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Foley Blame Game
Aired October 07, 2006 - 22:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
ANNOUNCER: Foley blame game. Republican leaders go public with their fight to save their party. A new TV ad takes the Foley scandal head on.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Nobody's angrier and more disappointed than me that I didn't catch his lies.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANNOUNCER: And more punches from the Dems.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Foley sent obvious predatory signals, received loud and clear by members of the congressional leadership, who swept them under the rug.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANNOUNCER: Downward slide, Americans take a vote and the president's approval rating takes a hit.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Most of all, I'd like to see civility addressed. I'd like to see civility in our political process.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Certainly the biggest issue is the war in Iraq and security.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANNOUNCER: Express yourself. What's hot on your plate this election season? We hit the streets.
And killer confession.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I was basically able to hurt somebody at any given time with no remorse.
(END VIDEO CLIP) ANNOUNCER: A notorious Mafia hitman details some of his most gruesome killings. Why his ex-wife didn't know she was sleeping with a murderer.
CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: NEWSROOM, your connection to the world, the web, and what's happening right now. I'm Carol Lin. You've been busy today, so let's get you plugged in.
The headlines. It's already 11:00 a.m., Sunday on the Korean peninsula. So far, nothing unusual north of the DMZ. But today's the day many believe North Korea will follow through on a threat to test fire a nuclear device. The U.N. Security Council sends out a strong warning against it.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. TOM REYNOLDS (R), NEW YORK: Last week, we all learned of other e-mails, worse than anything I'd heard before.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LIN: He's sorry he didn't catch the Mark Foley lies. That's House Republican Tom Reynolds in a television ad running in his district this weekend. The Foley scandal a month before the election is sending more than one candidate into damage control overdrive.
Meantime, Democrats are making political hay out of the Foley fallout. Candidates from both parties today put the same thing between themselves and the scandal -- distance. A Democratic House candidate and child safety advocate said today on national radio that the case transcends politics.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. PATTY WETTERLING (D), MINNESOTA: This is not about overly friendly relationships between adults and children. This is about ways children are too often viewed as sexual objects. And this is not about partisan politics. Protecting our children is not a Democratic or Republican issue. It is an American issue that we are all concerned about.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LIN: From Richmond south to Norfolk, all along the Chesapeake coast, Virginia is getting a real soaking. Nine inches of rain in some parts. Flooding several homes. Well, what about tomorrow? Bonnie Schneider has the full forecast coming up.
And from around the world, compassion, kindness and donations of more than $500,000, all directed to the Amish community that saw unspeakable tragedy this week. A spokesman says the donations will likely be used to help pay medical costs for the surviving schoolhouse shooting victims.
It is dawn in Iraq, where a total curfew is now lifting on the city of Kirkuk. Iraqi police swarmed the city this weekend, going house to house. They seized weapons and arrested more than 100 suspected insurgents.
And now it's your turn to choose the news. What stories do you want to hear more about? E-mail us at weekends@CNN.com. And we're going to get you flash feedback within the hour.
Our top story now, the lurid instant messages, explicit e-mails. It's a scandal that's already forced former Congressman Mark Foley to resign, but should other heads roll?
Well, a "Newsweek" poll just came out. 43 percent of Americans say House Speaker Dennis Hastert should give up his job over how he handled the matter.
But take a look at this. If you look at the graphic, the rest is pretty much split between him either staying or folks just not knowing how they feel.
Meanwhile, another prominent Republican is apologizing for the Foley scandal. CNN's Sumi Das reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SUMI DAS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Under fire for not doing more to address Mark Foley's questionable e-mails, Republican Congressman Tom Reynolds is making an usually impassioned public apology. In a new campaign ad, Reynolds who is fighting to hold onto his congressional seat, points to the actions he did take after learning of "odd but not explicit e-mails" Foley sent to a House page.
REP. TOM REYNOLDS, RUNNING FOR CONGRESS: I immediately forced Foley to resign. Nobody's angrier and disappointed than me that I didn't catch his lies. I trusted that others had investigated. Looking back, more should have been done. And for that, I am sorry.
DAS: Though Reynolds says he told Hastert about the nonexplicit e-mails, in an interview earlier this week, Hastert told CNN he didn't remember the conversation.
REP. DENNIS HASTERT (R), HOUSE SPEAKER: I just don't recall him telling me that. If he would have told me that in the context of maybe a half dozen or a dozen other things, I don't remember that.
DAS: But at least two people have said Hastert's office was made aware of Foley's behavior earlier than Hastert has claimed. Former Chief of Staff for both Foley and Reynolds, Kirk Fordham, has said he alerted Hastert's office more than two years.
"The Washington Post" reports that a current congressional staffer supports Fordham's claim, saying Hastert's Chief of Staff Scott Palmer met with Foley to discuss complaints about his conduct well before November 2005.
In response, Hastert's spokesman Ron Bonjean tells CNN "the Standards Committee is investigating this matter and we are confident in its ability to determine the real facts." Hastert has dismissed calls for his resignation. An editorial in "The Wall Street Journal" agrees, saying it would be a disservice to send voters to the polls amid tumult over Mark Foley, fighting more pressing issues like national security.
With midterm elections nearing, time is of the essence. At stake, voters key to the Republican base, social and religious conservatives.
KEN RUDIN, NPR POLITICAL EDITOR: If they feel that the Republicans have lost their moral compass, they could very well stay home in November. And if that's the case, you can kiss the Republican majority in the House and Senate good-bye.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LIN: Well, Democrats need 15 seats to tip the political balance of the House in their favor. And in the wake of the Foley scandal, several additional seats are now up for grabs.
Now in Foley's home district, well, the election must go on. His name will still be on the ballot, but the votes will go to a new Republican candidate.
CNN's Rusty Dornin has his story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DORNIN (voice-over): Last week Joe Negron had no idea he'd be running for Congress. Then Mark Foley resigned.
JOE NEGRON, (R) CONGRESSIONAL CANDIDATE: I found out about this the same time the country found out, and obviously all of us were shocked and outraged at what happened, but this election is no longer a referendum about Mark Foley.
Thank you for coming back again. Hey, how are you?
DORNIN: It is about catapulting a candidate into a congressional campaign in five weeks. That means no Web sites and no ads yet.
(on camera): There are no Joe Negron signs here in the Republican headquarters. Is that going to be a problem in your campaign? They're not up yet.
NEGRON: I don't think so. They're ordered and we expect to get them over the weekend. We had hundreds of volunteers that want to get them put up.
DORNIN (voice-over): Voters will still find Mark Foley's name on ballot. It was too late to change it. Republicans plan to put up signs in the polling places letting voters know a vote for Foley is a vote for Negron. Democrats have protested.
The only poll conducted so far just after Foley resigned showed Democrat Tim Mahoney ahead of a then unnamed candidate by 3 percentage points. That doesn't seem to worry the new candidate.
NEGRON: This district has been Republican for more than 25 years. I don't see Republicans and conservative Democrats crawling into a fetal position and saying, oh, throwing up our hands. What are we going to do? Mark Foley resigned from Congress. Now we have to go vote for a Democrat.
DORNIN: Negron has been a Florida state representative for six years but launching a campaign takes money. He already had a war chest of $600,000 left from his campaign to run for Florida attorney general earlier this year.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LIN: That was CNN's Rusty Dornin reporting from West Palm Beach, Florida.
Now the Foley scandal has positively exploded online. We're going to take a look at what the bloggers are saying in about 25 minutes. And remember, you can go to CNN.com/ticker for all the news about the 2006 elections.
Also, we want to hear from you. Tonight's last call, will the mark Foley scandal affect your vote? Give us a call at 1-800-807- 2620. We're going to air some of your responses later this hour.
And as the Foley scandal unfolds, here's a snapshot of President Bush's approval rating. It hovers in the 30s, according to five polls conducted within the last week.
Now in the newest survey by "Newsweek," only 33 percent of Americans think Mr. Bush is doing a good job. The average of the polls is 37 percent.
All right, we mentioned at the beginning of this program that it is now Sunday in North Korea. And we're watching the clock. Tension mounts about a possible nuclear test and the possibility of a U.S. response.
Plus, caught on camera, teens and violence, this time on a school bus. The video is going to shock you.
And later, trash bins in cyberspace. Don't go to a landfill. What detectives are looking for in the Foley forensic file. Stay with us in the NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LIN: Here's what you've been clicking on the most at CNN.com. One of "Charlie's Angels" fighting for her life. Farrah Fawcett diagnosed with cancer this week. No details beyond that, but a publicist statement says the 59-year old actress will immediately begin treatment.
Well, he came in dead last in this fun run, but not long ago, doctors say Chris Phyllis would never walk. We have his courageous story.
And forget Lassie. This is Buddy, a clever K-9 who sought his own medical attention after a run-in with a car. Read all about Buddy's ER adventure and the rest of the day's news at cnn.com.
But we've got more straight from the NEWSROOM which continues in 60 seconds.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LIN: All eyes on North Korea, as it threatens to test its first atomic bomb. It's already past 11:00 a.m. on Sunday in Pyongyang. There's speculation the nuclear test could come before the day is over.
Now Sunday is the anniversary of when North Korean leader Kim, Jong Il became head of the Korean Worker's Party. World powers are telling North Korea, don't do it. Japan's new minister -- new prime minister will discuss the crisis as he visits China and South Korea.
Now if North Korea goes ahead with a nuclear test, there are fears other countries could follow suit. CNN's Pentagon correspondent Barbara Starr reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): North Korea's leader, Kim Jong-il, happily waved to his military commanders as world pressure mounts for him to cancel plans to conduct his country's first nuclear test.
Pyongyang's announcement has thrown diplomatic efforts at the United Nations into a frenzy. If there is a nuclear detention, the world changes.
JOSEPH CIRINCIONE, CENTER FOR AMERICAN PROGRESS: This immediately affects the calculations of South Korea, Taiwan, Japan, all of whom might decide that they need to have their own independent nuclear arsenals, as well. If North Korea gets away with this, Iran would be encouraged to go forward.
STARR: Assistant Secretary of State Christopher Hill sounded ominous this week, saying: "North Korea can have a future or it can have these weapons. It cannot have both."
But the Bush administration is avoiding talk of a preemptive strike or a military response afterward.
DONALD RUMSFELD, SECRETARY OF DEFENSE: That's -- it's a decision for the country. It's a decision for presidents.
STARR: There is plenty of U.S. firepower in the region -- 28,000 troops in South Korea and some 20 warships based out of Japan. Half a dozen B-52 bombers are in Guam.
But what is the target? U.S. intelligence shows North Korea is preparing several sites for a potential test. But one intelligence analyst told CNN it's a game of nuclear Three Card Monte -- trying to force the CIA to guess which hole in the ground is the right one.
The first signs of a nuclear detonation will come from more than 100 underground monitoring stations around the world. Spy planes such as this nuclear sniffer are already flying overhead and satellites are trained on the region 24-7.
(on camera): But will the intelligence community be able to quickly tell what North Korea has done after a missile test? Intelligence analysts tell CNN that little useful information was ever collected after North Korea's July missile test.
Barbara Starr, CNN, the Pentagon.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LIN: In stories making news across America tonight, a violent school bus attack is caught on tape in New Mexico. And authorities say two sisters ganged up on another girl without provocation. You can see them hit her repeatedly. The girls have been suspended from school and could face expulsion. And they also face criminal charges.
Duke's lacrosse team back on the field today. The team played a series of scrimmages in New York for a charity event. Their season was cancelled, then reinstated earlier this year, following allegations that three players raped an exotic dancer at a party.
A grand jury has returned indictments against the team. But DNA tests failed to establish a link between the players and the woman.
And Newport News, Virginia today. The president's sister, Dorothy Bush, christened a new carrier named after her father, the first President Bush. The former president was the Navy's youngest pilot when he joined up after the attack on Pearl Harbor. He got teary eyed talking about those days.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE H.W. BUSH, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: As an officer, I remember I had to read the outgoing mail. We had to censor the mail of all the shipmates. And I learned a lot from that. I learned a lot about human nature. I learned a lot about the hearts and dreams of these kids. And I would see these letters written and I would count my own blessings.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LIN: And later in the NEWSROOM...
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, "THE ICEMAN INTERVIEWS")
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I was a person who -- able to hurt somebody at any given time with no remorse. And I could do it over and over again without it bothering them.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LIN: A notorious Mafia hitman tells all before his jail death. He's known as the Iceman. Tonight, I speak with the killer's ex-wife.
But first, Internet detectives in on the Mark Foley case. What they can find, even after you hit the delete button.
And don't forget our last call. Will the Mark Foley scandal affect your vote? Give us a call at 1-800-807-2620. You're watching CNN NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LIN: Washed out in Virginia. Take a look at these pictures of this major flooding in the southeastern part of the state, after a storm dumped up to nine inches of rain. About 100 people were forced to evacuate a six-block section around Richmond.
Now the weather's making travel pretty tough on this Columbus Day, but you saw those people were trying to drive through those flooded streets. Bonnie Schneider has been working on the weather picture in the Richmond, Virginia area. Tough situation.
BONNIE SCHNEIDER, CNN METEOROLOGIST: And Carol, it sure is, because we still have flood warnings in effect straight through tonight and even into tomorrow. Look at this map. You can see areas in green highlighted where we have those warnings. And we're actually still seeing some rain in the Richmond vicinity.
Let's take a closer look on this plasma screen and we can show you that we do have moisture streaming in to the region, especially towards the Roanoke area as well. So plenty of rain coming into the region.
And also, we can see that it's kind of dying down a bit for the Newport News area, Williamsburg and into Richmond. But that doesn't mean that we're not going to still have problems for flooding.
Because remember, there's been ten inches of rain across this region since Thursday. And all the rain that's been in the streams and along the roads are kind of running into the James River right now. So that's where we're expecting the river to rise even further.
Come here and I'll show you what I'm talking about. This is a projection of what we're expecting for the river to do over the next day or so. And you can see that right now, the latest observed value is at 13.44 feet. That's as of tonight.
But as we can see, by the time we get to Sunday, it's likely to crest at 16.4 feet. And that takes it to moderate flood levels. So we're likely to see some areas flood out, maybe even up to a foot of rain in some of the neighborhoods that are around the James River. Something to be watching for tomorrow as well. And we will be definitely keeping track of it. LIN: All right. In the meantime, in election news, Arnold Schwarzenegger and the man who wants his job. His name is Phil Angelides. He's currently -- he is the Secretary of the Treasury out there in California.
Well, the two of them went head to head tonight on California's economy. Education, taxes, you know, governor stuff. Their one and only debate tonight ended about a half hour ago. And they sparred over rising tuition fees inside the state university system, which the governor insists he capped this year.
Now with the election exactly four weeks away, CNN's election express yourself tour is on the road, part education, part pontification. It's your chance to speak your mind.
Now this weekend, the election express is in Albuquerque, New Mexico. And the issue of the day, what can the U.S. do differently in Iraq? Here's what you had to say.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I just feel we need to figure out their lifestyle. We're trying to impose our lifestyle on another country. And you know, we need to educate ourselves as a country to learn more about them, to you know, go over there and work them and be able to understand them better instead of saying this is how we live, this is how, you know, things should be.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think the U.S. government needs to assess the long-term ramifications of keeping troops in a place where many experts, many military folks who have a lot of experience are saying it may be so dangerous that it might be better for us to have a scaled removal of the troops and be available for some very important other hot spots that right now we're immobilized for.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You need to get the international community involved, particularly the countries in the Mideast who have a vested interest in solving the problem in Iraq. We have to solve this diplomatically. We're going to have to get the troops out of there, which are only disrupting things and making everything worse. You've got to quiet it down. You got to get people talking.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LIN: To find out where the tour is headed next, go to CNN.com/elections.
We'll have more from the road next weekend as CNN's Election Express Yourself Tour heads to Las Vegas.
In the meantime, we have more on the Foley fallout. You've heard by now that the former congressman's online behavior is now a federal case. But what's under investigation? E-mails? Internet chat? Blips on the screen? Is that really hard evidence?
CNN technology correspondent Daniel Sieberg reports it's more solid than you might think.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DANIEL SIEBERG, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The FBI won't discuss how they're trying to gather high-tech evidence in the Mark Foley case, but it's likely similar to methods used by law enforcement and businesses all the time. We don't yet know all the details of the Foley situation, but what if anyone wanted to conceal their online missteps?
JOHN MALLERY, COMPUTER FORENSICS EXPERT: The man behind the curtain with the applications and operating system are doing behind the scenes. That's the computer forensic examiner.
SIEBERG: The oldest rule in the book for cyber sleuths is delete doesn't mean gone. As a computer forensics consultant, it's John Mallery's mantra.
MALLERY: You have a library. And then for those of you that remember card catalogs. If you take a card out of the card catalog, the book is still on the shelf.
When you delete a file, the pointers go away, the data still stays there. It can stay there for five seconds. It can stay there for years. It stays there until the operating system decides to write over that deleted file with new data.
SIEBERG: Apparently, the congressional page saved his e-mails and instant messages, possibly by simply copying and pasting them, or they may have been monitored electronically. Regardless, experts say it's nearly impossible for anyone to cover their virtual footprints.
Mallery gives me a rudimentary but effective demonstration of how deleted data can be recovered.
In this case, you have a deleted Word document. I'm going to scroll down. And what you're looking at here is the contents of this deleted Word document. There's additional information added to the file when you create a document. So the username can often be added to that document, the company name, the computer name, the original location.
SIEBERG: So if I delete something, is it gone?
MALLERY: If you just delete something, no, it is not gone.
SIEBERG: But if I empty the recycle bin?
MALLERY: It's not gone.
SIEBERG: And if I format the hard drive?
MALLERY: It's not gone.
SIEBERG (on camera): More data could be uncovered as cybersleuths dig deeper into Foley's digital domain, especially because he could have used numerous computers or different devices.
(voice-over): Any time you turn on a Blackberry or a computer, open a file and type a key or send a message, there's a record. Mallory says anyone who believes otherwise is either arrogant or ignorant.
MALLERY: The only safe computer is one that you never turn on and you bury in the ground six feet underground.
SIEBERG: Daniel Sieberg, CNN, Atlanta.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LIN: We're keeping you informed on the fallout from the Mark Foley e-mail investigation.
Coming up next, a new ad keeps the spotlight on the House Speaker Dennis Hastert.
And our blog buzz lays out the choices he's facing.
Also, poppy fields and politics. Five years after Afghanistan, what can we expect next?
Then married to a Mafia hitman. In the next half hour, the former wife of the Iceman talks about living in fear. Stay with us in the NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LIN: In the NEWSROOM with your headlines tonight and tomorrow, it's nearly Sunday afternoon in North Korea. And there's speculation the country could make good on its threats to conduct a nuclear test before the day is over.
A somber anniversary is just over an hour away in Pakistan. The country will observe a moment of silence in honor of the 73,000 people killed in a massive earthquake one year ago. Relief agencies say life is still a struggle for some of the survivors.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're seeing that between two and four or five percent of those who are homeless are still without permanent housing. So in the context of the overall disaster, many have received some type of permanent shelter or are in safe locations currently.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LIN: Friends and fans are paying tribute to John Jordan Buck O'Neil. They gathered today at the Negro League's Baseball Museum in Kansas City to mourn his death and celebrate his life. O'Neil died yesterday at the age of 94. He was the first African-American Major League coach.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Buck was a one-of-a-kind legend. And we will miss him with all of our hearts. It's a great comfort to know that the selfless spirit and his tremendous legacy for baseball will live on.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LIN: Now if you live in one of these states, check the packaging before making a hamburger this weekend. The Iowa company Jim's Market and Locker is recalling more than 5,000 pounds of ground beef. It may be contaminated with the same E. Coli strain that killed three people in the recent outbreak of tainted spinach.
And now flash feedback, where you tell us what you'd like to see covered. First question to our e-mail box. A viewer wants to know more about the E. Coli outbreak in ground beef.
Well, first of all, to be perfectly clear, we don't know if it's an outbreak or not. A meat company in Iowa is voluntarily recalling more than 5,000 pounds of ground beef that may be contaminated with E. Coli bacteria. It is the same bacteria blamed for three recent deaths all linked to a spinach farm in California.
Now the meat in question was shipped all over the country. But there have been no reports of anyone getting sick. So if you're concerned, check the USDA's website.
Wow, what an extraordinary past 10 days, not just in politics but in American history. A six-term congressman's career ends. His party's leadership rattled at all levels. And who knows what the ultimate impact will be?
The midterm election is in four weeks. And some candidates once seen as shoo-ins are scrambling to save their political lives.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REYNOLDS: Last week, we all learned of other e-mails worse than anything I've heard before. I immediately forced Foley to resign. Nobody's angrier and more disappointed than me that I didn't catch his lies. I trusted that others had investigated. Looking back, more should have been done. And for that, I am sorry.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LIN: That's Republican Tom Reynolds. And that ad is running in his New York district this weekend.
Now earlier, I spoke with John Aravosis of Americablog.com and Jim Geraghty of the online edition of "The National Review". And I asked them if Speaker Hastert should resign.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JIM GERAGHTY, NATIONAL REVIEW ONLINE: My first instinct is that we have seen the end of Hastert as Speaker within these next couple months. Either the Democrats win the House, and you know, Nancy Pelosi will become Speaker.
And then the second possibility is that even if Republicans do somehow hold on to it, who's going to look at Dennis Hastert's leadership these last couple weeks and say, yes, that's the guy -- this unbelievably overweight, balding, terribly, you know, ineffective leader, that's the guy we want, you know, who nearly blew it this time. Let's keep him around. It's hard to believe that we're going to say, yes, he's the leader we need.
JOHN ARAVOSIS, AMERICABLOG.COM: Short of taking an opinion on his weight, I would agree with Jim in that I think -- I mean, the problem with Hastert which is fascinating, is each day his prospects go up and down. You know, on Monday, he was going to resign. Tuesday, he was saved. Wednesday, Kirk Fordham, you know, former chief of staff to Congressman Reynolds came out said, I told Hastert years ago about this.
LIN: Yes, now a second congressional staffer has come out.
ARAVOSIS: Well, actually, yes, exactly. Another -- well, a second meaning I believe I heard that now there are two additional people corroborating that Hastert's office knew years ago. So every day, he's like a see-saw back and forth.
I think Jim is right. He's not going to become leader again. That's crazy. The question is whether Hastert is going to bring the party down over the next four weeks. And people finally say, you know what? You're making the story a story. Go away.
LIN: Well, we asked our viewers what they thought, whether this Foley scandal and how the GOP was handling it was going to affect people's votes. So I want to throw some responses out to you guys and see what you guys think.
This one from C.J. from Meritt Island, Florida. C.J. says, "The way the Republicans have handled Foley's disgusting e-mails (quit or be fired) have encouraged me to vote Republican. The Dems just fight these scandals to retain power." Ouch, John.
GERAGHTY: Well, honestly, the Dems haven't been fighting any scandal at all. I mean, this has been a Republican issue for the last week. They've been the ones fighting each other.
As you just noticed in your introduction, we've now got Congressman Reynolds attacking Congressman Hastert, saying I told you. Hastert says, no, you didn't. Congressman Boehner says, yes, you did. It's a circular firing squad.
I think Dana Bash I think has called it that before, as have others. This is -- you know, the Democrats I think wisely have more or less been sitting out and just watching it happen.
LIN: Well, Jim, we're also hearing from people who are at the core of GOP support here. This one I think from an anonymous person, writes, "I'm an evangelical Christian who's been voting straight Republican in every election since I've turned 18 in 1984...but the Foley scandal has changed everything for me...I'll never vote again."
The polls are showing that they want -- that a majority of people right now today want to see change. They want to see the Democrats in power. They are really turned off by this scandal. How is the GOP going to respond in the next four weeks?
GERAGHTY: Well, the only upside is that there are four weeks between now and election day. And with any luck, Kim, Jong Il will blow up a nuclear weapon in the next month or so to get -- it may literally take a nuclear explosion to get this off the front page.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LIN: Well, remember, you can go to cnn.com/ticker for all the news you need to know for the 2006 election.
Now one thing the Foley scandal is doing is overshadowing the war on terror, but we have not forgotten. Car bombs, curfews and the citizens caught in the middle. The latest from Baghdad is next.
Plus, five years later, are Afghans better off? Well, wait until you hear what they say. You're in the NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LIN: Another deadly weekend in Iraq. 14 people were killed today north of Baghdad when a suicide truck bomber hit an Iraqi army checkpoint. Four of the victims were Iraqi soldiers.
And also today, police discovered the bodies of 51 Iraqis scattered throughout Baghdad, some showing signs of torture.
October has been a violent month, all around Iraq. 19 U.S. soldiers have died this month alone. So what now? Is the U.S. military strategy simply failing?
Well, we spoke to our military analyst Generals James Marks and Don Shepperd to get their advice.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BRIG. GEN. JAMES MARKS (RET.), CNN MILITARY ANALYST: What we need to do is concentrate the forces in that area where the attacks are predominant, and do what's called an economy of force or minimize our presence elsewhere. That fundamentally is called an oil stain strategy. And what that means is you work the problem from the inside out in several selected areas.
MAJ. GEN. DON SHEPPERD (RET.), CNN MILITARY ANALYST: To win, we've got to go head-to-head with these militias and take them on. We've got to clear Sadr City. And after we clear Sadr City, we really have to continue to put pressure on the Iraqi forces to take on more of the load and to fight these militias. These are really, really difficult times in Iraq. (END VIDEO CLIP)
LIN: Tune in tomorrow night, starting at 5:00 Eastern. We're going to air the rest of the generals' advice on how to win the war in Iraq. And hear my exclusive interview at 10:00 p.m. Eastern with the former coalition forces spokesman in Iraq, General Mark Kimmitt.
Also, be sure to join Wolf Blitzer tomorrow on "LATE EDITION." Iraq's foreign minister will give Wolf a status report. Tune into tomorrow morning on CNN.
Now turning to the war in Iraq, five years ago today, the U.S. military began its military operation there following 9/11. Well, today in a "Washington Post" editorial, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld touted the successes there.
Now he says they include the ouster of the ruling Taliban and the country's adoption of a constitution.
Where do things stand today when compared to what they were five years ago? In Afghanistan, the trajectory is a hopeful and promising one.
But on the flip side, there have been growing attacks on the 20,000 U.S. troops stationed in Afghanistan. And there's renewed fear the Taliban are regaining strength.
Meantime, we have new attacks to tell you about. Today, two German journalists were shot and killed in Afghanistan. It happened in the northern part of the country amid growing concerns over security.
CNN's Suzanne Simons has this report.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SUZANNE SIMONS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The killing of two German journalists working for broadcaster Deutschevella (ph) marks the first time foreign journalists have been killed in Afghanistan since 2001. Their deaths highlighting a frustrating security situation for the people of Afghanistan, as well as the troops still encountering Taliban and al Qaeda resistance.
TONY BLAIR, BRITISH PRIME MINISTER: I think what the troops find frustrating is often what everybody who's involved in this finds frustrating. And that is when people say well, why are we in Afghanistan and don't remember how it came about.
It came about as a result of September the 11th, as a result of the need to drive the Taliban and al Qaeda out of Afghanistan. And if we let Afghanistan be used again as a training ground for the export of terrorism, it turns up on our streets.
SIMONS: Suicide attacks are on the rise. There have been 56 attacks this year. Dozens have been killed in Kabul over the past month alone. GHULAM HAIDER, STUDENT (through translator): The only changes we can see since the U.S. invasion are the return of some Afghan refugees from abroad and freedom. We're happy about this, but we still face a lot of challenges. For instance, the fighting.
ABDUL MOHIB, FORMER POLICE OFFICER (through translator): Al Qaeda is stronger than five years ago. And people are suffering a lot because of their underground operations.
SIMONS: Five years later, there have been positive steps as well. Women here enjoy more freedoms, no longer forced to wear the burqa. They're now allowed to work. But while many Afghan women applaud the changes, they travel to their jobs in fear.
SHAKEELA JANAFGHAN, CALL CENTER EMPLOYEE (through translator): We're worried when we come to work. You can see how the situation is getting worse every day.
SIMONS: In a country where more than half the population lives below the poverty line, security has become a formidable concern, something the Afghan people and some 40,000 foreign troops are painfully aware of.
Suzanne Simons, CNN, Atlanta.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LIN: And the picture to share with you from Afghanistan tonight. On the left is Specialist Jeremy Jeneke. And on the right is his buddy, Specialist Aaron Gordon. The two are from Charley company's 37th Engineer Battalion in Fort Bragg, North Carolina. And they're stationed in Shirana (ph), Afghanistan. They were waiting for a shipment of mail by helicopter when this picture was taken.
Now if you've got a photo to share, go to CNN.com/ireport and send us what you've got. And join the world's most powerful news team.
Well, exploring the mind of one of the most notorious Mafia killers in history, the Iceman.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Did you think of yourself as an assassin?
ICEMAN: Assassin? It sounds so exotic. I was just a murderer.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LIN: Up next, I speak to the ex-wife of Richard Kuklinski. And the author of a new book about his death, "Dealer's Life."
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) RICHARD KUKLINSKI: I'm the furthest thing from a nice guy. I am what you call a person's nightmare, because of the way I project myself, people think they get by. And then all of a sudden when they wake up, it's too late.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LIN: Wow. Richard Kuklinski committed his first murder at the age of 14 on the streets of New York. He admitted to killing more than 200 others in his life, becoming one of the most infamous Mafia hitmen in America.
But his former wife and children say they never knew about dad's profession until he was arrested many years later. And now his story is finally being told following his jailhouse death earlier this year.
Joining us now is Philip Carlo, the author of a book about Kuklinski. It's called "The Ice Man." And also joining us is the killer's ex-wife, Barbara.
Welcome to both of you. Good to have you. It's a fascinating story. Philip, why did you call him the Iceman? Why was he called the Ice Man?
PHILIP CARLO, AUTHOR, "THE ICE MAN": Well, basically for two reasons. One of which, there was a victim who he put in an ice cold well. And he left them there for two years. And the cold of the water preserved the body.
At a point in time, Richard had to get rid of this particular corpse. And he put it out on a hot August day. Coincidentally, when the body was found that day, when they opened it up, they found icicles inside. So they knew something was up.
The last person that he was seen a lot with when he was alive was Richard Kuklinski. So when later on Richard was arrested for that murder, they -- the cops dubbed him the Ice Man.
But as you know, HBO ended up doing three documentaries on Richard. And his demeanor was so cold. He talked about murder, cutting up people, doing the most heinous things to people with a cold candor that we never saw before. And that's actually why I ended up writing the book when I...
LIN: You write he had a torture chamber and that he wasn't just a mob hitman. I mean, you think of mob hitmen, they go out. They whack somebody. It's over with. It's almost as if he enjoyed the killing. But what happened in that torture chamber?
CARLO: Basically Richard, not too often excuses. It's just reality. He was severely abused as a child. I think humanity, empathy, the feelings for other people were beat out of him.
He saw his older brother beat to death by his father when he was 5 and the brother was 7. By the time he was 10-year old, he had a host of personality problems. He turned his rage on animals early on. Started beating dogs to death, setting cats on fire.
He killed his first human being when he was 14. He killed again when he was 16. When he was 17, he became a full blown serial killer, started murdering homeless people under the West side highway and got away with it for years because they thought it was hobo killing hobo.
LIN: So that was before his mob career then?
CARLO: It was.
LIN: He was a serial killer.
CARLO: Yes, full blown serial killer. The mob got wind of him. They gave him a murder. He did it well. They gave him another one that required a body part. He brought back the guy's head.
And from then on, he was their man. He garnered a reputation as a guy that did the job, kept his mouth shut. And what was so usual about him, though, he was married with children.
LIN: I know, Barbara, let's get you into this conversation. How did you not know that your husband was a serial killer?
BARBARA KUKLINSKI, HITMAN'S EX-WIFE: No one ever came to the house. And he always had a legitimate business. He would go away for periods of time, but it was due to the legitimate business that was registered, and, you know, paid taxes on and so on.
He was -- he wasn't the type of person that you asked, you know, where are you going, why, and when will you be back?
LIN: (INAUDIBLE). I mean, you had your own abuse.
KUKLINSKI: Right.
LIN: I mean, he abused you horribly.
KUKLINSKI: Right.
CARLO: He had a very, very bad temper. He'd lose his temper at the drop of a hat. He was very violent to Barbara. He broke her nose, he broke her ribs. He threatened to kill the family if she reported him.
In fact, if I may, she did call the cops. And they told her, we can arrest him today but he'll be out tomorrow. And he flat out told her that he'd kill the family. So she made the best of what amounted to a terrible situation.
She did have three lovely, wonderful children. They went to Catholic school. Richard went to church every Sunday. He was an usher in the church. He really wrapped himself in the guise of a loving, doting father and a good family man, when in fact he was a premiere assassin for all seven of these cold crime families.
LIN: Barbara, and you live with the after effects to this day, don't you?
KUKLINSKI: Yes, in many ways.
LIN: How does that affect you? How -- what's -- give me an example of how this has affected you?
KUKLINSKI: It's almost like concentrated effort not to think about.
LIN: You don't like to see knives on the kitchen counter, for example. You have a fear of knives.
KUKLINSKI: What happened in the past, right. I tried to -- we try to move forward.
And for the most part, I think that we've done very, very well. There are certain things that will bring back a memory. And it's frightening. And we all have nightmares from time to time. It's very real. Now that he's dead, I feel safer.
LIN: And that could only bring that you peace of mind.
KUKLINSKI: That's right.
LIN: Philip, you spent, what, 200 hours with him in a jail cell.
CARLO: Yes.
LIN: Very quickly, do you have an odd sympathy for him?
CARLO: Do I have what?
LIN: A sympathy for him. I mean, as odd as it might be.
CARLO: Well, you know, it's a very -- it's a loaded question. It's very difficult to answer. Basically, he had a duality about him. He had a very, very likable side. He was very funny. He was very...
LIN: Had to be charismatic.
CARLOS: Very -- extremely charismatic. And he had a dark side. He was basically a psychopath.
LIN: All right.
CARLO: And as all psychopaths, they have a duality about them. Ted Bundy, John Wayne Gacy, all these guys...
LIN: All right
CARLO: ...had that ability.
LIN: So...
CARLO: And the Richard I knew, I grew to like. Well, I -- when Barbara -- sometimes I'd be at the house interviewing Barbara. He'd call. And as she was talking to him, her hands would start shaking. And she knew he couldn't get out of jail.
LIN: I know.
CARLOS: He was in jail with seven life sentences.
LIN: All right, Philip, we have to leave it there. But the fear that, Barbara, you must have lived in, it's admirable that you survived. Barbara Kuklinski, appreciate the time. Philip Carlo, fascinating story.
CARLO: Thank you.
KUKLINSKI: Thank you.
LIN: A check of the hour's headlines after the break.
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