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Lou Dobbs Tonight
Missing E-mails Scandal; Brazen Attack: Defiance After Iraq Parliament Building Bombing; Battle-Ready Aircraft?
Aired April 13, 2007 - 18:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KITTY PILGRIM, HOST: Tonight, Democrats blast the White House over missing Republican e-mails. Is the White House breaking its own rules about preserving electronic communications?
We'll have a live report.
Another state is trying to legitimatize illegal aliens by giving them the right to drive legally in this country.
We'll have a special report.
And the Rutgers women's basketball team accepts an apology from Don Imus, but that apology does nothing to end the controversy overly racism and sexism in America.
We'll have that story, much more, straight ahead tonight.
ANNOUNCER: This is LOU DOBBS TONIGHT, news, debate and opinion for Friday, April 13th.
Live in New York, sitting in for Lou Dobbs, Kitty Pilgrim.
PILGRIM: Good evening, everybody.
The mystery over missing White House e-mails deepened today. It turns out the White House may have lost many more emails than it has publicly acknowledged.
Meanwhile, Iraqi lawmakers are defiant after the suicide bomb attack on the Iraqi parliament, but insurgents have continued to attack our troops. Another four soldiers have been killed in combat in the past 24 hours.
Ed Henry reports on new questions about missing White House e- mails.
Arwa Damon reports on the political impact of the bomb attack on the Iraqi parliament.
And Jamie McIntyre reports on new aircraft the Marine Corps is sending for -- into battle for the first time.
We turn to Ed Henry first -- Ed.
ED HENRY, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Good evening, Kitty. There already were sharp questions about whether or not top White House aides had misused Republican political e-mail for official business, whether those e-mails also went missing, but now new allegations that perhaps official White House e-mail was lost, which could ratchet the pressure on the administration.
(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)
HENRY (voice-over): Even as Democrats have Karl Rove in their sights over Republican National Committee e-mail that may have disappeared, fresh signs there could be a much bigger problem -- missing e-mail from the White House itself. A new report by a liberal watchdog group charges that over a two year period, official White House e-mail traffic for hundreds of days have simply vanished, in possible violation of the federal Presidential Records Act.
MELANIE SLOAN, CITIZENS FOR RESPONSIBILITY & ETHICS: There were, between March of 2003 and October of 2005, apparently over five million e-mail that were not preserved. And these are e-mail on the regular White House server.
HENRY: White House Spokeswoman Dana Perino stressed there is no indication the e-mails were intentionally lost. But she was careful not to dispute the group's allegations.
DANA PERINO, DEPUTY WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: I'm not taking issue with their conclusions at this point. We're checking into them. And, again, you know, there's 1,700 people in the executive office of the president. Allegations that there could be days -- whole days missing -- and what I'm saying is we're looking into that.
HENRY: In fact, Patrick Fitzgerald, the special prosecutor in the CIA leak case, disclosed last year that some White House e-mails in 2003 were not saved, as standard procedure dictated. In a January 2006 letter to the defense team of former White House aide Lewis "Scooter" Libby, Fitzgerald wrote: "We advise you that we have learned that not all e-mail of the office of vice president and the executive office of president for certain time periods in 2003 was preserved through the normal archiving process on the White House computer system.
Democrats charge this raises questions about whether the public has gotten the full story on everything from the CIA leak case to the fired U.S. attorneys controversy.
SLOAN: Here is a White House that is deliberately violating an existing statute that requires them to preserve all records. And we have significant evidence now, both from the RNC e-mail and the White House e-mail that are missing, that the White House was using every means possible to avoid complying with the law.
(END VIDEO TAPE)
HENRY: Now, Robert Luskin, Karl Rove's personal attorney, told CNN today that his client always believed his RNC e-mail was being archived and he did nothing wrong. But as for White House e-mail, Rove's attorney says he believes the special prosecutor that, in fact, there was a gap in White House e-mail, which could obviously be a problem for the administration -- Kitty.
PILGRIM: Ed, we have another point. Another flare-up for the White House, the dispute with the Democrats over war funding.
Now, how is that playing out politically? And, also, is there any chance of getting that resolved next week?
HENRY: Very little chance. In fact, there's been almost no progress in the negotiations, and they're pretty much nonexistent at this point in terms of trying to get what the president is calling a clean bill, without the conditions for pulling out U.S. troops.
In fact, the president on Monday is going to try to hammer the Democrats once again with an event here at the White House talking about this war funding issue. The question is whether the Democrats are -- whether it will backfire on them politically by going so far on this issue. The president certainly hopes so, but right now, obviously, given his poll numbers, he is in some trouble himself -- Kitty.
PILGRIM: Thanks very much.
Ed Henry.
Well, the U.S. military says one person was killed in yesterday's suicide bomb attack against the Iraqi parliament. The military originally said eight people were killed. Iraqi lawmakers today said the attack will unite all Iraqis.
Arwa Damon reports from Baghdad.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ARWA DAMON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Kitty, the suicide bombing really penetrated the very core of the Iraqi government, its parliament, leaving one of its members dead.
(voice over): Some members cried. Flowers graced the chair that Mohammed Awa (ph) will never occupy again. Members of Iraq's parliament meeting in an emergency session to commemorate his death and defy the terrorists.
Nada Ibrahim, a member of parliament, was treated at an American medical facility in the Green Zone. She gave an emotional testimony, saying she was reminded of ordinary Iraqis living the violence daily without access to the same medical facilities.
Speaking to us, she said she hoped the attack would force Iraq's leadership to get its act together.
NADA IBRAHIM, IRAQI LAWMAKER: We should stop telling each other lies about, you know, the situation -- it's very good, and we are living in, you know, a marvelous situation. It is bad, but it is not too late to find a way to get out of it. DAMON: The main step many here say is for the government to genuinely come together.
BARHAM SALEH, IRAQI LAWMAKER: We have to be one to face this challenge and to confront this evil. I think this is a very powerful message, and we have to go on, and we have to enhance our security arrangement.
Defeat is not an option for us. We cannot afford to fail in this battle. We have to win, and we have no option but to win, and we will win.
DAMON: Strong words that were echoed by multiple speakers in parliament this day, a rare show of solidarity. The unprecedented the breach of security appearing to unite rather than divide.
(on camera): The attack took place just on the other side of this wall, and a day later the devastation remains. There are still pieces of flesh, blood stains on the carpet, shards of glass everywhere. And a thick layer of dust covering everything. The area has now been sealed off as a crime scene.
(voice over): A crime the Islamic State of Iraq, an umbrella group led by al Qaeda, claimed credit for, one the Iraqi government is determined to solve.
The suicide bomber attack was a bitter lesson. Amidst multiple calls to stand together, a sense among some here that perhaps this will force Iraq's leadership to finally turn rhetoric into action.
(on camera): Many Iraqis are now wondering if that is actually possible -- Kitty.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
PILGRIM: Arwa Damon reporting from Baghdad.
Now, the military says five of our troops were killed in Iraq yesterday, four in combat, one in a non-battle-related cause.
Fifty-one of our troops have been killed in Iraq so far this month, 3,298 troops since the war began. 24,645 of our troops have been wounded, 11,030 of them seriously.
The Marine Corps is sending a revolutionary new aircraft into battle in Iraq. Now, the Marines say the V-22 Osprey will be were harder to shoot down than helicopters, but there are serious questions about whether the Osprey is ready for battle.
Jamie McIntyre reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JAMIE MCINTYRE, CNN SR. PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT (voice over): After almost 20 years, and more than $50 billion, the Marine Corps says its revolutionary heliplane, the V-22 Osprey, is reporting for duty.
GEN. JAMES T. CONWAY, U.S. MARINE CORPS COMMANDANT: I'll just say that the quantum leap in technology that this aircraft will bring to the fight has been a road marked by some setbacks.
MCINTYRE: The setbacks include two deadly crashes in 2000 that killed 23 Marines. That almost doomed the program, but the Marine Corps stuck with the V-22, improved the design, and says it now fills a critical need.
(on camera): The appeal of the V-22 is that it combines the best of both worlds. It can hover like a helicopter and fly like a plane.
These 38-foot rotors can move from this vertical position to a horizontal in just 12 seconds, taking it from a helicopter that might fly 100 miles an hour to a plane that can fly in excess of 300 miles an hour. Now, that gives it a lot more range than, say, this old Vietnam-era CH-46.
(voice over): This fall, the first squadron of 10 V-22s will deploy to Iraq's dangerous Anbar Province, where American helicopters have been a favorite target of insurgents. But the marines insist the faster, more maneuverable hybrid aircraft will be much harder to shoot down than the old CH-46 Sea Knight.
LT. GEN. JOHN CASTELLAW, U.S. MARINE CORPS: It's twice as fast, going 240 knots. If you've ever gone rabbit hunting, you know that it's harder to shoot a rabbit that's running than the one that's sitting still.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MCINTYRE: Now, critics worry that the complicated avionics that allow the plane to go from helicopter to aircraft mode could be too unforgiving in a combat situation, but the pilots who fly it swear that it's a breeze to fly because of the computer-assisted flight controls. But, Kitty, that debate is going to be settled in the crucible of Iraq.
PILGRIM: It certainly will.
Thanks very much.
Jamie McIntyre.
Still to come, the Bush administration says it's standing up for working Americans in trade disputes with China, but is the White House really just standing up for some of its friends in big business?
Also, one of President Bush's closest political allies faces a scandal over favoritism and money at the World Bank.
And the Rutgers women's basketball team accepts Don Imus's apology. Will that apology end the scandal over the radio host's insulting remarks?
We'll have this story.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PILGRIM: The trial of an engineer accused of passing secret military technology to communist China, that trial has raised concern among some academics. Now, they're concerned that a guilty verdict could have a chilling affect on information-sharing.
Casey Wian has our report.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CASEY WIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Naturalized U.S. citizen Chi Mak spent more than two decades as an engineer at southern California defense contractor Power Paragon. A career focused on discovering ways to improve the generation of power, according to Mak's attorneys, not sharing U.S. naval secrets, as the government alleges.
RON KAYE, DEFENSE ATTORNEY: This case is not about submarines. This case is not about warships. This case is not about military.
It's about the sharing of technological information, and it's about power. It's about the power that feeds utilities.
WIAN: Mak's defense contends the data he's being charged with conspiring to give to China was widely available and Mak's intention was simply to share it with Chinese academics for commercial purposes. From MIT to Stanford, American academics are concerned the case could restrict legitimate technology exchange.
STEVE EISNER, STANFORD UNIVERSITY: I think it's clear for academia that there would be a very significant chilling effect if he is found guilty in this case, because what it would mean is that information that's freely available without restriction in the conduct of fundamental research and the results of that research itself would be subject to regulation. And that would have a significant economic impact on universities' ability to conduct research, as well as its ability to disseminate ideas, and that's -- that's our business.
WIAN: But prosecutors say Mak gave communist China information that clearly fell under International Traffic and Arms Regulations, or ITAR, and was subject to export control laws with China.
It mirrors a debate ongoing within the Bush administration. Is China friend or foe?
RICHARD FISHER, INTERNATIONAL ASSESSMENT & STRATEGY CENTER: The Chinese understand this. They understand the vulnerabilities of our Democratic process, and they use those vulnerabilities to undermine our security.
WIAN: Prosecutors say Mak used his cover as an unassuming engineer to deliver critical military secrets to China during a 20- year career as an alleged spy.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WIAN: Those actions could result in a 50-year prison term if Chi Mak is convicted of all charges -- Kitty.
PILGRIM: Thanks very much.
Casey Wian.
The Bush administration said it plans to impose sanctions on Chinese-coated paper imports, and that would benefit America's middle class workers. But as "BusinessWeek" first reported, it turns out the biggest winners of the first trade actions against China would be private equity firms.
Christine Romans has our report on the growing cynicism over U.S. trade policy with China.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Coated paper is used in everything from textbooks, to magazines, to annual reports. In announcing potential duties against subsidized paper from China, the Bush administration said it was standing up for Americans.
CARLOS GUTIERREZ, COMMERCE SECRETARY: We are demonstrating our continued commitment to create an environment of true competition for American manufacturers, for workers, and farmers.
ROMANS: And don't forget, private equity. As first reported by "BusinessWeek," super-rich investment firms own huge stakes in the American coated paper industry. NewPage of Dayton, Ohio, is owned by Cerberus Capital Management, whose chairman is John Snow, former Treasury secretary in the Bush administration.
A Cerberus spokesman said Snow did not make calls on NewPage's behalf and called any suggestion that his White House ties influenced trade policy "uncalled for insinuation".
Another coated paper company, Verso Paper, is an affiliate of powerful private equity firm Apollo Management.
The Bush administration essentially using its first time trade action against China to benefit super-rich investors in an industry not even a rounding error in U.S.-Chinese trade.
CHARLES MCMILLION, MBG INFORMATION SERVICES: The battle with China now is over cars, airplanes, computers, cell phones. It's over technology products, high-value-added products for the next generation. And, you know, fooling around with paper is just going in the wrong direction.
ROMANS: Meanwhile, the wreckage of years of trade policies bore out in new figures from the World Trade Organization. Chinese exports of manufactured goods surpassed U.S. manufacturing exports last year for the first time ever.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ROMANS: If the government goes through with countervailing duties on coated paper, it could save an estimated 4,000 jobs at NewPage alone, but the Commerce Department can still back down, and the Chinese are furious. One official is saying American protectionism will hurt the global economy -- Kitty.
PILGRIM: Christine, we have two complaints in the World Trade Organization against China. Is this a sea change, or is this just cosmetic?
ROMANS: The U.S. trade representative saying this week that they had filed a complaint in the WTO for copyright and anti-piracy with China.
Is it a major sea change? Well, some would say yes, it is. I mean, we are finally seeing the administration step up a bit.
Others would say this is meant for domestic consumption to send a message to Congress not to try to take action in its own hands. And that actually -- maybe the United States is not really as serious about it as it would like Congress to think at least.
PILGRIM: All right. Thanks very much.
Christine Romans.
And that does bring us to the subject of tonight's poll.
Do you believe the Bush administration is finally acting on unfair trade practices with communist China, or just trying to appease Congress to win Fast Track Authority?
Cast your vote at loudobbs.com. We'll bring you the results a little bit later in the broadcast.
And coming up, a scandal swirling around World Bank president Paul Wolfowitz. He arranged a high-paying job for his girlfriend. He says is he sorry, but is that enough?
We'll have all the details.
The Rutgers women's basketball team has accepted Don Imus's apology, but the debate over the use of offensive language continues.
We'll hear from two of the nation's leading voices on racism and sexism when we return.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PILGRIM: President Bush says he stands by embattled World Bank president Paul Wolfowitz. Wolfowitz, one of the president's closest aides, was an architect of the Iraq war, and he is under fire for giving a pay raise and a promotion to his girlfriend.
Wolfowitz has apologized, but as Zain Verjee reports, his critics want more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ZAIN VERJEE, CNN STATE DEPT. CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Paul Wolfowitz has given his enemies a gift they've been waiting for.
PAUL WOLFOWITZ, PRESIDENT, WORLD BANK: I made a mistake for which I am sorry.
VERJEE: The controversial World Bank president has confessed to promoting his girlfriend, Shaha Riza, to the State Department and then on to a U.S.-funded foundation. She's been kept on the World Bank payroll at a tax-free salary of about $194,000. That's more than the secretary of state makes.
BEATRICE EDWARDS, GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY PROJECT: It is simply embarrassing and inappropriate for the president of the bank to use the resources of the bank to fund a lavish lifestyle of his girlfriend.
VERJEE: He was already unpopular when he arrived to lead the World Bank. He was the number two at the Pentagon, a hawkish architect of the Iraq war. And now World Bank employees say, "... (Wolfowitz) has destroyed the staff's trust in his leadership. He must act honorably and resign."
His supporters say this is not about his love life. It's just an excuse to dump a tough administrator.
His management style and his fierce anti-corruption drives in developing countries have frustrated old hands. A "Wall Street Journal" editorial says. "The real fight here is over his attempts to make the bank and its borrowers more accountable for results."
Despite questions about unethical behavior, President Bush is fully backing the man he put in the job.
DANA PERINO, DEPUTY WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: The president has full confidence in Paul Wolfowitz. He has done a remarkable job at the World Bank, where they are working to lift people up out of poverty around -- from around the world.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VERJEE: This is all erupting as the World Bank holds its annual spring meetings.
Meanwhile, Shaha Riza, the woman at the center of all of this, says that she's really the victim here. She said she never reported directly to Wolfowitz and never really wanted to leave the World Bank in the first place. Riza says that this whole episode has affected her professionally, physically, and psychologically -- Kitty.
PILGRIM: Zain, can Wolfowitz hang on, or will this blow over?
VERJEE: Well, it's really yet to be seen if he has the support of the 24-member board of the World Bank, as well as the finance ministers around the world. There's also a protest being planned against him tomorrow, when the World Bank annual meeting begins.
So we'll have to see about that.
PILGRIM: Thanks very much.
Zain Verjee.
Coming up, two states moving in opposite directions when it comes to laws dealing with the illegal alien crisis.
We'll have all the details on that.
Also, Don Imus's racist and sexist remarks being debated across the country. We'll have two of the nation's leading voices on these issues, and they'll join us.
Also, New Jersey Governor Jon Corzine in critical condition today after an automobile accident. We'll tell you what may have led to the serious nature of his injuries.
Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PILGRIM: The Rutgers women's basketball team today accepted the apology of Don Imus for racist and sexist remarks he made on his radio program. Now, Imus met with the team in a private meeting in New Jersey last night.
Earlier, his radio show was cancelled by CBS radio, but the controversy over the nature of his remarks continues.
Joining me now are Carol Swain, professor of political science and law at Vanderbilt University, and Bryan Monroe, president of the National Association of Black Journalists.
And thank you both for joining us.
BRYAN MONROE, PRESIDENT, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF BLACK JOURNALISTS: Thank you.
PILGRIM: You know, it's been a really tough week, and one in which the entire country has engaged in a debate about what and what is not appropriate language. We heard today from the Rutgers coach, the team coach, and she's really put it in a broad context for us.
Let's listen to what she said.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
C. VIVIAN STRINGER, RUTGERS WOMEN'S BASKETBALL COACH: "We, the Rutgers University Scarlet Knight basketball team, accept Mr. Imus's apology, and we are in the process of forgiving. We still find the statements to be unacceptable, and this is an experience that we will never forget."
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PILGRIM: Now, she went on to say that this is a dialogue that should go on with the whole country about the appropriateness of language in many contexts, in entertainment and in news.
Carol, let me start with you.
Does this -- what sort of message do you think we got out to the young people, and actually everyone in the country this week?
CAROL SWAIN, VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY: Well, there were mixed messages sent. The most positive message, I think, was the fact that there was an apology and that it was accepted.
The message that people have to be more careful about what they say to other people, about groups, I mean, that's out there. There's also a message about free speech and whether or not individuals are allowed -- how they speak and what's acceptable, and it's a mixed message at best.
PILGRIM: ... culture is just -- that language has degraded a bit in recent years and that this is a sort of wakeup call to the entire country. Be careful how you speak. Do you agree with that?
MONROE: Well, I think there has been a degradation in the conversation we've had in America, and something did happen over this last week. That America rose up and said, you know, we can -- we can talk about these issues, but we can talk about them in a respectful way.
And I think that's something that we all have to listen -- listen to. Especially us in the media.
PILGRIM: You know, there -- I'd like you to listen to something that Russell Simmons said, and he's a well known figure in the hip-hop community. He's also chairman of the Hip-Hop Summit Action Network.
And he said, "Hip-hop is a worldwide cultural phenomenon that transcends race and doesn't engage in racial slurs. Don Imus's racially-motivated diatribe toward the Rutgers women's basketball team was in no way connected to hip-hop culture."
He made these remarks because in the course of discussing this over the week, there's been much said about certain forms of entertainment and what sort of language looseness they allow in the -- you know, in the pretext of art.
Carol, what's your -- what's your view of this?
SWAIN: I disagree strongly. I would say that the remarks are on par and that the remarks that come from black rap artists and black comedians are damaging, maybe more damaging to young black people in the inner city. And I'm more concerned about them than college students, because college students, as we can see, they have lots of resources. They have the whole institutions behind them. They tend to be more middle class.
But what about those young people in the inner cities, those young girls that hear themselves being called whores and bitches? What about their resources? I'm afraid that it reinforces negative things, and it's more damaging, or just as damaging when it comes from the black community.
So I would like to see a higher dialogue, and I would like to see that dialogue take place nationally, but especially among the black leadership.
MONROE: I agree with Carol on the higher dialogue. But I think it's almost -- and I've been peppered with these questions all week about going straight from Mr. Imus to hip-hop, and I think it's much, much more complex to that. That's like going from A to Q and not looking in between. There is...
SWAIN: I think it was the hip-hop...
MONROE: Well, there is, though, Carol. There are some real issues that we have in our community that we have to deal with, but...
SWAIN: And we're not dealing with them. We jump all over something like this.
MONROE: The more we make this issue a black issue, the more we miss the societal reality. There is a seed -- there is...
SWAIN: We make it a black issue.
MONROE: There's a seed in his head that was in his head that was allowed germinate and flower out of his mouth. And it's this language throughout our culture that has been OK, it's been acceptable, and we have to challenge that language on all fronts.
It was wrong. It's wrong when rappers say it, and it's wrong when he says it. And it's wrong because it emboldens people like Don Imus to think that they can use language like this as punctuation, when, in fact, it punctures.
PILGRIM: Carol, I'd like you to respond.
SWAIN: I agree with that. I agree with that, the latter part of what he said. I think the language from the rappers and from the comedians, it has seeped into the culture to the point that Don Imus thought that it was OK to call black women hos.
And so if we engage in a broader dialogue and we hold members of our own community, the black community, accountable, then that would be a positive that's come out of this whole affair.
MONROE: I agree. PILGRIM: You think that -- that going forward that there will be more attention paid to some of these comedy routines and some of this music? Do you think that this might be a turning point?
MONROE: Well, I think, you know, that...
SWAIN: I'm not optimistic.
MONROE: There should be a lot more attention paid to that, and not just in entertainment, not just in comedy or rap, but rock 'n' roll music has some issues they've got to deal with, too.
But you know, I guess -- I don't know. I reject the initial notion that, oh, hip-hop made me do this. Because hip-hop is a culture. It's a culture that's broader than just the language, and there is some positive hip-hop out there: Mos Def, Comet (ph). And to paint everyone with that same brush is not fair.
And at the same time we've got some work to do. We've got some issues to deal with. And we in the media -- my own organization, "Ebony" magazine, we decided today that we're going to devote a good chink of our issue, our July issue, to this very topic, to deal with it in a candid, honest way, but to engage all sides of the issue.
PILGRIM: Carol, you get last word on this.
SWAIN: Well, I think it's problematic that some of the hip-hop artists that try to use more positive lyrics and send positive messages, they're not rewarded in the same way.
And if we're going to keep hip-hop as a part of the culture, then those people that promote the rappers, they need to make sure that they reward what is good and they send the right signals to what is intolerable and not have a double standard.
MONROE: Yes. There is an audience out there that's buying this stuff, and 80 percent of it is not bought by black folks. It's white middle class 12 to 17-year-old teenagers who live in the suburbs.
PILGRIM: All right. We have to leave it there. Thank you so much. Very valuable discussion. Brian Monroe and Carol Swain, thank you.
MONROE: Thank you.
SWAIN: Thank you.
PILGRIM: New Jersey Governor Jon Corzine was on his way to a meeting between Don Imus and the Rutgers women's basketball team when he was seriously injured in a car accident last night. Governor Corzine remains in critical condition tonight.
Now, he was riding in the passenger seat of an SUV when it crashed. It appears Governor Corzine was not wearing a seat belt.
The governor suffered multiple injuries, including a broken leg, several broken ribs, and a broken sternum. And we wish him a speedy recovery.
Coming up, our distinguished panel of political analysts will be here. We'll hear their views on the Don Imus scandal and other issues.
Also, one state takes a hard line against illegal aliens forced to take action due to federal inaction. We'll have a special report.
But another state is moving the other direction. Illinois is making it easier for illegal aliens to obtain driver's licenses. We'll have those details when we return.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PILGRIM: Georgia is becoming the latest state to take action to control the spiraling cost of dealing with the crisis of illegal immigration. Now, like many states, Georgia is taking action while the federal government does little to help.
And as Lisa Sylvester reports, this new law will be one of the nation's toughest.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
LISA SYLVESTER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Georgia has seen a spike in its illegal alien population in the last five years. State Senator Chip Rogers says it's been a drain on the state's schools, hospitals, and highways. He says illegal immigration has also undercut U.S. wages and shut out Americans from good-paying jobs.
CHIP ROGERS, GEORGIA STATE SENATOR: Simply stated, right now if you violate our immigration laws as it pertains to employment, you are rewarded in the economic marketplace. If you comply with the law, oftentimes you're punished in the economic marketplace, and we really can't have that.
SYLVESTER: Rogers offered one of the toughest anti-illegal immigration state laws. It takes effect this summer.
Georgia agencies will be required to verify legal status before issuing public benefits. Employers will be barred from deducting wages of illegal aliens from the state income tax. Businesses seeking government contracts will have to screen employees through the federal employment verification system. And illegal aliens jailed on felony or drunk driving charges will be reported to federal immigration officers.
Business groups are pushing back, calling it an unfair burden.
BILL ANDERSON, ASSOCIATED BUILDERS AND CONTRACTORS: This bill could potentially force the contractors to, yes, enforce the law enforcement, to be a policing agency. Contractors want to hire documented legal workers in this country and enforce the laws of our country, but without an immigration reform at the federal level, it will be difficult to do so. SYLVESTER: But the federal government has been paralyzed on this issue. Constituents have complained, and it's the states that are acting on immigration reform.
MARK KRIKORIAN, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, CENTER FOR IMMIGRATION STUDIES: The state legislatures are just closer to the public. Congressmen in Washington are far more distant, far more likely to be influenced by special interests.
SYLVESTER: Arizona and Colorado have joined Georgia, passing tough new anti-illegal immigration measures.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SYLVESTER: Business groups in Georgia say there's a shortage of labor in the state, and the new law will make it even tougher to find eligible employees, but supporters of the new Georgia law say companies would be able to attract lots of new workers if they were willing to pay them higher wages -- Kitty.
PILGRIM: Thanks very much, Lisa Sylvester.
Now, one state is moving in the opposite direction from Georgia. Illinois legislature on the verge of approving driver certificates for illegal aliens, and the governor is promising that he'll sign that.
Bill Tucker has our report.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BILL TUCKER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The state of Illinois wants to make illegal aliens half legal. The governor is ready to sign a bill making illegals legal on the road, should the senate pass legislation granting the privilege, which they are expected to do this month. The house has already given its approval.
Advocates for the licenses say it's better to just admit that illegal aliens drive, license them, insure them, and make sure they know the rules of the road.
ROSEMARY JENKS, NUMBERSUSA: Giving them a license doesn't mean they're going to go out and buy insurance. There's also nothing that -- no study that correlates having insurance with, you know, having fewer accidents.
TUCKER: Critics of the bill say its true intention is obvious.
KRIS KOBACH, LAW PROFESSOR, UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI: It's clear that the only thing it's really going to do is it's going to give illegal aliens an easier way to remain inside the state of Illinois and remain illegally in the United States. It makes it more convenient to violate federal law.
TUCKER: There are other states which already allow illegal aliens driving privileges: Hawaii, Oregon, Washington, Minnesota, Michigan, Maryland, New Mexico, and Utah. Tennessee did have a separate class of licenses for illegals, but it abandon the its program after it was discovered to being rife with fraud.
And in Utah, a cap of 23,000 driving privilege cards was quickly met, and despite the state's insistence that they are not I.D.s, banks are accepting them as such and using them as a basis for granting loans.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
TUCKER: And in Utah they do have a sense of humor, or the bizarre. I'm not quite sure which. On their web site, the driver's license bureau notes that the driving privilege cards are good for five years if you have a legal presence, one year if you have an illegal presence -- Kitty.
PILGRIM: That's unbelievable. Thanks very much, Bill Tucker.
A reminder now to vote in tonight's poll. And our question is do you believe the Bush administration is finally acting on unfair trade practices with communist China or just trying to appease Congress to win fast track authority? Cast your vote at LouDobbs.com. We'll bring you the results in just a few minutes.
And coming up, the showdown over Iraq. President Bush will finally meet top Democrats next week to discuss Iraq war funding. Three of the country's best political analysts weigh in on that and the week's other top stories.
Also, "Heroes", our tribute to the brave men and women who serve our country in uniform.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PILGRIM: I am joined now by three of this country's best political analysts. We have Democratic strategist Robert Zimmerman; James Taranto, editor of OpinionJournal.com; and syndicated columnist Miguel Perez. Thanks for being with us, gentlemen.
We spent a good bit of time this week, as has every news division, on the Imus issue. It's an important debate. What do you take away from this week's discussion?
ROBERT ZIMMERMAN, DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST: Well, I think what's most critical to me is that the response to the despicable words Don Imus used has been really so important because it's brought back to the American culture a debate about decency and standards.
And it finally has begun to elevate -- it's finally begun to bring new leaders to the forefront who have been playing a important role in reminding Americans about what the entertainment -- what we should -- what we have a right to accept in the entertainment industry, the music industry, and also from talk radio.
PILGRIM: Miguel. MIGUEL PEREZ, SYNDICATED COLUMNIST: It's an interesting discussion. It's one that we should have had a long, long time ago. Unfortunately, a man's job is at stake here, and I don't know if the penalty was really appropriate in terms of firing the guy. I'm not quite sure whether that was the right approach.
JAMES TARANTO, OPINIONJOURNAL.COM: I don't know. To my mind the biggest outrage of this is that CBS and NBC waited a week before firing him, because what that shows you is they didn't fire him because he violated their standards. They fired him because they buckled under the public pressure.
And, you know, they ended up making Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson, who are really bigots themselves and whose bigotry has done a lot more harm than Don Imus has ever had, look like heroes.
ZIMMERMAN: I think quite to the contrary. The public pressure is one of the heroic moments of this whole battle. The fact that the networks gave him a two-week -- a two-week leave and just didn't even give him a fine is a disgrace. The fact that the public demanded a change in the marketplace, that's the victory here for decency.
PILGRIM: Miguel.
PEREZ: The interesting point here is I think that a lot of people have committed this kind of error before, offended people left and right, and they get away with an apology. Sometimes an apology that seems very phony.
In this case we have an -- an apology that seems real genuine. The guy really means what he says when he says he made a stupid mistake.
PILGRIM: Mr. Imus's charitable contributions are considerable. Should that not weigh in?
PEREZ: Absolutely.
ZIMMERMAN: Clearly. There's no question his charity work is very respected. But it doesn't excuse the type of language and rhetoric and the kind of culture he -- he helped to create as a shock jock.
And I think the point here is if you listen to -- if you look at the dignity of the basketball -- of the women athletes and also of Coach Stringer, there's a real message here about what we have to aspire to. They're real role models for the rest of us.
TARANTO: I absolutely agree. But I think we also should say a word about rap music, because I just think it's so rich that we hear these quotes like we had earlier on the show about how, oh, well, when rap music uses the exact same kind of language, refers to women in these same degrading ways, uses these racial slurs, well, that's a culture that we have to respect. Give me a break.
ZIMMERMAN: James is absolutely correct. There can't be the double standard, and if the double standard is allowed to continue, then this whole debate is for nothing.
PILGRIM: Point well taken, gentlemen. Go ahead.
PEREZ: It's all related to the use of the "N" word. If African- Americans are allowed to get away with it, it's a double standard when they get offended by other people using it.
PILGRIM: Very well considered statements. Thank you.
The other thing we're going talk about tonight is political, the White House e-mails, and the White House is saying the e-mails were not lost intentionally.
Here is what the White House spokeswoman had to say today.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DANA PERINO, DEPUTY WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: And there are ways that you can retrieve any e-mails that are potentially lost. And we are beginning conversations with outside consultants, forensic consultants, who can tell us the best way to do that, and the best way to retrieve those.
But again, I would stress to you that we've seen no basis to conclude that there was any intentional wrongdoing with the use of these e-mails.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PILGRIM: Whoops. We lost them, it seems to be.
ZIMMERMAN: Well, anyone that wants to believe that, they should call me, because I've got a bridge in Brooklyn that I'm glad to sell them.
The reality is this is one more example of the White House withholding information and deceiving the American people. It was Alberto Gonzales's first -- his first claims before the Congress that he didn't know anything about this and he was contradicted by his chief of staff.
He's had another staffer resigning because otherwise she was afraid she'd commit perjury. There's a -- the bottom line is that this is a scandal, and the American -- it's resonating with the American people.
PILGRIM: A sinister scenario. Do you buy into it, gentlemen?
TARANTO: Well, I think the underlying incompetence of the White House here and the Justice Department is not simply saying from the start, "The U.S. attorneys serve at the pleasure of the president. The president wanted to fire these guys, and we don't need to explain."
The fact that they tried to offer explanations ended up getting them tied up in all these knots. I don't know what happened with the e-mails, but I think on the whole it's -- it's a dreadful bit of incompetence.
PEREZ: With all the problems they have with Gonzales and so forth, now this, the missing e-mails. It's just too good a reminder of Watergate and, you know, the missing minutes on the tapes and all of that. It just takes us all back to that.
PILGRIM: We have Attorney General Gonzales testifying next week before the Senate Judiciary Committee. Will this be an investigation, or will this be political theater? Are we into the realm of fantastic here?
ZIMMERMAN: Well, the White House has taken us into a realm of political theater, but this is going to be an investigation.
Now, let me remind you, James, while I wouldn't disagree with you about this administration's incompetence, when you have Republican members of the Congress calling up the U.S. attorneys, demanding that individuals be indicted before election day. And then when they don't get the answer they want, like Senator Deconcini, claiming the -- forgive me, Senator Domenici. Slamming down the phone on that U.S. attorney. That shows an abuse of power.
And when you see Karl Rove and the White House political operatives play a role in this election of U.S. attorneys, this isn't about incompetence. This is about raw abuse of political power.
TARANTO: Let's just be clear here. If Domenici abused his power, which it sounds like he probably did, that's an abuse of congressional power, not executive.
ZIMMERMAN: It doesn't make a difference. It still represents the Bush administration's abuse of power.
TARANTO: I'm going to go out on a limb and make a prediction. I don't think Alberto Gonzales will end up on the Supreme Court.
PILGRIM: Well, that was a stretch -- Miguel.
PEREZ: I think Alberto Gonzales is in a very, very hot water. He doesn't have a good excuse here. Either way he goes, he's in trouble.
PILGRIM: This is a big day for him. Do you think that -- yes, that it will end up being the make or break day for him? Or are events taking -- overtaking this testimony? We've had to wait so long for the testimony.
ZIMMERMAN: We've had to wait long for the testimony. The bottom line is his credibility is done as U.S. attorney -- U.S. attorney general. The real issue here is how far deep does it go into the White House? Every sign indicates this is really about the White House's political agenda, not just about Attorney General Gonzales.
TARANTO: I would not be surprised to see Gonzales resign before too long.
PILGRIM: All right. Well, we will be watching it, glued to the tube, as they say, on Tuesday.
Thanks very much, gentlemen, for joining us. Robert Zimmerman, Miguel Perez, and James Taranto. Thank you.
Coming up at the top of the hour is "THE SITUATION ROOM" with Wolf Blitzer -- Wolf.
WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: Thanks very much, Kitty.
He's strong and getting stronger. We're referring to Fidel Castro. Who says that? His friend and ally, the Venezuelan president, Hugo Chavez. He says Castro is almost completely recovered from whatever ailed him. You may be surprised what else Chavez is saying that Castro is doing right now.
Also, after Don Imus caused a firestorm in describing African- American females, how is America's first African-American female secretary of state reacting? Condoleezza Rice sounding off about Don Imus. She'll tell us how she feels.
And the man charged with executing New Jersey's laws appears to have been following, at least not one of them. Governor Jon Corzine's staff says he was not wearing a seat belt during his crash yesterday. We're going to have the latest on that and his condition.
All that, Kitty, coming up, right here in "THE SITUATION ROOM".
PILGRIM: Thanks very much, Wolf.
Still ahead, the results of our poll. We want to know how many of you believe the Bush administration is finally acting on unfair trade practices with communist China or just trying to appease Congress to win fast track authority.
And then later, "Heroes", our tribute to the men and women who serve this country in uniform. We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PILGRIM: Now the results of tonight's poll. Ninety-six percent of you believe the Bush administration is trying to appease Congress to win fast track authority.
Now "Heroes". It's our tribute to the men and women who serve this country in uniform. And tonight we introduce you to an Air Force technical sergeant, Scott Williams.
Sergeant Williams was recently awarded the Bronze Star for his work protecting our troops from roadside bombs in Iraq.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PILGRIM (voice-over): Technical Sergeant Scott Williams went to Iraq to save lives. His job: to learn as much as possible about the enemy's deadliest weapon. TECH. SGT. SCOTT WILLIAMS, U.S. AIR FORCE: This war, it is about IEDs. IEDs are what's killing our troops and what's killing the local populace. More than anything else.
PILGRIM: After a roadside bomb explosion, Sergeant Williams and his team would collect evidence to capture those responsible for the attack. The team also gathered technical information to help protect troops from future attacks.
WILLIAMS: Of course, the troops out in the field say, "Hey, look, we see this. This is what we're seeing, this type of phone. We're seeing this type of trigger device in this area at these times of day, so if you're here, you know, look for this. This is the kind of things you want to look for."
PILGRIM: During his six-month tour of Iraq last fall, Sergeant Williams and his team responded to five to six IED calls a day in the Fallujah area, more than 800 in all.
WILLIAMS: They're actually watching what we do and changing their tactics, so it's just kind of a constant battle. They -- they develop a technique. We learn how to defeat it. They see us defeating it, and they develop a new technique.
PILGRIM: Sergeant Williams and his team were attacked by enemy snipers and rocket-propelled grenades.
WILLIAMS: The terrorists, they knew that when there was an IED, that somebody was going to be showing up at that location and try to do something. Whether it be collect casualties or actually take care of the IED. So you always had to be aware of them setting up secondary devices in the area around the IED.
PILGRIM: The Air Force says Williams and his team helped capture 50 insurgents, saving countless lives.
WILLIAMS: What I was doing was hopefully at least stopping a few from happening, and so every less IED, you know, is one less guy that's going to get hurt.
PILGRIM: For his outstanding service the Air Force awarded Sergeant Williams the Bronze Star this spring.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
PILGRIM: Sergeant Williams is in between deployments. He's currently stationed at Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland, and among Williams' many assignments while back home is helping the Secret Service secure the White House and the U.N. General Assembly. We wish him every success.
Thanks for being with us tonight. Please join us this weekend. Among our reports, charges are dropped against the Duke lacrosse team. Is this an example of a justice system that is badly broken?
For all of us here, thanks for watching. Good night from New York. "THE SITUATION ROOM" starts right now with Wolf Blitzer -- Wolf.
BLITZER: Thanks very much, Kitty.
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