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Hillary Announces White House Bid, U.S. Helicopter Crashes in Iraq, Iraq To Figure Prominently in 2008 Presidential Election

Aired January 20, 2007 - 17:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

RICK SANCHEZ, CNN ANCHOR: I'm Rick Sanchez.
It's 5:00 at CNN headquarters in Atlanta.

This is the CNN NEWSROOM.

And coming up next in the CNN NEWSROOM, Arwa Damon is in Iraq on a developing story. The U.S. military says no one -- this is a sad tale -- no one has survived a chopper crash. It's just north of Baghdad. Those are U.S. soldiers and we're going to have the latest on them.

Also, I'm in -- and I'm in to win. That is what Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton is saying. She says she's ready to move back into the White House, this time as president.

But is the U.S. ready for a female commander-in-chief?

And the temperatures are dropping across the Southwest. But there's a bigger problem in Oklahoma. Tens of thousands are without heat.

Police in Elkhart, Indiana have an amber alert out for four children. This is a story we learned of just about, oh, five, 10 minutes ago. And we're all over it.

They believe that the kids and their mom were taken by 30-year- old Jerry White and he may be driving a red Dodge Intrepid with Illinois plates or a beige Saturn with Indiana plates. They're not sure.

Now, police say the children are believed to be -- and this is the word the police are using and that's why we're all over the story and will continue to be -- they say the children are in extreme danger.

Also, a developing story out of Iraq. It's a helicopter that goes down northwest of Baghdad. All 13 people on board -- passengers, crew -- killed. The military is saying the site has been sealed off by U.S. troops at this point.

Two American soldiers and a Marine killed in separate incidents in Iraq. The military says one of the soldiers died in combat operations in Tikrit, the other in a roadside bombing in Baghdad. The Marine died Friday after enemy action in the Anbar Province. President Bush spoke today with two top deputies about the planned troop build-up in Iraq. He met with Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Defense Secretary Robert Gates. Both Gates and Rice are just back from visits to the region.

And more weather worries for the Plains this weekend. Boy, it's just been a pattern, hasn't it?

Another winter storm is dumping snow, freezing rain and more sleet. This time it's all the way from Arizona to Oklahoma. One hundred thousand homes and businesses still don't have any electricity after an earlier ice storm.

First this hour, though, a shot at a second Clinton White House. That's right. The possibility of another Clinton White House nearly 15 years after her husband was voted in. New York Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton makes it official -- she's running for president. Senator Clinton made the announcement on her Web site today.

Her message?

I'm in and I'm to win.

To help tell the story, CNN's John Roberts is standing by for us. He's in Scottsdale, Arizona.

But we're going to start with Candy Crowley, who was in Topeka, Kansas today for another big political development, as well -- Candy, start us off.

CANDY CROWLEY, SENIOR POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: Good afternoon, Rick.

Yes, this is getting to be a pretty crowded race on both sides of the aisle. I'll give you a little scary statistic. Exactly two years from today, America will swear in its next president.

What we do know is between now and then, American voters will not lack for choices.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

CROWLEY (voice-over): If life was fair, this guy would be today's political headline.

SEN. HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON (D), NEW YORK: I announced today that I'm forming a presidential exploratory committee.

CROWLEY: Hillary Clinton, one of the marquis names of the '08 race, made official what everyone assumed -- she's going to run for president. "I'm in," she said, "I'm in to win."

In true new age form, she said so on her Web site. The cozy warm setting, the hand gestures, the just us folks approach designed to offset the rap that she is cool, aloof. CLINTON: So let's talk. Let's chat. Let's start a dialogue about your ideas and mine, because the conversation in Washington has been just a little one-sided lately, don't you think?

CROWLEY: As the highest profile woman ever to run for the Oval Office, she walks an interesting line, somewhere between showing her approachable side as a politician and her tough side as a potential commander-in-chief. Saddled with her yes vote on Iraq, Clinton, fresh off a headline grabbing trip to Iraq and Afghanistan, is now one of the most visible critics of the war's execution.

Clinton supporters hope an upcoming vote against supporting the president's increase in troops will give Clinton a do-over.

SEN. BARACK OBAMA (D), ILLINOIS: The people will judge you on that merits.

CROWLEY: Camp Clinton says she did not move up her announcement to shove Barack Obama off center stage, where he's been since announcing his own exploratory committee. But certainly the Clinton announcement was designed for maximum bang, to grab headlines in Sunday papers and keep the Sunday talk shows talking.

Obama said he welcomes Clinton as an ally in the race, not a competitor. Like that'll last.

SEN. SAM BROWNBACK (R), KANSAS: Thank you guys for being here.

CROWLEY: Meanwhile, back in Topeka...

BROWNBACK: Today, my family and I are taking the first steps on the yellow brick road to the White House.

CROWLEY: Sam Brownback is a conservative Republican who is against abortion and the use of embryos for stem cell research. He is against tax increases and for a flat tax. He supported the war, but not a troop increase.

He is no household name, but Brownback was unruffled by Saturday's Hillary fest. There are 22 months left to make a mark.

BROWNBACK: People worry about, OK, she is much better known than you are. But in the age of 24-hour media and cable television, name identification can skyrocket rapidly.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

CROWLEY: One thing Clinton and Brownback do have in common is the need to put a staff in place and raise a lot of money. Both are a lot easier to do if you have a household name, because life is not fair and neither is politics -- Rick.

SANCHEZ: Well, Hillary Rodham Clinton certainly has a household name. She also has, we understand, a lot of big bucks.

Who would be able to compete with her on either side of the aisle?

CROWLEY: Well, on her side of the aisle, we have Barack Obama, who certainly has name recognition. Along with that, he'll have the ability to raise money. The resume may be a problem there. She has a lengthier one in public service.

Also on that side, a lot of people look at it and say suppose Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton knick each other up enough to bring everybody's numbers down, you've got John Edwards standing there. He's polling very well in Iowa and in New Hampshire.

On the other side, you have, you know, the two 500 pound gorillas that keep levitating toward the top of the polls and those are John McCain and Rudy Giuliani.

So there's a lot of competition out there.

SANCHEZ: And, of course, all of this will evolve, correct?

CROWLEY: It definitely will evolve. Again, 22 months is, as you know, a lot more than a lifetime in politics. And one of the things Brownback pointed out is listen, at this point in the cycle, nobody knew who Jimmy Carter was. Nobody knew who Bill Clinton was. Certainly no one knew who Howard Dean was. So stranger things have happened than someone you haven't heard of today rises to the top and even turns out to be president.

SANCHEZ: Candy Crowley with a real pretty background there, the snow coming down behind you.

Thank you, Candy.

We appreciate it.

CROWLEY: Sure.

SANCHEZ: In pure political terms, running against the war in Iraq could prove a winner for the Democrats. But for Senator Clinton it's a little bit complicated, as I'm sure you know.

Joining us now from Scottsdale, Arizona, CNN's John Roberts, picking up this side of the story -- John, take it away.

JOHN ROBERTS, SENIOR NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hey, good afternoon to you, Rick.

Certainly the Iraq war, unless things get suddenly better there, is certain to be a central issue in the 2008 campaign. And Hillary Clinton laying down an early marker just earlier this week.

Two days after her return from Iraq, she came out and very publicly stated that she is going to introduce legislation to cap the number of troops in Iraq at the levels that they were at on January the 1st, which is at about 132,000.

In capping the number of troops, she very carefully, studiously, stays away from this idea of cutting funding for the troops. That's a position that could come back to haunt her if she decides to go through and run for president.

And she is increasingly in opposition to the Bush plan, saying that not only is she against the 21,500 troops, but she's also against the way that the Bush administration is dealing with the Al-Maliki government.

Here's what she told me in an interview on Thursday.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

CLINTON: Frankly, you know, it's quite disconcerting to see our government, the strongest, most powerful nation in the world, begging this government that we basically put into office to please do the things we want them to do. We are not exercising power like a great power should. We are not using the tools at our disposal to try to deal with the neighbors in the region, try to reign in Iran and Syria or to try to get the Maliki government to take the actions that we expect.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

ROBERTS: Now, a part of the plan that she outlined on Wednesday, what she wants to do is she wants to set in place a number of benchmarks that the Iraqi government would have to meet. And if the government does not meet those, then funding for the Iraqi government and for Iraqi security forces could be cut.

She also wants a proposal, a proposition at least that if those benchmarks aren't met, then the whole thing comes back to Congress for reauthorization of the war.

So this is a very, very finely crafted legislative suggestion that Hillary Clinton has laid down and certainly something that gives her a lot of political cover as she heads toward the race for the White House in 2008.

And, Rick, you can hear much more of my interview with her tonight, 7:00 Eastern on THIS WEEK AT WAR.

SANCHEZ: Hey, you know what, John?

We should probably mention to the viewers something that we're awfully proud about. It has to do with Iraq, as well. And it's something that, in fact, you might be able to show us. It's right behind you, right?

ROBERTS: Well, it is. This is our Warrior 1 Hummer. And the reason why you're hearing so much noise is we're at the Barrett Jackson Classic Auto Auction in Scottsdale, Arizona.

They auction off millions and millions of dollars worth of classic automobiles.

This one is a collector's item and all of the proceeds from this auction are going to benefit Fisher House.

Now, here, just look at this comparatively. This is what it looked like when it went into Iraq. And this is what it looks like now, after being a subject on the television show "Overhauling."

Hot rod designers totally tricked this thing out from the ground all the way up and these fellows are about to take it to the stage here at the auction, if they can get that big 454 Chevrolet engine started. And hopefully this is going to raise an awful lot of money for Fisher House, which, by the way, I should point out, builds homes that provide accommodation for the families of service men and women who are either in military or V.A. hospitals -- Rick, so...

SANCHEZ: That's -- that's quite...

ROBERTS: But we may have to give this thing a bit of a jump start, but we hope to get it out of here and up on the auction block.

SANCHEZ: It's certainly a lot easier to roll it there than in the sands of Iraq.

John Roberts, we thank you, my friend, for bringing us up to date on that.

We'll look forward to talking to you in just a little bit, a little bit more about that -- that situation that you're following there for us and the good work that's being done.

By the way, we're going to be talking a lot about the Clinton bid for the White House. Before the hour is over, we're going to speak with Democratic strategist Donna Brazile and Republican strategist Bay Buchanan. Both of them together talking out this Hillary run.

And you can turn to the Web for more of the best political team on television. Follow the race for the White House at cnn.com, where you are in charge.

Now to Iraq itself. This is a sad story, tough to report for all of us -- the scene of a deadly U.S. helicopter crash. The military says all aboard were killed.

More now from CNN's Arwa Damon.

She's been following the story throughout the day from Baghdad.

ARWA DAMON, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: ... people were killed on Saturday after a U.S. helicopter crash northeast of the capital, Baghdad. The U.S. military saying that all passengers and crew members on board died in that incident. Their identities are being withheld pending next of kin notification.

The U.S. military is also saying that the cause of the crash is currently under investigation.

A security official in Diyala Province, which is a very volatile mix of both Sunni, Shia and Kurds, said that it happened just south of the provincial capital of Baquba. That is an area that is known to be predominantly Sunni and something of a Sunni insurgent stronghold.

The security official also said that following the incident, U.S. forces immediately sealed off the scene.

Arwa Damon, CNN, Baghdad.

SANCHEZ: From blackouts to smashed cars, this winter weather continues to wallop the country -- Reggie.

REGGIE AQUI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Here in Oklahoma, a lot of the ice is gone, but the fallen trees are not.

We take a walk with FEMA through these neighborhoods, coming up.

SANCHEZ: All right, Reggie, we'll look forward to that.

Also, a few key meetings for President Bush today on the war in Iraq. Also, a look ahead to his State of the Union speech.

You are watching CNN. We're the most trusted name in news.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SANCHEZ: Welcome back to the CNN NEWSROOM.

I'm Rick Sanchez.

Boy, we've been telling these weather stories for the last couple of weeks. Another wicked weekend for Oklahoma and other parts of the Great Plains. They're getting pounded by more winter weather before they have even had a chance to recover from last week's ice storms that we've been telling you about.

How are they handling it?

Well, let's check in with Reggie Aqui.

He's live for us in McAlester, Oklahoma -- what is the situation there this time, Reggie?

AQUI: Well, Rick, you might remember, this time last Saturday I was telling you about all of the ice covering the ground in Oklahoma. Take a look at it today. It's just rain. And it washed away a lot of that ice. If only the rain could wash away this. Take a look at this man's front yard. This is a 90-year-old Post oak that fell down last week and is obviously making a big mess of this neighborhood. And it is the same situation from house to house.

A lot of folks are asking today, what is FEMA going to do about all of this?

We wondered, too, so we called them up and we took a walk through these neighborhoods with them.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

AQUI (voice-over): They've already seen the power knocked out, but today homeowners in hard hit Oklahoma see their doors knocked off.

GARY GRAYBOL, FEMA: Good morning.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Good morning. GRAYBOL: I'm not invading you, I hope.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No.

GRAYBOL: I'm Gary with FEMA.

AQUI: Today, FEMA representatives hit the streets. They survey ice storm damage in four southeast Oklahoma counties.

What Gary Graybol writes in his notebook will not get the electricity on faster to the 43,000 or so customers still waiting.

GRAYBOL: We're looking to see the extent of the damage. We don't know what we're going to find. Most of this is without power for days and days and days.

AQUI: But his report and the report of the other FEMA teams will start the process that determines how much help Oklahoma gets from Washington.

ERICA RICHARDSON, MCALESTER RESIDENT: I just wanted to know if they were going to help anybody, because we were out for so long and had to spend some money on groceries and going places to get electricity and things like that.

AQUI: The answer depends on one word -- major.

Does it equal a major disaster?

If the government determines it does, Oklahoma could receive much more money and manpower.

SCOTT STONE, MCALESTER RESIDENT: My mother is 70 years old. I had to go and pick her and my sister and my brother up. They didn't have any heat or anything. So there's all of us kind of living on the living room floor right now until we can get things up.

AQUI: A truck fried by a power line, a tree damaged front lawn, a week without electricity. And yet many people here are thankful, thankful it was this kind of precipitation for much of the day.

GRAYBOL: We can hit a couple of other homes while we're here, you know?

AQUI: And happy to take a visit from the agency that could help an area covered for so long in white see more green.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

AQUI: And once again, this big tree landing on the house and -- take a look -- causing a big problem on the roof. They covered it with tarp and this afternoon, this house is being run by a generator. So they do have some power inside. But a lot of neighborhoods are seeing their power go off and on.

And today, Rick, really, the only good thing to say about all of this, they've got a whole lot of firewood.

SANCHEZ: Out of the frying pan and into the fire. I guess they might be able to use it.

Reggie, we thank you so much for that report.

Let's do this now.

Let's go to Jacqui Jeras and try and get a feel for what this means for that region, because they really have been hammered more than once, haven't they -- Jacqui.

JACQUI JERAS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yes, they really have. In fact, some of them hit three to five times, overall.

(WEATHER REPORT)

SANCHEZ: Meanwhile, we're getting more information on the -- some of the stories that we've been telling you about.

In fact, we've got some breaking news that we're going to be sharing with you in just a bit. We just want to make sure we nail it down. It's news that's coming to us out of Iraq.

Also, an interview with actor John Cusack from the Sundance Film Festival.

And now that Hillary Clinton has announced that she's running for president, how do New Yorkers feel about it?

She is their senator.

Reaction from her home state in a bit.

ELAINE QUIJANO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I'm Elaine Quijano live at the White House.

CNN has learned that President Bush plans to unveil soon a proposal for a new tax deduction for health care.

What might that mean for you and what are critics saying about the idea?

I'll have details, coming up.

SANCHEZ: Thanks so much, Elaine.

Meanwhile, the first -- the confluence of crime fighting and YouTube?

New York City says it will soon upgrade its 911 system so callers can send pictures from their cell phone cameras to police.

Here's CNN Internet reporter Abbi Tatton.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

ABBI TATTON, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Mayor Michael Bloomberg calls it a revolutionary innovation in crime fighting -- 911 meets YouTube.

MAYOR MICHAEL BLOOMBERG (R), NEW YORK: Equipping 911 call centers to receive digital images and videos New Yorkers send from their cell phones and computers -- something no other city in the world is doing.

TATTON: New York officials hope sending in images will quickly become standard practice.

Though this plan may be a first, police in many cities have been expanding their use of the Internet. Last December in Hamilton, Ontario, a man was arrested after police investigating a murder posted surveillance video on YouTube.

A video recently posted online of a beating by school girls led to attempted assault charges.

And in New York City, police used photos of this subway flasher, posted on the Internet, to make an arrest.

But when it comes to reporting incidents as they happen, until now, it's mainly been news organizations soliciting eyewitness images. When Yankees' pitcher Cory Lidle's plane crashed into a Manhattan building last fall, New Yorkers instantly sent images from the crash site to CNN. Now, New York City police are hoping to tap into the same technology to help 911 operators prioritize emergencies.

(on camera): New York City officials don't think the program will be too costly, as the technology is already in place. New Yorkers should be able to start using the program in the next two years.

Abbi Tatton, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ANNOUNCER: This is CNN breaking news.

SANCHEZ: It's always tough news to report something like this. We told you earlier about 13 soldiers, U.S. soldiers, that lost their lives when a helicopter went down.

Well, we just received more information. This is about five more U.S. soldiers that have, sadly enough, lost their lives, as well.

The five U.S. soldiers were killed, three were wounded, while trying to repel an attack. It happened at something called the PJCC. That's a provincial joint coordination center, in Karbala. Now, what they were doing there is they were meeting, trying to figure out a way -- in fact, I'll give you one of the quotes that's coming from military officials. They say a meeting was taking place at the time of the attack to ensure the security of Shiite pilgrims who are participating in one of the commemorations there. It's called the Ashura commemoration.

Well, the five soldiers were there when they suddenly got an incoming attack. And this attack has killed five more U.S. soldiers, according to the information.

Again, it's in Karbala. The location has been now secured, we understand, by both coalition forces and Iraqi security forces. And, of course, the deceased's names is being withheld until they notify their families.

But that brings the total to 18 U.S. soldiers confirmed dead over the last 24 hours. Certainly a sad note coming from Iraq on this day.

We do expect to get more information on this story and as we do, we're going to be sharing it with you.

Meanwhile, President Bush is meeting today with his secretaries of State and Defense. Condoleezza Rice, Robert Gates, respectively, both fresh from some fact finding trips to the Middle East.

There's more weighing on the mind of the president as he prepares, as well, for his upcoming State of the Union Address.

CNN's Elaine Quijano is live at the White House for us.

She's following this part of the story -- hi, Elaine.

QUIJANO: Hello to you, Rick.

Good evening.

And amid skepticism on Capitol Hill about the president's new Iraq policy, the White House clearly trying to shift the focus off foreign policy and onto the president's domestic agenda.

Now, CNN has learned tonight that one of the proposals that President Bush will unveil in his State of the Union Address on Tuesday is a standard deduction for health care, a tax deduction similar to a standard deduction for dependents.

Now, a source knowledgeable about the president's plan says the White House is looking at a deduction of $7,500 for individuals and $15,000 for families, whether they buy health insurance on their own or if they get coverage through an employer.

Now, without going into specifics, the president today, in his radio address, compared the idea to home ownership.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) GEORGE BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: The current tax code encourages home ownership by allowing you to deduct the interest on your mortgage from your taxes. We can reform the tax code so that it provides a similar incentive for you to buy health insurance. So in my State of the Union Address next Tuesday, I will propose a tax reform designed to help make basic private health insurance more affordable, whether you get it through your job or on your own.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

QUIJANO: Already, though, some criticism popping up.

Democratic Senator Edward Kennedy of Massachusetts saying in a written statement that while it is good the president is talking about health care, at the same time, he questions whether changing the tax code is really the best approach.

Meantime, Iraq was certainly on the agenda, as well, here at the White House today, as you noted at the outset. The president sat down for an early morning meeting with his secretaries of State and Defense. The two are just back from separate trips to the Middle East region, trying to build support for the president's plan to send some 21,000 more troops to Iraq to quell the violence there.

Now, Democrats in their radio address continue to express opposition and skepticism about the president's plan. And important to note that Republicans, of course, have voiced skepticism and doubt, as well.

Now, although, Iraq and the violence there continues to be in the forefront, at the top of the headlines, senior Bush aides say on Tuesday though Iraq will be mentioned it will not be the main focus of the State of the Union Address.

Instead it will look at areas of perhaps common ground between this White House and a now Democratic-led Congress. On domestic issues, you heard him talk about healthcare, but also other issues, too, Rick, immigration, education, and energy policy among them, Rick?

RICK SANCHEZ, CNN ANCHOR, CNN NEWSROOM: You wonder, though, you heard that news report that I brought just moments ago, about five more U.S. soldiers in Karbala apparently dead. Add those to the 13 in the helicopter crash we talked about earlier, that's 18 U.S. soldiers.

I imagine the president is probably been appraised of this by now. Would we expect to hear from him, or would you expect that this would affect him in terms of the initiative that he's trying to propose in terms of getting more soldiers there over there, Elaine?

QUIJANO: Well, certainly the what the White House acknowledges is that in the bigger scene of things, a speech, remarks by the president are not going to change minds when it comes to whether or not the president's Iraq policy is successful, and whether this plan might be effective. They understand full well that until events on the ground begin to change that, in fact, many Americans will be deeply doubtful about the course of action in Iraq.

Now, at the same time, what the White House argues is that there have been commitments now made and sentiments expressed by the government in Iraq, that leads the officials, and the president, in particular, to believe that the Iraqis are serious about committing the necessary Iraqi forces, to stand up alongside U.S. forces and eventually take over security responsibilities for their country.

But as you know full well, Rick, it's not just Democrats, it's also Republicans now, and also entering into this picture, keep in mind, as you've been talking about, '08 politics. Clearly all of that is going to be a factor in determining the tone and tenor of this debate. But bottom line, the officials here understand, until that violence on the ground changes, the people's minds are not going to be convinced.

SANCHEZ: Wow, Elaine Quijano bringing us the very latest, as we get the number of 18 soldiers which will probably fall into the political equation one way or the other. We thank you.

Meanwhile, Hillary Clinton, speaking of political equations, isn't the only one who that made a big announcement. Who else is throwing their hat into the ring?

And this is Warrior One, you heard John Roberts talking about it earlier in the newscast, this is one of the vehicles that CNN used to cover -- to actually cover the war in Iraq. Now it will benefit wounded soldiers.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SANCHEZ: Got a breaking story we want to bring you up to date on, because police are following this thing intently. Police in Elkhart, Indiana, have an Amber Alert out for four children. They believe the kids and their mom were taken by a 30-year-old named Jerry White. They say he may be driving a red Dodge intrepid with Illinois plates or a beige Saturn with Indiana plates.

Police are saying -- and this is the word police are using in this because they think he has used violence. That the children are believed to be in "extreme danger", to quote some of the police officers there.

Speaking of extreme dangers, a very horrible day in Iraq for U.S. soldiers. The latest incident we learned of just moments ago coming into the CNN NEWSROOM, is that five U.S. soldiers have lost their lives in Karbala. It happened while they were actually planning the defense of some Shias in the area who are getting ready to hold a commemoration, and during that meeting, the soldiers were in, they started taking incoming and five of them died as a result. Three of them were injured.

It happened, again, at the Provincial Joint Coordination Center, that's what the meeting place is called for the U.S. soldiers there, the abbreviation is the PJCC. We're going to follow that up.

And prior to this report, there was another report of a helicopter that went down that took the lives of 13 U.S. troops. Still trying to figure out why the helicopter crashed earlier today. It was just outside Baghdad. All 13 aboard were killed. The military says it secured the crash site in Iraq's volatile Diyala (ph) Province. Again, that brings the total of deaths in the last 24 hours of U.S. soldiers in Iraq, sadly enough, to 18.

I am in! Two little words with potentially enormous implications in the race for the White House. Today, Hillary Rodham Clinton made it official. In fact, that's the video. That's the website she uses. It's a message on her website. Very cool -- on a couch. She announced that she's launching a presidential exploratory committee, adding, I am in it to win.

Democratic Senator from New York was just re-elected by a landslide. So how are New Yorkers taking the news that she's now seeking the presidency? Let's find out from CNN's Mary Snow.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MARY SNOW CNN CORRESPONDENT, CNN NEWSROOM (voice over): For New Yorkers, the writing was on the wall. Senator Clinton's '06 re- election campaign was viewed as a prelude to a presidential run. It was an issue she was forced to acknowledge in October.

SEN. HILLARY CLINTON, (D-NY) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: If that is a concern to people, they should factor that into the election in November. But I have made no decisions.

SNOW: Now that Senator Clinton has decided she's in the '08 race, how do the party faithful in her home state see it?

DAVE POLLAK, CO-CHAIR, NY STATE DEMOCRATIC PARTY: A lot of people want her to run. She's been a great candidate and she's been a great senator for New York, and here we go.

SNOW: Other New York Democratic leaders are saying in essence, not so fast. Yes, Congressman Charles Rangel encouraged her to run in 2000, and calls her New York's favorite daughter, but there is Illinois Senator Barack Obama.

REP. CHARLES RANGEL, (D-NY): There's no question, at the end of the day, in New York she's got to get the overwhelming support of all the Democrats, the question is I think we should give Barack a chance to get out there. He's a young guy, exciting ideas. He's a rock star.

And I told him, personally, if he didn't do it, he'd spend the rest of his life hating himself.

SNOW: Congressman Rangel says there are conditions in which he would support Obama and not Hillary Clinton.

RANGEL: Well, if he exceeds her in terms of ability, which I don't see how, if he gains a national reputation of above hers, don't see how, then I have to make certain that I pick a candidate that can win.

SNOW: Between Senator Clinton and Senator Obama, some African- American New Yorkers are torn.

JOHN ANDATE, NEW YORK DEMOCRAT: It's a tough call. It's a tough call.

SNOW: But not for Rosette Union, a Republican in Harlem, who considers herself a Hillary Clinton convert, and doesn't think Senator Obama has enough experience, but she does see a place for him in the race.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Here we have first-time female and African-American male, that would be some dream ticket.

SNOW: But there is a condition for Hillary Clinton say some New York Democratic leaders.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: My dream ticket is to make sure Hillary Clinton at the top of the ticket.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SNOW: And Democrats here in New York see her Senate races as preparing for her something else, the political baggage of the Clinton White House years. They say because she has faced it before, she has been vetted and scrutinized more than any other candidate -- Rick.

SANCHEZ: That's interesting you should mention that, I had a conversation not long ago, Mary, with Paul Begala and we'll discuss that part of the story. He was there in the White House while that was going on. Thanks, Mary.

SNOW: Sure.

SANCHEZ: Can she win the Democratic nomination? Many consider the former first lady the frontrunner at this point. And certainly with name recognition alone she's ahead, but the field is already getting crowded and the primaries are still way, way off. This thing, as Candy Crowley was saying, will evolve.

Joining me with analysis now, is CNN Contributors Bay Buchanan and Donna Brazile.

Hey, guys let's start with the Iraq situation, because we have learned that 18 more U.S. soldiers have lost their lives in over there.

And Donna, perhaps I should start with you, is Hillary Clinton properly positioned to win the Iraq argument, given what she's now saying and what she's said in the past?

DONNA BRAZILE, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: Look, Senator Clinton has developed a great deal of expertise on military issues. She's a member of the Armed Services Committee. She just returned from Afghanistan and Pakistan and Iraq, where she met with troops from Ft. Drum. I think she's uniquely positioned to help shape the debate on Iraq.

Mrs. Clinton this week has said we should cap the number of troops as of January 1. She has called on the president to set benchmarks for the prime minister in Iraq to ensure that our troops can successfully come home.

So I think that she is prepared for this debate and this dialogue, and more importantly, it's not about whether or not we're in Iraq. I mean, that decision was made years ago. The decision now is, when do we begin to bring our troops home in?

SANCHEZ: That's a good question. But you know, Bay that they're going to be saying, the Republicans that is, this is a woman who was in lockstep with the president at the beginning of the Iraq situation, right?

BAY BUCHANAN, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: That's exactly right. And it won't be just Republicans it will always be Barack Obama. He took a very clear position very early on, he's always been opposed to this war. Hillary has managed to have more positions on this war more than any other person alive, and then some. You can't keep up with this woman, depending on how the polls are going.

SANCHEZ: So, you're saying -- so in other words, that opens her up to the same situation that John Kerry got, you can't be with and against at the same time.

BUCHANAN: It's not just that she's been for and against. She was for it, very, very for it, very outspokenly, taking credit for a lot of the regime-change policy ideas, and then all of a sudden she starts to backpedal when she sees the polls changing. When the polls change more she backpedals more. She continues to change her position.

Then what you have is leadership. That's a person that can look at a situation, make a decision, and move on. She cannot do that. She is incapable of that. She's constantly hesitant about her position on Iraq and that is has constantly changes --

SANCHEZ: I'm just going to hold you there. Because I want to get back to Donna and ask, what kind of candidate is she going to be? We know she's got great name recognition. We know she's got a lot of money, but now you got to go out there and you have to play the game on the field, as they say. Will she be able to step up?

BRAZILE: Absolutely. Look, one of the great challenges she faced in 19 -- in 2000 when she ran for the United States Senate is whether or not she could connect with real people in upstate New York. Hillary Clinton won them over. She was able to meet with people, one-on-one, go in their living rooms, sit at their kitchen table, and really chew the fat with them.

So I think, to the extent the American people, the voters in those early states have an opportunity to sit down with her and to have a dialogue, she will win them over.

SANCHEZ: Thanks so much. Bay, 10 seconds to you. Her weaknesses as a candidate?

BUCHANAN: There is no question her weakness is she's not a natural candidate, she's not articulate, she's very programmed, manufactured. And so she has a very constructed vision. I think Barack Obama is a very natural, great communicator, that will be her downfall.

SANCHEZ: She doesn't have the jena se quoi (ph) that perhaps her husband did?

BUCHANAN: You got that right.

(LAUGHTER)

SANCHEZ: Thanks, guys, you're wonderful to talk to, we certainly appreciate it.

BRAZILE: Thank you.

SANCHEZ: The Sundance Film Festival is under way in Park City, Utah, with hard-hitting, topical movies on the screen. We'll talk to actor-producer John Cusack about his film "Grace Is Gone."

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JOHN ROBERTS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I'm John Roberts in Scottsdale, Arizona, where a little more than an hour from now we expect to be auctioning off our CNN Hummer Warrior One. This is the Hummer that took a CNN crew of four from Kuwait all the way to Baghdad in the invasion of March 2003, tagging along, embedded with the 1st Battalion of the 7th Marines.

After the initial invasion, the Hummer came back out to Kuwait. CNN was saying, well what do we do with it. The crew that rode into Iraq on it said, hey, why don't we give it to the Learning Channel show "Overhauling", which they did last summer.

They completely rebuilt it, what's called a rotisserie rebuild, from the ground up, with noted hot rod designer Chip Foose being the design chief of it. Totally transformed the look of this Hummer. Then the idea came around, to say what do we do with it now? Let's auction it off for charity.

The charity that will benefit from the money raised from this Hummer, is Fisher House, which builds a combination for the families of servicemen and women who are in hospitals, either on military bases or at VA hospitals. They have -- as of next week, they'll have 36 of these Fisher Houses in the United States, two of them in Europe, providing an invaluable service to the families of servicemen and women, particularly those who come back from Iraq these days, so horribly injured.

There are lengthy stays. Some people stay there for 12 to 18 months; couldn't afford to do it if it weren't for this charity. We'll keep on watching this. And we'll let you know a little later on tonight how Fisher House and how the CNN Warrior One Hummer did. Right now, let's go back to Atlanta and Rick Sanchez -- Rick.

SANCHEZ: All right, that makes us feel good. Thanks, John. You've done a great job on this, by the way. Kudos to you. You can find more information on Warrior One, at cnn.com, just go to cnn.com/warriorone.

You know him from such comedies as "Say Anything" and "High Fidelity." Now he has a more serious project. And we'll talk with actor John Cusack, about Iraq, interestingly enough, given the news that is going on today, and given the movie he's got coming out. We'll put it together for you -- there's John. We'll be right back.

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SANCHEZ: Welcome back to the CNN NEWSROOM.

Stars aplenty, you see some of them right there in Park City, Utah, where the Sundance Film Festival is in full swing. It's the country's top venue for independent movies and documentaries. Many tackle controversial issues like "Grace Is Gone," the story of a husband and father whose wife is suddenly killed in Iraq.

Joining us now, live from Park City, the film's star, and one of its producers as well, and you know him, of course, as soon as see his face. John Cusack, good enough to join us.

John, interestingly enough, big news day for us here, we're learning that over the past 24 hours 18 U.S. soldiers have died into Iraq. And kind of plays into it theme, I understand it's not just your movie, but a lot of the movies this year, are carrying the Iraq theme. What made you decide to do a movie about Iraq?

JOHN CUSACK, FILM PRODUCER, ACTOR: Well, I think, you know, there's not much you can do as a citizen. You can vote. You get involved politically. But as an artist, you know, you can try to be in and of your times, and the issue that seems to be dominating our times right now is America's involvement in this war, and how we get to war, and what that means.

And so I was at home and I was thinking about doing something, because I think about it, and I care a lot about it. So what can I do as an artist? What stories can I tell here?

And I remember when the White House, they put that ban on the photos of the coffins coming home. And that kind of really got my Irish going. Well, I thought, well if that's what they're going to do, then I guess my job as an artist would be to tell the story of one of the -- what happens when a coffin comes home. I mean, without an ideological or political agenda, just to really, you know, bring home the human side of war.

And as I was looking for something, a terrific young writer, and director sent me a script to my company. So it felt like, OK, I should probably go do this. And that's how it came about.

SANCHEZ: So you play a husband, whose wife is over in Iraq. She dies and now you have to try and somehow explain this to your children.

CUSACK: Yes.

SANCHEZ: I imagine you tussle with that as an actor, and as the character does as well.

CUSACK: Yeah. I -- you know, there's some terrific documentaries on it, and there's some, you know, people that you can talk to. And there are all these support groups all over the country. And we hear the stories and they come in every day, and they are so heartbreaking. So, really, it's about the grief that the character feels and how he comes to start to heal himself, again. But, yeah, that's what we tried to do.

SANCHEZ: Does the movie try and give a face? Because it's interesting when we started this conversation, you and I were talking about how you were somewhat upset that Americans don't get to see the reality of the war. And I certainly don't want to put words in your mouth, but I suppose seeing those coffins would be the reality of the war. What the families are dealing with. Is that what you try and do with this movie?

CUSACK: I think, yes. I think we try to do that. And to just put it out there as much as we can do as artists, and it's just a film. And obviously, you know, none of it -- I'm not that important and the film isn't that important. But what we can contribute is -- as artists -- to try to dramatize with as much respect and honor we can what these families are going through.

And by families, Arab families, American families, this choice to solve problems through war is -- is a -- it's like a -- the world cannibalizing itself.

SANCHEZ: John Cusack, we've got to go, because we're out of time. But we thank you for sharing that with us. By the movie is called, "Grace Is Gone". And I should mention that everything I've read about this, people who know a lot more about cinema than I do, are saying that you did a fabulous job in this movie. That they really bought into the character.

CUSACK: Oh, thank you.

SANCHEZ: Well done, look forward to seeing it. Again, it is called "Grace Is Gone" directed and starring John Cusack.

CUSACK: No, not directed by. The director is John Straus (ph). I have to admit it.

SANCHEZ: Oh, OK. You are the producer. I apologize. Big difference. Thank you, my friend.

CUSACK: Sure.

SANCHEZ: There's still much more ahead here on CNN. We're following several breaking news stories right now, including word from the U.S. military that five American soldiers were killed in an attack in Karbala. We'll have the very latest in about three minutes on this. And then, "Lou Dobbs This Week," the outrage over the lack of our presidential pardon for a pair of border agents. Lou Dobbs tells it like few can. The story and more, on Lou Dobbs right here at the top of the house.

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