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The Situation Room
Hunter Shot by Vice President Suffers Minor Heart Attack; Zacarias Moussaoui Barred From Courtroom; Norm Coleman Interview; United States Plotting With Israel Against Hamas?; USA Making Headlines In Olympics
Aired February 14, 2006 - 17:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: It's almost 5:00 p.m. here in Washington, and you're in THE SITUATION ROOM, where news and information from around the world arrive at one place at the same time.
Happening now, it's 4:00 p.m. in Corpus Christi, Texas, where the man shot by the vice president suffers a startling setback as birdshot moves into his heart. The White House says it's time to move on.
A world apart. Two trials and two disruptive defendants. Saddam Hussein says he's on a hunger strike, and confessed al Qaeda conspirator Zacarias Moussaoui is barred from the court where a jury will decide if he lives or dies.
And is big brother watching or wiretapping? Many Americans think they're being monitored by the federal government. How about you?
I'm Wolf Blitzer. You're in THE SITUATION ROOM.
There's been a stunning turn in the condition of the man shot by Vice President Dick Cheney. Harry Whittington, the Texas lawyer who took a blast of birdshot in the face, neck, and chest, now has birdshot lodged in his heart and has suffered what doctors say is a minor heart attack.
With this revelation there are new questions about the Bush administration's management of the Cheney misfire. After the shooting, the White House was slow to put out the news. Now why is it in such a rush to try to move beyond this hunting accident?
CNN's Ed Lavandera is standing by outside the hospital in Corpus Christi. Our senior medical correspondent, Dr. Sanjay Gupta, is at the CNN Center.
Let's go to the White House first, though. Our White House Correspondent Suzanne Malveaux is standing by with the latest -- Suzanne.
SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf, really since the shooting began involving the vice president, he has remained silent on this issue since Saturday evening. Now that there is word of this mild heart attack of his victim, Harry Whittington, this is the first time that this office, the vice president's office has put out a written statement even acknowledging that this incident occurred. And now we're seeing kind of a turn, if you will, from this office.
New details saying that Cheney found out about 12:30 or so about the complications over Whittington's condition, that his chief of staff quietly passed him a note when he was on a meeting on the Hill. That he went back to White House. That he was actually watching that press conference about Whittington's condition of the doctors there and that he picked up the phone and called him about a half-hour later.
That statement going on to say the that, "The vice president wished him well and asked if there was anything he needed. The vice president said that he stood ready to assist, Mr. Whittington's spirits were good, but obviously his situation deserves the careful monitoring that his doctors are providing."
Also, Wolf, very important to note here that the White House was fully aware that Whittington had suffered from this mild heart attack when we had this extensive briefing. Again, many questions coming up about the circumstances of this shooting, the communications that happened, or the lack of communication, that delay in actually getting the word out to the public.
The White House press secretary, Scott McClellan, very insistent that they are ready to move on, that they are changing the subject here, that they do not believe that Americans care about this particular issue.
All of this unfolding at the White House, Wolf.
I should let you know as well we are waiting to see whether or not Vice President Dick Cheney will come out publicly either apologize or acknowledge or say something about what has happened to his dear friend. We know the next time he has an official appearance is going to be on Friday before the Wyoming State legislature -- Wolf.
BLITZER: Suzanne Malveaux at the White House.
Thank you very much.
Let's go to Corpus Christi right now. Ed Lavandera is outside the hospital with the latest on the condition of Mr. Whittington -- Ed.
ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Wolf.
Well, about 6:30 this morning, doctors here in Corpus Christi noticed that Mr. Whittington had an irregular heartbeat. And they started -- that's why he was taken back into the intensive care unit. From there is when they discovered that one of the little BBs from the shotgun blast had made its way to his heart.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PETER BANKO, CHRISTUS SPOHN MEMORIAL HOSPITAL: This morning at 6:30 a.m., our trauma team evaluated Mr. Whittington, and there were some changes in his status and symptoms. We noticed a heart irregularity at that time. We quickly moved Mr. Whittington to our ICU where he was evaluated by our cardiac team and cardiologists.
He's actually in stable condition, talking to the doctors. He is what we call asymptomatic. He had no chest pain. Dr. Blanchard could talk probably in better detail about that.
He's not having any chest pain, alert. He wanted to go -- he talked to the doctors about wanting to go home. Doing very well, but we just want to make sure that there are no future issues with that.
DR. DAVID BLANCHARD, CHRISTUS SPOHN MEMORIAL HOSPITAL: We knew that he had some birdshot very close to the heart from the get-go. But in point of fact, it has now gotten to the point where it has caused some inflammatory changes and has moved into position where it has caused some irritability of the muscle of the heart.
And when the muscle of the heart is irritated, it does some quivering, or some irritability. And he displayed those signs today in terms of listening to the heart. And on the EKG, called atrial fibrillation.
So, at that point, we immediately moved him back into intensive care services, to the trauma section, and called the cardiologists, which came in immediately and evaluated him and subsequently led to his cardiac health (ph).
We're not 100 percent certain exactly the location of where it is in a 3-D dimension. We have discussed with the White House staff, we have discussed with our cardiothoracic vascular surgeons, in conjunction with our cardiologists, what could be the best approach. We have talked to the family directly regarding that.
And when all else is equal, if you can take a conservative approach and get a good outcome in a stable, asymptomatic patient, versus a 78-year-old and take him to surgery with all of the intended risks of anesthesia, the possibility of all other things that could happen, we feel at this point it is in his best interest to treat him in a conservative standpoint with medical therapy, and we have the concurrence of the White House staff and all of the various specialists that we have got involved with this.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LAVANDERA: Now, because of all of that, Mr. Whittington will now be kept in the hospital another seven days. And officials here say there's no -- has been no discussion so far as to whether Mr. Whittington will stay here or if he has requested to move back to Austin.
One other note, Wolf. The sheriff's deputies that investigated the shooting say they have ruled this an accident. But they also point out, because of the questions that Mr. Cheney was not interviewed by the sheriff's deputy that was leading the investigation until 14 hours after the shooting -- but they say no alcohol was involved and that there's no evidence of misconduct by anyone in the hunting part.
Wolf, back to you.
BLITZER: Ed Lavandera in Corpus Christi.
Thank you very much.
We had scheduled the hospital's emergency room chief doctor, David Blanchard, to be a guest this hour, but hospital officials say the family of the shooting victim, Mr. Whittington, has asked us not to do any more interviews -- asked him not to do any more interviews today. And as a result, he has been forced to reschedule. We hope to reschedule the interview with Dr. Blanchard.
In the meantime, though, we are able to move in our own senior medical correspondent, Dr. Sanjay Gupta. He's joining us now form the CNN Center.
Sanjay, thank you very much.
Can you explain how these little pellets -- and I'm going to show them to our viewers right now if we get a close-up -- similar to this, maybe a little bit smaller, how they moved apparently from the chest toward the heart, and at least one of them got either in the heart or very close to the heart that caused this heart attack?
DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN SR. MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, you know, it's interesting. And this isn't a very common occurrence with this sort of injury, but you're talking about these small pellets that you just showed actually sort of embedding themselves into the chest wall, through the ribs, actually into the chest cavity itself. And in that area, they can potentially move or migrate around.
What typically happens is they just short of stay stationary and some scar develops around them and they're never really a problem again. In this particular case, what it sounds like -- I want to show you a model here if I can, Wolf, as well.
One of these pellets, we don't know exactly where in the heart, actually came close to the heart muscle. And when that happens, you can actually irritate the heart muscle to some extent.
So the heart muscle -- if you just touch a beating heart it reacts violently. So if you put this foreign object next to the heart, touching it, or even embedding itself into the muscle, it will start to have these different cardiac rhythms. In this case, atrial fibrillation.
It also released some enzymes into the bloodstream which very much mimics a heart attack. And that sounds like what happened here -- Wolf.
BLITZER: And they took some very sophisticated tests to determine what was going on. Is that right?
GUPTA: Yes. They actually did a heart cath, Wolf. I know you're familiar with this. It's just a -- it's a procedure where they actually put a little catheter in the groin. They actually threat the catheter up near the heart, and they squirt a bunch of die into the -- into the blood vessels leading to the heart, the heart itself.
The goal is to be able to visualize all those blood vessels. Is there a blockage? Could that have caused the heart problems? Or, is there a problem with the heart itself? And that's most likely when they actually saw that there was an abnormality in the muscle because of this little -- this little piece of -- this almost BB size thing in the muscle itself.
BLITZER: I've got to tell you, Sunday afternoon, when I first heard about it and I heard that Mr. Whittington was 78 years on old, I wondered to myself, how does a 78-year-old withstand the kind of shock, the trauma, you get shot in the face, the torso.
Does the age factor play a significant role here?
GUPTA: I think it has to, Wolf. And, you know, a lot of people are asking that question.
It's sort of interesting because you have more information about him now after this catheterization. And what they're saying is that his heart is strong, the blood vessels that provide the blood to his heart look good, meaning that there doesn't appear to be any significant blockages.
So that's all very good. But, you know, Wolf, any time someone of that age starts to get sick at all, maybe they develop an infection or anything like that, it's just much harder to come back from. So I think, you know, you have to -- you have to be thinking about the age certainly in the back of your mind.
BLITZER: What is -- what is the concern about infection?
GUPTA: There is a concern about infection any time you have a foreign body, you know, a foreign object in the body. What happens typically, though, you know, we -- as a neurosurgeon, we leave foreign objects in the body all the time. You know, bullets and things like that. The idea being that the body will sort of scar around them and essentially not cause an infection long term.
But you have to think about it, and if an infection develops it should be easily treated with antibiotics.
BLITZER: Dr. Sanjay Gupta.
Thank you very much for that clear and concise explanation.
And we're going to have much more on the Cheney hunting story ahead this hour. This isn't the first time the vice president's office has found itself in the middle of a controversy. Does this make the vice president the liability for President Bush?
That's coming up ahead. But first, let's go back to New York. Jack Cafferty is standing by with "The Cafferty File" -- Jack.
JACK CAFFERTY, CNN ANCHOR: This thing gets curiouser and curiouser, doesn't it?
BLITZER: It certainly does.
CAFFERTY: All right. On to other things for a moment here, Wolf.
The fear that big brother is watching has apparently become more real to a lot of Americans in the last few months with the disclosure of that NSA domestic spy program. A new CNN-"USA Today"-Gallup poll shows that fully one-fifth, 20 percent, of Americans think the government may have wiretapped their phone calls. It shows eight percent of those polled think it's very likely they were wiretapped, and 13 percent say it's somewhat likely. Seventy-six percent say it's not likely.
When it comes to whether or not wiretaps without a warrant are illegal, the public is fairly evenly split. Forty-nine percent say President Bush broke the law, 47 percent say he did not.
Here's the question: Are you concerned that you're being monitored by the government?
E-mail us at CaffertyFile@CNN.com -- Wolf.
BLITZER: Good question. Thank you very much, Jack, for that.
Up ahead, it's an online phenomenon getting homeowners hooked, but are some sites better than others? Our Internet reporters will show you the situation online.
Also, Saddam Hussein's dramatic courtroom announcement, what he says he's doing to protest the way he's being treated.
Plus, details of the loophole that may be helping oil companies get billions of dollars in payments to the government. Our Ali Velshi has "The Bottom Line."
You're in THE SITUATION ROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: In our CNN "Security Watch," confessed al Qaeda conspirator Zacarias Moussaoui won't be allowed in court while a jury is selected to determine whether he'll face the death penalty. The judge barred Moussaoui in the courtroom after repeated outbursts.
Let's go live to our justice correspondent, Kelli Arena. She's watching this story -- Kelli.
KELLI ARENA, CNN JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, Moussaoui goes on trial next month before a jury that will decide whether he'll be executed or sentenced to life in prison for participating in al Qaeda's conspiracy to hijack airplanes and crash them into buildings.
Now, he has consistently disrupted court proceedings during the four years that his case has worked its way through federal court, and he was at it again today.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ARENA (voice over): Zacarias Moussaoui just couldn't contain himself. One day before the questioning of hundreds of potential jurors is set to start, Judge Leonie Brinkema asked Moussaoui if he could behave in the courtroom. The answer was pretty obvious.
He started by denying his French citizenship and said he was standing as a Muslim only, not "with a nation of homosexual crusaders." He complained about how he's been trying for four years to explain his objections to his defense lawyers. Then he called them names.
In one outburst, Moussaoui said, "If I don't make sure that these people are not going to represent me, I know that I am dead." In another, he proclaimed, "I'm al Qaeda. I'm a sworn enemy of you," to which Judge Brinkema replied, "Mr. Moussaoui, you are the biggest enemy of yourself."
One former prosecutor agrees.
ANDREW MCBRIDE, FMR. FEDERAL PROSECUTOR: Moussaoui has been so outspoken in his attacks on Judge Brinkema, in his consistent affirmation that he is a member of al Qaeda and that he would attack Americans. In the context of a jury evaluating the death penalty, that is just poison for the defense.
ARENA: Judge Brinkema ruled that Moussaoui forfeited his right to be present during jury selection and would have to watch it on closed-circuit television from his cell at the courthouse. She did leave open the possibility that he'll be back in the courtroom once testimony begins.
MCBRIDE: He will have the right to attend the trial at a minimum to testify.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ARENA: Judge Brinkema gave Moussaoui several chances to settle down. When he wouldn't, she finally asked if he would remain quiet or leave. Moussaoui chose to leave. But not silently, Wolf.
On his way out, he yelled, "God curse you and America!"
BLITZER: Kelli Arena.
Thank you very much for that report.
And to our viewers, stay tuned to CNN day and night for the most reliable news about your security. Half a world away, Saddam Hussein has raised the stakes in his war crimes trial by announcing a hunger strike. The move came during another chaotic court session in Baghdad.
CNN's Aneesh Raman is joining us from the Iraqi capital -- Aneesh.
ANEESH RAMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, Saddam Hussein back in court and back on the attack.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
RAMAN (voice over): The court's chief defendant slinging more insults at the chief judge, calling him an agent of America.
"You were appointed by Bremer. Your government was appointed by Bremer. You can't try the president!" shouted Saddam.
"Listen," said the chief judge, "you are a defendant. Stand up if you want to speak. I will not listen to you if you are sitting down. You have to stand up."
"Take that gavel," rebuked Saddam, "and knock it on your own head."
The exchange came soon after Saddam announced he was on a hunger strike. The court says it's investigating the claim.
But with Saddam once again taking center stage, pressure is on the chief judge to bring control to an often chaotic process. One that an international law expert suggests has been working in the defense's favor.
M. CHEFIF BASSIOUNI, AUTHOR, "CRIMES OF WAR": It's a win-win situation for Saddam and his cronies. He either goes in there and he takes over the proceedings, or he stays out and he turns out to be a martyr, which is an absolute tragedy for the victims.
RAMAN: An urgent dilemma the court must soon resolve.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
RAMAN: The trial is now adjourned for two weeks. It's the seventh delay in proceedings. No reason given by the court -- Wolf.
BLITZER: Aneesh Raman in Baghdad.
Thank you very much.
Coming up, on the tail of record profits. Are oil companies also getting some free crude? Details of a legal loophole that may be saving them billions of dollars at the expense of the federal government.
And coming up in our 7:00 p.m. Eastern hour here in THE SITUATION ROOM, the former Wyoming senator Alan Simpson joins us. He's a long- time hunter and a friend of the vice president, Dick Cheney. I'll ask him about the accidental shooting and who may be to blame.
All that coming up 7:00 p.m. Eastern later tonight.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: Welcome back.
Auto news and oil news making business headlines this afternoon. Our Ali Velshi is in New York. He has "The Bottom Line."
What is the bottom line, Ali?
ALI VELSHI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, the bottom line is a change in tides. GM announced today it's going to put in almost half a billion dollars into five Michigan plants. It's going to hire some people back, almost 300 people now.
As you know, Wolf, we saw two months ago GM announcing 30,000 job cuts over the next three years, and then Ford. So for Michigan auto workers who have seen nothing but wave after wave of layoffs, it's a little good news.
It also means that at the five plants that GM is investing some money they're likely not to be on the chopping block. So a glimmer of good news around GM given all the bad news we've seen out of the company in the last few months -- Wolf.
BLITZER: Good to hear that.
What about oil? There's some news on that front as well.
VELSHI: Well, the biggest pieces of news, that oil went down a little bit today, under $60 for the first time since December. But that's still a lot of money. We've been reporting on the record profits that the oil companies have been making.
Back in 1996, 10 years ago -- we're looking at oil at $60 a barrel. Back then, if you adjust for inflation, it was $25 a barrel.
Now, a quarter of all of the oil that we drill in American comes from the Gulf of Mexico, and the government was concerned that oil companies would walk away from it because they wouldn't make enough money. So they instituted something called the Deep Water Royalty Relief Act which basically allowed companies to go drill in the government-owned Gulf of Mexico and not pay the 12 percent royalty for doing so, just to keep them going for oil.
Well, the deal was that once oil hits about $35 a barrel, they're not supposed to get that -- that royalty relief anymore. For whatever reason, they've been doing so.
Some of the big companies, like ExxonMobil, have stopped taking that money. But the government is still paying companies to drill for oil in the Gulf of Mexico, paying oil companies to drill for oil despite the record profits that we're seeing in the last year or so.
So Congress is investigating and so is the Government Accounting Office to see whether that makes sense -- Wolf.
BLITZER: Ali...
VELSHI: Oil, by the way, down $1.67 to $59.57. If you want to pick up a barrel on your way home. And as a result of that and other things, the Dow had a great day, 136 points higher to over 11,000 -- 11,028. Same with the NASDAQ, up at 2,262.
So a strong market day partly because of the lower oil prices -- Wolf.
BLITZER: Ali, thank you very much.
Ali with "The Bottom Line."
Coming up, he's often been a lightning rod, but is the vice president a liability for the Bush administration. We're going to take a closer look at that in light of the controversy of an accidental shooting of a hunting companion.
And this note. Coming up in our 7:00 p.m. Eastern hour here in THE SITUATION ROOM, thousands of trailers worth millions of dollars, they were supposed to go to Katrina victims months ago. We're going to show you a new development which could prevent them from ever, every being used.
Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: Here's a closer 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.
Lahore, Pakistan, more cartoon outrage. Thousands of protesters hit the streets targeting Western business, including Kentucky Fried Chicken, Pizza Hut and a Holiday Inn.
To Mexico now. A Mariachi band plays to celebrate the 464th anniversary of the founding of Guadalajara.
New York City: Valentine's on the 86th floor. Army Specialist David Alonso (ph) kisses his new bride after getting married atop the Empire State Building.
And in California, look at this, puppy love. This 4-month-old lion cub plays with her new dog, Cairo. Cairo was adopted after being rescued from Hurricane Katrina -- some of today's "Hot Shots," pictures often worth 1,000 words.
Back now to our top story -- there has been a sudden turn in the condition of the man shot by the vice president, Dick Cheney. He's now had birdshot lodged in his heart, leading to what doctors are calling a minor heart attack.
The White House, which did not disclose this new development, has been urging reporters to move on from the story. The vice president, though, has often been a lightning rod. Is he now a liability for the Bush administration.
Let's turn to CNN's Brian Todd. He's watching this story -- Brian.
BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, that's a question that has come up before and one that seems to follow this vice president from one firestorm to the next.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
TODD (voice-over): Another political headache, another brushback with the media, and another round of a familiar question: Has Dick Cheney tipped the balance and become more trouble for this president than he's worth?
TOM DEFRANK, WASHINGTON BUREAU CHIEF, "NEW YORK DAILY NEWS": I think it's fair to say now that -- that the vice president has become a -- a political liability for the president. And the vice president knows that.
TODD: "New York Daily News" bureau chief Tom DeFrank has covered the vice president since 1974, when, he says, Dick Cheney was more accessible than his boss, a young White House chief of staff named Donald Rumsfeld.
DeFrank believes Cheney's influence with President Bush had eroded -- too much cumulative political backlash, he says, starting with Cheney's secret meetings with energy executives while forming the nation's energy policy, his history with Halliburton, the company accused of questionable government contracts in rebuilding Iraq, the CIA leak scandal, and one seminal moment.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DICK CHENEY, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Simply stated, there's no doubt that Saddam Hussein now has weapons of mass destruction.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
DEFRANK: I think that the change for Cheney started with Iraq. I mean, he was a such leading proponent of going into Iraq, deposing Saddam Hussein, that, a things didn't work out in Iraq, Cheney became more and more of a lightning rod for critics.
TODD: But Republican strategists say that lightning-rod quality makes Cheney more valuable in rallying the conservative base, and the president who campaigned as a Washington outsider still needs him.
CHARLIE BLACK, REPUBLICAN STRATEGIST: The vice president's greatest asset to the president is his Washington experience and the wisdom and insight that he brings to the president, because he spent all these years in Washington that George Bush didn't.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
TODD: Those who know and have covered Dick Cheney say, in weighing all of those assets and liabilities, we should allow for one more consideration, that Dick Cheney doesn't care what the press and politicos think. He has no political ambition beyond January 2009 -- Wolf.
BLITZER: Brian Todd reporting -- thank you, Brian, very much.
The vice president may have had poor aim, but has the Bush administration shown poor judgment in the handling of the hunting accident?
Joining us now from Capitol Hill to discuss this and other issues, Republican Senator Norm Coleman of Minnesota.
Senator, thanks very much for joining us.
I want to get to Katrina. I want to get to the United Nations in a moment. But what do you think of the way the White House has handled this incident?
SEN. NORM COLEMAN (R), MINNESOTA: Well, first, you know, just on a personal level, the vice president was involved in a hunting accident. Somebody got -- got shot. You know, it's been grist for the cartoonists and the political mill.
But, on a personal level, one, say a prayer for the guy who is in the hospital now, apparently has a heart attack, somewhat related to this thing, and also for the vice president. I don't know if you -- Wolf, if you have ever known anybody who has ever accidentally shot somebody. But, just on a personal level, I wish we dealt more with that, rather than the political ramifications of a hunting accident.
BLITZER: Well, do you have any reason to believe, Senator, that he's going through some -- some traumatic reaction himself, the vice president?
COLEMAN: He's a human man -- a human being. That's all.
I'm just saying, on a personal level, I'm looking at all the political fodder made over this. Somebody was involved in shooting somebody in a hunting accident. And we can deal with whether it was handled rightly by the press, by the White House, et cetera, et cetera. But the bottom line is, you know, there's a lot of levity, a lot of jokes made about this.
But, on a personal level, I got to tell you, I -- my prayers are with the vice president and -- and with -- and with the gentleman who is now in a hospital. I think that is really my focus today.
BLITZER: Do you also want to hear anything, though, from the vice president himself on specifics, what happened?
COLEMAN: You know, at some point. Listen, you know, people wonder, why we didn't hear about it earlier? I understand it. I -- you know, I -- I kind of watched a little bit of the press reaction yesterday.
But, I think, on a personal level, right now, Wolf, you got somebody who wounded somebody in an accident, in a hunting accident. And, at some point, he might want to talk about that. But, you know, don't forget, the vice president's a man. And so, I got to tell you, I -- my prayers are with the vice president. My prayers are obviously with the person who got shot.
It's a terrible, terrible thing. I have known folks who have been involved in accidents like this. And it's a great burden. It's very, very difficult.
So, we have got our vice president of the United States was involved in an accidental shooting of somebody. Let's take a step back from the politics for the moment.
BLITZER: All right.
Let's move on and talk a little bit about Hurricane Katrina, the federal government's response. You are on that committee, that Senate committee. You were very tough on Michael Brown the other day.
The -- there's a minority report on the House side which says this on the federal disaster reaction: "Former FEMA director Michael Brown is the only federal official who has lost his job and been held accountable for the dismal federal response. He should not be alone. As the majority finding make clear, Secretary Chertoff provided ineffective leadership at a time of great crisis. We, therefore, recommend his replacement."
Would you agree with that assessment?
COLEMAN: Well, first of all, I agree that the response to the disaster was a disaster.
I -- what -- the reason I kind of went after Brown a little bit is, he got up there and basically said, it was everybody else's fault. Even though he said to me, Senator, I apologize, he really didn't. He said it was everybody's fault, that, when they put FEMA in with Homeland Security, this was bound to happen. No. This was poor leadership, poor leadership at every level, the perfect storm of poor leadership.
And it doesn't stop with Brown. The -- Secretary Chertoff will come before our committee. It was supposed to be day, but we had to do it tomorrow because of some votes that we had to take today.
But I think there are legitimate questions to be asked of Secretary Chertoff. This was a poor response. But Brown's effort to simply point the fingers at others, to say that it was management change that did this, and that, somehow, that he was vigorous in a response, wasn't the case -- failed leadership at his level. My question to Secretary Chertoff is, you have got a general there who was insubordinate, who was concerned about personal things than dealing with the crisis. Why did you leave him in the field so long? So, I think there are legitimate questions to ask. When we ask the questions and we have answers, then, folks will decide who else should be held accountable.
BLITZER: All right.
Let's talk a little bit about the United Nations, a subject -- you're a member of the Foreign Relations Committee. I know you have been very active and involved.
Yesterday, here in THE SITUATION ROOM, the secretary-general, Kofi Anna, was interviewed by me. Among other things, he made this point about U.N. reform.
Listen to what he said.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KOFI ANNAN, U.N. SECRETARY-GENERAL: The U.N. can be as effective as its member states want it to be.
I mean, we have been slammed as corrupt, inefficient, oil-for- food. And, yet, when you analyze the report of Volcker, the scandal was with the member states and the governments and the companies.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BLITZER: What do you -- you're smiling, I see.
COLEMAN: I'm smiling...
(CROSSTALK)
BLITZER: You're smiling because why?
(LAUGHTER)
COLEMAN: Because the fact is, the Volcker report says that the oil -- the U.N., through oil-for-food, was mismanaged. There was corruption. The failure of the secretary-general to look in the mirror is -- is a terribly damning thing.
You know, the problem, Wolf, is, you're never going to get U.N. reform. And, right now, it's kind of hobbling along. There have been some changes in the gifts rules. There was an Ethics Commission established. There is some whistle-blower protection. But the real substantive changes have yet to happen.
But for the secretary-general not to say, hey, you know, this was a disaster. Volcker said it was a disaster. My permanent subcommittee said it was a disaster, gross mismanagement, mismanagement at the highest levels. We are in the midst now of investigations, not us, but the U.N. itself, looking at procurement scandals. So, I think, unfortunately, he has minimized the extent of what everyone knew to be the fact, the largest scandal in the history of the U.N. That's not to say that member nations shouldn't do a better job.
And one of the problems we are having are member nations who don't want to pursue reform, those folks who don't have a -- you know, have any skin in the game, who are not funding the U.N., like the United States, Japan, and a few other countries. We're the ones pushing for the reform. We need the G-77 and others, who don't have as much money on the table, to say, hey, if the U.N. is going to be effective, it needs to be reformed.
BLITZER: You called for his resignation. He's in the last year, 10 years at the U.N. as secretary-general. He met with the president yesterday at the White House, first time he has been to the White House in two years.
Listen to what President Bush said.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We talked about U.N. reform, structural reform, management reform, as well as the reform of the Human Rights Commission. I was most interested in the secretary-general's thoughts. I appreciate very much his leading on these issues.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BLITZER: He seems to disagree with you on the resignation issue. I don't think he's calling for him to resign.
COLEMAN: I don't know if he's agreeing or disagreeing.
I think he's reflecting the reality of, this is the secretary- general. We have got issues with Iran that are absolutely critical, that have to dealt with and dealt with in the Security Council. We have got challenges in Darfur. We have ongoing concerns in Iraq and Afghanistan. So, we need the U.N. as a partner. He's the secretary- general.
Unfortunately, he's a weak, hobbled secretary-general, who is not able to get the reform done that the president is talking about. But, on the other hand, he's the only horse right there. He's in charge. And the president, I think, is reflecting a political reality.
If he chooses not to step down, we will work with him until the end of his tenure. And, then, let's get somebody in there who is clean, who is not, you know, kind of -- kind of hobbled by the sins of the past, and, hopefully, we will get some U.N. reform done, so that I can go back to my colleagues and say, yes, it's worth funding the United Nations, because they are efficient, they're not corrupt, they're transparent, they're accountable.
Right now, that's a very tough argument to make.
BLITZER: Senator Norm Coleman, as usual, thanks very much...
COLEMAN: Thank you, Wolf.
BLITZER: ... for joining us here in THE SITUATION ROOM.
And still to come, new protests over cartoons of the Muslim Prophet Mohammed -- this time, the violence again turns deadly. We are going to show you what happened.
Coming up in our 7:00 p.m. Eastern hour, why thousands of trailers intended for Hurricane Katrina victims may now have to be destroyed -- yes, destroyed.
You're in THE SITUATION ROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: Welcome back to THE SITUATION ROOM.
The United States called on the Palestinians to hold democratic collections. They did. And they elected a radical Islamic group, a group called Hamas. Now is the United States plotting with Israel to prevent a Hamas-led government from taking power?
CNN's Guy Raz is in Jerusalem -- Guy.
GUY RAZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, one of the senior-most Israeli policy advisers tells CNN -- quote -- "There has been no secret dialogue between the United States and Israel over how to undermine a Hamas-led Palestinian Authority."
Still, Israeli officials do acknowledge they have mapped out scenarios of what might happen, should a Hamas-led government be starved of crucial financial aid.
Israeli government officials say the hope is, a cash-strapped Palestinian Authority would collapse, bringing about early elections and a return to return, perhaps, of the more moderate Palestinian faction Fatah.
But these scenarios, say Israeli officials, are publicly acknowledged. In other words, there is no secret plot to bring down the Palestinian Authority. Still, Israel is ratcheting up the pressure internationally, calling on the United States and the European Union to withhold funding from Hamas, until the movement renounces violence, recognizes Israel's right to exist, and agrees to all previous treaties drawn up between Israel and the Palestinian Authority -- Wolf.
BLITZER: Guy Raz in Jerusalem, thank you very much.
The White House press secretary, Scott McClellan, today echoed the Israeli message on Hamas, and added some tough conditions for Hamas to meet. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SCOTT MCCLELLAN, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: There is no plot. There is no plan.
I talked about this a little bit earlier with some of you.
Israel has said that there is no plan.
We have always been very clear and consistent in our views when it comes to Hamas. The conversations that we have with Israel are the same kind of conversations we have with European governments, Arab governments and others.
Hamas is the one who has a choice to make. If Hamas wants relations with the international community, then, it must renounce terror, recognize Israel, and disarm, as the quartet has called for.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BLITZER: Scott McClellan at the White House earlier today.
Let's go back to Betty. She's joining us from the CNN Center in Atlanta with a closer look at other stories making news -- Betty
BETTY NGUYEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi there, Wolf.
Ailing Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's oldest son has been sentenced to nine months in prison. Omri Sharon was also fined $64,000 for illegal fund-raising. He pleaded guilty to falsify corporate documents and perjury during his father's primary election campaign back in 1999. Now, his attorney plans to appeal. She says the sentence is exceptionally harsh.
In other news, Iran has resumed small-scale uranium enrichment, in defiance of international pressure. It says it just wants to generate electricity. But other nations fear Tehran eventually hopes to make nuclear weapons. The U.N.'s nuclear watchdog has reported Iran to the U.N. Security Council for possible sanctions. Now, in the meantime, both Russia and France are urging Iran to halt its nuclear activities.
At least two people are dead after a violent protest in Pakistan again today. Demonstrators, enraged over European cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed, marched in Lahore and Islamabad. Take a look at these pictures. They burned more than a dozen buildings, including two banks.
And demonstrators also mocked European governments in a peaceful protest in Karachi. They dressed up donkeys with banners proclaiming them to be the leaders of Norway, Germany, France, Italy and Denmark.
Meanwhile, Denmark's prime minister says his country is getting an unfair rap over their cartoons, which were first published in a Danish independent newspaper. He says this is the biggest foreign policy challenge Denmark has faced since World War II. And, he says, it will take time to diffuse the crisis -- Wolf.
BLITZER: Betty, thank you very much.
Let's check in with Lou Dobbs. He's getting ready for his program. That begins right at the top of the hour.
Lou, what are you working on?
LOU DOBBS, CNN ANCHOR: Wolf, thank you.
Coming up at 6:00, we will all the day's news and tell you about one company putting silicon tracking chips in their employees. What did George Orwell know, and when did he know it? We will have the special report for you here tonight.
The U.S. trade representative is out with a big report on the U.S./China trade relationship. And guess what? A member of the Bush administration is actually admitting, our trade policy with China is in trouble. We will have that special report. And I will be talking with Congressman Dana Rohrabacher about China's growing influence over U.S. foreign policy. It's insidious.
Oklahoma Senator Tom Coburn joins to talk about runaway wasteful spending by government.
And we will be telling you about former Vice President Al Gore. He goes to Saudi Arabia, and he admonishes those radical Islamic Wahabists. No, he doesn't. He apologizes for the way Americans treat them.
We will have that story and a great deal more. Please join us -- Wolf, back to you.
BLITZER: Thank you very much, Lou, for that.
Up next, are you concerned that you're being monitored by the federal government? It's our question of the hour -- Jack Cafferty standing by with your e-mail.
And, coming up at 7:00 p.m. Eastern here in THE SITUATION ROOM, a longtime friend and fellow hunter of the vice president, Dick Cheney's -- we're going to talk with former Wyoming Senator Alan Simpson about the controversy over Cheney's hunting accident.
You're in THE SITUATION ROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: Jack is in New York with "The Cafferty File" -- Jack.
CAFFERTY: Thanks, Wolf.
A new CNN/"USA Today"/Gallup poll shows that fully one-fifth of Americans think the government may have wiretapped their phone calls. That's a pretty big number. The question is, are you concerned that you're being monitored by the government? Stu writes from Watertown, Wisconsin: "The government monitors us all, from the time we are born to the day we die. Birth certificates, grades, traffic tickets, IRS filings, you name it, they can monitor it. And if people don't know this, well, there's the real news story. So, don't try and scare people into thinking that they're being spied upon."
Alex in Sleepy Hollow writes: "No. Unless my phone bills indicate a sudden surge of calls to Tehran, why should I worry? I am still unclear as to why so many Americans are worried about personal rights being violated here."
John in Ohio writes: "Yes. I totally believe the current government can and will wiretap you and me at their leisure."
Laurie writes: "If the government is using technology to determine who needs to be wiretapped or have Internet usage monitored, how do I know that they are not monitoring me because I go to the Internet to look up the answer to a crossword puzzle clue that involves the Middle East? How do I know that I'm not being monitored because I am a registered Democrat?"
And Rick in Norwalk, Connecticut, writes: "You're the one that I'm certain is being wiretapped. You have been vocal enough about the current administration lately that it's obvious that they don't yet have anything on you to quiet you down. And now that 'The Huffington Post' has declared you the man that will straighten out America, well, you can bet they're waiting to record some dirt. Either you have been a very good boy lately, Jack, or they just don't know how to tap into a telegraph anymore."
(LAUGHTER)
BLITZER: And they don't know, obviously, you don't have a cell phone either.
CAFFERTY: No.
BLITZER: So, that's not going to be an issue right there.
CAFFERTY: No.
(CROSSTALK)
BLITZER: See you -- see you in an hour, 7:00 p.m.
CAFFERTY: OK.
BLITZER: Jack, thank you very much.
Up next, the U.S. Olympic gold medallist shows the world his heart of gold. We are going to show you what he's doing with his sizable Olympic bonus.
You're in THE SITUATION ROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: Team USA is making headlines at the Winter Olympic Games in Torino, Italy.
CNN's Larry Smith is there. He's joining us now live with the latest details.
Larry, how is it coming along?
LARRY SMITH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Wolf.
Well, you know what? We have concluded day four here of these Games. And, boy, we thought Bode Miller had redemption in his sights. What a day for him. He was leading the combined, leading after the downhill portion, and had a great run on his first of two slalom runs to finish out the program and go for that gold medal.
But, as you can see in the picture here, he was disqualified because he straddled a gate. He said he wasn't sure when it happened. He thought maybe down the hill, toward the end of it. So, he was out, disappointed, as you can -- might imagine.
But he said, you know what? At least I don't have to go to Torino tomorrow, about a three-hour drive from up in the Alps, where he is right now -- still two more events for him.
But that opened the door for an unknown, 21-year-old Ted Ligety, making his Olympic debut. And what a way to do it. He's a slalom specialist, came on strong in the slalom at the end of the night, and ends up getting his first gold medal, the fifth gold medal of these Games for the U.S. That is tops in these Games. And Ligety possibly the beginning of a star in the making -- he has two more events in the alpine events. Both of those are slaloms.
Let's go back to you.
BLITZER: Thanks very much, Larry, for that -- team USA making headlines in Torino.
You have probably seen some of the commercials with winning athletes saying they're going to Disney World.
Olympic speed-skating gold medal winner Joey Cheek says he's going somewhere else, a world away. That would Darfur. Cheek gets a $25,000 bonus from the U.S. Olympic Committee for his win yesterday in the 500-meter race. He says he's donating the money to a charity that helps children in Sudan's Darfur Province, where ethnic violence has displaced millions and killed 180,000 people.
Cheek is challenging his sponsors to match his donation. And he plans to visit Darfur to see how the money is helping out.
Good for him.
Now to the situation online. If you're looking for a little love online this Valentine's Day, you will want to hear this. A new Web site is now policing all the popular online dating sites.
Our Internet reporter, Abbi Tatton, has the story -- Abbi.
ABBI TATTON, CNN INTERNET REPORTER: Wolf, online dating is huge business.
Match.com here has 15 million members worldwide. At another site, JDate.com, currently online, 13,000 or 14,000 people surfing around profiles and pictures -- but how do they know what they're getting?
Well, here's a site that was launched last year, TrueDater.com. It allows users to go online and review the people that they have been on dates with, that they have met online.
Here is how it works. They put the site and the profile of the person who they met and say whether they were all that they made out to be. This person here said he was single, actually lives with his girlfriend.
Another one here said he was 46 years old. He wasn't. He was 66 years old. His photo was a little bit fuzzy, so it was hard to see, they say. You can also review people and say they're absolutely what they purport to be.
Now, TrueDater does review all the posts on there and takes down any that are inappropriate. The big dating sites also have their own safeguards to ensure honesty. They go through all the profiles as well and investigate complaints. But everyone says that these exaggerations do happen. The top three exaggerations out there -- number one is appearance -- two, age -- and, three, marital status -- Wolf.
BLITZER: Happy Valentine's Day to you, Abbi -- to all our viewers out there.
Thanks very much.
We are here in THE SITUATION ROOM weekday afternoons, 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. Eastern. We are back at 7:00 p.m. Eastern. That would be one hour from now.
Until then, thanks very much for joining us. I'm Wolf Blitzer in Washington.
"LOU DOBBS TONIGHT" starts right now.
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