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This Week in Politics
The Week's Political Events in Review
Aired July 19, 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: Fear itself ripped through the halls of power this week, fear of bank failures, fear of job losses, fear over the still raging price of gasoline. And most of all, fear that politicians will pay for all this economic turmoil.
This week panic hit the Capitol and the scramble for solutions hit high gear. But will any of these solutions really work for you? The answer's right after a quick look at what's in the news right now.
(NEWSBREAK)
FOREMAN: It may be just political folklore, but in Washington it's accepted that when we us the word recession, it's because depression is too frightening. There are technical economic definitions for each. But let's put it simply. This week, as Bob Dylan would say, you don't need a weather man to know which way the wind blows.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
FOREMAN (voice-over): And it's a hard ray of economic bad news in Washington. Construction of single family homes dropping to the lowest level in 17 years. General Motors announcing sweeping cutbacks. Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle worried about the possibility of more bank failures, airline bankruptcies, and of course, the reality of the high cost of gas.
SEN. RICHARD SHELBY (R), ALABAMA: I fear that we're sitting on a financial powder keg.
FOREMAN: At a hearing on the banking system, tough questions for the head of the Federal Reserve.
BEN BERNANKE: Our banking system is well capitalized.
FOREMAN: At a hearing on protecting mortgage giants, Fannie Mae Freddie Mac, barely contained fury.
SEN. JIM BUNNING (R), KENTUCKY: And for this unprecedented intervention in our free markets, what assurances do we get that it will not happen again? Absolutely none.
FOREMAN: The president insists the economy is not all that bad and suggests it will be even better if Democrats in Congress will just go along with plans for more oil drilling, oil drilling that until this week was banned by an executive order signed by his father.
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Now the ball is squarely in Congress' court.
FOREMAN: But Democrats are not ready to take e blame.
REP. STENY HOYER (D), MAJORITY LEADER: It's crystal clear that this administration's economic policies are demonstrably, evidently not working and have not worked for average working men and women.
FOREMAN: Polls show most voters have more trust in Democrat Barack Obama than Republican John McCain to fix the economy, but the election is not for months, months certain to be filled with economic storms.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
FOREMAN: So will these economic hard times lead to practical compromise or is it just more political posturing? To read the economic tea leaves, Gerry Seib, the assistant managing editor of "The Wall Street Journal." And to handle political prognostication, senior congressional correspondent Jessica Yellin.
Gerry, let me start with you with that basic question, what do you expect right now? Do you expect real solutions out of Congress? Or do you expect everyone to just try to cash in this fall?
GERRY SEIB, THE WALL STREET JOURNAL: Well, both, maybe, but I think you're going to have real solutions in the very short term. In other words, what the administration did this week was reach out in a fair extraordinary way to ask for more government power to make sure that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the big mortgage companies that are backed by the government, don't fail. I think they'll get that.
There was some complaining in Congress this week, particularly a couple of Republican senators, Jim Bunning of Kentucky most vocally saying this is too much power for the government. Let the markets work. But that's becoming very quickly, I think, a minority sediment. So what the administration wants, which is the ability to loan some money to even buy stock in those companies to keep them afloat, they'll probably get because it makes the markets calm down.
FOREMAN: Jessica, this is a strange thing in many ways, though, because so many Republicans in this administration have said for so long, stay out, let the markets do it. Now they're having to say the government better get involved.
JESSICA YELLIN, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, they have no choice at this point. I mean, their own constituents are going to be suffering if they don't in a big way, in a way that it's so significant, that they need to take some action.
The problem is the long-term plans, there will be no compromise on long-term legislative solutions this year. It's an election year. That's when you get gridlock when it comes to visionary policies because neither side wants to cave to the other. So...
FOREMAN: But Jessica, does this represent ultimately a philosophical change that people are going to have to grapple with here in Washington and say the years of saying the government has to stay out of business need to be over? Or are they going to say we're going to try to do some stop gap measures, but stick with that plan?
YELLIN: Well, what you hear especially Republicans saying is these are short-term fixes. Long term, the market is stable. The market will correct itself. But the government needs to make some repairs for things that have not worked in the past. So don't expect long-term Republican philosophical shift. And the Democrats want to see a very different game plan going forward.
FOREMAN: Gerry, do you buy the idea that overall things are stable? Because right now, a lot of Americans don't feel that way. They're worried about their bank accounts. They're worried about their kids going to college, worried about their houses, their jobs.
SEIB: Well, the overall economy has actually held up reasonably -- actually surprisingly well in the midst of all this, considering what's happening in the mortgage market, how much people's home values have declined.
FOREMAN: When you say it's held up reasonably well, what do you mean?
SEIB: Well, unemployment is not going through the roof. Economic growth continues at a very paltry rate, but we're not in a recession. We're certainly not in a depression. There's plenty to be worried about.
What the government really did this week, I think you have to think of what the administration did as the economic equivalent of the Powell doctrine. You know, the Colin Powell doctrine on using military force was to bring so many troops, so many guns to the field, but you don't have to use them all. That's what the Bush administration is now trying to do really on Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, bring so many government resources to the table, saying we're willing to back these institutions up, that maybe the government won't actually have to do it. They'll be enough confidence in the markets. Things will calm down. And private investors will step in so the government doesn't have to.
YELLIN: And what Gerald just said is sort of at the heart of the presidential debate. When he says that the fundamentals of the economy are strong, a lot of Democrats in this campaign are hearing that as what, are you saying we're whiners? It's the Phil Gramm comment. Are you saying that we're feeling my market -- going the market, things cost more at the grocery store, my house, it's costs more for my mortgage.
FOREMAN: But Democrats must love to hear Republicans saying that, frankly, Gerry, to hear somebody saying oh, it's basically doing OK, because they know so many voters are saying, what are you crazy? It's not okay for me.
YELLIN: It's hard -- exactly. It's hard to understand when you're getting squeezed what that means when you hear that the fundamentals of the economy are strong, that it's -- there's a philosophical difference that the people don't tap into. They're having a visceral reaction right now that the Democrats are taking advantage of.
SEIB: And there's another point here that even if you say and believe the economy's doing surprisingly well now, considering all of the forces that are working on it right now, that's today. But you haven't seen all the consequences of high energy prices work through the economy yet. And people are going to be feeling those for months and if not years to come. So even the snapshot now, if you want to say it's all right, does not mean there's not plenty of things to be worried about down the road. And I think both parties would agree on that.
FOREMAN: Economically, what was the most important thing that was done this week in Washington that could actually make a difference?
SEIB: The most important thing that was done was stepping forward and saying the government won't let Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac fail because you had...
FOREMAN: You think that's going to work, because some people don't think it is.
SEIB: Well, it had the short-term effect that it was supposed to have, which is the financial markets calm down. The combination of that plus a decline in oil prices, which may mean that the bubble has burst at least a little bit, allowed the stock market to rise, which means the markets are starting to work. And that was the big fear of the Fed and the Treasury, which is the markets need to be restored to sound stability.
FOREMAN: And Jessica, politically, what was the most important thing that happened this week with the economy?
YELLIN: Well, politically, in the realm of political stage craft, it was Phil Gramm's comment. I mean, the fact that he said that Americans are whiners, or that it's a mental recession is...
FOREMAN: It kept reverberating through the week. It was last week, but it's reverberated through.
YELLIN: Yes. And it was something Obama picked up on . And it was something that John McCain has had to deal with. The problem is it reinforces a narrative that one guy is out of touch and the other guy represents the future. And that can't stand if John McCain's going to...
FOREMAN: This was the sort of thing that destroyed the first George Bush, this sense of you don't get it? The economy's not going great.
YELLIN: Right, when he tried to -- when he was surprised by the grocery store checkout system, it was brand new to him, that as the first George Bush. John McCain cannot afford to have a repeat of that. FOREMAN: Gerry, one of the biggest mistakes of this campaign by far seems to have been John McCain making that offhand comment "I don't know that much about the economy." He actually knows a lot about it. But he's being hammered by that.
SEIB: No, it's good to keep coming back over and over, because it is not an election about Iraq now. It's an election abut the economy. That may change one more time before we get to November, but it doesn't look that way.
FOREMAN: Seems like November's close, but who knows? Gerry, Jessica, thanks for being here.
Still to come on THIS WEEK IN POLITICS, John McCain goes after the black vote. But is this a mission impossible? Are both candidates changing their strategies for Iraq and Afghanistan? And straight ahead, we'll go through the drill with Ali Velshi to see if there are any real answers to our energy nightmare.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JAY LENO, THE TONIGHT SHOW: President Bush did some research this past weekend in order to better educate himself on whether or not to drill for oil in Alaska. He said he did technical research on the latest drilling technologies. OK, he just went to see "Journey to the Center of the Earth." OK, he didn't that involved.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
FOREMAN: There are strange things done in the midnight sun by the men who moil for gold. The arctic trails have secret tales that'll make your blood run cold. The northern lights have seen queer sights, but the queerest they ever did see, Republicans heading north to Alaska in the company of Ali Velshi.
And with profound apologies to Alaskan poet Robert Service, I'm joined by the lead dog in CNN's financial news team, senior business correspondent Ali Velshi. You are going north with the Republicans to check out Anwar. What are you going to see?
ALI VELSHI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, there are a number of Republican congressmen who want to go and see what Anwar is all about, the Arctic National Wildlife Refuse, where there are a number of people who think we should be drilling for oil. There's oil under that land. There are other people who think you shouldn't touch a refuge. It's a refuge for a reason. There's environmental damage possible from drilling for oil. And that, you know, we don't need to drill just because there might be oil there.
So I'm going up there so that our viewers can get a sense of exactly what is up there, what the controversy might be, and whether it will be worth it.
FOREMAN: Why does Anwar keep coming up time and time again when there really are other reserves we've talked about, other places we can drill? Why do we keep talking about this very sensitive site?
VELSHI: Because there are some people who think why are we worried about environmental damage even if there might be some, because it is so far away. We're not displacing people, generally speaking, although that may not entirely be the case. It's mainly animals. And the idea that we might be damaging some land. There's also a very nifty pipeline right next door to Anwar, the Alaska pipeline, which is able to take oil to process and send it to the United States. And even though oil's been going down, we're still above $130 a barrel. So we're looking for oil anywhere we can get it these days.
FOREMAN: We've been talking about more offshore drilling. We talked about it in the beginning of this show. And I want to run a little bit of sound here from President Bush and Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi responding to his call that says basically we got to get back in the drilling business big time.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BUSH: It's going to take a while to get these reserves online. But it won't take a while to send a signal to the world that we're willing to use, you know, new technologies to find oil reserves here at home.
REP. NANCY PELOSI (D), HOUSE SPEAKER: Thirty-three million acres offshore are allowed for leasing. And we're saying to them, use it or lose it. You have the opportunity to drill there. When you have exhausted those remedies, then you can talk about something else.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FOREMAN: Ali, we've talked about this before. The fundamental problem here is no matter who's right in this, we're talking about years to make a difference.
VELSHI: Absolutely. And some people who want to this offshore drilling or drilling in Anwar say we should have had this discussion 10 years ago or 20 years ago. This has been going on for a long time. We're seven to ten years away from the first drop of oil if you start looking for new oil, particularly offshore. It's a highly -- it's a big technical infrastructure you need.
So there's a long term discussion that we have to have and a shorter term discussion that we have to have. The good news, Tom, is that we're having it. This election is going to come down to differences between candidates. John McCain, who says that we should be drilling offshore not in Anwar, but that we should be drilling offshore. Barack Obama who says we shouldn't be drilling offshore or in Anwar. And they've got other parts of that energy policy, which are very, very distinct. And at least voters will be able to make a decision which one they support.
FOREMAN: Do you see much evidence yet of the longer-term discussion we have to have though? Because many people have said for years, look, Jimmy Carter was the last president who really said we need an energy policy. And both parties every president since has dropped the ball.
VELSHI: Right. And when a lot of Republicans will say is it didn't work. And what a lot of Democrats will say is that Reagan came in right after that and dismantled the things that Jimmy Carter was supposed to do. Again, there's a lot of dispute about that.
The market is going to help come up with better solutions, because as oil is this expensive, it makes it viable to look for alternatives. So some economists worry that the worst thing that can happen right now, Tom, is that oil does start to drop and moves back toward $100 a barrel, and gas goes down to $3.50 or $3.00 a gallon Because right now, we're backed into a corner. And we're going to get creative. If we're not backed into a corner, we've been a little bit complacent. This is a country that is built on the price of gas. And it's been cheap.
FOREMAN: Very quickly, a quote from Representative John Peterson, a Republican from Pennsylvania. He said this week, "[The energy problem] is more important and threatening to America's future than terrorism."
Do you buy it, Ali quickly?
VELSHI: Definitely something a lot of people have been saying. We have had people calling for this to be a national emergency to be treated as a war, to be treated as a new Manhattan project or a race to the moon. It's definitely a growing sentiment. And as we get closer to November, if oil remains this high, you'll hear a lot more people saying this is the number one concern.
FOREMAN: All right, Ali, keep your boots on and don't get run down by the caribou. Thanks for joining us.
Coming up, the battle for the black vote. Can John McCain cut into Barack Obama's lead?
And President Bush, what can he do about the economy now that he is a lame duck? Yes, in January, he'll be on the pavement thinking about the government. Sound familiar? It ought to. It's from subterranean home sick blues.
And that brings us to this week's political side show.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
FOREMAN (voice-over): One of the first music videos ever starred Bob Dylan in the opening to the 1967 movie "Don't Look Back." Fast forward some 40 years
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Tell House Democrats, hands off the Internet.
And we find Republican Congressman Thaddeus McCotter (ph) protesting a rule barring congressmen from posting videos on Youtube by hosting a video on Youtube.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Be freedom, before Democrats turn your screen.
FOREMAN: While McCotter was busy preparing his flash cards, Congress was hard at work.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (SINGING) I should have been a cowboy I should have learned to rope and ride.
FOREMAN: Yes, with rising gas prices and a war in Iraq, the House overwhelmingly passed the cowboy resolution. July 26th will now be recognized as the National Day of the Cowboy.
And believe it not, the house is late to the hoe down. The Senate has recognized Cowboy Day each of the last four years.
(MUSIC)
FOREMAN: But if country music is not for you, perhaps the latest pop album from France will tickle your fancy. Carla Bruni Sarcozy, the former model turned French First Lady, has finally released her third album.
Sounds sweet, doesn't it? Yes, but here's the translation. "You are my drug, more deadly than Afghan heroin." Ah oui, libere France. We'll be back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
FOREMAN: Despite what Jay-Z says, this week was anything but politics as usual. As Republican John McCain made a heartfelt appeal to black voters, but can he gain ground when new polls show blacks and whites are still seeing the world and politics in very different ways?
To discuss all this in our New York bureau, Keli Goff, the author of "Party Crashing: How the Hip Hop Generation Declared Political Independence". And with me in Washington, Brian Debose, a long time political reporter, now writing editorials for "The Washington Times".
Keli, let me start with you with a really basic question here. Does John McCain stand a chance with black voters?
KELI GOFF, AUTHOR, "PARTY CRASHING": Sure, probably with the same number that George W. Bush stood a chance with, which is about less than 10 percent, between 10 and 12 percent. I don't see him exactly taking the black electorate by storm. But look, he showed as he said in his remarks to the NAACP, he's running for the office. So he should appeal to their votes. And that's what he's trying to do is trying earn their votes, just like he would all -- like he is all voters.
FOREMAN: I want to look at one of the polls that we've had recently from "The New York Times" about this registered voters choice for presidents. For Obama, 89 percent of the black population wants him. Only 2 percent want McCain. When you look at this, Brian, the numbers are very much stacked against McCain in terms of getting the black vote, but they don't look so great for Obama with the white vote either? BRIAN DEBOSE, THE WASHINGTON TIMES: No, they don't. I mean, McCain has no shot at getting the black voters even in a traditional year, I'd say traditional because this is the first time this has happened with a white Democrat running. McCain would be facing an onslaught of 90 percent of the black vote to 85 percent of the black vote going against him.
But with Obama's position can change. And there were some indications that that might happen is week, whether or not the Jesse Jackson flap between...
FOREMAN: Sure.
DEBOSE: ...Senator Obama and himself is going to sort of help convince white voters that he is not a status quo civil rights leader running for president.
FOREMAN: Yes. Is this vote, Keli, basically coming down truly along just as historic racial first here? Or is it -- because certainly I know plenty of black people who do not necessarily ascribe down the line to Democratic views. Many who see good in Independent views and Republican views.
GOFF: Right, but I have to say that I think that this sort of simple -- well, I just have to say a couple things. One, remember about more than a year ago where people like me were doing interviews about why Barack Obama was "not black enough" and why he couldn't seem to lock down support in the black community?
FOREMAN: Sure, sure.
GOFF: And then here we are, more than a year later. And it seems somehow the narrative has changed in the media well of course he's winning the black vote. He's the black candidate.
And I think that's a little insulting to black voters. I mean, I do think that the issue of pride, I'm sure, plays a role among some voters. But I also think that, you know, John McCain, with all due respect, voted against the Martin Luther King holiday more than once early in his career. And while it's a position that he has denounced, you know, I think that's a bit of a hurdle. Call me crazy. It could be a bit of a hurdle. Just throwing it out there.
FOREMAN: So let me turn to Brian to jump in. So you're saying this isn't -- even though we're only talking about 2 percent, but there are genuine policy issues that John McCain has hurt himself on in your view?
DEBOSE: Yes, particularly the issue with the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday. And you really have to remember this was 20 years ago. The votes went from 1983 all the way up until 1993. There was a ten- year list of votes that occurred on the commission for the holiday, events for the holiday, funding for the holiday, establishment of the holiday. He voted against every single one of them. And there's not a single black voter who has interest in politics that does not know that. GOFF: Brian, I don't envy the McCain campaign if they try to make an ad explaining what you just tried to explain. I'm sorry, I'm just telling it like it is. Now I think...
FOREMAN: But Keli, let me mention. You mentioned McCain's speech this week. And I want to run little clip of it, the very moment that you were talking about, where he asked the black community to listen to him, at least.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOHN MCCAIN (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I'm a candidate for president who seeks your vote and hopes to earn it. But whether or not I win your support, I need your goodwill and your counsel.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FOREMAN: Brian, how much does that count for?
DEBOSE: I think it counts for a little. I mean, you know, the NAACP was very upset with George Bush, because he didn't -- he showed up when he campaigned. Then he didn't show up for six years. And he only showed up in 2006 after Hurricane Katrina. That was sort of a slap in the face even by anyone's normal standards.
McCain on the other hand, he showed up in 2000. He was invited last year to speak, but obviously he couldn't. He had some campaign troubles. And then he came this year. The NAACP is always hopeful that the president is going to at least show them some respect in terms of listening to what they have to say and in terms of listening to the issues.
Now however, the speech McCain gave, it's sort of up in the air with black voters, particularly in the nation's capitol with charter schools, and voucher programs to send your children to private schools if you're in a failing school community. Black voters and the black community in general is not sure that's the answer just yet, although more and more people are coming around.
FOREMAN: Keli and Brian, with that we're going to have to leave it there. And we'll pick up the conversation further down the line. Thanks so much.
DEBOSE: Thanks.
FOREMAN: Before we go on, a quick program note. Tonight, CNN's Soledad O'Brien hosts a far-reaching dialogue with black leaders. CNN and "Essence" magazine present "Reclaiming the Dream." That's tonight at 8:00 p.m. Eastern. Don't miss it, a terrific show.
Coming up next on THIS WEEK IN POLITICS, the candidates battle over how to face a world in crisis. Perhaps they should take a lesson from the Japanese politicians as seen in this week's viral videos.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) FOREMAN (voice-over): From what we can see, politics in Tokyo is a lot like it is right here at home. Although maybe a bit more honest. John McCain goes for the robot vote in this homemade effort.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What is it? What did I say?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Don't worry, sir, it's their liberal programming.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Remember,change begins with each of us.
FOREMAN: There's a lot more pizazz over at theonion.com. They're in search of no value voters.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We want to be able to look at a candidate and truly believe they have no soul.
(SINGING)
FOREMAN: And there was another video from JibJab, but you probably already seen that one. Hey, wait minute who's that good looking guy getting poked? I've got to drop out for a second, but we'll bounce right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(NEWSBREAK)
FOREMAN: Barack Obama in Afghanistan this weekend in a surprise visit to get a look at the situation and a picture of the road ahead from the commanders on the ground. But even before he left the United States, the week was marked by political firefights between the two candidates over the future facing U.S. troops in Iraq and Afghanistan.
To give us a briefing on the problems facing the next commander in chief, "Washington Post" political reporter Ann Kornblut is in our Chicago bureau. And with me in our Washington studio is CNN's Barbara Starr on temporary leave from her Pentagon post.
Barbara, let me start with you and this attack this week in Afghanistan. This was a very serious matter.
BARBARA STARR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: This was one of the most deadly attacks during the war, they say the most deadly in three years. Nine U.S. troops lost their lives in a brutal firefight against more than 200 Taliban insurgents.
The question on table is, was this an intelligence failure? How could these young U.S. troops be put in a position where they didn't know these insurgents were sneaking up on them seven years into the war? What is going on in Afghanistan? That's a big question for McCain and Obama.
FOREMAN: And what is the answer to that at the Pentagon right now, Barbara? STARR: Well, the answer is Afghanistan is now literally front and center. Insurgents for weeks, if not months now, have been crossing in from Pakistan unstopped, undetected, unchallenged in larger and larger numbers. And the top U.S. commander on the ground in Afghanistan responsible for the U.S. sector says he doesn't have enough troops. It's beginning to sound a lot like Iraq a couple years ago.
FOREMAN: And with the economy taking up so much of the headlines now, the question about the war and how we prosecute either one of these wars, I guess, really becomes very dicey for both Obama and McCain right now, would you say?
ANNE KORNBLUT, THE WASHINGTON POST: Well, it remains important, not nearly as important as the economy, though, as you point out. So while Obama is focusing on trying to improve his standing to be seen as a plausible commander in chief, that's really important for his campaign, they don't want to do that at the expense of talking about the economy.
McCain, same kind of balance that he's trying to strike. We've seen him recently have days where he hoped to talk about the economy, but had to talk about Afghanistan because of events on the ground. So they're both trying to balance this and not do it - not take up time when they should be talking about the other issue with the other one.
FOREMAN: And yet this is incredibly important. Listen to what Obama had to say this week. His main line of attack has been to say that both Iraq and Afghanistan have been prosecuted very badly by George Bush and by proxy by John McCain and the Republicans. Let's listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
OBAMA: George Bush and John McCain don't have a strategy for success in Iraq. They have a strategy for staying in Iraq. They say we couldn't leave when violence was up. And they now say that we can't leave when violence is down.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FOREMAN: John McCain is hitting right back, saying basically that his assessment of things -- Obama's assessment, is just fundamentally wrong. Listen to this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MCCAIN: Senator Obama will tell you we can't in win Afghanistan without losing in Iraq. In fact, he has it exactly backwards. It is precisely the success of the surge in Iraq that shows us the way to succeed in Afghanistan.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FOREMAN: Barbara, in military terms, who's right? STARR: Well, they both are, but you know, my colleague at "The Post," Anne is the one who's really right. What she just said is the fundamental bottom line here. Events on the ground in both war zones between now and election day are unpredictable, cannot be controlled. And you know, God forbid, there's a major attack against U.S. troops in either war zone.
That's going to be the big news. And that's what's going to drive things.
The economy, of course, is front and center, but what we have seen over the last several days, as the violence has ticked up in Afghanistan, that's become an issue on the campaign trail. And we see both candidates clearly responding by trying to drape themselves in the mantle that they're the best commander in chief. So it, again, it's a events on the ground in the war zone that can shift the debate.
FOREMAN: In some ways, Anne, it seems like Obama faces a bit of a higher hurdle on this in part because he's talked so much about the idea of getting disengaged over there. And yet, events may very well dictate that the first thing he has to do is send more U.S. troops overseas.
KORNBLUT: That may be the case. But I would say if you take a step back and look at Afghanistan over the long term, we're having a lot of the same discussions we actually had during the 2004 campaign, which was why didn't this front go well from this get-go? This was the front after 9/11. Osama bin Laden still hasn't been caught. We heard John Kerry use that actually, even though he lost the election, to great effect in 2004. So in general, when you're talking about Afghanistan, Democrats feel like they have the edge because that war should have been long over.
FOREMAN: Well, Anne, how is he going to make this fly with the anti-war wing of the party which has been very, very upset that even the Democrats in Congress haven't done more to stop it, if the first thing he has to do is say, I would like to reduce our troops overseas, but in fact, I'm going to have to increase them?
KORNBLUT: Well, that's a really good point. We've seen even in our own polling, that while people on balance feel that the war in Afghanistan is more worth it than the war in Iraq -- which is, of course, a very hard thing to measure -- there are still a lot of people who don't think the war in Afghanistan is worth it. About 50 percent still think it's a dicey war to be fighting. So he's going to have to make that case. He still has to answer to the anti-war base of his party, which really helped him get the nomination in the first place. And he can't be seen entirely as tacking to the center for the general election by sounding hawkish in some kind of phony way. He needs to really convince them this is necessary in order to get all the troops on both fronts home.
FOREMAN: It seems like he really has to convince an awful of voters, too. Look at one of our latest polls here. The question was which man would make a good commander in chief for the military? John McCain, 72 percent of the people think so. Barack Obama, only 48 percent.
Barbara, how do numbers like that resonate in the Pentagon, because the simple truth is not all presidents have the same kind of military experience. And military men must see that in a certain way? How do they see these kind of numbers and experience?
STARR: I think they do see that. I think you're dealing with a generation in the military that has seen an awful lot of combat now. But it is also, if you will, the high-tech generation. The commanders, the battle commanders are men. But they have grown up in the last several years in the technology age.
So I think they understand that not everyone serves in combat. Vietnam, Senator McCain's experience is absolutely revered. There is no question about it. But is that the be-all, end-all? That may be the real question in this campaign when you talk about the commander in chief factor. Is Vietnam enough to make John McCain the guy? Will Senator Obama have to find a way to get past that?
FOREMAN: And very quickly, Anne, do you think Obama can get past that? Or do you think this is a number he's going to be pretty much stuck at? Half the people think he's good for the job, others thinking maybe not in military terms.
KORNBLUT: I can tell you his campaign is working to improve that. They don't know that they can overtake McCain, but they do hope to reach a certain threshold where he's at least competitive on that score.
FOREMAN: All right, Anne and Barbara, thanks so much for being here to talk about a very important issue. And of course, our thoughts always with our troops.
Straight ahead, what's the future hold for a lame duck president? Coaching kids baseball might not be an option. If you're confused, well you won't be after a look at the other news in THIS WEEK IN POLITICS.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
FOREMAN (voice-over): We start with some news from Europe. Great apes appear to be on the verge of gaining civil rights at least in Spain. A parliamentary committee is expected to rule that chimpanzees and gorillas have the right to life, freedom from arbitrary capture, and protection from torture. But can they vote?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We have been considering what we can do.
FOREMAN: So what's the first thing you think of when you see Britain's Prime Minister Gordon Brown?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Why did you betray your own heart?
FOREMAN: Yes, of course, Heathcliff, the uncouth heartthrob in "Wuthering Heights." At least that's what Brown told a British magazine, an older wiser Heathcliff. We don't see it, but then we're not British.
And finally back to the USA and the national pastime.
(SINGING)
FOREMAN: Yes, we're talking about T-ball. At the White House, the players get to meet the president after the game. And we can't tell if 5-year-old Emily was scared of the president or that enormous mascot. Don't you run away. We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
FOREMAN: The Grateful Dead's classic "Friend of the Devil." Now that turns us to our devil's dictionary. And today, the term in our devil's dictionary is lame duck. Definition? A politician whose decisions become the next guy's problems.
So from energy to oil to foreign policy, what can we expect from the remaining term of President George W. Bush? Joining me is CNN's White House correspondent Ed Henry who, if history is a guide, will also be replaced in January. Why is that? All of the news organizations get rid of the head White House guys when a new president comes in?
ED HENRY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: They don't always get rid of them. Maybe you could put in a good word for me, Tom.
FOREMAN: You deserve to stay there.
HENRY: All right, thank you.
FOREMAN: Your administration can go on and on and on.
HENRY: I appreciate the vote of confidence.
FOREMAN: OK, what's the first thing on the agenda for the Bush administration now? They know their power's getting weaker. What are they still trying to accomplish?
HENRY: The economy, the economy, the economy. There's a lot of foreign policy issues, obviously, but that is the most pressing issue for the American people. It's the most pressing issue out on the campaign.
President once again this week at a press conference said I don't have a magic wand but you can almost hear, you know, to fix it, but you can hear John McCain in the background almost whispering abra- kadabra, Mr. President. He needs the president to try and do something in the final six months. The fact is presidents don't really have that much power to turn the economy on a dime, as you and I well know. But John McCain is hoping the president can do something in the short term to try to shake this up.
FOREMAN: I want to run that little bit of sound you just mentioned there when the president talked about difficulties in doing much about this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BUSH: There is no immediate fix. This took us a while to get this problem. There's no short-term solution. If I had a magic wand, but the president doesn't have a magic wand. You can't just say "low gas." It took us a while to get here. And we need to have a good strategy to get out of it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FOREMAN: You know, he doesn't have a magic wand. He doesn't have a lot of support right now. This week, you could hear the thunder of Republicans running away from him. Medicare bill, he vetoed it. The Republicans paired with the Democrats and overrode his veto.
HENRY: Sure the rescue plan for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, not a lot of Republicans on the Hill excited about that. Some conservatives think it's a bailout. That's a big part of trying to deal with the economy.
And I think the president is also finding that while this week he lifted the executive ban on offshore drilling, right now, the Democrat speaker Nancy Pelosi like I said are really making sure that they block any effort for offshore drilling.
So the president's effort at a so-called magic wand to deal with energy, nothing coming in the short term there. But the Republicans are hopeful that public pressure is building on the Democratic leaders to allow offshore drilling because American people are so upset about this high gasoline.
FOREMAN: Another big issue for this president. For a long time now has been the war. And the question that this is the big cornerstone issue, even though the economy's come to the front right now.
He said some things about this week, too, about the notion that people are tired of the war. Listen to this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BUSH: I understand exhaustion. And I understand people getting tired. And -- but I would hope that whoever follows me understands that we're at war. And now's not the time to give up in the struggle against this enemy.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FOREMAN: Does this White House still believe that somehow in history, people will look back and say, George Bush was not foolish, but he was brave and strong to stand for this war?
HENRY: They absolutely hope that. They absolutely believe that he'll eventually be vindicated. History will determine that eventually. But it's not just about the war singular. It's wars. And that is the big thing we saw once again. We were reminded about it this week. The president showing indications now that maybe he'll start accelerating bringing more U.S. troops home from Iraq.
But there's that second war people forget about in Afghanistan. And things are not going well. In fact, they're going worse in Afghanistan than in Iraq. So a lot of the U.S. troops may be coming home from Iraq, but more U.S. troops may be going to Afghanistan. The defense secretary said this week he wants to get more in there sooner rather than later.
So this is yet another headache for the administration. As the see success Iraq, there's more trouble in Afghanistan.
FOREMAN: Very quickly, I want to bring up this poll here. The president's approval rating has just been awful. His disapproval rating , 69 percent. The approval rating, 28 percent. Terrible ratings, though.
The simple truth is this can't be something that he's bulletroof about, even though he says he doesn't pay attention to it.
HENRY: Sure.
FOREMAN: It must matter.
HENRY: And they're fully aware of it. And where it really matters, Tom, is the fact that he has limited juice on Capitol Hill with the Democratic Congress. Sure, the president did get his war funding bill without strings attached. That was a big deal. He got his domestic surveillance bill. But beyond that, he's not going to get very much at all. Immigration reform, any sort of health care reform, a lot of things the president talked about, they are dead. He's not going to get anything else on the domestic agenda basically for the rest of the year.
FOREMAN: I suspect a lot of speeches and waves good-bye. Thanks, Ed.
HENRY: Thank you.
FOREMAN: Good to have you here. Coming right up, fast track, the 100-yard dash of political reporting and late night laugh where quick wits are required. Here's a preview. Jon Stewart comparing the president to the chairman of the Federal Reserve.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JON STEWART: I mean, it's such an interesting dynamic. One is like a glass half full kind of guy. And the other is an expert on the economy.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK) FOREMAN: It's time for fast track, everything you need to get through the next week in politics. And hopping on his moped over here is CNN senior political analyst Bill Schneider.
Congress leaves for August recess in about two weeks. What do they have to tend to before that?
BILL SCHNEIDER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Energy, the voters are saying do something. Democrats say OK, we're going to pass a law that will curb speculation in oil futures. Republicans say OK, we're going pass a law that expands oil drilling off the coasts. Experts say neither one of those may make a whole lot of difference. But at least they'll be doing something.
FOREMAN: Senator Obama is certainly doing something. Everyone's buzzing about it. A trip to the Middle East and to Europe. How is John McCain going to counter all of those headlines?
SCHNEIDER: Well, John McCain says he believes that politics stops at the waters' edge. But they point out when McCain went overseas, he got a lot of criticism from the Democratic party and from the Obama campaign. So they said they feel no restrictions about drawing contrasts. That's the polite term now for negative campaigning.
And this falls into the big surprise category, but apparently these two campaigns are not generating the same amount of enthusiasm.
SCHNEIDER: A big difference here. The latest "USA Today"/Gallup poll shows two-thirds of Obama's voters say they're more enthusiastic than usual about voting this year. Only half that many, fewer than half that many McCain supporters feel enthusiastic. The Obama voters are pumped. That can scare some people. They get nervous about a movement like that. You know what? When voters want change, they may take a chance
FOREMAN: Bill Schneider, thanks so much for being here.
In just a moment, some trips that created some rumbles.
But first the laughs that go bump in the night.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oil's at nearing $140 a barrel. It's getting so that to fill your gas tank, you have to take out a mortgage from the bank if you can still find a bank that's in business.
CONAN O'BRIEN: Barack Obama is planning a trip to visit Iraq and several other Middle East countries. Yes. Obama says he's excited about the trip, mainly because he's looking forward to meeting other people named Barack Obama.
JAY LENO: According to the latest Reuters/Zogby poll, 10 percent of Americans are giving President Bush's economic policy the thumbs up. The other 90 percent using a different finger. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
FOREMAN: With Barack Obama and a host of network anchors off on a world tour, let's look back to those times when a politician's trip really made news. In 1906, Teddy Roosevelt became the first sitting president to leave the United States. Imagine that, checking up on construction of the Panama Canal.
Woodrow Wilson, always a fun lover. Was the first president to visit Europe, attending the peace conference that ended World War I. Herbert Hoover did a grand tour of Latin America, before his inauguration. He was traveling by battle ship. So it took more than a month.
FDR was the first president to visit Africa, holding a war-time conference in Casablanca and stopping by Liberia on the way home. And finally, Dwight Eisenhower was the firs president to visit the Far East, Korea, China, and Afghanistan, where he met with King Muhammad Zahir Shah. A lot has changed since that visit in 1960, and not all for the better.
That's for THIS WEEK IN POLITICS. I'm Tom Foreman. Thanks for watching. Straight ahead "Lou Dobbs This Week."
