Big Republican Wins; More Bodies in Backyard
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: Hey, good morning, John and Kiran. That's right. Here's what we're working on today. Election winners. Republicans take two governors races. We'll tell you all about that. And CNN's Deborah Feyerick is also covering a House race with the GOP split that's got people talking. And this morning we'll get to that. Also this story and an incredible one it is. Susan Candiotti has this story. Ten bodies that were found at a home. A convicted rapist is in court this morning as the search expands for even more victims. We'll get you updated on that. Plus, a school storage snafu. Of what? Thousands of swine flu vaccine doses are ruined by improper refrigeration. Good morning, everybody. I'm Heidi Collins. You are in the CNN NEWSROOM.</s>CHRIS CHRISTIE (R), NEW JERSEY GOVERNOR-ELECT: Tomorrow we're going to take back New Jersey for our neighbors. Tomorrow we're going to take back New Jersey for the least fortunate among us who do not want the government to fix every problem. They just want to give a hand's up so they can build opportunity for themselves.</s>COLLINS: A new beginning in New Jersey. Today Republicans are celebrating key victories and Democrats are grappling with ominous signs that voters are unhappy. Incumbent Democrat Jon Corzine paid the price for his unpopularity. He is ousted and Republican Chris Christie will become New Jersey's next governor. And in Virginia, conservative Republican Bob McDonnell wrestles the office from Democrat control. He won with the backing of independents who helped elect Barack Obama just one year ago. Democrats can find some comfort in upstate New York for the first time in more than a century, a Democrat has won Congressional District 23. Bill Owens beat out conservative party candidate Doug Hoffman. Key Republicans like Sarah Palin had earlier spurned the GOP candidate saying she was too moderate. She withdrew and in an extraordinary twist endorsed the Democrat. And CNN's Deborah Feyerick is in Saranac Lake, New York with the very latest on all of this. So, Deb, what's going on with the Republicans up there in northern New York now?</s>DEBORAH FEYERICK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, here's what's really interesting. Political experts say that this race really shined a spotlight on divisions within the Republican Party that when Newt Gingrich and other Republicans take a moderate candidate to run that they made a very big mistake and miscalculated the depth of anger that that would incur amongst conservatives in the party. Well, the conservatives did take advantage and put up their own candidate, Doug Hoffman, a certified public accountant, he then was backed by Sarah Palin, Fred Thompson, Rush Limbaugh and the state's top conservative says this was really a move to take back America.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think this race is proven that people are rising up. There's a grassroots movement not only in this district but across the country. People are trying to get the attention of Washington, they want their country back.</s>FEYERICK: So, the conservatives, they are really sending a strong message to people within their own party -- Heidi.</s>COLLINS: Well, Deb, I wonder what kind of effect this might have on other moderate Republicans who may be planning to run.</s>FEYERICK: Absolutely. Well, the message that was sent is that it's OK to be moderate as long as you have a conservative record. It is not OK to be moderate if you have a liberal record which is exactly what happened here. The candidate here was pro-choice, also supported same-sex marriage and that simply did not cut it amongst the conservatives here. Now I did speak to somebody who has covered politics from this year for more than 30 years, and he says it wasn't just about Republican anger towards their own party where Republican anger to what's going on in Washington.</s>DOUG HOFFMAN (R), CONSERVATIVE PARTY CANDIDATE: Thank you every single person out there that joined my team and fought back for America. You have to stand up and we have to fight against the Nancy Pelosi agenda. We have to watch out for spending money that we don't have, that -- that our kids and grandkids won't be able to pay back.</s>FEYERICK: Now there are about 60 people in the room last night, Heidi. Not a big deal by any stretch of the imagination but when you think about the fact that when Doug Hoffman initially announced he was running that only three people showed up, well, he certainly did have a little bit of momentum last night -- Heidi.</s>COLLINS: Yes, people might be curious, too, Deb, about what's going to happen to Dede Scozzafava. Where will she go next?</s>FEYERICK: Absolutely. Well, you know, the Republicans accused her of losing this race on their behalf, but really, the party excluded her, relentlessly attacked her, so the big deal wasn't the fact that she backed a Democrat just days before the election. The big deal was that her name was on the ticket. She got enough of the vote so it definitely swayed the election in favor of that Democrat -- Heidi.</s>COLLINS: From Saranac Lake, New York, Deb Feyerick this morning. Sure do appreciate that, Deb. Thanks. As we predicted this time yesterday it will take another round of voting to decide the mayors of two major American cities. In Atlanta a December 1st runoff will needed between Councilwoman Mary Norwood and former state senator, Kasim Reed. Norwood is trying to become Atlanta's first white mayor since 1973. And in Houston, city comptroller Annise Parker is trying to become that city's first openly gay mayor. She's going to be facing former city attorney Gene Locke. In New York, Mayor Michael Bloomberg will return for a third term now. His re-election didn't come cheap, though. It's believed the independent billionaire shelled out more than $100 million of his own money. That would shatter the record for personal spending in any American campaign. A setback for the gay rights movement. Voters in Maine rejected a state law that would have allowed same-sex couples to marry. The repeal of the law passed by the Maine legislature last spring, legalizing gay marriage. Gay marriage has now lost in all 31 states in which it has been put up for a popular vote. New developments now in a story we've been following in Cleveland, Ohio. Four more bodies found in the backyard of a registered sex offender's house. Ten bodies found so far. The suspect is in court this morning, facing murder and rape charges. CNN's Susan Candiotti is live for us in Cleveland with the very latest. Susan, good morning to you.</s>SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Heidi. This first court appearance wrapped up just a little while ago and the suspect in this case, his name is Anthony Sowell, 50 years old, an ex-Marine who was laid off from his job, according to his public defender, about two years ago. He didn't say much in court except when he was asked one question by the judge as to whether he had any money to hire an attorney, and he quietly responded, "No, sir." Above and beyond that, when the prosecutor read off some of the charges against him including five aggravated counts of murder, kidnapping, assault, and rape, he was emotionless. He showed nothing on his face at all as the prosecutor talked about this. And just to recap here, the prosecutor told the judge that they had found 10 bodies so far and a skull. The victims so far in this case have only been described as African-American women and that at least some of them appear to have been strangled. An interesting appearance because of this also, judges don't usually make comments at this early stage of the proceedings, but this one did. And he said, because this was also a bond hearing, he noted that, in his words, this is without question some of the most serious allegations I have heard, and then he added given the, quote, "gruesomeness of what's facing you," he said he was not going to schedule any bond which certainly is no surprise in this case. We also learned the prosecutor laid the groundwork for seeking the death penalty in this case. But a grand jury would still have to meet. This man has not been indicted as yet. And Heidi, we learned something else now from the -- one of the police investigators outside the courtroom. He said that they are in the process of seeking an additional search warrant because they intend to go back inside the house today, keep tearing down walls.</s>COLLINS: Yes.</s>CANDIOTTI: Looking through floors, ceilings to see whether they can find any more victims or evidence -- Heidi.</s>COLLINS: Yes. Understand. They're going to be looking very hard and I know that that process will take some time. Susan Candiotti, we'll stay in touch with you on that story. An unbelievable one. Thanks so much. Bus drivers on strike in Philadelphia. The nation's sixth largest public transit system at a standstill. Commuters forced to find another way to work. And that goes for school kids, too. Plus this. Protests on the streets of Iran's capital. On the 30th anniversary of the student uprising that ended with Americans held hostage.</s>ROB MARCIANO, AMS METEOROLOGIST: And that Phillies strike nice enough to wait until a little after the World Series game five was over. Game six tonight should be OK but we've got a little something that's coming through Chicago, Detroit, moving across parts of the Ohio River Valley. That'll be heading into the New York area tomorrow, if there is by chance a game seven. Meanwhile, warm out west, 93 degrees in Phoenix. It'll be 77 degrees in Dallas, and 69 degrees in Atlanta. Believe it or not, we have something brewing in the tropics. It's still hurricane season. We'll talk about that in about 30 minutes.