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This Week in Politics
The Week's Political News Reporting
Aired February 23, 2008 - 18:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
TOM FOREMAN, HOST: This week, it's all about the silver screen. The winners.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARACK OBAMA (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I am grateful to the people of Wisconsin.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FOREMAN: And the losers.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HILLARY CLINTON (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: He's had a good couple of weeks.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FOREMAN: Barack Obama is as hot as a Hollywood star. But Hillary Clinton is still in the award contention. Yes, the Democrats are remaking "Fight Club." But will John McCain take the belt?
Plus Cuba's Fidel Castro. Dolly back, fade to black. And an original documentary when candidates attack.
From the red carpet, to the red states, it's THIS WEEK IN POLITICS right after a check of what's in the news right now.
(NEWSBREAK)
FOREMAN: To heck with Hollywood. On THIS WEEK IN POLITICS, we've got our own awards. And naturally, we call them the polis.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
OBAMA: Houston, I think we've achieved liftoff here.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
TOM FOREMAN (voice-over): Yes, after 11 box office wins in a row, Barack Obama takes the prize for best performance in a primary or caucus.
OBAMA: We hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal. Just words?
FOREMAN: But he also picked up best unoriginal screen play.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal. Just words.
CLINTON: The best words in the world aren't enough unless you match them with action.
FOREMAN: And while Hillary Clinton took the honors in the subtle attack category, she also took the poli for election night speech you really, really don't want to make.
CLINTON: This campaign goes on. And this campaign moves forward.
FOREMAN: To no one's surprise, Mike Huckabee was unbeatable for the most creative reason to continue in a hopeless cause.
MIKE HUCKABEE (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Not staying in the race hurts the GOP.
FOREMAN: The thanks, but please stop helping me poli was a tough category. Bill Clinton was in the running.
BILL CLINTON, FMR. PRESIDENT: If she wins in Texas and Ohio, I think she'll be the nominee. If you don't deliver for her, I don't think she can be.
FOREMAN: But no one could top Michelle Obama's performance.
MICHELLE OBAMA, WIFE OF BARACK OBAMA: For the first time in my adult lifetime, I'm really proud of my country.
FOREMAN: And a surprise candidate, Cindy McCain, took the award for best attack by a supporting spouse.
CINDY MCCAIN, WIFE OF JOHN MCCAIN: I'm proud of my country. I don't know about you, if you heard those words earlier. I'm very proud of my country.
FOREMAN: John McCain was not pleased to get the poli for possible past peccadillo.
JOHN MCCAIN (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I'm very disappointed in "The New York Times" piece. It's not true.
FOREMAN: But his amazing performance of the repeated use of a single phrase in one speech will almost certainly stand for years. Who does he thank?
MCCAIN: My friends. My friends. My friends. My friends. My friends. My friends. My friends. My friends. My friends. My friends. My friends. My friends. My friends. My friends. My friends.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
FOREMAN: Well, no matter how you look at this week, the Democratic and Republican races are come to go showdowns. And for the Dems, it's a high noon gun fight in Texas, between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama with very possibly the nomination on the line.
I'm joined by two veteran reviewers of political theater. A.B. Stoddard, associate editor of "The Hill" newspaper. And in Austin, Texas, our senior political correspondent Candy Crowley.
Candy, let me start with you. What does Hillary Clinton still have in her holster for this fight in Texas with Barack Obama? Seems like she's tried everything.
CANDY CROWLEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Absolutely. I mean, if I were to tell you what her best chance is, she needs him to stumble. She needed him to stumble in the debate. He didn't do that. She needs him to make a major mistake. That would probably be the best thing for giving her momentum.
I can tell you there is no sign inside the Clinton campaign that she's going to change her message. They believe in Ohio particularly, with a large working class vote, that her reaching out and saying not only am I the one that can best affect the plans that will affect your life, but I understand what the problems are. So they are moving forward with that. I don't see anything that suggests that they're going to change message at this point.
FOREMAN: One of the big things that was tried at this debate that got all the attention was this attack of sorts. Take a look at this for just a moment.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
OBAMA: The notion that I had plagiarized from somebody who is one of my national co-chairs, who gave me the line and suggested that I use it, I think, is silly.
CLINTON: Lifting whole passages from someone else's speeches is not change you can believe in. It's change you can xerox.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FOREMAN: This is something the Clintons seem to have been trying to do for several weeks now, say can we hit him and make him stumble? Can we force that stumble that Candy wants there? But it just does not seem to be paying off at all, does it?
A.B. STODDARD, "THE HILL" NEWSPAPER: No. I mean, the plagiarism charge is a pretty good one. The crowd didn't seem to like it. But the problem was he had such a good comeback prepared. I mean, for him to appeal to all these millions of people, they're voting for me, these newspapers endorsing me, they're not delusional. I mean, he was ready for it. And he won that question.
FOREMAN: So what else can she do now? She can't attack because it too often makes her look mean, and people boo at it. She can't say our plan is that different because their plans aren't that different.
STODDARD: Right.
FOREMAN: So she keeps saying it's all about experience. And people just aren't buying that. What can she do?
STODDARD: She had a choice whether or not she wanted to recraft her message. And we saw from the debate this week that she's did not recraft her message. She's going to continue to argue her case. I think the only thing she could do is, as candy mentioned, you pray for a stumble that would damage his numbers. And then, she needs to open up. I mean, whenever she opens up and she's vulnerable, she moves the undecided and she motivates the women voters.
If she doesn't do that, there's going to be a coalition crunching by Barack Obama in Ohio and in Texas.
FOREMAN: Candy, one of the things we mentioned in the run-up there was about by Bill Clinton and the comments that he made earlier in the week about the idea that if she doesn't make it happen now, it may be over. Is that something that Hillary Clinton wanted said?
CROWLEY: Well, actually, he said it would be over, which is even, you know, more off the rails. No, I don't think they wanted to put that starkly because how many times are we going to play that? If Texas goes down, or Ohio comes down.
Having said that, it's what everybody in the campaign believes, that it is going to be very difficult for her to sell the fact that she loses big states because so far it's been all about, well, I know he's won more states, but I've won all those states the Democrats really need to win -- California, New York, New Jersey, that kind of thing. If she loses here, there are plenty of people who will tell you that that's the end of it.
FOREMAN: Let's take a look at some of the things that we really want to watch on the Democratic race right now, sort of our watch points. Super delegates changing their stances. That's one thing that we want to be looking at. We want to look at Texas and Ohio, of course. Is it Clinton's last stand?
And the wild card out there. Will the race get even more personal than it has so far?
A.B., let me turn to you about this question of super delegates. It seems to me that both of them danced very carefully around questions about that right now. They don't want to anger the super delegates. They don't want to say, no, no, no, you got to count them out.
But they're both very sensitive to the notion that the party's going to come under enormous fire if the popular vote goes one way, and it's close enough that the super delegates say, no, we want the other candidate.
STODDARD: Right. And that's what they tell the voters the right thing. But behind closed doors and on the one on one telephone calls, they're both - both teams are working those super delegates hard. She needs to hold hers. She needs to get more. And he needs to get the undecideds. And he needs -- they both need them. Even though he's ahead. They both need them.
I'm with you. I don't ever see the Democratic party coming down to a decision that would be based on party pubas versus the people. It would be devastating for the party.
FOREMAN: Candy, these are tough times for some of those super delegates out there, aren't they? Because some of them now are in states where they have said she has more backing her. They've said I will back Clinton. But now their state has gone for Obama. That's not an equation that they want to be caught up in.
CROWLEY: Well, no, it isn't. And a lot of them have said, whoa, I don't want to be seen as the person that overturns what the pledge delegates are at the convention to do, which is to vote for the person who got the most votes in their district or in their caucuses.
It makes it complicated since the Democrats have this proportional dispensing of delegates. But the fact of the matter is you do have two different sides here because Barack Obama is looking at, if it comes to this, going into the convention with more pledge delegates. So over there, they're pushing the idea that, you know, the super delegates can't possibly overturn this, because this is the will of the people.
The Clinton camp behind the scenes, and you saw her dance around it at the debate, but behind the scenes, the Clinton people are arguing, wait, super delegates are there for a real reason. And they're there. And they're -- how they're feeling, and they can make a totally independent choice.
So there's real differences between how these campaigns are looking at the super delegates. And a lot of it is based on how they think they're going to come into the convention in Denver.
FOREMAN: Candy, very quickly. The polls are saying everything it seems to be about even there. Are we going to have any surprises out of Texas?
CROWLEY: Why are you asking me that? I mean, we have been wrong kind of if not consistently, a lot, to the point where I don't even know if it they're going to be any surprises.
Look, Hillary Clinton thought, her campaign still thinks that she will take Texas. If she doesn't, it will be a surprise to them.
FOREMAN: And we leave it at that. Thanks, Candy, thanks A.B. for be being here.
OK, what are the five greatest political films of all time? You make your list. We've already made ours. We'll show you in a bit.
And we'll take you where few others have gone before. Cinema veritae in a political caucus.
But straight ahead, a week for John McCain that could be mistaken for "Fight Club." And an inside look at the voters who may decide the Democratic race. Those soft spoken and reserved people down in the lone star state.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You know you want it. Give me a honk. Come on. Yes, ma'am. Yes, ma'am.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is crazy. You want me to hit you?
BRAD PITT, ACTOR: That's right.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What, like in the face?
PITT: Surprise me.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FOREMAN: As Brad Pitt says in the movie "Fight Club," how much can you know about yourself if you've never been in a fight? John McCain has been in lots of fights. And right now, he's scrapping again. "The New York Times" followed by "The Washington Post" hit him this week with front page stories suggesting he had an improper relationship with a female lobbyist. McCain's campaign calls it a liberally smear. And the candidate himself is throwing punches.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MCCAIN: I'm very disappointed in "The New York Times" piece. It's not true.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FOREMAN: So is McCain ahead on points? Or are we just waiting for the next round? Republican strategist Leslie Sanchez is standing by with us in New York now . And in Indianapolis, CNN's congressional correspondent Dana Bash is covering McCain.
Dana, overall, do the McCain folks see this as a good week or a bad week?
DANA BASH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Given the circumstances, they think it's a very good week. You know, I think Leslie would probably agree with this . If you were to look at a playbook on how to do damage control, they nailed it in the McCain campaign.
I mean, it's really actually remarkable to watch. The headline potentially was that John McCain A, had a romantic relationship with a lobbyist, and B, perhaps most importantly for his campaign, was potentially doing things with this lobbyist in terms of using his power and influence in the Senate, which goes at the heart of contradicting what his campaign is. So - but what they did in turning around, as you just mentioned, this story and making this about "The New York Times" was a two-fer for them. Number one is they made this about "The New York Times." But number two, they finally had something that allowed them to connect with conservatives.
I mean, what's a bigger enemy for the conservative base than "The New York Times." There really isn't one. I mean, even Rush Limbaugh said nice things about John McCain, which is a big first.
FOREMAN: I want to get Leslie's reaction in just a moment. But first, let's take a look at the ringside round-up of where McCain is right now, as he's trying to get ready while the Democrats keep fighting. What's he got going for him?
He's raising more cash right now. That really counts. He's rallying the base just like Dana mentions. And he's getting to take free shots at the Democrats because they're so busy fighting each other right now, they can't really hit him.
Leslie, same question then. Good week for John McCain, I guess?
LESLIE SANCHEZ: You know, in an odd way, yes, it was a very good week. It helped coalesce conservatives around a common enemy, which is "The New York Times," very much to Dana's point. But also, it got conservatives and a lot of Republicans excited about the fact that this is another case of what they think is liberal bias in the media, going after Republicans after they endorsed him. And it's definitely red meat for conservatives and moderates to be talking about.
It's also important to note that you're exactly right. John McCain is raising tremendous amounts of cash. And the base, more importantly, is getting excited about a general election, which is where the party needs to be focused. If this was going to happen at any time, this was the best time to happen.
And the other point being that there really was this kind of innuendo that there was an inappropriate relationship. And I think that's basically what destroyed a lot of the credibility among Republicans with that "New York Times" piece.
BASH: And Tom, one thing I just want to add here, though. I think it is important to point out is that, you know, John McCain, when he came out and talked to those of us who were at the press conference in Toledo where he denied everything, flatly denied everything, watching him and seeing how emphatic he was, the one thing that is important to keep in mind, because this story was largely built on anonymous sources and it's still really unclear where this is coming from, if in fact anything comes out that could contradict what John McCain did at this press conference, which is emphatically deny it, he left himself no wiggle room.
So that is the one thing to keep in mind. With no wiggle room, if anything comes out that's credible to contradict it, he could be in big trouble. FOREMAN: Well, I want to look at the bigger picture of the Republicans right now, as they head into all this. Let's look at what we should be watching for with them.
Huckabee is still hanging on. I guess we have to keep an eye on that, although it doesn't seem like it's really going anywhere. The immigration issue remains out there as a big hot button issue for them. And the wild card, questions of character.
Leslie, even if we say that what happened in this particular circumstance was not well considered by "The New York Times", and handled very well by the campaign, nonetheless, these are the kind of questions that if you say I'm the ethical candidate, I'm the one who's all about high standards that are very tough to manage. And now look, he has a congressman from his own state who gets indicted. He had nothing to do with that, but still it's tough, isn't it?
SANCHEZ: Well, no, there's no denying there's not corruption or the illusion of that in politics. I mean, I think that's like kind of like politics 101 that most people, especially people like John McCain, have built a reputation on trying to work against.
And I think if you look at the fact, John McCain's story is a personal story. It's personal character. It's his leadership. It's something he's exemplified his entire career. And that's what makes him stand out as a maverick, as somebody who's challenged Washington.
You're correct. He's built his reputation on that. And I do believe, looking at the fall, if it is someone like a Barack Obama he's contesting, then you're definitely going to see this issue of a change agent, but one that is proven and one that is not. And it's fundamentally going to come down to character, vision, and leadership.
FOREMAN: Dana, as you point out, the campaign is potentially vulnerable. The old saying, you get on a high pedestal, you have a long way to fall. Does the campaign expect to hear more of this kind of thing, whether from "The New York Times" or anybody else? Somebody's saying look at his record. Maybe he's not as great as he makes himself out to be.
BASH: You know, you never know what a campaign has in its own opposition research bank. Each campaign, Leslie knows this, has a lot. They have a lot. So they probably know - they know a lot more than we do about what to be prepared for or not to be prepared for, because they do the same thing about the other candidates.
But you know, what's interesting on the point you were just making about the whole idea of corruption and transparency, it was interesting to watch this week as John McCain tried to pivot towards Democrats, really focusing on Barack Obama, and trying to make the point that, well, wait a minute, Barack Obama says he's for transparency. He says he's for change in Washington, trying to hit him on the idea that he might be reneging on this idea of public funding, campaign spending in the general election, trying to hit him on the idea that he didn't disclose...
SANCHEZ: Right.
BASH: ...the earmarks that he got for his Senate office in 2005 and 2006. So you're seeing John McCain trying to sort of pick away at the polish that's around Barack Obama. Now that is definitely a preview of what we could see if, if Barack Obama did become John McCain's Democratic opponent.
FOREMAN: Well, Leslie, I want to wrap that up very quickly. If you were the McCain campaign right now, and you thought Obama was going to emerge, may not be Obama, what's the number one thing that you have to be looking at right now to say you don't want to suffer the same fate that at least for the moment Hillary Clinton is suffering. She's the old guard. We're the new guard. Out with the old, in with the new.
SANCHEZ: You know, so much of that has to do with Hillary Clinton herself. You know, there's no doubt. When you have one of the most polarizing figures in modern American history, it's really difficult to overcome that and be somebody who's going to show that they can bring people together.
Both Barack Obama and John McCain have talked about that. And I think in some sense proven that they are agents of kind of bipartisanship. They move that message rather effectively. I think that's what the country is interested in. So they're not going to lose on that part.
And one thing, it's going to be very difficult to define John McCain as somebody, but it's not difficult to define Barack Obama. People don't know him. He's somebody who speaks like a centrist, but policies may or may not line up. So there's a lot more identification and getting to know the real Barack Obama that's out there for the next several months.
FOREMAN: And on that point, Leslie and Dana, thank you both. We'll be talking about it I'm sure for several months. Thanks for being here.
Straight ahead on THIS WEEK IN POLITICS, the star-crossed love affair between politicians and popular music. When they hear that backbeat, they just get footloose. Stick with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
FOREMAN: One of this year's contenders for the best film award "There Will Be Blood" is about battling for the oil fields of California, but nothing can really compare to 1954's "Giant" where Rock Hudson and James Dean fought it out in Texas.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All the people sweet and strong, bad, beautiful, but busting with Texas life.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FOREMAN: And as we head into another epic confrontation in the lone star state, this time between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, let's take a look at all these people busting with Texas life. And for that, we go to Ali Velshi on the CNN campaign express.
Ali, what, you lose a bet here? Where did that hat come from?
ALI VELSHI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I got to tell you I'm here on the campus of the University of Texas in Austin with the election express. And I feel like a dime store cowboy, because I haven't seen another person wearing a hat like this, but that is the beauty and mystery of Texas, as you know very well, Tom.
This is a country in one state. I mean, people are so different. There are people here suffering because of the price of oil. There are other people who have never had it so good than when oil is at $100 a barrel.
There are people who are concerned about immigration. There are people who couldn't be less concerned. They would like more people to come in and fill the jobs. You got agriculture. You got oil. You got high tech. This is a nation in one state. And that's why this battle is going to play out in such an interesting way over the next week and a half.
FOREMAN: Well, as you talk to voters down there, do you think that that's an easy thing for these candidates to thread? Obviously, on the Democratic side, Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama desperately want as many Texans as they can get. But as you point out, there are a lot of Texans over a lot of territory.
VELSHI: Yes, you have to be very cautious in a place like this, because no one stand necessarily holds its own. So you talk about people being very successful. This is the second biggest economy in the United States. It's the second biggest work force in the United States. It's obviously the second most populous state in the United States after California.
But it is the number one exporter of all states. Why? Because of oil. So there are some people who do very well on that. But they've also seen a lot of foreclosures. There are dense urban centers in Texas. There are also a lot of ranches and farms. We've seen commodity prices up.
So no two people share the same thing. Certainly if you're in Austin, a blue city in what is often thought of as a red state, the concerns here are very different than they are in El Paso or Laredo. So this has got to be one of the toughest places for the candidates to actually be able to say what they want to appeal to voters but not anger everybody else at the same time.
FOREMAN: You say no two people feel the same. You know what? Let's take a look at what a couple of people that you talked to there. Just listen to what these voters had to say.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm supporting Hillary because I believe that we need to fix our image in the world. It's been done a lot of harm these last seven years. And I think it's going to take a senior statesman to take care of it.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That man has done more to inspire, more to not talk down to people like us, but talks to you. He talks in terms of hope. He talks in terms of inspiration. And I guess most of all, he is not a part of the Washington bull.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FOREMAN: Ali, a lot of has been made of the fact that the two different campaigns have very similar platforms. How much, when you talk to voters out there...
VELSHI: Yes.
FOREMAN: ...do you hear people simply saying just what these folks were saying? I generally like the quality she has as a human being or I generally like his.
VELSHI: What an interesting point because you're right. Particularly from the perspective that I take. I look at the economics of it. At this point, the differentiations are blurred even when you bring John McCain into the whole situation.
The issue here is what this gentleman with the beard was saying. You know, Barack Obama doesn't speak down to people like me. It's the ability of these candidates to relate to people, for people to feel like they can relate to this candidate. And this candidate will do the things that they need to have done to fix this economy and the problems that this country is facing.
It is not breaking down necessarily along lines of people saying I want to vote for this person because that's the only answer. Right now, there are passions stirred on this campus and campuses across the country. More young people are out and voting in these primaries than we've seen in recent years. So there's definitely something about being included in the process and feeling included.
And we are in a state where for a long time Texans have taken some pride in not being part of the rest of the pack. So having to appeal to Texans is a very big challenge. And you can see these candidates are hitting home with a lot of voters.
FOREMAN: Well, I certainly hope you appeal to some Texans in that hat. Hey, what's your favorite political movie, Ali?
VELSHI: I really enjoyed "Charlie Wilson's War" which I recently saw. But I must say it still goes back to "All the President's Men." I think it was a great movie with great intrigue. And it appeals to sort of the history buff in me. So I really enjoyed that.
FOREMAN: All right, thanks for joining us, Ali.
Coming up, the political fallout from Fidel Castro's long good-bye.
But first, campaigns love music. It pumps up the crowd, makes for dramatic entrances, gives you something to clap along to. Problem is some of their theme songs can be ill-considered at best, completely out of tune with their talking points at worst. We are playing the sour notes on this week's political sideshow.
Boston song writer Tom Shoals has more than a feeling he doesn't like his '70s hit song being used by conservative Mike Huckabee. After all, Shoals likes Obama. He's fired off a letter. I think I've been ripped off, dude.
Hillary Clinton has a history of bad choices ons her jukebox. Sure, husband Bill has spurred some rough headlines in this campaign but using "9:00 to 5:00" as a theme?
She has also cozied up to "Taking Care of Business", which is about a lazy rock star working at nothing all day. And in 2000, she played Billy Joel's "Captain Jack" to announce her bid for the Senate.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RUDY GIULIANI, FMR. MAYOR, NEW YORK: Captain Jack will get you high tonight and take you through your special island.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FOREMAN: Camp Clinton said it was a mistake. They meant to play "New York State of Mind" but rival Rudy Giuliani's state of mind, hit hard, hit fast.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GIULIANI: Let's say yes to drugs. I think it's a very, very dangerous message
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FOREMAN: John McCain considered the Abba hit "Take A Chance on Me" but found the rights were too expensive. No worry. It might not have happened anyway.
MCCAIN: The word gets over there to Stockholm that we're using Abba's music, it's going to be listing of U.S.-Swedish relations I'm afraid.
But the man who has already won the White House twice, President Bush, may hold a record, so to speak. In his 2000 run, he had to back down and stop using songs by Tom Petty, John Mellencamp, and Sting. Ouch.
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(NEWSBREAK)
FOREMAN: You know, there are some stories that must be true because no one would buy it in a movie. Poison milkshakes, exploding cigars, bombs in seashells, grenades in baseball games. Hey, his enemies even tried to get his beard to fall out. And none of it worked.
Fidel Castro has been in power longer than any other leader in the world. But that streak is ending. In a letter to the Cuban newspaper "Gramma", Castro announced that he will step down as head of state. Truly even Cuba is no country for old men.
The bombs may not have worked, but the political fallout could be explosive. National correspondent Susan Candiotti has been following the story from Miami. And with me here is Juan Carlos Lopez, senior correspondent for CNN in espanol.
Susan, let me start with the basic question for a great many Americans, particularly those under 40. Why does anybody care anymore about what Castro does?
SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: This is really significant because for the very first time, he has stepped down from power, took himself out of the mix, and he is the longest running dictator ever. That's why it's particularly significant in terms of history, Tom.
FOREMAN: But it's particularly resonant with the folks in Miami who have a long history with Cuba, right? It's not that Cuba itself represents some significant military threat on our doorstep or anything. It's a very small, troubled nation.
CANDIOTTI: Absolutely. And exiles here have been waiting for this moment for years. And yet when it finally came, it was sort of the denouement. He had already burst the bubble two summers ago in July of 2006, when it was announced that he was very sick and that he was temporarily ceding power. So really, he took the punch out of it, but he timed it to the parliamentary elections this day, this weekend. And so that's why it's especially significant now.
So now Juan Carlos, when we look at the rest of the nation, and particularly when we look at the rest of the Latino population here, did they care as much about this? Do they see this as a big event?
JUAN CARLOS LOPEZ, CNN EN ESPANOL: It's -- Fidel Castro is someone everyone knows about, probably through their whole lifetime. They follow him. They know who he is. They know the story of Cuba. But is it the main story that other Latinos different from Cubans focus as the main one? Probably not.
FOREMAN: Mexican people, Guatamalen people, El Salvadorans, Nicaraguans, they don't care much for Cuba, often don't care a lot for Cubans.
LOPEZ: Well, they do care for Cuba and they do care for Cubans, but they see it in a different light, in a different perspective. If you go to Latin America, Fidel Castro is seen as I different figure as he is if you go to south Florida. And there are probably some places where he is viewed negatively. But usually a lot of people in Latin America look up to Castro and look up to his revolution.
FOREMAN: Now Susan, in the area of Miami right there, what do people expect to have happen politically in this country if politicians address the issue of Castro properly? Will they win the votes of Miami? Will they win the votes of just the older folks there? Or do the younger folks care so much?
CANDIOTTI: I really think it depends on what generation, as you pointed out, you talk with. Among the older exiles here who left because of Fidel Castro, they want to see a change. Frankly, the only change they think will come is when he actually dies. And we do know that he will die one day, but he has certainly outlived nine presidents.
So they're looking for probably at this stage incremental change that will happen now that he has stepped down. They're looking to see who will take power. But in terms of who becomes the next president of the United States, that will tell the true story.
FOREMAN: And Susan one of the issues that seems to come up is some of the younger descendants of Cuban families or people with ties to Cuba seem to be more interested in the idea of changes along the way. Can they send more money back home? Can they go visit more often?
What is the answer they want to hear from these political leaders?
CANDIOTTI: Oh, they want to be able to go back far more frequently than they can now. The Bush administration actually imposed tighter restrictions. Right now, you can only go once every three years. There aren't very many people that are happy about that. And they can send less money than they ever could than before. So if they could change anything right away, that would be the first thing people would want to see something develop along those lines.
FOREMAN: Juan Carlos, let's look again, though, at the bigger Hispanic community in this country or Latino community. Is this any kind of a deal breaker? When you look at Cuba and Castro and the relationship, yes, it will have great resonance among the folks in Miami. But for the rest of the community, what are they interested in? We talk so much about immigration. We talk about Castro. What do they want the candidates to really be talking about?
LOPEZ: Education, health, the war in Iraq. Hispanic voters are not very different than other voters. So that's what they're looking for. Immigration is getting them out to go and vote and to mobilize and to look at the campaigns. And we've seen a very high participation in primaries and caucuses, but the main issues are the issues that worry other voters in the U.S.
FOREMAN: And how do they feel like they're breaking down on this? There's been a great sense that Hillary Clinton has a lot of support in the Hispanic community. Is that holding up at this point?
LOPEZ: She does. And it's been proven through the different primaries and caucuses.
The reason that people I've spoken to people all over the country of why they don't vote for Barack Obama is simply because they don't know him. Some have suggested it was a racial issue, tensions between Hispanics and African-Americans or they say no, they simply don't know him. I mean, that's what his campaign is trying to do - getting people to know him.
So when the people hear the issues, that's where they'll go. But right now they're going to Hillary Clinton. They say they know her. They know her husband. So they'd rather go with someone they know.
FOREMAN: And Susan, when the day comes that the Castros are all gone, not just Fidel but also Raul, what do people think will be so different? Do they expect in their lifetime, particularly the older Cubans, to see an open Cuba, a Cuba that is more like the one that they left so long ago?
CANDIOTTI: I think that most people agree that whatever change takes place, and they do believe that change will take place, will be very slow in coming. There's a generational shift coming certainly among the young people. That's what many exiles think here that in Cuba it will take the young people to question.
And they're already doing that. There was a meeting recently between some young people, a townhall meeting and a leader in the Cuban government. Ricardo al Racon (ph). And this young man was asking a university student I think I'll never be able to make enough money, never be able to better myself. When will I ever be able to travel outside the country?
And he didn't get a real answer on that. So they want to change to come, but everyone agrees it's going to take a long, long time.
FOREMAN: All right, Susan Candiotti, thanks so much. Juan Carlos Lopez, good to have you here. We got a lot of election in front of us. This is what we're talking about. We'll have you all back.
If politics were a movie, you know, it would be rated R. There's not much violence, not that often, but the language can be much too much for a child's tender ears. Our special report when politicians attack is coming right up.
But first, the sights and sounds inside the closed doors of a quite civilized political caucus in Hawaii.
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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Never had like this before.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You never know what to expect.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And this is to register to vote in the States.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (INAUDIBLE).
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Anyone for an Obama pin?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I thought there was going to be 30 people here. I really did. I thought it was going to be real quick.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And oh, my God. It's fantastic.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: At 7:00, you will vote.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm going for experience.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You go, girl.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: There's not enough signs here.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You know, Obama is from here. He was born here. So he's got a very large supporter group.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This is the first time I've come to a caucus.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's a little chaotic, a little crazy, but it's exciting.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We've been here from 2.5 hours. And because of the tight race, that's why it's made me come.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This is amazing. This is like Disneyland in Hawaii. Everyone's come out and everyone's excited.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, it was a long wait, but it was worth it. We made sure that our votes counted.
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FOREMAN: Sometimes tempers run short in politics. And they've been doing it all over the campaign trail. Bill Clinton mixed it up with a heckler this week. On Super Tuesday, James Dobson, influential conservative leader of Focus on the Family, declared that John McCain would be unfit to be president because "he has a legendary temper and often uses foul and obscene language."
At this week in politics, we take such accusations very seriously. So we present a short documentary entitled "When Politicians Attack."
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TOM FOREMAN (voice-over): Political invective is nothing new. In 1976, Nelson Rockefeller let protestors know they were number one. Richard Nixon's language practically melted holes in the Watergate tapes. And even President George W. Bush is known to use some spicy words.
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: There's Adam Clymer, major league (EXPLETIVE).
FOREMAN: John McCain told a fellow senator to "F-U." But Capitol Hill is a tough neighborhood. Just ask Vice President Dick Cheney or Democratic Congressman David Obie.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This that isn't good enough for you, you're smoking something illegal?
MCCAIN: Thanks for the question, you little jerk.
FOREMAN: But whether in jest or in earnest, short tempers abound.
MITT ROMNEY, FMR. PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Did you hear what I said, Glen? BILL CLINTON: We heard from you. You go away.
FOREMAN: As a species, politicians don't care much for hecklers. And security can get itchy when the palls get irritable.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Don't tase me, bro.
FOREMAN: Or irritated by the press.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Shame on you, you want another story.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Mike Ravel, he came up to me one time during a commercial break and said, you're screwing me.
MCCAIN: That old story Beach Boy song Barbara Ann. Bomb, bomb, bomb. Anyway...
FOREMAN: But few, if any, have provided as many entertaining moments as Senator McCain. And as we bid farewell to our political potty mouths, we hope for more down the trail.
MCCAIN: My response is lighten up and get a life.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
FOREMAN: Maybe it just goes with the turf.
Straight ahead, fast track. The inside story from Bill Schneider, just one member of the best political team on television. And as Larry King found out this week, no one has more credibility.
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JON STEWART, COMEDY CENTRAL HOST: There are very few organizations left that have a credibility savings account that they can draw on anymore. Except, of course, for CNN that has the best political team in television.
LARRY KING: You think we have the best political team on television?
STEWART: No. I was told I have to say that every seven minutes.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
FOREMAN: Once again, it's time for fast track. And who better for the job than a man who's faster than a speeding rumor, CNN's senior political analyst Bill Schneider. He's going to speed us from the coming attractions of the next week in politics.
Let's start off with the next big debate coming up here. What are we going to see?
BILL SCHNEIDER: Well, we might see Hillary Clinton try once again to go negative. She tried it in the debate here in Austin, Texas. Didn't work. She got booed, but she's got to do something to stop Barack Obama's momentum.
FOREMAN: A lot of talk still about a super delegate deal, something being worked out to end this deadlock between the two campaigns.
Are we going to see it?
SCHNEIDER: Who's going to do it, Howard Dean? I don't know that he has the stature. Maybe only one Democrat has that kind of stature, Al Gore.
FOREMAN: You made a point of saying that more Democrats are indeed voting in this election except in four states. Which four and why?
SCHNEIDER: Arizona, more Republicans voted. Why? They turned out to vote for one of their own - John McCain. Utah, more Republicans voted. Mormons turned out to vote in the Republican primary for Mitt Romney. But there were two other states where more Republicans than Democrats voted. One of them was Florida. The other was Michigan. Why? Because the Florida and Michigan Democratic primaries didn't count. And that's an argument Barack Obama can use to say they shouldn't be seated at the convention.
FOREMAN: And they still keep arguing about that.
And finally, John McCain's "New York Times" bounce. They jumped all over him. Will he get a push out of this?
SCHNEIDER: Well, it certainly will convince a lot of conservatives that maybe McCain is one of us. Anyone attacked by "The New York Times," conservatives believe, must be a conservative.
FOREMAN: One last question for you, real quick. What's your favorite political film of all time, Bill?
SCHNEIDER: That's easy. "Chinatown."
FOREMAN: Excellent.
SCHNEIDER: It blows the lid off of municipal corruption.
FOREMAN: There's plenty of that to have the lid blown off of. Thanks, Bill.
Coming up, we will have our top picks for the five best political movies of all time. But first, our critically acclaimed and often imitated late night laughs.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DAVID LETTERMAN, COMEDIAN: According to "The New York Times" now, John McCain may have had an inappropriate relationship with a young blond. Yes, sounds like presidential material to me.
UNIDENTFIED MALE: He had an affair with a female lobbyist for a telecom company. Apparently McCain was doing some roaming on nights and weekends. JAY LENO, COMEDIAN: Hillary Clinton still doing very well in one state. The state of denial, ladies and gentlemen.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
FOREMAN: You can't interfere with destiny. That's why it's destiny. That's a quote from the movie that leads off the list we are destined to wrap it all up with today. Our top five all-time favorite political flicks. Number five, "Election."
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You just woke up this morning and suddenly decided to run for president.
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FOREMAN: Sure it's about sex, jealousy and adolescent ambition, but isn't that what we cover every week? Number four, "Charlie Wilson's War."
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's not going to get done by ballroom sort of people in (INAUDIBLE) Hotel. It's going to get done by the CIA in Egypt and Pakistan.
FOREMAN: The newcomer on the scene but the back story of Afghanistan's war against the Soviets is an instant classic. Number three, "The American President."
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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Well, this is actually only our second state dinner. The first one was for the emperor of Japan who died shortly after. So we stopped having them for a while, just in case.
(END VIDEO CLP)
FOREMAN: Cute, funny, charming, and that's just Annette Benning. Think of a bachelor Bill Clinton without that thespian (INAUDIBLE) thing. Number two, "Wag the Dog."
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We can't have a war.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're not going to have a war. We're going to have the appearance of a war.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Let's not have the appearance of war.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FOREMAN: It's like having dinner with James Carville. Bitter, biting, full of cynicism. After all, twisting the news for political advantage never happens in real life.
And number one, "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington."
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Great principles don't get lost once they come to light. They're right here.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FOREMAN: Sure, it's old and sentimental, but heck, that's half the people in Congress. And in the end, Jimmy Stewart is what a politician should be like. And all of us, even journalists, need to believe in someone once in a while.
That's it for THIS WEEK IN POLITICS. I'm Tom Foreman. Thanks for watching. Straight ahead, "LOU DOBBS THIS WEEK."
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