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The Situation Room
Hurricane Katrina Headed for Florida; Protesting Mom Back in Crawford; Walter Reed Medical Center to Close; Schwarzenegger's Poll Numbers
Aired August 25, 2005 - 16:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: CNN is your hurricane headquarters. Our meteorologist, Jacqui Jeras, is standing by. We'll get to her momentarily. But let's get right to our other meteorologist, Rob Marciano. He's on the ground for us in Hollywood Beach, Florida. Rob, how is it shaping up?
ROB MARCIANO, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Wolf, winds are beginning to pick up now, though, but still we still haven't even seen tropical storm force winds. The wind gusts that I've recorded, just 31 miles an hour, but those have been slowly but steadily increasing.
The storm itself, like Jacqui said, about 25 miles off shore, moving in our direction at about six miles an hour, so that would put the eye of the storm inland, on top of us, in about four or five, maybe six hours.
It is a Category 1 storm. What does that mean? What kind of effects are we going to feel here? Last year we had Category 3 and 4 storms coming on shore, and that's some serious business. Those were major hurricanes. A significant difference between a Category 1 and a Category 3.
With a Category 1, 75 miles an hour. That's what we have right now. You're not talking about a tremendous amount of wind damage. You're talking about some power outages.
You're also not talking about a tremendous amount of storm surge. Right now we are getting some waves rolling in. Surf right now, five to 10 feet. We could see higher surf than that later on. But the storm surge shouldn't be that much of an issue. Beach erosion not that much of an issue.
But big-time rains. Ten to 15 inches of rain possible, and even isolated cases of that being higher in some areas, as this big storm lumbers on store -- on shore. Water managers have dropped the levels of the drainage canals -- and they total about 2,000 across the state -- in anticipation of all that rain, so that that rainfall can get back to the ocean where it belongs. You know, Florida's pretty flat, so they need those drainage canals.
You know, Wolf, South Florida really hasn't seen a tremendous amount of hurricane activity since, really, Hurricane Andrew 13 years ago this week, so they'll take a Category 1, and hopefully wouldn't get much stronger than that. We'll be reporting live, of course, from Hollywood, Florida, throughout the night.
Back to you.
BLITZER: All right. We'll be back with you, Rob. Thanks very much. Let's check the latest forecast. Jacqui Jeras standing by at CNN's hurricane headquarters. Give our viewers who are just tuning in, Jacqui, an update. What exactly have we learned over the past few minutes?
JACQUI JERAS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Well, we've just learned that Katrina is a hurricane, so it's packing winds of at least 74 miles per hour, though the hurricane hunters and National Hurricane Center haven't given us an exact number. But we're guessing it's probably about 75 miles per hour.
So it has strengthened. We officially have a Category 1 hurricane. Additional strengthening is still possible. This is a very slow-moving hurricane, and the outer eye wall is now trying to make its way on shore here. And the eye wall is where most of the strong, gusty winds are, particularly in what we call the right front quadrant of the storm.
However, with this storm in particular, with Katrina, some of the worst of the winds are right here on the south side of the storm, and it's really easy to pick it out. You don't need to be a meteorologist at home. You can see all the bright yellows, reds and oranges in this region, and that's where we're likely going to be seeing the hurricane force wind gusts at times.
We've rarely seen, as Rob said, tropical storm force winds on shore at this time, but the winds will be increasing as we head throughout the rest of the evening.
Now landfall timing is very difficult on this one for a number of reasons. And basically, I'd just like to say, it's happening this evening. And that's because the storm is moving so slowly, it's going to feel like it's making landfall for two, three, four, five hours or so. And it's that slow movement that keeps it over the water a little bit longer, and gives this more time to intensify, though we still do think it will likely stay at Category 1 status right now.
It's about 25 miles away from the shore line. It's just east- northeast of Ft. Lauderdale and just east-southeast of Boca Raton. So it's going to be making landfall right within that little window in that little stretch.
Satellite imagery is looking more impressive. And also take notice as we progress throughout the day today, Wolf, look how much larger this storm is becoming. Some of the cloud cover is extending all the way up into the Carolinas and all the way down into parts of Cuba. So this is becoming a larger scale storm.
We do expect it to weaken as it moves over land. It could take a good 24 hours or so to do so. And that's why the rainfall will be such an issue. Six to 12 inches, widespread, can be expected, possibly as much as 15 to 20 inches. Back into the open waters of the Gulf of Mexico into the weekend, and possibly a second landfall, which could be in Florida, Wolf, we think late Sunday night, and into early Monday.
BLITZER: All right, Jacqui. We'll check back with you. Thanks very much.
Hurricane Katrina. It's now official. It has reached 74 miles per hour. It is a hurricane.
Ft. Lauderdale is part of that 170-mile stretch of Florida coastline now under a hurricane watch. We're joined on the phone by the mayor of -- mayor of Ft. Lauderdale, Jim Naugle, who's got his hands full right now. Where are you, Mayor, right now?
MAYOR JIM NAUGLE, FT. LAUDERDALE, FLORIDA: Good afternoon. I'm at the emergency command center for the city of Ft. Lauderdale, and we have our personnel inside the city here. And we're ready to go to work Friday morning, clearing the streets, getting the sand of the beach so we'll be open for business this weekend from anybody that's been cooped up from the storm over the last couple of days.
BLITZER: It looks like Ft. Lauderdale could be hit relatively hard by this Hurricane Katrina right now. Have you ordered people to leave the area, or are they basically staying put?
NAUGLE: We have a voluntary evacuation on the beach, and also we recommend that people in mobile homes seek a shelter. But we've been through the drill before, and our residents, I think, are pretty prepared for this storm.
We're fortunate. We have a beautiful canal system. We drain very quickly. Some of the inland cities may have some sustained flooding, but we plan on being open for business by Saturday.
BLITZER: What is your biggest fear right now? Is it the -- it's the rain, not necessarily the wind so much. Is that right?
NAUGLE: Yes. And, you know, the thing -- many -- loss of life often occurs after a storm, when people go out too soon, there's downed power lines, flooding, improper use of generators, if that happens, if that's needed. So we ask people to be cautious, let the city get things cleaned up and -- before you go outside.
BLITZER: And all the first responders, everyone is ready to go. What about power outages? And what are you bracing for?
NAUGLE: Well, Florida Power and Light has been in touch with us, and I'm sure they've mobilized to be able to restore power in the area. We have a priority for hospitals and buildings like that, multifamily buildings with elevators, and we try to get power restored as quickly as possible.
But -- also, the city of Ft. Lauderdale wants to clean up any damage that we have on Ft. Lauderdale Beach so we can be open for business by Saturday.
BLITZER: Mayor Naugle, thanks very much, the mayor of Ft. Lauderdale. Good luck to you. Good luck to all our friends down there.
CNN is interested in your photos and your video from the storm. You can log onto CNN.com/stories to send us your citizen journalist pictures and your stories. Please include your name, your town, your phone number. We'd love to se what you're getting.
And we're tracking Katrina, now a hurricane, minute by minute. We'll bring you frequent updates on the storm and what's going on right now. CNN, remember, is your hurricane headquarters. Much more on this hurricane coming up.
But let's also take a look at some other stories we're following, including the president and antiwar protester. They're both back at the ranch to put it mildly. The president and Cindy Sheehan are in Texas. They're not very far away from each other, but they're pretty much still at odds.
But they have this much in common. They're defending themselves against critics who don't like the way they've dealt with the war in Iraq.
Our White House correspondent, Suzanne Malveaux, is covering the president. She's joining us in Crawford right now.
What's going on, Suzanne?
SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, both sides, both pro and antiwar protesters, are really gearing up for this weekend for potentially a showdown here. President Bush says he doesn't have anything on his public schedule today or tomorrow, but it is quite clear the White House is maintaining its aggressive public relations campaign to counter the antiwar campaign, the Cindy Sheehan camp, of course.
The president over the last couple of days making some very high profile speeches -- just yesterday in Ohio before the National Guard -- making the case that the Iraq war is supported by many military families that he talks to. He used the case of one woman, the Pruett family, who has a husband as well as five sons over in Iraq to say, hey, she supports the war. This is someone who's invested in protecting Americans.
Well, today Cindy Sheehan, back at what is called Camp Casey outside of the president's ranch, also spoke up, vowed to stay until the very end, said that she, too, wants to protect this country. And she also tried to create a little less distance between herself and some of those other mothers who have lost their children, but who support the war.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CINDY SHEEHAN, SON KILLED IN IRAQ: There's other people who disagree with our position, who have lost their children. And I know, with Karen here and Melanie and Susan, we respect their rights to their opinions, because at the end of the day, or at the beginning of this quest, we started in the same way, with our loved one coming home in a flag-draped coffin.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MALVEAUX: And Wolf, I had an opportunity to go to both of those camps earlier today, and both sides are gearing up for what could be a very aggressive showdown this weekend. They're expecting hundreds on both sides to protest outside the ranch. Wolf.
BLITZER: Thanks very much, Suzanne Malveaux down in Texas.
The Sheehan camp is going national with TV ads featuring their protest leader. It's the same ad that first ran in Crawford and then some other select cities, severely criticizing the president and the war.
Now the organization, Gold Star Families for Peace, says it's bought $66,000 worth of air time on national cable networks, including CNN.
Meantime, anti-Sheehan protesters are making their way toward Crawford from California. They're planning to hold a pro-Bush rally in Texas on Saturday.
Let's immediately go back to the CNN Center in Atlanta. Zain Verjee is standing by. She's got some news. Zain?
ZAIN VERJEE, CNN ANCHOR: Wolf, the speaker of Iraq's National Assembly, Hajim al-Hassani, has confirmed to CNN that there is going to be a one-day extension to agree on a draft constitution in Iraq. So this means it's going to stretch into Friday. This goes beyond the initial deadline. It's about 10 days beyond the original deadline now.
It's been stalled, as you know, for days over the issue of federalism. The Sunnis are just not buying it. They're not on board. And the Kurds and the Shia factions are trying to bring the Sunnis into the political process.
So this just coming into CNN, Hajim al-Hassani, the speaker of Iraq's National Assembly, has confirmed that there is going to be a one-day extension to agree on a draft constitution. So that's going to go into Friday -- Wolf.
BLITZER: All right, Zain, thanks very much for that.
Let's get back to our top story. Let's get another look now at what's happening on the ground. Hurricane Katrina getting closer and closer to South Florida.
Donald Forbes of our affiliate WKMG is joining us from Deerfield Beach. That, too, is between Ft. Lauderdale and Palm Beach. Donald, tell our viewers what's going on where you are. DONALD FORBES, WKMG CORRESPONDENT: Well, I'm not usually this shy and I'm not trying to be shy, it's just I'm trying to shield my face. The reason is right behind me. We're right on the beach, and the winds are picking up quite a bit out here, turning everything in its path into one sand-blasted mess.
The trees are bending, and the wind is picking up. The waves are beginning to crash on shore and keep -- creep up the shore line. As a matter of fact, this isn't keeping people out of here, though. Many people consider Katrina a kitten. We've got folks out here with their kids, trying to get a good view, trying to take place in this hurricane.
We've been trying to measure the wind, while we were here, as well. As a matter of fact, we have one of these handy dandy wind gauges, and we've gotten gusts up to about 45 miles an hour here in Deerfield Beach. It seems to be sporadic, a constant wind of about 25 miles an hour.
Again, nobody's really left. And I don't think anybody's planning on leaving, because more and more people have been told this is just going to be a water event -- a lot of rain and possibly some flooding.
People we've spoken to say that they're not fearful of this. Some of them have put on their shutters, some have stored up on supplies. But for the most case, most of the people are going to be just sitting around in their homes and waiting this one out.
Now, obviously, Broward County Police are out, and there has been a voluntary evacuation for some people here on the beach. But for the most part, most of the folks have stayed right where they are.
BLITZER: All right, Donald. Thanks very much. Be careful over there. Donald Forbes of our affiliate, WKMG, in Deerfield Beach. That's north of Ft. Lauderdale, south of Palm Beach.
We're going to continue to watch Hurricane Katrina, extensive coverage coming up.
But first, let's check out what Jack Cafferty is up to this hour. Jack?
JACK CAFFERTY, CNN ANCHOR: The subfolder in the "Cafferty File," "Politicians Being Silly."
We've got gas price at record highs. Department of Energy reports that heating oil prices could skyrocket 21 percent this winter, adding additional pain to the average family's pocketbook.
Today's "L.A. Times" reports that there are some Republicans beginning to voice concern that they may pay a price at the polls for these high energy costs at next year's mid-term elections. So what are they going to do? Well, when Congress gets back from summer break, the Senate is going to hold a hearing to look into gasoline price increases. But it's not really clear what the lawmakers can do to reduce gas prices in the short term. One of the things they could have done is to put some teeth in that energy bill they all voted to pass a few weeks ago, which contains no gasoline guidelines for cars. American cars get worse mileage today than they did in the 1980s. They passed that thing right through and sent it on to the president without any attention paid whatsoever to the fact that we've got to do something about gasoline mileage. Forty percent of our oil goes into our gas tanks.
But the Senate's going to hold a hearing. That should take care of it.
A poll released yesterday shows Americans think that gasoline prices are one of the top five issues the government needs to address. Don't hold your breath.
Here's the question. Will the Republicans pay at the ballot box next year in the off-year elections for higher gas prices? CaffertyFile@CNN.com.
You know, the posturing of these people just boggles the mind, Wolf. The Senate's going to hold hearings on gas prices. They pass an energy bill with absolutely no attention paid to the mileage guidelines of American automobiles. It's just -- it's beyond belief.
BLITZER: All right. Well, we'll see what our viewers think, as well, Jack. Thanks very much. We'll get back to you very, very soon.
We're watching Hurricane Katrina. We'll have extensive coverage. That's coming up. We're also watching other news this hour. Judge John Roberts still very much on our "Political Radar". Coming up, some civil rights groups taking a stand on Roberts' Supreme Court nomination, a stand that may surprise you.
Plus, has the governor of California, Arnold Schwarzenegger, hit rock bottom? We'll explain why people out there are asking that question.
And we'll even get into Pat Boone's politics, the singing legend with a squeaky clean image, but he's getting angry right now. We'll tell you why.
You're in THE SITUATION ROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: It's official. It's now a hurricane. Katrina, no longer a tropical storm. It's a hurricane, meaning winds now more than 74 miles per hour. We'll continue to have extensive coverage as it moves closer and closer towards south Florida in the coming hours.
Let's check in the meantime, though, some other news we're following, including here in Washington. Some cliffhangers today in the very, very serious debate over military base closings. But commissioners voting on the Pentagon's recommendations have made some major new decisions, agreeing to shut down what many have considered to be the crown jewel of U.S. military hospitals.
Our congressional correspondent, Ed Henry, watching all of this, and he's joining us now live. What's the latest, Ed?
ED HENRY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right. Walter Reed Army Medical Center is going to be closed. And some people may be surprised that at a time of war, this base closure commission that is still meeting right now behind me has decided to shut down a hospital that has treated over 4,000 patients returning from the war in Iraq.
But the commission says Walter Reed is outdated and they can actually provide better health care to even more military veterans at two beefed up military hospitals, one in nearby Maryland, one right here in Virginia where they're meeting.
The commission is still meeting, as I mentioned, and they're now dealing with the very thorny issue of whether to shut down some very high profile Air Force bases across the country.
We will have to wait until Friday, though, to -- for the main event, the fate of Ellsworth Air Force base in South Dakota. That's a titanic battle that has brought together two political rivals, Republican Senator John Thune and Democrat Tim Johnson.
They faced off in a nasty Senate battle in 2002 out in South Dakota. Thune lost by only about 500 votes. He came back last year and knocked off the Senate Democratic leader, Tom Daschle, in part with Republicans promising that if Thune got elected, President Bush would probably help Thune keep Ellsworth open.
Instead, Thune is now stunned that, in fact, Ellsworth is on the hit list. He's right behind me now. He's been lobbying furiously to try to keep this open, and he's working with his former Democratic rival, Tim Johnson. A short while ago I spoke to Senator Thune about those strange bedfellows.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. JOHN THUNE (R), SOUTH DAKOTA: We realized early on that we couldn't let past politics get in the way of something that was so important to the future of South Dakota. This is a $278 million annual contribution to our economy, second largest employer in the entire state, so we have worked very closely on it. And yes, let bygones be bygones.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HENRY: The question now is whether or not Senator Thune will let bygones be bygones with the White House, which pulled the rug out from under him here. Thune has been considered a Republican rising star, even as a freshman, but some conservatives have suggested he has taken a hit here.
Senator Thune confirmed to me that in the short term here he has stopped raising political money for fellow Republicans. I asked whether that's because of time constraints with this base closure process or because it's anger at the White House. He told me it's about time constraints, but I can tell you, his body language suggested he's not a happy camper either. Wolf.
BLITZER: All right. Ed Henry, watching those base closings for us. Thanks, Ed, very much.
When we come back, we'll go back to our top story. When and where will Hurricane Katrina hit South Florida? We'll have a hurricane update. That's only a few moments ago.
Plus, Golden State blues. Are Californians sick and tired of Arnold Schwarzenegger? We'll break down brand new poll numbers. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: Hurricane Katrina only hours away from hitting south Florida, somewhere around Ft. Lauderdale, perhaps to the north, perhaps to the south. That entire area, from Miami up to West Palm Beach, and perhaps beyond under a serious hurricane watch right now. We're tracking every step of the way. Much more coming up here in THE SITUATION ROOM. In the meantime, though, we're also tracking some "Political Radar" stories, including these.
Representatives of several civil rights groups announced today their support for the Supreme Court nominee, John Roberts. The Congress for Racial Equality and other groups cited Roberts' commitment to following the Constitution, and they criticized other groups, claiming to speak for minorities, that have raised red flags about Roberts and his views.
Two Democratic senators are asking Judge Roberts so explain why he continued to judge a lawsuit against the Bush administration while being interviewed for the Supreme Court post. Chuck Schumer and Russ Feingold questioned the ethics of that in a letter to Roberts today. Senate Judiciary Committee members say they want an answer before Roberts' confirmation hearings, set to begin September 6.
The White House says Democrats are grasping at straws to try to find ammunition against Roberts.
And look who's weighing in on Cindy Sheehan's protest, the 1950's, 1960's pop music icon Pat Boone. On a national radio show, Boone blasted Sheehan and other antiwar activists, accusing them of sticking their heads in the sand and of making the United States more vulnerable to future terror attacks.
Let's check back with CNN's Zain Verjee at the CNN Center. She's taking a look at other stories making news. Zain?
VERJEE: Wolf, the speaker of Iraq's parliament has announced a one-day extension in talks on the country's new constitution. The speaker, Hajim al-Hassani, says negotiations on the wording of the document are not finished. He says talks are continuing and they hope to reach a result by Friday night. That despite word from a Sunni Arab negotiator that Shia negotiators failed to show up for a late night meeting.
No let up in the campaign of violence throughout Iraq. At a hospital in northern Iraq, bodyguards for the Iraqi president, Jalal Talibani, are being treated after being hurt in an attack on a presidential convoy. Eight bodyguards were killed and 15 were wounded when gunmen stormed the convoy. The president was not in any of the cars during the assault.
The United Nations' High Commissioner for Refugees is touring camps in Sudan. Antonio Guterres traveled to Darfur to assess conditions at facilities housing millions of Sudanese displaced by the East African country's war.
CNN's Ryan Chilcote is also in Darfur. He's going to bring you a full report. More than two million people have been displaced. Tens of thousands of people have been killed in a war that has lasted more than two years.
We're tracking Katrina still, now a hurricane and churning toward Florida. We're going to get a live update from the hurricane warning zone. That's just ahead.
Plus the U.S. mission in Iraq and the protests against it. Who has the high ground in our "Strategy Session"?
And will there be a political price to pay for soaring gas costs? Your answers coming up in THE SITUATION ROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: We're tracking Hurricane Katrina. People in southeastern Florida, bracing for Katrina's force. Our meteorologist, Rob Marciano, is on the scene for us. He's joining us now live from Hollywood in Florida. That's just below Ft. Lauderdale. What's the latest there, Rob?
MARCIANO: Well, winds are picking up significantly now, Wolf. I recorded a wind gust of 42 miles-an-hour, so we're into tropical storm-strength winds easy. There's another burst right there at 38 miles-an-hour. Notice they're coming off shore. So, -- if we were just about 20 miles north of here, we certainly would be getting faster winds on the northern side of the storm with water -- with winds coming off the water.
All right. Let's take a look at a couple of things. First of all, already, palms fronds down on the ground and we've only had wind gusts of 40 miles-an-hour. So, there may very well be some tree limbs and palm fronds that are weak because they haven't got hit with a strong storm in several years.
Also, notice the waves, surfers like these (INAUDIBLE)
All right. That's a burst right there of 53. That's our highest wind gust right now: 53-mile-an-hour offshore wind and what that tells me, Wolf -- a little trick of the trade -- if you stand with your back to the wind, and point left, that's where the center of the storm is, right out that way.
And it's heading this way. It looks like we'll be on the southern fringe of the storm. That's good news because the worst damage will on the northern end. I can't really hear you, Wolf. I'm going to toss it back to you.
BLITZER: All right, Rob, be careful over there. Rob Marciano, our meteorologist on the scene for us, Hollywood Beach in Florida. It is now a hurricane. Hurricane Katrina, nothing to deal with lightly. We're going to continue our extensive coverage here on CNN of Katrina throughout THE SITUATION ROOM into the evening. Remember, CNN is your hurricane headquarters. All of the information on the progress of this hurricane right here on CNN.
We'll get back to that shortly, but in today's "Strategy Session," we want to discuss the antiwar protests and Cindy Sheehan's return to Crawford, Texas. Here to talk about that, two guests, CNN Political Analyst Paul Begala. He's a former Democratic strategist -- maybe still a Democratic strategist right now.
PAUL BEGALA, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: Just a CNN strategist.
BLITZER: Right. And Republican strategist Barbara Comstock. Thanks to both of you very much for joining us. Let's listen to what Cindy Sheehan said earlier today, shortly after she returned. She returned last night, but she's back on the scene right now.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SHEEHAN: If George Bush came out and spoke with me today and we went home, this wouldn't end. After August 31, it's not going to end, because it's just -- it's just -- it will be impossible to put out.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BLITZER: Is this going to end, Paul? Is this going to just continue and continue? They're going to follow the president back here to the White House and every step of the way?
BEGALA: Well, if Cindy Sheehan doesn't, someone else will. I think that's probably her point, at least that's what I take from that. The war has become very unpopular. I think the president has mishandled Mrs. Sheehan and her visit to Crawford and he could have nipped this in the bud weeks ago.
But that's all water under the bridge. I think this is certain to go on and the problem for the president is he keeps answering it in a campaign style. He goes out and he gives, you know, forceful speeches, saying that this is like World War II or that we don't want to let the terrorists win.
People know that. They just want to know what's the strategy for victory? How do we get our kids home safely and win this thing?
BLITZER: We just got a press release, Barbara. The Reverend Al Sharpton will be joining Cindy Sheehan Sunday, for what he's calling a ecumenical prayer vigil in Crawford, Texas. So, the nature of this seems to be growing and growing.
BARBARA COMSTOCK, REPUBLICAN STRATEGIST: Well, I think it's unfortunate that it's become a partisan -- you know, part of what you saw last year during the election, now it's become part of this partisan extreme left-wing agenda.
MoveOn.org have joined them. You know, now Al Sharpton, you know, may bring in dancing bears with him. I mean, it really has become a circus and what -- it doesn't help anybody.
And to have -- you know, we all feel for people who have lost any loved ones. You know, many of us lost loved ones on 9/11, but no single person can speak for those who've lost people. You saw President Bush yesterday, citing, you know, other parents.
So, I think you have a situation where other people are going to Crawford now because they've watched the media focus on this and they feel like certainly -- Joan Baez and people who are down there strumming their guitars and attacking the president, do not speak for them.
You have Cindy Sheehan herself a lot of intemperate things and calling the president a terrorist. And it's been unfortunate. I don't think this helps anybody. It doesn't help us focus on what we need to do to win the war.
BLITZER: But if anyone has a right to speak out, are those parents, whether they favor or oppose the war...
COMSTOCK: Sure.
BLITZER: ... who have sons and daughters who are fighting. Their husbands and wives who are there. If they want to speak out and express their anger or their love for the president, they certainly have that right.
COMSTOCK: Well that's right. I think the reason you have people now going for this, you know, event on Saturday -- a lot of the parents who do support the war -- is because if you look at the military families, by and large, last year during the election, even now, they support the president. They support the troops. And they don't want to have mixed messages seeming to harm the troops and think that they don't support them.
But of course, everybody has a right to speak out. That's the great thing about our country and that's what we're fighting for in Iraq. They now have a right to speak out, too, and that's why they're getting a constitution.
BLITZER: And a lot of people are speaking out about John Roberts, the president's nominee for the Supreme Court. It will get a little more intense starting September 6, when the confirmation hearings get underway.
As far as you can tell, what is the Democratic, Democratic strategy -- Democratic Party, Democratic supporters -- the strategy as far as John Roberts is concerned, right now?
BEGALA: Well, that's the problem. There's two or three. Some are pretty smart, some aren't.
One strategy that some Democrats on the Hill are pursuing, which I don't think is very wise, is a process-based strategy: Give us more documents, give us more paper. You know, maybe we should have them, maybe not. But that's not a good reason to vote down a Supreme Court justice. The smarter strategy -- the Democrats who are saying, we want to ask you basic questions under oath when you come for your confirmation hearings, Judge. We want to know, do you think the Constitution allows abortion or prohibits it? Do you think the Constitution allows affirmative action or prohibits it? What did you mean, Judge, when you said that equal pay for women was a radical scheme? Things like that. The substance of the record is where the debate ought to be, not the process.
BLITZER: All right. I want Barbara, you to respond, but just full disclosure to our viewers. You are active in two groups that are actively supporting his nomination: Progress for America and the Independent Women's Forum. So, you're directly involved in this campaign to get him confirmed.
COMSTOCK: Yes, very directly. Yes. And I think what Progress for America has pointed out is Judge Roberts should be accorded the same type of respect that Justice Ginsberg got back in 1993 in the Clinton administration. And in fact, I would direct to you the Progress for America's Web site, because they've done an extensive 20-page analysis of questions that Judge Ginsberg did not answer, like just many of the questions that Paul just laid out.
But more importantly, what's going on here is you have left-wing groups -- because they can't attack -- he -- Judge Roberts got the ABA's highest ratings and I'd like to quote from their ratings -- the ABA, not Progress for America.
They gave him the highest ratings because of his decisiveness, his freedom from bias, his commitment to equal justice under the law, his courtesy, open-mindedness. So, they looked at his entire record and they said he gets this gold-standard award. Chuck Schumer and Pat Leahy called the ABA -- the gold standard and they won.
So, I think I'd like people to watch and listen to Judge Roberts. They're going to be very pleased with him because he is a stellar nominee.
BLITZER: Let's leave it right there, because we're out of time. We have got a hurricane that's coming closer and closer to Florida that we're going to be watching every step of the way. Barbara, thanks very much. Paul, thanks to you as well.
COMSTOCK: Thank you.
BLITZER: And as I said, we're going to be having extensive coverage. Hurricane Katrina, getting closer to South Florida. We're watching what's going on, on the scene.
We're also watching some other news unfolding right now, including the California governor, Arnold Schwarzenegger. Coming up, he was pumped up and all cheers when he won office. But has the governor's bubble of popularity deflated? We'll tell you about a brand new poll number. Bill Schneider, standing by with that.
And it treats dozens and dozens, hundreds of wounded service personnel from Iraq and Afghanistan. Now it faces an uncertain future as today's decision from a base closure committee is revealed. We'll tell you that decision on the Walter Reed Medical Center, right here in Washington. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: You're in THE SITUATION ROOM. Here's a quick look at some of the hot shots coming in from our friends over at the Associated Press -- pictures likely to be in your hometown newspapers tomorrow. Taiwan, the government's putting out this picture in its bid to join the United Nations.
Pakistan, voters showing their national I.D. cards during polling for local elections.
Oklahoma, a tough ride in the rain yesterday as this young woman makes her way through a thunderstorm. Florida, now where Diddy -- formerly known as P. Diddy -- gets ready to host the MTV Video Awards. Some of the pictures that we're getting in from some of the best photographers around the world.
If you take pictures, by the way, like these hot shots, we would love to see them as well. CNN is interested in your photos, your video from Hurricane Katrina. Simply log onto CNN.com/stories to send us what we call your citizen journalist pictures and stories. Please include your name, your town, your phone number. We'd love to get that kind of information from you.
Much more on Katrina coming up. But this hour in California, the governor, Arnold Schwarzenegger is making a public appearance, even though he might feel like staying under the covers today.
Our senior political analyst Bill Schneider is joining us now with more on Schwarzenegger's latest headaches. What's going on, Bill?
BILL SCHNEIDER, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: Wolf, as bad as the polls are for President Bush, they're even worse for California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) SCHNEIDER (voice-over): A new poll of Californians shows President Bush's approval rating at 38 percent. That's bad. Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger's approval rating, 34 percent. That's worse. A lot of Californians blame President Bush for starting a war. They blame Governor Schwarzenegger for starting a political war.
PHIL MATIER, "SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE": He was going to stop business as usual, stop the bickering. Instead, he's pulled out a script that's done just the reverse.
SCHNEIDER: Schwarzenegger's battlefield is a special election he called for this November, where he's asking California voters to pass three initiatives.
One would make it tougher for teachers to get tenure. California voters are split over that, even though the poll shows most voters consider poor teacher performance a problem.
One would take the power to draw legislative district boundaries away from politicians. California voters oppose that, even though they believe a panel of independent judges would draw fairer lines than politicians.
A third measure would limit state spending. Voters overwhelmingly reject that, even though they consider state spending an important issue.
The special election is turning into a referendum not on the issues, but on the governor.
MATIER: Redistricting, teacher tenure, living within our means, you know, you sit there and go, they're selling well with the voters, we have got a good script here. We can hold it up and say this is a great script. What's our star vehicle? It's Arnold, and all of a sudden it drops.
SCHNEIDER: On the radio this week, Governor Schwarzenegger said he's not bothered by the polls.
GOV. ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER, (R) CALIFORNIA: Do I want to continue with enjoying my 70 percent popularity rating and keep quiet and not create the reforms that we need, not to fix the broken system, not to rattle the cage and upset the status quo? Or do I want to go and keep my promise?
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SCHNEIDER: In other words, Governor Schwarzenegger is spending his political capital, just like President Bush.
BLITZER: All right. We'll see how he does. Thanks very much, Bill Schneider for that.
CNN is your hurricane headquarters. We're tracking Hurricane Katrina right now. We're about to bring you another update on the storm, and who may be in harm's way. These are live pictures you're seeing right now.
Also ahead, the hurricane threat and gas prices. Will you pay for this storm no matter where you live in the United States? Ali Velshi has details. And later, Martha Stewart's new reality. Out of prison, the domestic diva is out performing once again. We'll tell you what's going on.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: We're checking the hurricane, Hurricane Katrina. We're watching it every step of the way. Much more on that coming up.
In the meantime, though, let's go back to the CNN Center in Atlanta. Zain Verjee standing by with some other stories making news. Hi, Zain.
VERJEE: Hi, Wolf.
The FBI and other government law enforcement agencies are pulling resources to investigate the ongoing efforts to hack their Web sites. Now, part of the whole debate is whether China's government is sponsoring the effort, or hackers are using sites in China to conceal their true origins? Officials are saying that despite years of investigation and debate, they have yet to reach consensus on who's behind the infiltration.
You might not know from these pictures, but flood waters have began receding in Central and Southern Europe. The region has been deluged for days. This is Germany, but Romanian, Switzerland, Austria and Bulgaria were also hit hard. The storms were blamed for at least 42 deaths.
Hundreds of rangers from Kenya's Wildlife Service have begun the mammoth task of relocating 400 elephants to a national park. The first bull elephant was darted by a sharp shooter shortly before dawn, but the whole project had to be called off until tomorrow because a truck broke down from the weight of one of the elephants. It's the largest relocation operation ever in Kenya. The government says it's necessary to end repeated conflict between the elephants and the people living in the region.
Actor, comedian and TV mogul Jerry Seinfeld is a father for the third time. Seinfeld's wife Jessica has given birth to a boy, named Shepherd Kellan Seinfeld. The Seinfelds have been married for six years. They also have a 4-year-old daughter, Sasha, and a 2-year-old son, Julian. Wolf.
BLITZER: Congratulations to the Seinfelds. I still watch that show as much as I can.
Let's get back to that elephant story in Kenya. Is it Kenya or Kenya? Because know you were born in Kenya.
VERJEE: It's Kenya. Kenya is the old colonial expression. BLITZER: All right. Let's call it Kenya then. You know a lot about elephants. What's the story? When you say there's a conflict with people that these elephants have, what does that mean?
VERJEE: Essentially the population has increased so substantially in some of the areas, so what's happening is, a lot of Kenyan farmers are going to land that was once empty. And it's encroaching on some of the land that is quite near the national parks, which is where all the elephants are. So, what they're doing right now is moving the elephants from an area called Shimba Hills, to the Shaba National Park, which is the largest in Kenya, which I spent a lot of time in.
BLITZER: I'd love to go there one of these days as well. Thanks, Zain, very much. We'll get back to you.
Jack Cafferty would love to spend some time in Kenya, but he's spending a lot of time in New York reading your e-mail. And he's joining us now live. Jack?
CAFFERTY: You couldn't get me out of THE SITUATION ROOM with a stick of dynamite. I love it here.
They call those Elis (ph) over there, don't they? Zain, are you still there?
VERJEE: No. They don't -- they don't call them Elis (ph). They call them tembo which is Swahili for Elephant.
CAFFERTY: Do they have THE SITUATION ROOM in Kenya?
VERJEE: No, they don't have a situation room. But we have many situations that we could talk about in THE SITUATION ROOM.
CAFFERTY: So if you had a room, you could put all the situations in there, but you don't have a situation room, so the situations are just kind of running around loose.
VERJEE: We have plenty of rooms and plenty of situations, and once we establish such an intriguing and high profile situation room like this, I'm sure we can talk about it then.
CAFFERTY: You know what the producer is saying to me right now?
VERJEE: Be quiet. Get on with the e-mails.
CAFFERTY: He's staying, stop!
Today's "Los Angeles Times" is reporting that some Republicans are starting to voice concern that they could pay a political price for rising gas prices next year in the mid-term election. Our question for this hour is, will the GOP pay at the ballot box for these higher gasoline prices?
R. Wendel in New York writes, "Probably not. They'll blame Bill Clinton and gay marriage initiatives for our current problems and distract just enough people one more time to retain their majority." Alison in Sanford, Georgia, "Yes. The GOP will pay if America comes to its senses. We've lost 2,000 lives, spent billions of dollars, endangered the entire Judeo-Christian world and destroyed a sovereign country. The only benefactors are the munitions manufacturers and the oil companies. We're fighting this war for the oil companies, the least they could do is give us a break at the pumps."
Rex in Toronto writes, "I don't know Jack. But I do know it's a bad sign that my gas station attendant has learned how to say thank you, dummy, to me in Arabic."
Sheryl writes, "We're being ripped off, plain and simple. The GOP will pay the price at the polls during the next elections even if we have to carpool or ride our bikes to the voting locations. They've allowed the rich to get richer and the poor are getting angrier."
And finally, Dave in Japan writes, "Wolf, I need a little help over here. Set my alarm for 4:00 am to watch THE SITUATION ROOM. And instead, CNN Japan is showing World News Europe, like anybody cares about Europe. Help me out here, Wolf. I'd ask Jack for help, but he's too busy trying to come up with three questions every day. This ain't Jeopardy, Jack."
Why aren't we on in Japan?
BLITZER: I don't know. I don't know. We need help. I'm going to find out, though.
CAFFERTY: Let's get that CNN Europe thing off and get THE SITUATION ROOM on.
BLITZER: They want THE SITUATION ROOM in Japan and Kenya. They want it all over the world.
CAFFERTY: That's right.
BLITZER: All right. Let's try to help them. Jack, thanks very much. We'll get back to you momentarily.
We're continuing to monitor Hurricane Katrina as this storm presses toward Florida's southeast coast. We'll return live to the possible danger areas. That's coming up.
And a controversial figure is stirring things up once again. We'll take you inside the blogs.
And Martha Stewart, as a reality show star. Is it a good thing? Mary Snow will have details. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: It's getting closer and closer and closer. Hurricane Katrina approaching South Florida, the east coast of the panhandle. We're watching everything that's going on -- the peninsula, that is, not the panhandle, involving Katrina. Coming up in the next few moments, we'll have an extensive live update. We'll go there to the scene. We're also continuing our coverage here in THE SITUATION ROOM of some other stories that we're following. We're plugged into almost everything that's happening online.
There's lots of buzz right now about John Bolton, the new United States ambassador to the United Nations. Let's check in with our Internet reporters Jacki Schechner and Abbi Tatton. They'll take us inside the blogs. What's the latest?
JACKI SCHECHNER, CNN INTERNET CORRESPONDENT: Well hi, Wolf. As the United Nations is preparing for a summit conference in September, they have been working for about the past six months on a draft document of suggested reforms. John Bolton, the new U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, has come in and taken a look at that and has made some sweeping changes -- or suggestions, rather, for changes.
So we wanted to bring you some information they're picking up on this online. It was in the "Washington Post" and the "New York Times" today, but you can download the PDF document itself at the HuffingtonPost.com. That would happen to be a hefty 38-page draft, just so you know.
ABBI TATTON, CNN INTERNET CORRESPONDENT: Lots of commentary on the left about this. One person that's been following John Bolton all along, this is Steve Clemens. He usually blogs at WashingtonNote.com. He's blogging today over at TalkingPointsMemo.com, that's because somebody's on holiday there. There seems to be a lot of that in the blogosphere right now at the end of August.
What Steven Clemens is saying today about these revisions: offensive, aggressive, short-sighted and dismissive of others. Mincing no words there.
Over at ThinkProgress, a guest blogger, Max Bergan talking about this, Bolton already undermining U.N. reform. Bolton was sent to the U.N. not to reform it, but to undermine it. He's already hard at work.
Similar posts over here, It's Intuitive also on the left. Bolton hard at work, undermine, search and destroy. That verb there to undermine used a lot today with John Bolton today on the left.
SCHECHNER: Yeah. This is the same dissension we saw at the exact same time during his nomination and confirmation process.
Over on the right, they are saying, this is exactly why we needed John Bolton at the United Nations. Reform starts with a giant step. CaptainsQuartersBlog.com, conservative blog. Captain Ed saying that because Bolton is a recessed appointment, he's only got until January. That he's got to do as much as humanly possible in the short time that he has,. Law Hawk, making waves, taking names. They are saying there that this exactly why the U.N. didn't want Bolton on board, because he's going to come in and make those changes.
TATTON: Something else we're continuing to follow in the blogosphere, the nomination of John Roberts to the Supreme Court. Bloggers talking about this all summer. And they will continue as the nomination hearings start.
HughHewitt.com had an interesting post last week. After the Reagan Library released a mound of documents on Roberts, he invited bloggers to analyze them, themselves. Don't rely on the media he said, e-mail us, we'll assign you a box of documents. Adopt a box is what they called it.
Radio Blogger had more. Wanting capable bloggers to analyze, post about what is relevant and dismiss what isn't. If you don't agree with them, you can do it themselves. The Reagan Library's site, the PDF files are there as well.
SCHECHNER: There's a wonderful list at RadioBlogger.com of who's adopted what box. And for example, you have got ConservativeMusings.typepad.com. They actually got the cases that the White House was suggested to take a look at. You might remember, Wolf, there was the one where "Billboard" magazine requested to recognize Michael Jackson, where Roberts said that wasn't such a great idea.
We'll send it back to you.
BLITZER: All right, guys, thanks very much.
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