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The Situation Room
World Awaits Word On Ariel Sharon's Condition; More U.S. Troops Than Previously Thought Killed In Iraq Yesterday; McCloy's Condition Will Be Known When He Awakes; Sago Mine 911 Calls Released Today; Some Republicans Want To Permanently Replace Tom DeLay; Ehud Barak Interview; Media War Over Nomination Of Samuel Alito Has Begun; Church On Fire
Aired January 06, 2006 - 16:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: Thanks very much, Ali.
And to our viewers, you're now in THE SITUATION ROOM where new pictures and information from around the world are arriving all the time.
Happening here, it's 11:00 p.m. here in Jerusalem where doctors have stopped the bleeding in Ariel Sharon's brain. Today, they performed a third emergency surgery on the Israeli prime minister, who suffered a significant stroke.
It's 4:00 p.m. in Pittsburgh where doctors are fighting brain damage in another critical patient. Doctors say sole survivor miner Randy McCloy has made positive progress on several fronts. Meanwhile, we'll have the 911 calls made at the first sign of the tragedy.
And it's 4:00 p.m. in Washington where the latest jobs report is now out. President Bush and Vice President Cheney are out spreading what they're calling good news about the U.S. economy, while other reactions are lukewarm.
I'm Wolf Blitzer in Jerusalem, and you're in THE SITUATION ROOM.
The world is watching and waiting for new information on the condition of the gravely ill Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon. He underwent brain surgery once again today for the third time since he suffered a major stroke on Wednesday.
Doctors wanted to try to stop the bleeding in his brain and relieve pressure inside his skull. They say this latest surgery was successful. We want to go straight over to the Hadassah Medical Center here in Jerusalem.
CNN's John Vause standing outside with more on the condition of the Israeli leader -- John.
JOHN VAUSE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, right now, Ariel Sharon remains in that serious but stable condition. They say there will be no further updates though. This country is now beginning the Jewish Shabbat. It began a few hours ago. It's expected to end sundown tomorrow. Hospital officials say there will be no update until Shabbat ends unless, of course, there is a major change or any kind of change, really, in the prime minister's condition. Right now, we know that Ariel Sharon remains in that medically-induced coma.
The plan is still the same. They hope to gradually revive him sometime on Sunday. As they do that, they'll monitor his brain activity and they hope to have some kind of idea about the full extent of the damage that was caused by that stroke on Wednesday night, Wolf.
BLITZER: And what's the mood over there? You've spent the last several days at the hospital, John. Give us a little flavor of what the doctors, the nurses, all those who have gathered there, family members, friends, political allies -- give us a little sense of what's going on.
VAUSE: Wolf, as we've been watching people come and go here over the last couple of days, the mood is indeed very, very grim. Not a lot of good news to be had out of the hospital certainly over the last two days.
What we are seeing now is that there are people who are coming to the hospital, Israelis, as well as other people from around the world just to get close, just to try and find out the news as it happens to be here, to be close to this hospital.
Also, journalists from around the world are settling in here for what could be a fairly long haul as we wait for this news to come from the seventh floor on this hospital, where Ariel Sharon is being treated, Wolf.
BLITZER: All right. John Vause at the Hadassah Medical Center in Jerusalem. And the director of that hospital spoke out about Ariel Sharon's condition just a little while ago here in Jerusalem. Here's an excerpt.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DR. SHLOMO MOR-YOSEF, HADASSAH MEDICAL CENTER: The prime minister now is transferring to the intensive care unit. We'd like to say that even though the result of the CAT scans are better than yesterday, the condition is still critical.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BLITZER: For more on Ariel Sharon's condition here in Jerusalem, we're joined by neurosurgeon Dr. Itzak Fried. He's a surgeon at UCLA in Los Angeles Medical Center, as well as Tel Aviv Medical Center here in Israel.
Dr. Fried, give our viewers a sense -- I mean, a 77-year-old man who is as gravely ill as he is, three surgeries including five hours of brain surgery today -- can a person withstand that kind of trauma?
DR. ITZAK FRIED, NEUROLOGIST: Well, I think this is obviously major, major trauma. I think it is clear that he was truly in terms of his heart condition, in terms of the cardiac function, in terms of a brain function, this is a major challenge. And, obviously, there has to be some major insult to the brain under this these kind of circumstances.
BLITZER: Under normal circumstances -- and this is not a normal circumstance. He's the prime minister of Israel, but if he were an average person, what would we anticipate right now?
FRIED: Well, I think the prognosis could adequately be described as grave here because I think the die was cast essentially with the initial hemorrhage. This was described as a very extensive hemorrhage. Right there and then, you have an initial injury.
Now, on top of that, you have a cascade of secondary changes, which happens over a period of 24, 48, 72 hours. Now, on top of that, you have two additional surgeries which are performed. This is really a major challenge to any brain and certainly to a brain of a 77-year- old man.
BLITZER: When they say someone is brain dead, the heart may be pumping, other vital organs may be working, but when someone is brain dead, explain what that really means.
FRIED: Well, essentially brain death means the cessation of brain function, so that essentially you can see that by a neurological exam which doesn't give you any signs of neurological viability.
At the same time, as you just said, the heart can actually pump and work and the vital signs can be stable. However, I must emphasize there is no indication that this is the situation here at this point.
BLITZER: And right now he's in an induced coma. And the doctors really won't know what's going on until he emerges from that coma, is that right?
FRIED: Exactly. I mean, there are certain things that they can monitor. They can monitor the pressure within the brain itself and they can measure various other parameters, but they cannot really perform a neurological examination because the patient is essentially in induced coma.
BLITZER: Dr. Fried, we're going to have you back in the next hour, so stand by, but thank you very much for that update.
Back in Washington, the Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is canceling a trip to Indonesia and Australia because of Ariel Sharon's condition. The spokesman says Rice decided it was the right decision to stay in Washington and that she spoke by phone today with the acting prime minister here in Jerusalem, Ehud Olmert.
Meanwhile, the White House is reacting to comments by religious broadcaster Pat Robertson who suggested yesterday that Sharon's stroke may be divine retribution for his pullout of Israeli settlers from Gaza. Bush spokesman Trent Duffy says -- and let me quote now -- "those comments are wholly, wholly inappropriate and offensive and really don't have a place in this or any other debate." Duffy went on to say that the president is praying for Sharon's recovery, but Duffy says it's too soon to speculate what impact Sharon's illness will have on U.S.-backed peace efforts here in the Middle East. We'll have much more on all of this coming up at 7:00 p.m. here in THE SITUATION ROOM, 7:00 p.m. Eastern. That's coming up later tonight.
We'll also have more on the president's situation -- on the prime minister's situation coming up this hour, but we want to update you now on what's happening in Iraq. Yesterday, we told you about a string of attacks that made for the country's deadliest single day in nearly four months. Today it appears there were yet more U.S. troops killed in those attacks than first known.
Our senior Pentagon correspondent Jamie McIntyre is joining us now with details -- Jamie.
JAMIE MCINTYRE, CNN SENIOR PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Wolf. We learned today that six more troops died yesterday, bringing yesterday's total to 11 in one day.
In an interview with CNN, the top U.S. commander in Iraq, General George Casey, said he doesn't think Iraq's on the brink of civil war, and he called the violence over the last couple of days "an anomaly" which he said will not necessarily be the deciding factor on when U.S. troops come home.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MCINTYRE: President Bush says he's going to rely on specifically your advice about when to have continued draw down of U.S. troops. What are you going to be looking for in order to make a recommendation for further troop cuts?
GEN. GEORGE W. CASEY, CMDR., U.S. FORCES IN IRAQ: As we've said all along, Jamie, our strategy here is conditions-based. And so we will look very closely at the level of progress on the political side.
We will look at the progress -- the continued progress -- with the Iraqi armed forces, which, as I said earlier, has been significant in terms not only in quantity terms, but in the quality, improving the quality of the Iraqi armed forces and the police forces.
MCINTYRE: When might you make another recommendation for troop reductions?
CASEY: As I said on the day that we made the announcement, it will probably be in the spring. This is not something we're going to do every, you know, every week or so, but every quarter or so we'll take a look at it.
MCINTYRE: Now, I know you said it's based on how things are going but assuming a best case scenario, what kind of troop level might we be looking at in Iraq for U.S. troops say a year from today?
CASEY: Yes, I wouldn't want to project. I mean, that's a hypothetical there. And I just really don't want to do that. The situation fluctuates and changes and, as you know, once you put a number out there, you can't get away from it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MCINTYRE: That number, by the way, that people are talking about privately at the Pentagon is about 100,000 troops a year from now, but again, nobody publicly is going to say that. They don't want to be held to it in case things don't work out as well as they hoped -- Wolf.
BLITZER: Jamie McIntyre at the Pentagon. Jamie, thanks very much.
Now an update on the only man to survive that West Virginia mine disaster. Doctors in Pittsburgh are hoping a hyperbaric oxygen chamber will help 27-year-old Randy McCloy. He's had two sessions so far with another planned for this evening. They updated us on his condition less than an hour ago.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DR. RICHARD SHANNON, ALLEGHENY GENERAL HOSPITAL: With respect to his brain, we have repeated a CAT scan, which shows that the small areas of hemorrhage that we reported this morning and the small lesions in the white matter that Dr. Valeriano discussed in detail, are stable.
There has been no evidence of further bleeding, no evidence of enlargement of the areas of hemorrhage, and by all accounts, clinically stable with respect to those images.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BLITZER: Let's get some more analysis now of what we just heard from our senior medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta. He is joining us from the CNN Center. What does this mean for Mr. McCloy, Sanjay?
DR. SANJAY GUPTA, SR. MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, it means that, you know, based on his scans alone, nothing has really changed at all. He does have some abnormalities in his brain that are probably in some part due to the carbon monoxide poisoning. At least that's one of the leading theories right now. And nothing's really changed with that.
It's hard to make a projection based on those scans alone. It's good that it hasn't gotten any worse. But the real proof obviously, Wolf, is going to be when they stop all the sedative medications, let him wake up and see what kind of shape he's in then. That's the only test really that people are going to care about at that point -- Wolf.
BLITZER: And we won't really know that for what, a few days at least?
GUPTA: I'd say so, Wolf. What they're doing right now is essentially putting his brain at rest. The goal is, if you put the brain at rest, it's not going to demand as many things, and therefore, gives it a better chance of healing and recovering. And that rest is sort of induced by these medications.
Over a couple days, they'll let the medications completely wear off, let him wake up. I imagine it will be three or four days from now probably -- Wolf.
BLITZER: All right, Sanjay, thanks very much.
And we'll hopefully get a little bit more information on Randy McCloy's condition. That's coming up in our next hour here in THE SITUATION ROOM. One of his doctors, Richard Shannon, who you saw earlier here at that news conference, he'll join us in THE SITUATION ROOM.
For the first time now, we're hearing some of the calls for help that went out in desperation after the explosion that trapped those 13 miners in West Virginia.
CNN's Brian Todd is live with us on those tapes. He is joining us from Upshur County.
What are you picking up, Brian?
BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, CNN today obtained the 911 calls that came from the mountain to the 911 operators here in Upshur County, West Virginia. These calls are chilling because it really provides the first inkling that the outside world gets that something has happened in the mine.
Very important to remember that the first people actually at the site after this happened were members of the mine company itself. They got there before emergency responders or anyone else. But still, nearly an hour and a half passed between the explosion itself and the first call from someone at the mine to the Upshur County 911 operator.
Listen to this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: 911, do you have an emergency?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, sir.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: OK.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We have a guy here at the mines who needs looked at, checked out.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: OK. I'm going to connect you to them. Stay on the line, please.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: OK.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Emergency squad.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, ma'am, we need an ambulance at the Sago Mine.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: OK. This the one up on the Sago Road?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, ma'am.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: OK. What's going on?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Something happened inside the mines here.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
TODD: Now, less than 15 minutes later an emergency response team was up at the Sago Mine, and this is chilling because it gives us the first real inclination of what they're facing there.
Listen to this. This is from an emergency responder to the 911 operator.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Be advised we are being informed, we are on the scene, we are being informed that there are several men trapped inside. We're going to need a lot of help.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: 10-4. 1277-4809.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
TODD: Now, there are -- we know of no calls between that time. That was about at 8:10 a.m. Monday morning on the 2nd. No calls to 911 between that time and late Tuesday night when the 911 operators and all the rest of us got our first erroneous reports that the miners were alive.
Now the next hour we are going to show you some of those calls. And I'll have something pretty uncanny and chilling from the 911 supervisor about what happened after that -- Wolf.
BLITZER: All right, Brian. Thanks very much. Brian Todd reporting for us.
And this note to viewers for an in-depth look at the mine explosion, please join our Anderson Cooper for a special edition of "ANDERSON COOPER 360: INSIDE THE SAGO MINE TRAGEDY." That airs tonight 11:00 p.m. Eastern here on CNN.
Let's go to New York. Jack Cafferty, actually, we're going to go to Jack later this hour. So stand by for Jack Cafferty.
We'll take a quick break. Coming up here in THE SITUATION ROOM, he fought alongside Ariel Sharon, but battled against him, as well. I'll speak with the man Sharon toppled as Israeli prime minister, Ehud Barak. He'll be my guest.
Plus, an old injury slows down the vice president, Dick Cheney, but doesn't keep him from joining a White House full-court press. We'll explain when we come back.
Also ahead, call it a Republican revolt in Congress. Will a grassroots push by House Republicans prevent Tom DeLay from getting his old job back? Stay with us. You're in THE SITUATION ROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: Welcome back. I'm Wolf Blitzer in Jerusalem. And we're watching the condition of the Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon. We'll update you on that. That's coming up.
In the meantime though, let's go to CNN's Jack Cafferty in New York for "The Cafferty File." Hi, Jack.
JACK CAFFERTY, CNN ANCHOR: Hi, Wolf.
One other little quick medical note concerning Randy McCloy, the miner who survived that tragedy down in West Virginia. One of his doctors said that he's a big Hank Williams fan, and that his wife is arranging to get some Hank Williams music into that hospital room there in Pittsburgh.
That could prove to be the best medicine of all. Old Hank has worked a few miracles before, and maybe he can help this kid recover.
The nation's top general says that the controversial Congressman John Murtha has made some comments that are hurting U.S. troop morale. Earlier this week, Murtha said that if he was eligible to join the military today, he wouldn't. And he wouldn't expect others to join either. Murtha, in addition to being a congressman, is a retired Marine lieutenant colonel.
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, General Peter Pace, says that remarks like Murtha's are, quote, "damaging to recruiting and to the morale of troops and their families."
Now Murtha says the military is blaming him for a recruitment slump instead of recognizing the problems behind the troop shortage like extended deployments, equipment shortages and the undefined mission in Iraq. Murtha, of course, has been one of the leading voices in Congress calling for early troop withdrawal from Iraq.
Here's the question for this hour then. Are Congressman John Murtha's comments harmful to U.S. troop morale? Your thoughts. You can send them to caffertyfile@CNN.com. We'll read some of your answers a bit later.
Let's go back to Israel and the Wolf man -- Wolf.
BLITZER: All right, thanks very much, Jack. I'll be anxious to hear what our viewers think.
There's other important news we're watching. Let's go to CNN's John King in Washington to pick up our coverage.
Hi, John. JOHN KING, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, back to you in Jerusalem in just a few moments.
But first to our viewers, a developing story here in Washington, a big political drama. A new move today by some House Republicans to keep Tom DeLay from getting his job back.
Our congressional correspondent Ed Henry is tracking these developments and joins us now live--Ed.
ED HENRY, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: That's right, John. This could be bad news for Tom DeLay but also potentially for other top Republicans.
Basically today we're learning that a coalition of moderates and conservative House Republicans are officially today circulating a petition demanding new leadership elections in the House Republican conference as early as maybe the second week of February.
This is happening being led by a conservative, Jeff Flake of Arizona, a moderate, Charlie Bass of New Hampshire. They basically say they want to permanently replace DeLay as majority leader, but also, again, potentially challenge other leaders in the House Republican leadership.
I got off the phone a short time ago with Jeff Flake. He said it's time for a shakeup, particularly in the wake of the Jack Abramoff lobbying scandal this week. He thinks House Republican leaders have not really gotten the message that there needs to be a top to bottom review.
He said, quote, "We don't just need new leaders. We need a serious course correction or we're going to be in the minority."
So we've already heard Democrats saying they want to capitalize on this, but now Republicans are saying they also fear that there's a big problem here--John.
KING: And, Ed, when these lawmakers say they need a shakeup, do they mean all the way up to the speaker Dennis Hastert?
HENRY: I asked that question of Jeff Flake. And he said if Dennis Hastert does not embrace what Flake calls a real reform agenda, not just going after lobbyists, but a real reform agenda in the House of Representatives, Hastert's job could be on the line, as well -- John.
KING: Major political drama. Ed Henry tracking it for us. Thank you, Ed.
And ask the question here in Washington, how strong is the U.S. economy? And you're likely to get a different answer if you ask a Democrat than if you ask a Republican. It depends, of course, just who you ask.
Today the government released its job report, and it shows much weaker than expected gains. But that's not stopping the president and the vice president from declaring the economy's roaring full steam ahead in this new year.
Our White House correspondent Suzanne Malveaux has more -- Suzanne.
SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, John, of course, it's all a part of the president's strategy to use those good economic indicators to essentially push forward his own agenda, his own strategy and that, of course, to make tax cuts permanent, as well as expand job training and trade.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MALVEAUX (voice-over): It was an all-out blitz.
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: In 2005, the American economy turned in a performance that is the envy of the industrialized world.
MALVEAUX: President Bush before economists and earlier at the Chicago Board of Trade. The vice president hobbling from an old minor foot injury through several stops in Kansas, revving up the administration's message at a Harley Davidson plant.
DICK CHENEY, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Our job now is to maintain the momentum of the economy to keep confidence high, and we can start on the tax front.
MALVEAUX: The president's top economic advisers fanned out across the country to promote one message.
BUSH: We're strong. And I'm optimistic about the future of this economy.
MALVEAUX: Foreshadowing the state of the union address, the president is making the case that the state of the economy is strong with unemployment now under five percent, home ownership up, and the record-breaking gas prices of the summer down.
But the news out of the Labor Department today was disappointing. In December, 108,000 new jobs were created. Much lower than the 305,000 new jobs created the month before.
Democrats say that's precisely the problem. That the middle class isn't feeling any economic boom. In fact, they say most average Americans are being squeezed by the high costs of heat, medical care, and college tuition.
But economic analyst Greg Valliere says the big picture looks bright.
GREG VALLIERE, FINANCIAL ANALYST: In terms of real income in consumer's pockets, the last couple of years have not been very great. On paper, I think people have done pretty well with real estate. Maybe people will start to do much better with the stock market, which has gone up. But this is a good economy, not a great economy right now.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MALVEAUX: And, of course, in the rough and tumble world of Chicago politics, John, it was interesting that Senator Dick Durbin of Illinois was actually accompanying President Bush today on his tour there in Chicago and then later afterwards, held a press conference arguing essentially that he was setting the record straight why it is that this economic situation has not been very good for the middle class--John.
KING: I suspect maybe, Suzanne, the White House will bill him for that flight out now given those remarks.
It seems to be a back to basics approach from the president. It was a strong economy that kept President Clinton's approval numbers up when there were troubles in his administration.
Obviously, with the spying investigation, the spying controversy, here in Washington, the unpopularity of the Iraq war, is this a sign that in the new year the president wants to get back to bread and butter?
MALVEAUX: Well, certainly. And, John, there are two priorities that they have been talking about.
The president, of course, is going to emphasize the success when it comes to the war on terror, and then they're going to use the economy, those numbers that we brought up before as a way to show forward to try to reverse those approval numbers. They realize these are the two main issues at least in this year that people are focusing on.
KING: Suzanne Malveaux live at the White House, thank you very much.
And we expect, of course, next week's Supreme Court hearings to be quite heated. The media battle over Samuel Alito already well underway. We'll take a closer look coming up.
But next, back to our developing story, out of Israel and back to Wolf Blitzer in Jerusalem for his interview with the man Ariel Sharon ousted as prime minister.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: A somber Shabbat night here in Israel. The prime minister, Ariel Sharon, remains in critical but stable condition after undergoing emergency surgery yet again today to stop bleeding in his brain.
But doctors at Hadassah Hospital in Jerusalem say the 77-year-old leader shows significant improvement. He'll stay in a medically induced coma at least until Sunday to prevent further damage from the massive stroke he suffered on Wednesday. Earlier, I spoke with Mr. Sharon's political rival, the man he defeated to become prime minister of Israel in 2001, the former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak. Here's what he had to say about Ariel Sharon's impact.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BLITZER: Prime Minister Barak, thanks very much for joining us. It would be better if we were speaking under different circumstances. He was your political rival, Ariel Sharon. What goes through your mind, though, right now?
EHUD BARAK, FMR. ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER: Deep sorrow and we join our prayers with the prayers of his sons. You know, Israel is a small family with all political rivalry. I have known Ariel Sharon for 40 years, and we spent decades together. I was a junior. He was senior officer in our armed forces.
And I cannot deny, he was first of all one of our best ever field commanders. And one of the most creative and tough politicians. He succeeded me, defeated me in the election, but I never stopped appreciating him. It's a painful moment.
BLITZER: Were you surprised, prime minister -- were you surprised, prime minister, by the fact that he moved toward the center? You've said in the past that he made a U-turn, and especially his withdrawal decision from Gaza. Did he surprise you by the decisions he made as prime minister?
BARAK: You know, I proposed this disengagement as my platform in 2001 after the failed Camp David summit with Arafat. I told our people, "There is no partner, so we have to take our destiny in our hands." And when he began, I was not sure where he's going to head because he promised that he will put an end to terror and bring peace and security.
But the moment he announced it some two and a half years ago, against all doubts in the Israeli public, I said, "I know Sharon for many years. If he said it looking in the eyes of the public, he will do it. He will not look backward. He will not be derailed by political kind of opposition. He will do it."
And it's really an astonishing U-turn. The man was the founding father of the settlement movement. He was the kind of uncle in the political arena. And when he realized that in order to protect the future and destiny of the state of Israel, our own future, we have out of self-confidence and strength decide to act unilaterally, he just did it. And that's really impressive to think of this about him.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BLITZER: We'll have more of my interview with Ehud Barak. That's coming up later right here in THE SITUATION ROOM.
But coming up next, much more on this developing story here in Jerusalem, the grave condition of Ariel Sharon. And in the next hour, I'll speak with one of Sharon's top confidantes. We'll speak live here in Jerusalem.
And later, the supreme battle over Samuel Alito. The news media fight over his confirmation. The political ad wars, they're heating up. Stay with us. You're in THE SITUATION ROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KING: The early odds are they're likely to be a lot more combative than calm. The Senate confirmation hearings for Supreme Court nominee Samuel Alito are set to start Monday. The media war, though, over his nomination already is in full swing. CNN's senior political analyst Bill Schneider is here with more -- Bill.
BILL SCHNEIDER, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: John, will the confirmation battle over Samuel Alito become the all-out war we did not get over John Roberts or Harriet Miers?
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SCHNEIDER (voice-over): A Supreme Court confirmation fight is supposed to be an all-out war, but it's not clear that will happen with Samuel Alito. It did not happen with John Roberts. His solid qualifications disarmed his opponents.
It did not happen with Harriet Miers. Her lack of obvious qualifications as well as her weak conservative credentials disarmed her supporters. She withdrew. Right now, the pro and anti-Alito forces are girding for battle. This anti-Alito ad attacks his credibility.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Alito promised to disqualify himself from certain cases, but news reports reveal he broke his own commitment three times, even ruling in favor of a company he invested with.
SCHNEIDER: While this pro-Alito ad attacks his attackers.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Every day, desperate liberals make up a steady drip of attacks against Judge Samuel Alito.
SCHNEIDER: Now the anti-forces have been handed a serious setback. A committee of the American Bar Association, a group President Bush has disdained in the past for not treating conservative nominees fairly voted unanimously to give Judge Alito the ABA's highest rating for competence and integrity.
Alito has taken some controversial positions, but he has told senators he will not allow his personal views to influence his rulings. The Senate rejected Robert Bork in 1987 because he came across as a zealot. Alito does not, at least so far. So his critics argue in a new ad his moderation is just an act.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Samuel Alito is no moderate, but he plays one on TV.
SCHNEIDER: As of last month, the public tended to favor his confirmation mildly.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SCHNEIDER: The country does not seem eager for an all-out battle. Whether Alito's critics can gain traction depends more than anything else on how the nominee comes across at his confirmation hearings starting next week -- John.
KING: And Bill, an interesting change in tactics in recent days. Early on, the liberal interest groups seemed like they wanted to focus on social issues, particularly abortion. Now it seems much more a fight on his views on executive power. Is this as much about Alito, or more about Mr. Bush?
SCHNEIDER: Well, I think it's truly about both of them. I think they're also focusing on his credibility. They're using anything they can possibly get. But Alito has been pretty skillful at distancing himself from his positions in the past and essentially saying his personal views won't influence his judicial decisions. So I think they're trying to get him on a number of different fronts.
KING; Enjoy your weekend. A long week next week at these hearings. Thank you, Bill Schneider.
And as Washington prepares for those nomination hearings of Judge Alito, some interest groups are issuing a call to arms online. You can even download the fight onto your iPod. I'm sure Wolf did before the flight to Israel. Our Internet reporter Jacki Schechner has that story -- Jacki.
JACKI SCHECHNER, CNN INTERNET REPORTER: John, the video you see playing behind me is an advertisement that you're not going to see on television, but you can find it on the internet and you can download it, as you said, to your iPod.
It's for the Center for American Progress, a liberal interest group. And it's actually from something called alito.org. Don't look at that, it didn't come up for me. But essentially, what's going on here is there are interest groups that are online, and they are taking their fight to do so. Hopefully we can pull that information up for you, John.
We'll send it back to you, and maybe we can get that up so you can see it. But it's groups like Center for American Progress, Progress for America. And really, in the age of the Internet, these guys are using that to disseminate information in anticipation of next week's hearings.
KING: And for all of the wonders of the Internet, Jacki, a glitch every now and then. We'll get back to that later. Thank you, Jacki Schechner.
And the confirmation hearings over Supreme Court nominee Samuel Alito are expected to get underway on Monday. We'll bring you live, in-depth coverage all week long right here in THE SITUATION ROOM, again, starting at noon on Monday. And coming up in THE SITUATION ROOM, call it a Republican revolt in Congress. We'll have much, much more on our developing political story. The intra-party political fight in the House.
Plus, much more still on the battle over Judge Alito. Paul Begala and Rich Galen tangle over the Supreme Court nomination hearing in today's strategy session.
And the Terminator sounding like a Democrat. California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger sounds a new conciliatory tune. But will the voters like it? Stay with us. You're in THE SITUATION ROOM.
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BLITZER: Welcome back to THE SITUATION ROOM. I'm Wolf Blitzer reporting tonight from Jerusalem where the Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has been hospitalized in a drug-induced coma. He underwent brain surgery once again today for the third time since he suffered a major stroke on Wednesday.
Once again, doctors had to intervene to stop bleeding in his brain and to try to relieve the pressure inside his skull. This surgery lasted more than four hours. Doctors insist it was successful. Sharon remains, though, in critical but stable condition. We're watching his condition. More on that coming up here in THE SITUATION ROOM.
In the meantime, back to John King in Washington -- John.
KING: All right, Wolf. We'll be getting back to you soon. But here now in THE SITUATION ROOM, today's strategy session. Our focus, the Supreme Court nomination. Hearings for Judge Samuel Alito are set to begin on Monday. Where should the Democrats focus their questioning? How forthcoming should the judge be in his answers?
Plus, California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger says he's learned the lessons from his mistakes. Is his new tone a winning strategy for reelection? Joining us are CNN political analyst and Democratic strategist Paul Begala and Republican strategist Rich Galen.
Let's first start, though, with this possible developing Republican revolt in the House of Representatives. Tom DeLay obviously stepped down to deal with the legal charges against him. Now there's an effort by some moderates and conservatives to say, "Never mind. Let's have new leadership elections. Let's just block out the fact that he should be able to come back at all."
I want to read you -- this is the reaction from Kevin Madden, Tom DeLay's spokesman to this. He says, "Mr. Delay appreciates that a majority of his colleagues recognize he's committed to fulfilling his responsibilities as majority leader, which he believes he will resume rather quickly." Mr. Madden clearly trying to say there that this is a minority of the Republicans. But Rich Galen, you know these Republicans. This is a problem.
RICH GALEN, REPUBLICAN STRATEGIST: Well, I think Tom DeLay may well be the first political casualty of the Abramoff affair. Obviously, there are legal casualties. But I think Tom DeLay, his days as majority leader are clearly numbered.
The members on the Hill, I think probably on both sides, but certainly Republicans, are very nervous, anybody who looks like they're connected to any part of this scandal. And as it expands, and it will expand, more and more members will become more and more nervous.
And I think that a lot of the members, even though they respect what DeLay was able to do over the years that he was majority leader -- and he may have been one of the best that we've ever had, the best that Congress has ever seen in terms of strength -- I think they believe that his time may have come and gone. And they need a new face in the Republican party.
GALEN: January, but election year. If you're the Democrats, do you want Republicans to do this now?
PAUL BEGALA, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: Democrats, no, frankly. I think Rich is right. He knows his party better than anyone. I think the Democrats probably would rather have Tom DeLay remain the public face of the Republican party.
And if they coup him, the Republicans coup him, Democrats will still say that this is a culture of corruption and cronyism in Washington, they'll point to the Abramoff scandal, which, as Rich points out, is continuing to metastasize.
The question for the Democrats will be this, though. Will they stand for real reform? I have to tell you, there's elements in my party that don't want to reform the system, too. And there's going to be an internal fight in the Democratic Party. Republicans are having theirs now as whether or not they fire DeLay.
Democrats will have to have theirs to decide if they're really for reform. My old colleague from the Clinton White House Rahm Emanuel is the leader of the reformers in the Democratic Party. We'll see if he can prevail with a packaging of lobbying reforms that he's pushing.
KING: Let's move across the Capitol to the Senate side, where there are questions for Democrats as well, including the tone and the tenor when Judge Samuel Alito sits in the chair for confirmation hearings that are scheduled to begin on Monday.
I want to read you a quote, here, from Senator Ted Kennedy, senior Democrat on the Judiciary Committee. This is what he told "The Washington Times": "I'm concerned that Judge Alito's statements, writings, and decisions suggest an unmistakable tendency to favor strong executive authority."
Rich Galen, a month ago, many thought this would be about Judge Alito's views on abortion and social issues. It appears, because of the spying controversy here, that the Democrats want to hone in on executive authority. Smart? GALEN: Well, you've got to take whatever the defense gives you, so to speak, to use a football term. And I think that's what the Democrats are doing. But I believe that if we took the vote today, this minute, and the vote at the end of January, you wouldn't see more than one or two, and I don't think the Alito nomination is in trouble or will be in trouble.
And I have to tell you that of all the people on the Hill that should be careful about looking back 20 or 25 years into what somebody may have done or said 25 years ago, Ted Kennedy is probably at the top of that list.
KING: If they're going to make this about executive authority, though, are they conceding Alito's confirmation and making this a fight about the president?
BEGALA: No, no. Two things. First off, Senator Kennedy gets a six-year contract renewed every six years by the people of Massachusetts. They have passed on his integrity for 42 years, and it is beyond question. Judge Alito's is not. And here's why. It's not simply executive power. Tomorrow. Senator Kennedy's going to have an op-ed that appears in "The Washington Post," my sources on the Hill tell me, that goes right at Alito's credibility.
Judge Alito promised the Senate in writing in 1990, the last time he was given a lifetime appointment to an appeals court, that he would not rule on any cases involving Vanguard, the mutual fund in which he's got a six-figure investment. A case came before him, he ruled on it, and he ruled for Vanguard, breaking his word to the Senate.
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GALEN: That was vetted by outside experts, by academic scholars as an academic, which I am not...
KING: We're not going to settle that one today.
(CROSSTALK)
KING: Let me call time-out because this is very complicated. We're going to spend a lot of time on this issue next week. So let me call time-out. In our limited time today, I want to move now all the way to Sacramento. And I want you both -- You both have run campaigns, you both advised candidates when you think maybe it's time to change your tune a little bit. Listen to this, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, last night on his State of the State address.
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GOV. ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER (R), CALIFORNIA: I have absorbed my defeat and I've learned my lesson. And the people who always have the last word sent a clear message: Cut the warfare, cool the rhetoric, find common ground, and fix the problems together. So to my fellow Californians, I say, "Message received."
(END VIDEO CLIP) KING: Message received. Will he be back?
BEGALA: He very may well have begun the road back last night. I thought it was a brilliant strategic move. The future is always in the center. California is probably a center-left state. At that, he's a Republican governor.
If President Bush says the same thing in his State of the Union in January, it might be the beginning of a Bush comeback. People want strength and humility in their leaders. Nobody worries that Arnold Schwarzenegger is not strong. My god, he could break any of us in two.
But he goofed. And I like seeing a guy saying -- plus, he's already rejected the social ultra-right wing of the Republican Party on abortion and gay rights. Now he's rejecting the economic conservatives, calling for an increase in the minimum wage, more state spending. My kind of Republican.
GALEN: My sources in Sacramento tell me that Maria Shriver, his wife, has taken control of this entire operation, and that's what she is bringing to this. We're going to do this the right way. It's going to be professional. We're not going to have a bunch of people sitting back and trying to just run TV ads and hope that everything comes all right. And I think that's the difference.
KING: All right, gentlemen. Unfortunately, we need to call it short there. We need to move, I'm told, on to Ali Velshi for a developing story in Chicago -- Ali?
ALI VELSHI, CNN ANCHOR: This just happening. We're getting word in now, John, from what is known as the Pilgrim Baptist Church on Chicago's south side at Adler and Sullivan. This was built in 1890. There's a massive fire there right now. You can see it.
Built in 1890, it was a synagogue until 1922, when it became the Pilgrim Baptist Church. This is where Tommy Dorsey -- Tommy Dorsey was the music director there. This has housed gospel singers. It's a landmark church on Chicago's south side for those of you who know it, Adler and Sullivan. Very old church.
The fire chief is reporting no injuries that they know of. There are ambulances standing by, however. The roof, as you can clearly see from this picture, has collapsed. The fire department is describing what they're doing as being in defensive mode. You can see several fire lines now being sent through the windows. They don't appear to be there any more on that church.
This is the Pilgrim Baptist Church on Chicago's south side fully, fully involved. It's rare that you see a fire so fully involving a building. That is on Chicago's south side, an old, old building built in 1890. It was one of Chicago's oldest synagogues.
And the Pilgrim Baptist Church home to Tommy Dorsey and other gospel singers. Really a landmark of gospel music in America. It is clearly on its way to destruction. At the moment, we have no report of anybody inside. But the roof has collapsed. They have got emergency vehicles, ambulances, on standby. And at the moment, they are trying to at least get some control over that situation. John, we're going to keep you posted on what happens there.
KING: Ali Velshi, thank you for that developing story. Our apologies to Paul Begala and Rich Galen for cutting strategy session a little short, especially Paul who wanted to celebrate the Texas Longhorns victory in the Rose Bowl and their national championship.
Stay with us. When THE SITUATION ROOM returns, back to Wolf Blitzer in Israel for his coverage of the developing story, the grave condition of the Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon. Stay with us.
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BLITZER: I'm Wolf Blitzer in Jerusalem. We're following the grave condition of the Israeli prime minister.
In Chicago, check this out. This is a fire that's on going right now at the Pilgrim Baptist Church in Chicago. We're watching that, as well. We'll update you on what's going on there.
Lots of other news going on, including the Vietnam veteran, Congressman John Murtha, Pennsylvania Democrat. He's had some tough things to say about U.S. troops. Some serious things to say about U.S. troops in Iraq. Is he helping or hurting troop morale? That's our question. Jack Cafferty's going through your email. We'll go to Jack right after this.
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BLITZER: When I'm in Washington, I always say let's go up to New York. But I'm in Jerusalem, so let's go down to New York. Jack Cafferty is standing by with "The Cafferty File." Jack, Jerusalem's on a high hill. Elevation a lot higher than in New York. That's why we're going to go down to New York from Jerusalem.
CAFFERTY: How's the weather over there right now?
BLITZER: A little chilly tonight in Jerusalem, but it's lovely.
CAFFERTY: All right. The nation's top general, Wolf, says that Congressman John Murtha's comments are bad for troop morale. Early this week, Murtha said if he was eligible to join the military today, he wouldn't. The question is, are Congressman Murtha's comments harmful to troop morale?
Stan in Illinois: "I think our soldiers are smarter and tougher than people give them credit for. They know Murtha understand their situation. The chicken hawks of the administration do not. It would hurt my morale more to know that I was cannon fodder for war contractor profits."
Mike in Chardon, Ohio: "Yes, Murtha's comments are truly bad for morale. I agree wholeheartedly with General Pace. We're at war. Our troops are in harm's way, and now is not the time to call for rapid withdrawal. It only emboldens our enemies."
Dan in Joliet, Illinois: "Absolutely not. The recruitment numbers were down long before Murtha said anything. The real problem with the numbers is the way the troops are treated while they serve. And at least half the country sees that."
Michael writes, "Murtha is absolutely spot on. Who wants to take a job that isn't defined, is based on lies, and doesn't look like it can ever be accomplished?"
And Norm in West Des Moines, Iowa: "I don't believe we should be in Iraq, but I think Murtha has forgotten what it's like to be in the service and have some jerk in Washington make stupid remarks" -- Wolf.
BLITZER: All right, thanks very much, Jack. We'll get back to you momentarily.
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