[T.j. Holmes, Cnn News Anchor:] All right. CNN SUNDAY MORNING, this is what we've got on tap for you. It's down to the wire in a long and often bitter presidential campaign. We are hitting the trail live in some of the battleground states.
[Betty Nguyen, Cnn News Anchor:] Plus the make-up of the next Supreme Court could be at stake in this election. What does it mean for Roe v. Wade? And it's not just the top of the ticket getting attention. Senator Elizabeth Dole and some other key lawmakers they are fighting for their political lives. Good morning, everybody from the CNN Center in Atlanta, bringing you news from all around the world on the Sunday before the historic presidential election. Thanks for join us, I'm Betty Nguyen.
[Holmes:] And hey there, I'm T.J. Holmes. It's Sunday, November 2.
[Nguyen:] Two days left and the candidates are out in full force today. Democratic senator, Barack Obama is in Missouri this morning, then it's on to Ohio where he has a couple of campaign events scheduled. GOP senator, John McCain he is in Pennsylvania, New Hampshire and Florida today. And we are all over the battleground states as we count down to Tuesday. Check them out. Our Dan Lothian in Virginia, Paul Steinhauser is in New York, Jessica Yellin is in Ohio.
[Holmes:] And if we are talking about Ohio, then of course we are talking about that all important state and a very important race, as always. Check out the latest poll we have, it's the CNN"Time" magazine Opinion Research Poll. It shows Obama has a four point lead over McCain, the margin of error2 points. Our Jessica yellen is in Columbus this morning and Senator Obama will be there a little later today. I tell you Jessica, are they getting tired of seeing all these candidates?
[Jessica Yellin, Cnn News Correspondent:] It is amazing, T.J. If there's any doubt as to Ohio's importance, this should put it to rest. Ever single principle has been through this region in the last two days, or will be here. Palin, Obama is coming with his wife Michelle, John McCain and Joe Biden, all in this area because as Ohio goes, the history lessons have taught us, so goes the presidency. So, Barack Obama will be making three stops in this state today, Columbus, Cincinnati and Cleveland. And he will be selling his campaign theme with a new twist. He is pushing hard on John McCain's recent endorsement by Dick Cheney. It reinforces his campaign theme that McCain will continue the CheneyBush policies. It's a theme he hit on in his earlier remarks today. Let's listen.
[Barack Obama , Presidential Candidate:] Bush and Cheney, they've dug a deep hole. So, what he wants to do is pass a shovel to John McCain, to dig that hole deeper. Dick Cheney knows that with John McCain you get a two-for George Bush's economic policies and dick Cheney's foreign policies. And that's a risk we cannot afford to take. It's time for change. It's time for change, that's why I need your help, so that I can bring about that change in the White House.
[Yellin:] That was actually in Springfield, yesterday, Missouri, another battleground state Obama is swinging through. One thing that's interesting here, T.J., is that while I just made the point that Ohio is essential for any winner to get to the Oval Office, Barack Obama is gambling on finding another route. He has expanded the map so much that he is trying to see if there's a possibility he could possibly lose Ohio this time and still win the presidency by picking up other red states. But, of course, he doesn't want to gamble fully, so he's spending plenty of time here. And I should mention, that the McCainCheney theme is the theme of a new ad the Obama campaign is releasing, as well, tomorrow, featuring Cheney's endorsement which happened earlier this weekend. So, they are not letting up at all in these final hours.
[Holmes:] Yeah, you're not kidding. We showed a few clips of that ad that will be coming out earlier this morning and yeah, we're surprised we're still seeing new ads. But hey, they're going to be campaigning up to the last minute. Jessica Yellin, there for us in Ohio. We will see you again, plenty. All right, thank you, Jessica.
[Nguyen:] All right, let's get you now to Pennsylvania and the latest CNN poll of polls there. It has Barack Obama with a seven- point lead over John McCain. Right there, 51 percent to 44 percent, five percent say they are still undecided. Well, our Brian Todd is in Scranton this morning. Brian, looking at those numbers, is it a gamble for McCain to stay there when he seems a bit far behind in the polls?
[Brian Todd, Cnn News Correspondent:] It's a bit of a gamble, Betty. But, when you look at the history of this state, maybe not so much, experts and insiders here tell us that traditionally, a Democratic poll number pre-election are stronger than they are on Election Day. John Kerry in 2004, Al Gore in 2000, both polled much stronger here in Pennsylvania before the election than they actually did on Election Day. A seven-point margin, therefore, for the McCain campaign, they feel that they're in striking distance. A couple of other factors in play, the conservative Democrats here who when for Hillary Clinton in the primaries, the McCain team feels that they can pick off a lot of those voters, especially in the rural parts of Pennsylvania, those wide areas between Pittsburgh and Philadelphia, very culturally conservative areas. They're anti-abortion, they are pro-gun. The McCain team feels they can really target those voters and they have not wasted any time. This is the ninth out of the last 14 days that either John McCain or Sarah Palin will have come to this state. Still, John McCain found time last night to shuttle up to New York City for "Saturday Night Live," an appearance where he poked fun at the age gap in this election.
[John Mccain , Presidential Candidate:] And here's another bad one. It's called the sad grandpa. That's where I get on TV and go, come on, Obama's going to have plenty of chances to be president, it's my turn.
[Todd:] John McCain poking fun the age gap, there. And he's been doing that throughout his campaign to some pretty good effect, at least on "Saturday Night Live" last night. He's going to be here in Scranton later on today.
[A 2:] 00 p.m. rally here at the University of Scranton. He then shuttles up to New Hampshire for a town hall meeting there, but he's going to come right back into this state on Monday for an event in Pittsburgh. So Betty, yes, they are behind in the polls here, but they really see an opportunity and they say this is the one state, the one blue state traditionally Democratic state that they think they can turn to compensate for the loss of what surely will be at least a couple of traditional Republican states to Barack Obama.
[Nguyen:] Yeah, down to the wire and time counts. Thank you. Appreciate that, Brian.
[Holmes:] We've been counting down these days. We've been counting them down with issues, 10 issues, 10 days we've been looking at, telling you where the candidates stand on these major issues. Our own top 10, here. Since we started this past Saturday we've looked at economy, taxes, energy, healthcare, education, the housing mess, relief for home owners, homeland security, foreign policy and today, the Supreme Court. The court is front and center. Well, the court is balanced right now in terms of conservatives and liberals. You got, pretty much, four that lean conservative, four that lean liberal and one out there that kind of is the swing vote. But legal analysts say it's likely the next president will have to appoint at least two justices to the bench. And that could possibly tip the scales since a couple of the oldest on the bench right now lean more liberal. So, if Obama was elected then he would likely fill the seats, we stay balanced. However, McCain, he could put two conservatives on that could certainly tip the scales. So, here is how the candidates compare on some important historic issues. Well, take abortion here first, to John McCain believes Roe vs Wade should be overturned. Barack Obama, meanwhile, opposes any constitutional amendment that would do just that. Turn to gun control, now. Obama voted for a 2005 amendment that would place restrictions on ammunition marked at armor-piercing. McCain voted against that. In 2006, both candidates voted on an amendment that would prohibit officials from taking firearms from private citizens, in particular in a time of crisis or during an emergency. Well, 10 issues, 10 days. That coverage continues tomorrow. Take a look at referendum, some of those other ballot issues. Taking a look at what else you'll be voting on Election Day.
[Nguyen:] There are hot Senate races that we don't want you to forget about on Tuesday.
[Holmes:] A lot of them getting a lot of attention, in particular, this ad in North Carolina.
[Announcer:] A leader of the Godless Americans pack recently held a secret fundraiser in Kay Hagan's honor. Godless American.
[Holmes:] Yes, Godless Americans. That one is getting a whole lot of attention. CNN's political editor will be along with details in some all-important Senate races.