerry yesterday defended the senator's remarks blaming President Bush for letting Osama bin Laden escape, while the candidate himself backed off some, saying his surrogates shouldn't make political use of the al Qaeda leader's latest videotape. (The Washington Times) http://washingtontimes.com/national/20041101-012528-9456r.htm Shales: From Telegenic to Telegeneric http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A14519-2004Oct31.html Fresh troops arrive in Iraq ahead of assault...Iraqi PM says plans for Fallujah offensive in final phase (AP) http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6316493/ American, 3 others kidnapped in Baghdad...Security guard, attacker killed in gunfight during abduction (AP) http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6336322/ Rehnquist absent as high court returns to work...Chief justice said working at home while recuperating from cancer (AP) http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6328363/ Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist disclosed Monday that he's undergoing radiation and chemotherapy for thyroid cancer and said he is delaying his expected return to the Supreme Court bench on doctors' advice. (AP) http://apnews.myway.com/article/20041101/D8635VC00.html Opinion/Editorial Katrina: All About Osama http://www.thenation.com/edcut/index.mhtml?bid=7&pid=1962 The Thomas Wolfe Interview: 'The liberal elite hasn't got a clue' http://www.guardian.co.uk/uselections2004/story/0,13918,1340525,00.html ========================================= This email is never sent unsolicited. You have received The Hardball Briefing Newsletter because you subscribed to it or, someone forwarded it to you. To remove yourself from the list (or to add yourself to the list if this message was forwarded to you) simply go to http://www.msnbc.com/tools/newstools/e/emailextra.asp?nfeature=19 Microsoft Corporation - One Microsoft Way - Redmond, WA 98052 MSN PRIVACY STATEMENT http://privacy.msn.com