[Wolf Blitzer, Cnn Anchor:] You're in THE SITUATION ROOM, where new pictures and information are arriving all the time. Happening now, a CIA leak probe again. It's take two a major new investigation into who told the "Washington Post" about alleged secret prisons run by the CIA. Republicans say they want a brand new investigation. And we have just learned the CIA has referred the matter formally to the Justice Department, suggesting classified information may have been leaked. It's Election Day in several states. And, while President Bush's name isn't on the ballot, his reputation certainly is on the line. The count could be a measure of the president's popularity. And could public anger and discontent over everything from the Iraq war to CIA leaks to indictments in the White House be the killjoy in the president and vice president's close relationship? You're in THE SITUATION ROOM. Polls are closing right now in a very important election in Virginia. We are going to have the results, coming into THE SITUATION ROOM momentarily, at least the first results. We will go there right away. But first, there's an important developing story unfolding right now. The leaking of a CIA officer's identity and the investigation that followed have left the Bush administration bruised and battered. But right now, congressional Republican leaders say they want a brand new probe into the possible leak of classified information secret prisons for terror suspects. Our congressional correspondent, Ed Henry, is standing by on Capitol Hill. But let's begin with our national security correspondent, David Ensor. David, what's going on?
[David Ensor, Cnn National Security Correspondent:] Well, Wolf, the CIA general counsel's office has sent a report to the Justice Department. They did it, last week in fact, soon after the "Washington Post" report on the secret prisons was published. That's according to U.S. officials who declined to be identified. The action is required by law whenever the CIA had any reason to believe classified information may have been leaked. It was the same move taken when clandestine CIA officer Valerie Plame Wilson's name was included in a newspaper column by Robert Novak. Now, generally, the Justice Department launches launches an investigation into the matter when these references are made by the CIA general counsel. The CIA holds Khalid Shaikh Mohammed, Ramzi Binalshibh, Abu Zubaydah, and other top al Qaeda operatives at undisclosed locations outside the U.S. And officials say, the men have provided useful intelligence and could continue to do so. The "Washington Post" reported that the CIA was holding some of its most prominent al Qaeda prisoners at undisclosed prisons in the former Soviet Bloc. Wolf.
[Blitzer:] All right, David, thank you very much. Republican leaders are up in arms about the possible prison leak, and they want a brand new investigation. But one GOP senator says his colleagues may have to look close to home. This is an amazing turn of events. Let's turn to our congressional correspondent Ed Henry. Ed?
[Ed Henry, Cnn Congressional Correspondent:] Wolf, that's right. Today, House Speaker Dennis Hastert and Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist formally launched a joint investigation, a special investigation, by the House and Senate Intelligence Committees to get to the bottom of this classified leak of information. But there was a little bit of a problem. It was only in the last hour that Senator Frist actually signed off on this investigation, perhaps because a little bit of a controversy flared up late today. Basically, Republican Senator Trent Lott said that, while a lot of people up here have been saying that it appears from the "Washington Post" story that current and former CIA official who were quoted in that "Washington Post" story are the ones who are responsible for the leak, Senator Lott is saying he also believes that at least one Republican senator, maybe even a Republican staffer, was involved in this leak as well. Lott basically revealed to reporters that, at a closed-door meeting last Tuesday, here in the Capitol, Republican senators only, no staff in the actual room, and Vice President Cheney at this luncheon as well, Lott says they discussed these secret prisons. This information was flying around. And Lott said, point blank, he believes that a lot of that "Washington Post" report investigation quote "came out of that room" late Tuesday. And he was pointing at the room where they had lunch. He added of the vice president quote "He was up here last week and he talked up here in that room, right there, in a room full of nothing but senators. And every word that was said in there went right to the newspaper." Lott was basically adding, as well, he thinks this Republican-led investigation on the Hill could end up becoming, in part, an ethics investigation of a Republican senator as to whether or not they leaked at least some of this information or confirmed some of it. Democrats, as you can imagine, having a field day that this investigation may boomerang on Republicans. Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid basically telling me that he wants to know whether Republicans will end up investigating themselves. A Democratic staffer saying, he wants to know, since Vice President Cheney was in this room, what did Vice President Cheney say and when did he say it? Wolf.
[Blitzer:] All right, Ed Henry, thank you very much. And we will have much more on this important story, another leak investigation. Our senior legal analyst, Jeff Toobin, will be joining us later this hour. We will also have more on the relationship that apparently is emerging between the president and the vice president of the United States. But we will move on to America's vote right now. From coast to coast, voters are making their voices heard, and the White House is listening. Will the president help or hurt Republicans in the contest today? In Virginia, the polls have just closed. And we're about to get in the first early results. The president made an eleventh-hour appearance with the Republican candidate last night. Polls have shown the candidates are neck-and- neck. Will Mr. Bush be able to deliver the state? We're watching Virginia closely. We are also watching New Jersey, a freewheeling, free-spending and mudslinging political fight, drawing to a close there as well. It's a chance for Republicans to try to grab a seat out of the Democrats' hands. And in California, will Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger have another Hollywood ending? His name isn't on the ballot, but his prestige is up for a vote. The governor called today's rare special election on a series of proposals, billed as part of his reform agenda. They deal with tenure for teachers, union dues, a state spending cap and redistricting. It would be a major blow to the governor if he loses. We have reporters on the scene covering all angles of this story. Our Kimberly Osias is monitoring the nail-biting in Richmond, Virginia. Our senior political analyst Bill Schneider is out in Los Angeles. Chris Huntington is keeping a watch on things in New Jersey. But let's begin with our senior analyst, Jeff Greenfield. He's in New York. Jeff, what's at stake today for the president of the United States?
[Jeff Greenfield, Cnn Senior Analyst:] Wolf, the most honest thing I can say is what is at stake is the likelihood that, if Republicans go down in both Virginia and New Jersey, that tomorrow's stories will lay that in part or in whole on the president's low popularity. How much you can say about that in New Jersey is problematic. It is a blue state. But Virginia is a solidly Republican state, and the president's popularity is low even there. You know, historically, off-year elections have almost nothing to tell us about what happens in the midterms and in the presidential elections. But in an era of 24-hour news and an area where the president is substantially less popular than he was when he was when a year ago, when he got reelected, I think it is going to be another hit at a time they can't afford it.
[Blitzer:] All right, Jeff Greenfield, thank you very much. Let's go to CNN's Kimberly Osias. She's joining us now in Richmond. I guess there is a lot of tension there. The polls have just closed.
[Kimberly Osias, Cnn Correspondent:] Indeed, there is, Wolf. But both candidates are saying that they feel very confident. At least, that's what their aides are saying publicly. Now behind closed doors, it may be a vastly different story, because this, of course, is a race that is too close to call. Now, I'm at Republican candidate Jerry Kilgore's campaign headquarters. For his part, the candidate is across the street, watching the returns at an area hotel. He did cast his ballot earlier today after sort of shaking the kinks out, getting the stress out, doing a little four-mile run. Then he cast his ballot near Richmond at his daughter's school. Democratic candidate Tim Kaine did the same. He cast his ballot in Richmond as well. Now, I mentioned this is a very tight race. Just to give you an idea of how tight it is, some polls actually show the distance between the two candidates within the margin of error. So of course, every vote is going to count. Now, talking about a factor that really may come into play is the independent candidate, Russell Potts. Now, he's polling about 4 percent in the polls. And he could actually siphon votes away from Kilgore and hand Kaine a win. So both sides really pulling out a lot of political muscle. You mentioned, sort of in the eleventh hour, a lot of big, heavy campaigning. President Bush appearing at a Virginia hangar with Kilgore, fresh off of his South American visit. Now, this is important and interesting, because the candidate has really separated himself from the president in the past, even receiving a little bit of flak from the GOP for doing so when he didn't appear at a war on terror rally just last month. Wolf.
[Blitzer:] All right, Kimberly, thank you very much. The polls, as I said, have just closed in Virginia. So far, we have no results. But throughout this hour here in THE SITUATION ROOM, we will update you as those results come in. Let's head out West right now, where our senior political analyst, Bill Schneider, is standing by in L.A. What's on the line for the governor, Governor Schwarzenegger, Bill?
[William Schneider, Cnn Senior Political Analyst:] A great deal is on the line. We just mentioned that we're not sure how much President Bush will influence the results in New Jersey and Virginia. But there's no question that the election in California will be all about Governor Schwarzenegger, even though his name is not on the ballot. He called the special election. He endorsed four ballot measures that he put on the ballot in the special election. And what's interesting is, he's being outspent in his own special election that he called. Right now, the unions that he challenged this year are spending more money than he is to defeat his propositions. They're all struggling in the polls. And if they all lose, then of course, Governor Schwarzenegger, who was just elected two years ago in California in that dramatic recall, then there will be a big question mark over whether he can be reelected next year.
[Blitzer:] Bill Schneider reporting for us. Bill, we will check back with you throughout the night here on CNN. Let's go to New Jersey right now. CNN's Chris Huntington is in East Brunswick. The race in New Jersey, Chris, has been especially expensive and especially nasty.
[Chris Huntington, Cnn Correspondent:] Wolf, you have got two multi-millionaires. Senator Jon Corzine, of course, ran Goldman Sachs before he became a senator. His Republican counterpart, Forrester, ran a prescription benefits company to to a very solid earning for himself. They have been spending an awful lot of their money in a negative campaign, recently, allegations of marital infidelity the most recent blow coming from Forrester, plucking a quote from Jon Corzine's ex-wife, in which she was reacting to a quote from Mr. Forrester's wife, and Jon Corzine's wife saying that, Jon let us down and he will let New Jersey down. That kicked off a counterattack from the Corzine camp, likening the Forrester campaign to the current Bush White House the imbroglio that you're talking about that continues in the White House certainly playing a featured role here in New Jersey. As far as substantive issues, the biggest issue on the ballot for New Jersey voters is something that resonates with Americans all around the country, and that's property taxes. They are very high here in New Jersey. Douglas Forrester has run a very solid campaign, with a very clear message, saying that he will lower property taxes by 30 percent in three years, if elected. Corzine has countered with a plan that involves tax rebates of 10 percent a year over four years. It's perhaps a little bit more difficult to grasp. That could be the crucial effort the issue also, what the state's majority of independent voters do. And that's, of course, where all the wooing is taking place. Wolf.
[Blitzer:] Chris Huntington in New Jersey. We will stand by for the results from there as well. We are also keeping an eye on the mayoral race in New York City. Many people think the only surprise would be if Republican Mayor Michael Bloomberg actually lost. That's unlikely. Polls have shown the mayor with a very comfortable, even double-digit lead over his Democratic opponent, Fernando Ferrer. Time now for the "Cafferty File". Jack Cafferty standing by in New York with some thoughts. Jack?
[Jack Cafferty, Cnn Anchor:] Switching back to the to the White House for a moment, one of the great partnerships, Wolf, in recent memory in Washington may be showing some signs of fatigue. Thomas DeFrank suggests in a piece in the "New York Daily News" today that things are not as cozy as they once were between President Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney. DeFrank is suggesting that Cheney has lost some clout, though he remains a valued counselor to the president. Sources point to Cheney's stubborn advocacy of a troubled Iraq policy. And they also say that Cheney was wounded by the indictment of his chief of staff, Scooter Libby. An administration official says, any suggestion of trouble between Bush and Cheney is quote "categorically false" unquote. So, here's the question. How significant would a rift between the president and vice president be? Email us at CaffertyFile@CNN.com. We will read some of your thoughts a weighty one, it is in about a half-hour or so.
[Blitzer:] All right, Jack, thanks very much. And we should tell our viewers that Thomas DeFrank of the "New York Daily News" is going to be joining us this hour here in THE SITUATION ROOM to give us his story, what he's learned about the relationship, fraying, apparently, between president and the vice president. We are also watching the results. We are hoping to get results coming in soon from Virginia, the New Jersey race, the Virginia race. The polls have closed in Virginia. New York, the mayoral race there. We're watching all of this for you and we will have much more on that coming up throughout this program and, indeed, throughout this night here on CNN. Anderson Cooper is in THE SITUATION ROOM. That is coming up in just a moment. We will check in with Anderson to see what he has got on his agenda. Plus, riots and outrage in France emergency laws passed in pressed into action. Will curfews stop the worst violence there in decades? Our Christiane Amanpour is standing by live in Paris. We will go to her right away. Also, authorities say a student opens fire and kills an assistant principal. We will find out what went so terribly wrong at one school. We will have that story. And more on the Bush-Cheney relationship. Is there a divide in the White House White House? We are taking a much closer look. You're in THE SITUATION ROOM.