Clinton Courts Black Voters
With polls showing many races are too close to call and most Americans aren't much concerned about the Lewinsky scandal, CBS News White House Correspondent Bill Plante reports that President Clinton has mounted a major effort to get some key supporters such as African-Americans out to vote.
On Sunday, Mr. Clinton visited a rousing church service in Baltimore.
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A day later, Mr. Clinton was scheduled on The Tom Joyner Morning Show, a popular nationally syndicated black radio program, and Black Entertainment Television.
A number of tight races across the country are likely to be decided by the number of Republicans or Democrats who show up at the polls.
Mr. Clinton is trying to help his fellow Democrats by reminding African-Americans that the power of their votes is equal to or greater than the power of money.
President Clinton said he believes black voter participation could be the deciding factor in "many districts, and perhaps in some of these close Senate races."
"Your vote counts as much as mine," the president told African-Americans. "Counts as much as Speaker Gingrich. It counts as much as people who can contribute vast fortunes to campaigns. Tuesday, everything gets evened up again if you show up."
Mr. Clinton is hoping that he can help turn out voters to keep Democratic losses to a minimum. He and his staff are aware if that if he succeeds, it will lower the temperature on the coming impeachment hearing.
While Mr. Clinton tried to put a positive face on the Democrats' prospects, Republicans predicted that voter turnout would be low.
"We know this is going to be a low turnout election," Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., who heads the Senate Republican campaign effort, said Sunday on CBS' Face the Nation. "The question is, who turns out."
In his radio interview, Clinton said alleged voter intimidation was reported in Maryland, Michigan, Kentucky, Georgia and North Carolina. He said it involved plans for extra police officers to watch some heavily black precincts as voters come and go.
"We asked the Republicans to renounce it," Clinton said. "They can easily show they're all wrong factually."
©1998 CBS Worldwide Corp. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report