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The Situation Room
Senate Judiciary Committee Opens Alito Hearings; Cheney Hospitalized
Aired January 09, 2006 - 17:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: It's 5:00 p.m., and you're in THE SITUATION ROOM, where news and information from around the world arrive in one place at the same time.
Happening now, it's 5:00 p.m. here in Washington, where senators are performing their constitutional duty. Eighteen of them stand in judgment of Judge Samuel Alito's qualifications for the U.S. Supreme Court, and they're promising to ask tough questions to get at Alito's views on abortion, executive authority and other issues.
And it's 5:00 p.m. in West Virginia, where there are important questions in hindsight of the deaths of those 12 trapped miners. Could they have run in a different direction and found air in time?
And it's 1:00 a.m. in Baghdad, where a sort of Trojan horse attack ends in death. Suicide bombers dressed as policemen infiltrate a gathering of police. Not far away, the United States ambassador to Iraq.
I'm Wolf Blitzer. You're in THE SITUATION ROOM.
Senate Democrats gave Judge Samuel Alito fair warning today they are planning to cross-examine him on divisive issues, including executive power, abortion and privacy rights. On day one of the Alito confirmation hearings, the Supreme Court nominee didn't give any hint about how or if he'll answer those questions.
But our congressional correspondent, Ed Henry, is covering this showdown for us on the Hill. And he's got a good summary of what did happen -- Ed.
ED HENRY, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Wolf.
Democrats very much on the attack from the opening minutes of these opening statements. In fact, some Republicans complaining that they almost sounded like indictments instead of opening statements.
Democrats making clear that over the course of the next three days they will be grilling Judge Alito very toughly on issues ranging from executive power to abortion, zeroing in, in particular, on this 1985 memo in which a young Samuel Alito said that he does not believe the Constitution guarantees a right to an abortion.
We finally today at the end of the afternoon got a chance to hear directly from Judge Alito, where he immediately sought to reassure his critics that he is not rigid in his views and is open minded. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JUDGE SAMUEL ALITO, SUPREME COURT NOMINEE: When I became a judge, I stopped being a practicing attorney. And that was a big change in role. The role of a practicing attorney is to achieve a desirable result for the client in the particular case at hand. But a judge can't think that way.
A judge can't have any agenda. A judge can't have any preferred outcome in any particular case. And a judge certainly doesn't have a client. The judge's only obligation, and it's a solemn obligation, is to the rule of law.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HENRY: Judge Alito walking a political tightrope right there. If he moves too far to the center, disavows that 1985 memo, you can bet conservatives on this committee will hammer him. They want to make sure that he does not run completely from that memo. But if he doesn't show himself to be open minded enough, Democrats, as you mentioned, signaling they will be very much on the attack.
Take a listen to Senator Edward Kennedy.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. EDWARD KENNEDY (D-MA), JUDICIARY COMMITTEE: In an era where the White House is abusing power, is excusing and authorizing torture, and is spying on American citizens, I find Judge Alito's support for an all-powerful executive branch to be genuinely troubling.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HENRY: Now, Chairman Arlen Specter today, after the hearing, chastising senators a bit, saying he's concerned that some lawmakers sound like they're already stuck in cement on the issue of abortion, other divisive issues as well.
It will all get very interesting tomorrow morning, 9:30 Eastern Time, when the questioning begins -- Wolf.
BLITZER: And we'll have live coverage of that. Thanks very much.
Ed Henry on Capitol Hill.
Even before the Senate hearing got under way, Americans were forming their own opinions about Samuel Alito. Our senior political analyst Bill Schneider is here with us in THE SITUATION ROOM. He's got some new poll numbers -- Bill.
WILLIAM SCHNEIDER, CNN SR. POLITICAL ANALYST: Wolf, Americans were interviewed over the weekend by the CNN-"USA Today"-Gallup poll just before the hearing started, and when asked, they said they were inclined to support the Senate confirmation of Judge Alito. Forty- nine percent, just shy of a majority, 30 percent opposed the confirmation, and a high number, 21 percent, said no opinion at this time.
Why are they inclined to support him? Because a majority of Americans, 52 percent, believe that Judge Alito's views are in the mainstream. That same 30 percent say his views are too extreme.
What would it take to convince Americans that he's too extreme? People were asked, "Supposed you're convinced that after his confirmation hearings Judge Alito would vote to overturn Roe v. Wade." Then, in that case, a majority said they would not support his confirmation, 56 percent say no.
And I just checked in a poll just released by "Washington Post" and the ABC News poll, Americans said -- "If judge Alito is confirmed, do you think he would vote to overturn Roe v. Wade?" Only 18 percent of Americans right now say they think he would vote to overturn.
That's a very low number. That number might change. That's what we are looking for during these confirmation hearings.
BLITZER: Bill Schneider reporting for us.
Thank you, Bill, very much.
Much more on the Alito confirmation hearings coming up. Don't forget, tomorrow morning, 9:30 a.m. Eastern, our live coverage, day two of the hearings, will resume.
Now to another important political story we're following. This one involving Congressman Tom DeLay and his legal troubles and the fallout here in Washington on Capitol Hill.
A Texas court today rejected DeLay's bid to get the criminal charges against him dismissed or to speed up his trial. DeLay had hoped to put the case behind him and try to reclaim his job as the House majority leader. But on Saturday he announced he would not seek reelection to the leadership job he gave up after his indictment.
Now two top lawmakers are in the running to permanently replace DeLay as the House majority leader. That would be the House Republican whip, Roy Blunt of Missouri, who temporarily stepped in to fill DeLay's shoes. And Congressman John Boehner of Ohio also has thrown in his hat into the ring.
Whoever takes over for DeLay will have to deal with the likely fallout from a major influence peddling probe and a plea bargain by the Republican lobbyist Jack Abramoff.
Our Senior Political Correspondent Candy Crowley is joining us now with more.
How nervous right now, Candy, are Republicans?
CANDY CROWLEY, CNN SR. POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, pretty nervous, Wolf.
I mean -- and there's good reason for them to be, because, you know, Tom DeLay and Jack Abramoff, we earlier had Duke Cunningham, the Republican from California, a congressman who had resigned, pleaded guilty to bribery. He'll spend some time in jail. Lots of things going on out there in an election year.
And we have a new poll coming out today, a CNN-"USA Today"- Gallup, that shows just how much people are paying attention. In fact, we asked them to rate among about 15 different issues where their top, their extremely important issues for 2006 are. And look where corruption is.
Forty-three percent of people said it was extremely important to them in 2006 for the elections, right up there with Iraq and terrorism and health care. So, this has begun to, as they say, get some legs here.
Then when we asked another question specifically about members of Congress, do they deserve to have reelection, look at these numbers. Forty-two percent of Americans said they believe that most members of Congress deserve to be reelected. The last time the number was that low was 1994, Democrats were in charge.
That's when Newt Gingrich and the Republican revolution came. Now, of course, Republicans are in charge.
This is the kind of stuff that is making them very nervous on Capitol Hill. All that sort of sword of Damocles is hanging over them. And that's the Jack Abramoff and whatever he's saying to federal investigators -- Wolf.
BLITZER: Getting the Tom DeLay majority leadership out of the way -- DeLay announced Saturday he's not going to seek reelection as the House majority leader -- does this now help Republicans?
CROWLEY: Well, you know, it means when they go home they don't have to answer the question, why is Tom DeLay, who's on trial for this and who's a good friend -- why is he still your leader? So it helps.
But everyone I talked to said, look, you know, Tom DeLay is not the end of a chapter. It's the beginning of the book. So they really are worried about what else is out there.
BLITZER: Candy Crowley reporting for us.
Thanks, Candy, very much.
Democrats are having a field day with the Jack Abramoff scandal. Who's the government going after next?
Let's bring in our Internet reporter, Abbi Tatton. She has more on the situation online -- Abbi.
ABBI TATTON, CNN INTERNET REPORTER: Liberal and Democrat groups online, Wolf, following the money.
This is jackinthehouse.org. This is from a group called the Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington. They are tracing the money from Abramoff to Republican members of Congress.
This is also the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. Their site linking Tom DeLay to Jack Abramoff is being updated all the time.
Amongst conservative bloggers, we're seeing that there's very little support for Jack Abramoff out there -- Wolf.
BLITZER: All right, Abbi. Thank you very much.
Meanwhile, the vice president, Dick Cheney, is said to be feeling well, following his regular schedule right now. Though earlier today he was hospitalized very early this morning after being short of breath.
Let's bring in our White House Correspondent Suzanne Malveaux. She's got the details on the vice president's health -- Suzanne.
SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf, as you know, of course, Vice President Dick Cheney has been really keeping a very high profile. It was just last month that he visited Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan. It was just last week that he was defending the domestic spy program, the controversial program of this administration. But earlier this morning a brief setback for Mr. Cheney.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MALVEAUX (voice over): Vice President Dick Cheney is back at work after a brief health scare landed him in the hospital early Monday morning. Around 3:00 a.m., Cheney was struggling to breathe and was rushed to George Washington University Hospital. His office said he was retaining fluid and experiencing shortness of breath, side-effects from an anti-inflammatory drug he'd been taking for a recurring foot problem.
A spokeswoman said Cheney's doctors monitored his heart condition which they found unchanged and treated him with a diuretic. The president was notified about Cheney's condition before his early morning Oval Office meetings and soon after gave a thumbs up on his condition.
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: He's doing fine. I talked to him this morning. His health is good. He should be coming into work a little later on today.
MALVEAUX: Later in the afternoon, Cheney's office released more details, saying he has occasional bouts with inflammation in his left foot, sometimes in the heel, which has been diagnosed as tendoninitis sometimes in the joint of his big toe. Some doctors suggesting gout or osteoarthritis.
The 64-year-old vice president has a long history of heart problems: four heart attacks, quadruple bypass surgery, and an implanted pacemaker. Last Friday, Cheney was seen hobbling through several stops in Kansas using a cane, making light of what his aides say was a stiffening of his Achilles heel.
RICHARD CHENEY, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Secretary Rumsfeld bit me in the ankle.
(LAUGHTER)
CHENEY: Not to worry.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MALVEAUX: And historians of course say that Cheney is arguably one of the most powerful vice presidents in the history of this country. His office says that he is not slowing down his schedule anytime soon -- Wolf.
BLITZER: Suzanne Malveaux over at the White House.
Thanks, Suzanne, very much.
Time now for "The Cafferty File." That means Jack Cafferty, who's standing by in New York.
Hi, Jack.
JACK CAFFERTY, CNN ANCHOR: Back again so soon. Time does fly when we are all having this much fun.
On "The Cafferty File" from this point forward we shall call them celebrity know-it-alls. These are singers, actors and dancers who suddenly decide to bore the rest of us with their opinions on sweeping issues of grave international importance as though, one, they know what the hell they're talking about, and two, the rest of us care what they think.
The latest example of this self-important pomposity comes from Harry Belafonte, who went to Venezuela to visit Hugo Chavez. Check this out.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HARRY BELAFONTE, SINGER & ACTIVIST: And no matter what the greatest tyrant in the world, the greatest terrorist in the world, George W. Bush says, we are here to tell you not hundreds, not thousands, but millions of the American people, millions, support your revolution, support your ideas and, yes, expressing our solidarity with you.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CAFFERTY: This from a man who used to sing "Come Mr. Tallyman, tally me banana."
Here's the question: Is Harry Belafonte out of line claiming that millions of Americans support a socialist revolution in Venezuela?
You can e-mail us your thoughts at caffertyfile@cnn.com. Sometimes I can even make myself laugh. I heard you giggling.
BLITZER: Could you -- could you sing a few bars of that, though?
CAFFERTY: I'm not going to even try. But when you -- when you juxtapose "Day-o" -- wasn't it, "The Banana Boat Song"...
BLITZER: Yes.
CAFFERTY: ... with his political proclamations about a socialist revolution in Venezuela, well, it's like, you know, I just don't know what to make of it all.
BLITZER: Good singer, though.
CAFFERTY: He was all right.
BLITZER: I liked him.
CAFFERTY: I used to play his stuff on the radio back when I was a disc jockey.
BLITZER: Jack Cafferty reminiscing about his days as a disc jockey.
Coming up, as more of the miners who were killed in the Sago tragedy are buried, the sole survivor is showing some signs of improvement. We are going to go live to West Virginia when we return for an update.
It's just past midnight in the Middle East, where the Israeli prime minister, Ariel Sharon, remains in grave condition at this hour. We are going to go live to Jerusalem for the latest on his prognosis.
Plus, Arnold Schwarzenegger got 15 stitches in his lip, but that doesn't appear to be slowing down California's governor. We'll explain what's going on.
Stay with us because you're in THE SITUATION ROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: In West Virginia, they are laying to rest some of those miners killed last week at the Sago Mine while keeping an eye out on that sole-survivor miner. And there are new details emerging about what kind of options they all might have had just after the accident.
Our Christopher King is joining us now from West Virginia.
Christopher, is it true that some of those miners might have been able to have been saved under various contingencies?
CHRISTOPHER KING, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf, at least that's what reports are saying. There are reports out there that say that the miners could possibly have gotten to breathable air and perhaps have gotten out on their own. Now, those reports also say that there was air possibly 3,000 feet away from the miners' location, but those probably had no way of telling that the air was nearby. This is, of course -- is according to reports.
Now remember, these miners were surrounded by toxic gases: methane, carbon monoxide and smoke. Now, they were cut off from the outside world. Of course it was very disorienting inside there, and it was, of course, very dark inside that mine -- Wolf.
BLITZER: What about the sole surviving miner? What's the latest we are getting on his condition in the hospital?
KING: Yes, that's Randal McCloy. Of course doctors say that Randal McCloy has been responding to stimulus. They said that he's developed a slight fever, however. And he was taken off sedation and he's been breathing without a ventilator. But they say he is still in critical condition.
Now, also tonight, there's going to be a candlelight vigil here at the courthouse in Barbour County. That's where four of the miners lived -- Wolf.
BLITZER: All right. Christopher King reporting for us from the scene.
Thank you very much.
CNN's Zain Verjee is off today. Kyra Phillips is joining us now with a closer look at some other stories making news.
Kyra, how you doing?
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Hey, Wolf.
Well, health officials in Turkey have announced that five new cases of bird flu has appeared in humans. Samples have been sent to labs in Britain to determine if people are catching that disease from birds or other humans. Last week, three siblings in eastern Turkey died after coming down with bird flu.
And a 3-month-old Iraqi girl who U.S. troops helped bring to Atlanta for treatment of Spina Bifida is recovering from the first of a series of operations. Nicknamed "Baby Noor," her backbone and spinal cord did not fully develop before birth. She was discovered by troops during a raid last month. And doctors say she'll probably never walk, but without treatment she would have died.
And the Texas woman who admits to drowning her children in 2001 has entered a plea of not guilty by reason of insanity. A jury rejected Andrea Yates' insanity defense and convicted her of murdering three of her five children, all of whom drowned in a bathtub. But that verdict was overturned.
Yates is now being retried. And her attorney says that she had severe postpartum mental health issues. Arnold Schwarzenegger was slightly injured in a motorcycle accident over the weekend. A spokeswoman says that the California governor received 15 stitches in his lip after colliding with a car while riding his Harley Davidson yesterday. Schwarzenegger's son, who was riding in the motorcycle's side car, was also treated for minor cuts and bruises.
And Wolf, did I hear you and Jack singing Harry Belafonte?
BLITZER: We were not singing. We were talking about it. But if you'd like to sing a few bars, Kyra, our viewers would love to hear you do that.
PHILLIPS: Well, I'm not going to sing, but I have a piece of trivia for you, something that I learned when I interviewed him a number of years ago. In 1962 -- you were probably too young to remember this -- but the album "The Midnight Special," does it ring a bell?
BLITZER: Yes.
PHILLIPS: OK. Do you remember a young harmonica player that had a little gig on that album?
BLITZER: No.
PHILLIPS: Bob Dylan.
BLITZER: Really?
PHILLIPS: Yes.
BLITZER: Trivia from Kyra.
PHILLIPS: I love Harry Belafonte. I don't know if we should talk about that right now while, you know, this political discussion is going on. But I love his music.
BLITZER: His music was great.
PHILLIPS: There you go.
BLITZER: Still is. Thanks, Kyra.
PHILLIPS: All right.
BLITZER: Coming up, the GOP chairman, Ken Mehlman. He'll join us here in THE SITUATION ROOM. We'll talk to him about the Samuel Alito hearings, Tom DeLay's departure as majority leader, lots more.
Plus, we'll show you which controversial commercials the NFL says it's dropping and why.
You're in THE SITUATION ROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK) BLITZER: Welcome back.
This is the turbulent time for Republicans even as they kick off a congressional election year. The Samuel Alito confirmation hearings are now under way. Day one over with right now, and so the is race to permanently replace Tom DeLay as the House majority leader.
Then there are the legal and ethical questions stemming from Tom DeLay's indictment and a plea bargain for the lobbyist Jack Abramoff.
Joining us now in the midst of all of this is the Republican Party chairman Ken Mehlman.
Ken, thanks very much for joining us.
Thanks, Wolf. Appreciate it.
BLITZER: Listen to what your Democratic counterpart, Howard Dean, told me yesterday on "LATE EDITION." Listen to this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HOWARD DEAN, DNC CHAIRMAN: I know the Republican National Committee would like to get the Democrats involved in this. They are scared. They should be scared.
They haven't told the truth. They have misled the American people. And now it appears they are stealing from Indian tribes. The Democrats are not involved in this.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BLITZER: You're smiling. He's referring to Jack Abramoff, who's pleaded guilty and...
MEHLMAN: Yes, I'm not sure...
BLITZER: ... there's concern clearly among Republican circles that potential Republican lawmakers could be implicated right now.
What say you?
MEHLMAN: Well, Wolf, when I -- when you look at this scandal, there's no question both Democrats and Republicans received money. And Jack Abramoff raised money for Democrats and Republicans.
Harry Reid, for instance, he raised a bunch of money for. I was interested when Harry Reid said this is a Republican scandal.
I just look at it differently. The way I look at it, we shouldn't be pointing fingers. What we ought to be doing is looking in the mirror and saying we all have positions of public trust, and what kinds of reforms do we need to undertake? In some cases, lobbying disclosure reform.
John McCain has come up with some interesting ideas. What are other things we need to do to make sure we restore and reaffirm the public trust that the public ought to have in what happens in Washington? This ought not be about partisan games. It ought to be about integrity, it ought to be about a public trust. And it ought to be all of us looking and saying how can we make sure we do the best we can?
BLITZER: What Howard Dean said yesterday -- and we've checked. Mark Preston (ph), our political editor, went back and checked. What Howard Dean said, Chuck Schumer said -- the Democratic senator from New York -- is that Abramoff directly giving money only to Republicans. Harry Reid, Byron Dorgan, they received money from tribal interests, but not directly from Jack Abramoff. All of his cash went only to Republicans.
MEHLMAN: Well, Wolf, as I said a minute ago, look, the Bush- Cheney campaign decided to give the money that Jack Abramoff gave them back. Each congressman and each senator has to make a decision of what they want to do. But there's a larger issue here.
First, the larger issue is I think we need to reform how Washington does business. And a lot of folks have talked about that and looked at it. I think that's something you are going to see that's happening. I hope it's bipartisan.
The second thing we all need to remember is, what Jack Abramoff did was also not business as usual. Charging your clients more than you actually owe -- than they owe you is not business as usual. That's fraud. Allowing a colleague to charge them and then give you some money is called a kickback.
So I think, again, the attempt to try to say we're going to try to partisan -- use this for partisan gains is wrong. Instead, what we need to do, both sides, is come together, reform the process, and make sure that people who are guilty of wrongdoing deserve and serve the punishments they deserve.
BLITZER: In our new CNN-"USA Today"-Gallup poll, we asked this question: "Which party will be hurt the most by the Abramoff case?" Thirty-eight percent said Republicans, six percent said Democrats, 43 percent said both equally.
But you've got to -- you've got to admit and -- that you've got a problem right now between Jack Abramoff, Tom DeLay, Duke -- Randy "Duke" Cunningham, the perception out there that Republicans were acting potentially, illegally, wrongly, shadily, whatever words you want to use.
MEHLMAN: Wolf, I think everybody who works in Washington, whether they work in Congress, whether they work here at the RNC, whether they work at the DNC, wherever they work, ought to be saying, we are going to assess everything we do, and we're going to make sure we reform the process to ensure the public trust.
I think that's something you've got to do on a regular basis, and we particularly have to do it now. And the last thing the American people want is a bunch of partisan finger pointing.
BLITZER: Here's what "The Wall Street Journal" editorial page, which is no friends of the Democrats, to be sure, what they wrote today. And you probably read this editorial.
"Our sense is that Republicans don't yet appreciate the trouble they are in. Confident of K Street money and gerrymandered districts, they think the voters will never turn Congress over to a party run by Nancy Pelosi. But that's also what Democrats and the media thought about Republicans led by Newt Gingrich in 1994."
That's when the Republicans took over the House of Representatives.
Does "The Wall Street Journal" make a fair point?
MEHLMAN: Well, Wolf, I don't believe that the reason we're going to maintain our majority is because of gerrymandered districts or K Street money. We're going to maintain our majority, in my opinion, because of our ideas and our commitment to reform government to serve the American people.
We're going to have a big debate, for instance, over the next month about the Patriot Act. It's for the last four years kept us safe from terrorist attacks. We believe it ought to be renewed, and the president will have that authority. Some on the other side don't.
We're going to have a big debate on the National Security Agency and the authority that's so critical that did not, before 9/11, prevent Mr. Moussaoui from engaging in what he did, but after 9/11, when it was used, it prevented the Brooklyn Bridge from being blown up. We're going to have a big debate about whether we have prosperity in this country...
BLITZER: All right.
MEHLMAN: ... by having more money and more power in Washington, or we need to reduce taxes and reduce spending.
I've never believed that the key to our success is money. The key to our success has always got to be ideas. It's always got to be reform. And that's something that as chairman of the party I'm certainly going to work to try to accomplish.
I think "The Wall Street Journal" editorial page says you need to be about bold ideas. I agree with them.
BLITZER: There's also going to be a big debate over Samuel Alito and his confirmation as the next associate justice of the Supreme Court. Ted Kennedy spoke out earlier today during the confirmation hearings.
Let's run a little clip from him.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) KENNEDY: In an era where the White House is abusing power, is excusing and authorizing torture, and is spying on American citizens, I find Judge Alito's support for an all-powerful executive branch to be genuinely troubling.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BLITZER: All right. What's your assessment of day one and where this confirmation process is heading?
MEHLMAN: Wolf, I thought there was an incredible contrast in today's hearings. I thought that Samuel Alito's opening statement was incredibly moving to me. He talked about the importance of the rule of law. He talked about how the son of an Italian immigrant is able to rise up, and, in the course of his lifetime, achieve such great things and serve his country.
At the same time you heard this incredible story, in the Democrats -- in the opening statements, there were 18 misstatements, six of them by Senator Ted Kennedy. You heard several there.
The fact is, the American people want a fair hearing. They have a fair judge in Samuel Alito. He has the highest ratings of the American Bar Association. And the Democrats on the Judiciary Committee are going to have to fundamentally decide -- and the Democrats generally -- who are you going to follow? Are you going to follow your constituents, who want a fair hearing, or are you going to follow the Kennedy/Dean playbook, which says, whatever it takes, whatever we have to do, whatever distortion, whatever character assassination, we are going to try to block this guy?
I hope they follow the fair approach. That's what their constituents want. And I hope that other Democrats don't follow the kind of misrepresentations we heard from Senator Kennedy and others on the Judiciary Committee today.
BLITZER: Ken Mehlman is the chairman of the Republican Party. He has got a tough job right now. But he will continue with that job, because he has to.
(CROSSTALK)
BLITZER: Right, Ken?
MEHLMAN: I continue it because I enjoy it. Thanks a lot.
BLITZER: Ken Mehlman will be back in the THE SITUATION ROOM often.
Thanks very much for joining us...
MEHLMAN: Thanks.
BLITZER: ... Ken, on this day.
And coming up in our 7:00. p.m. Eastern hour here in THE SITUATION ROOM, my interview with Senator Ted Kennedy. That's coming up later today.
In the meantime, the debate over the Supreme Court nominee, Samuel Alito, is spilling over to the Internet -- not a huge surprise.
Abbi Tatton is joining us now with more on the groups that are spreading their respective messages online -- Abbi.
TATTON: Wolf, what I'm holding up right here is a video iPod -- iPod.
I have downloaded a television ad which is a pro-Alito ad from the group JudgeAlito.com. This is an offshoot of the conservative Progress For America, one of the many gimmicks going on online right now from advocacy groups on the left and the right who are trying to get their message out.
Other things for download available on the other side from the liberal AlitosAmerica.org. What they have is ads for download there as well. But, also, look at this, a photo petition. They have had students across the country sending in their photos against the nomination of Judge Alito.
If you are following along online, you are going to want to look at CNN's new service, Pipeline. This is video on demand and also live streaming video, so you can follow along these nomination hearings as they happen this week online -- Wolf.
BLITZER: All right, Abbi, thank you very much.
Coming up, some sensitive ads in the NFL -- why the league is bagging out of -- backing out of a multimillion-dollar sponsorship deal.
Plus, a celebration turned deadly -- details of a double suicide attack in Iraq.
Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: Here's a look at some of the "Hot Shots" coming in from our friends over at the Associated Press, pictures likely to be in your hometown newspapers tomorrow.
Glen Burnie, Maryland -- back to school for the White House. President Bush and first lady Laura Bush visit an elementary school to celebrate the anniversary of No Child Left Behind.
In New Orleans, looking for a new home -- three survivors of Hurricane Katrina are evicted from their hotel to make way for new guests.
Washington, D.C., now a landmark day -- Tai Shan turned six months old today, making him the longest surviving panda cub born at the National Zoo here in Washington. And Tokyo -- the new year Grand Sumo Tournament. The grand champion pushes his opponent out of the ring to take the match. Tough fighting.
Some of today's "Hot Shots," pictures often worth 1,000 words.
The NFL says it's dropping some controversial commercials.
Let's go to CNN's Ali Velshi in New York. He's got the "Bottom Line" -- Ali.
ALI VELSHI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The bottom line is about erectile dysfunction, Wolf.
We are talking about Cialis, Viagra, and Levitra. You will remember when those drugs started to be advertised in -- in large scale, a lot of the associations between the makers of those drugs were with sporting events. Now, the NFL, which used to air a lot of the Levitra ads -- that's the Schering-Plough erectile dysfunction ads. Schering-Plough is the sponsor.
The NFL has announced that it is ending its sponsorship, the $18 million sponsorship, it had with Schering-Plough, because there have been a lot of concerns recently with how risque the ads themselves are getting, how suggestive they may be getting. This has been coming from a lot of quarters, but certainly a lot of -- lot of parents are concerned about it.
There are still a lot of ads and a lot of sponsorships. Eli Lilly's Cialis has a sponsorship with the PGA, with golf. And Pfizer's Viagra, which is the biggest selling, is a sponsor with Major League Baseball.
But, for these companies, for these pharmaceutical companies, these are huge-selling drugs. And the ability to target a market which is mostly male was -- was a good thing. So, we will have to see what they are doing.
I'm going to be back at 7:00 with some more news about Viagra and -- and Pfizer -- Wolf.
BLITZER: Ali, switching gears, 11000, it's an important symbolic number.
VELSHI: Yes.
BLITZER: Tell our viewers why.
VELSHI: The Dow has closed above 11000 for the first time since before 2001, 11011. It's a hearty market.
And that's -- that's what we have been looking at. We are looking at markets that are up across the board. And the first five days of January were very strong. Thirty out of the last 35 years, that means a strong year for the markets.
BLITZER: Let's hope. Thanks very much, Ali, for that -- Ali Velshi reporting.
Still to come, a double suicide attack in Iraq narrowly misses the United States ambassador in Iraq, Zalmay Khalilzad. Almost two dozen people are dead. Details of who the bombers were targeting, that's coming up.
Plus, the latest on the health of Ariel Sharon. Doctors are slowly bringing him out of a coma -- what they are saying about the latest tests on the Israeli prime minister.
We will be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: Let's go right to New York.
Lou Dobbs getting ready for his program that begins right at the top of the hour.
Lou, tell our viewers what you are working on.
LOU DOBBS, HOST, "LOU DOBBS TONIGHT": Wolf, thank you very much. Good to have you back. Coming
up at 6:00 Eastern here on CNN, we will have much more on Judge Samuel Alito's confirmation hearing.
And House Republicans begin a leadership battle that could reshape their entire party and its future. We will have a special report. And I will be talking with a Judiciary Committee member, Senator Jeff Sessions.
And, then, danger down South -- how leftist governments are taking power across the region and threatening the interests of the United States.
And, environmentalists, take note. American's love affair with gas-guzzling SUVs is far from over, despite what you have heard. We will tell you all about it and a great deal more at the top of the hour here on CNN. Please join us -- now back to you, Wolf.
BLITZER: Lou, thanks very much. We will be watching.
In Iraq, it was sort of a Trojan horse attack. It's being described that way -- suicide bombers disguising themselves as policemen striking an Iraqi Police Day celebration.
CNN's Michael Holmes is joining us now live from Baghdad with details -- Michael.
MICHAEL HOLMES, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Wolf, another deadly day in Iraq, 23 dead, 21 wounded, we understand all of them police.
It was the 84th anniversary of the formation of the Iraqi police force. It was Iraqi Police Day. And what happened was, two suicide bombers dressed in the uniforms of a police lieutenant colonel and major got through three checkpoints. They were almost inside the Interior Ministry when they detonated their explosives.
It was a brazen attack. Only about 500 meters away at the ceremony was the U.S. ambassador, also the Iraqi interior and defense ministers.
Now, also, Wolf, we managed to get an interview with a very important Shia figure here, someone that many say is the most powerful politician in Iraq, Abdul Aziz al-Hakim, telling us that U.S. officials here on the ground in Iraq are placing obstacles in the way of the Interior and Defense ministries in how they want to battle the insurgency -- significant comments from a significant man, who also said that, while he continues to preach restraint, Shias are losing patience.
He says it's wearing thin. And that raises the specter, of course, of the potential for civil war, for outright fighting between Shia militias and those who are attacking them -- Wolf, back to you.
BLITZER: All right, Michael, thanks very much -- CNN's Michael Holmes reporting from Baghdad.
We are monitoring the condition of the Israeli prime minister, Ariel Sharon. Doctors are gradually pulling him out of an induced coma. They are reporting some significant developments, at least potentially significant developments.
CNN's Fionnuala Sweeney is joining us now live from the Hadassah Medical Center in Jerusalem. She has got the latest -- Fionnuala.
FIONNUALA SWEENEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Indeed, Wolf.
Earlier this morning, the doctors began to wean Ariel Sharon off that anesthetic, which has kept him in a deep coma for the last five days. And, almost immediately, they report Ariel Sharon began to breathe spontaneously, that is, of his own accord, without needing a ventilator.
He does remain hooked up to a ventilator, though, for the time being. And, as the day progressed, they noticed that they were able to get reactions from him from pain stimuli, that he responded to pain stimuli. There was slight movement in his right arm, also slight movement in his right leg.
This was, in the words of Professor Shlomo Mor-Yosef, the director of the hospital, a noble response. But Ariel Sharon is, by no means, out of the woods yet. Over the next few days, the doctors will continue to monitor his progress. They hope to see more movement in his body. They hope that he will open his eyes. And it will still be a couple of days, Wolf, before they know the extent of any brain damage on the Israeli prime minister -- back to you.
BLITZER: Fionnuala Sweeney reporting for us from Jerusalem -- Fionnuala, thank you very much. We will check back with you any time there are developments. And we will have much more on the condition of Ariel Sharon, the political fallout from what all of this means, the former U.S. Defense Secretary William Cohen standing by here in THE SITUATION ROOM with more on that.
And, coming up in our 7:00 p.m. Eastern hour in THE SITUATION ROOM, a humanitarian worker held hostage in Iraq for more than a month is back home. We will show you how he finally was freed.
Plus, he says millions of Americans support a socialist revolution in Venezuela. Is Harry Belafonte out of line? Jack Cafferty sorting through your answers in your e-mail, his question of the hour.
Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: With the Israeli prime minister, Ariel Sharon, clinging to life, many are suggesting he may never be well enough to return to power. What, therefore, might Israel look like without Ariel Sharon? Also, what might the road ahead look like in Iraq?
Joining us now, a member of our CNN SITUATION ROOM Security Council, our CNN world affairs analyst, William Cohen. He's the president and CEO of The Cohen Group here in Washington.
(CROSSTALK)
BLITZER: I just came back from Jerusalem. And almost all of Sharon's supporters, friends, advisers, colleague, they seem to be rallying around the acting prime minister, Ehud Olmert, which is significant, given the fact that elections scheduled for the end of March.
What's your assessment?
WILLIAM COHEN, CNN WORLD AFFAIRS ANALYST: Well, the real question's going to be is, the Kadima Party really identified with Ariel Sharon?
BLITZER: That's the centrist party that Sharon founded when he bolted from Likud.
COHEN: Just a few weeks ago.
And, so, the real issue will be, are the people who left the Labor Party and Likud Party going to stay with the new party? Time will tell, in the next several weeks. But that's going to be critical for him to hold that kind of coalition together of people on the left and the right.
(CROSSTALK)
BLITZER: He got a vote of endorsement from Shimon Peres.
COHEN: He did.
BLITZER: Told me yesterday he's going to stay with Kadima and Olmert.
COHEN: Well, part of the problem is, those who left Likud, for example, the defense minister, Mofaz, does he have any chance of going back to the Likud Party? Probably not, but who knows.
And this will be important to find out whether the Likud members who came over with Ariel Sharon because of his warrior status are going to remain with that party and fight for a peaceful resolution and a separate state.
BLITZER: And this is a sensitive moment for U.S. diplomacy in that part of the world, because the Israelis may have their elections at the end of March, but Palestinians have their elections January 25. That's coming up.
And, by all accounts, Hamas, a group the U.S. government considers to be a terrorist organization...
COHEN: Right.
BLITZER: ... like al Qaeda, it's going to do really well in these elections.
COHEN: Well, they may do well. But there's also the possibility that those in Hamas, the more extreme elements in Hamas, are going to try to engage in more terrorist activities, which would only solidify Benjamin Netanyahu's support, namely, we need to have someone who is tough to deal with the terrorists, as opposed to the -- the deputy prime minister right now.
So, that's -- that's very much on the minds of the Israelis, in terms of what Hamas is going to do, as opposed to simply running for electoral office, whether they will engage in terrorist activities.
BLITZER: The former U.S. ambassador in Iraq, the coordinator, Paul Bremer, has a new book that he has just written.
COHEN: Right.
BLITZER: It's just come out today. And, in it, he says -- and he did an interview on NBC last night -- he says this.
He says: "We really didn't see the insurgency coming. I suspect there was very little attention paid to what kind of an insurgency would come afterwards."
Now he's saying, they didn't think this was -- they -- they simply didn't prepare for this contingency.
COHEN: I think that has become evident by a number of people, that there were assumptions made that it was going to be a quick victory, and that we would see our forces recognized and celebrated as liberators, and that the political process would unfold in a very positive way.
That, obviously, did not take place. And it was obviously not the kind of preparation that one would need in order to suppress an insurgency. And we are seeing the fruits of that now. And it's -- it's a very bitter fruit that we are experiencing.
BLITZER: And he -- he also writes in his book that he urged the defense secretary, Donald Rumsfeld, to send far more troops to Iraq to deal with the insurgency, if they were going to effectively fight the insurgency. But his request was turned down by Rumsfeld.
COHEN: Well, I -- I can't speak for Secretary Rumsfeld.
Secretary Rumsfeld may have concluded that he should turn to his military advisers, as opposed to a civilian under those circumstances. But that's something that Secretary Rumsfeld is going to have to -- to deal with. And I'm sure this will be the subject of great contention in the coming days and weeks.
BLITZER: Oh, those are going to be historic debates on what they did right, what they did wrong...
COHEN: But the issue...
BLITZER: ... to get to this situation. The issue is, what -- what now?
COHEN: Well, the issue, what now, but, also, whether or not they should have spoken out much sooner to -- to galvanize support for greater force structure there, prior to now coming out with a book.
So, that will be a subject of continuation. But you are correct. The real issue is, how do we go forward from this point? We have got a very bloody time that we have experienced in the last several days. It's likely to increase, according to George Casey, General George Casey. At the White House meeting...
BLITZER: He's the U.S. military commander in Iraq.
COHEN: At the White House meeting last week, he indicated the next six months are going to be very dangerous for our troops and for the Iraqi people.
And, so, we are looking at a period of time in which we are going to see an increase in the violence. And that's going to test the -- the willpower and the staying power of the United States under these circumstances.
And, so, what we have to do is persuade the Sunnis in the region, beyond Iraq, to support Sunnis in Iraq, to get into the political process, and not support the insurgents, because, if this breaks down into a civil war, which it could, then you may see the support for the Shia majority backed up by Iran to some degree. And that could spell real difficulty for all of the countries in the region.
So, there's a stake on behalf of all of the regional countries to support Sunni participation politically and to stop supporting the insurgency.
BLITZER: William Cohen, our world affairs analyst, thanks very much.
COHEN: A pleasure.
BLITZER: And, up next, your answers to our question of the hour. Get this: Is Harry Belafonte out of line, saying millions of Americans support a socialist revolution in Venezuela? Jack Cafferty asked the question. He's reading your e-mail. He's going to share some of that with us right after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: Some of the more popular stories on CNN.com that we are following right now.
Let's go to New York. Jack Cafferty is here with "The Cafferty File."
You are always one of the most popular parts of this program, Jack.
CAFFERTY: Yes, yes, yes, yes.
Hilary Swank and Chad Lowe have separated?
BLITZER: You're -- can you imagine?
CAFFERTY: Oh, man. I'm crushed. I had a lot of faith in that relationship. I figured they were in it for the long haul.
(LAUGHTER)
CAFFERTY: I can't believe...
(LAUGHTER)
CAFFERTY: ... believe some of the stuff we do.
(LAUGHTER)
CAFFERTY: Singer Harry Belafonte was in Venezuela over the weekend, meeting with President Hugo Chavez.
Belafonte called President Bush the greatest terrorist in the world, said millions of Americans support the socialist revolution in Venezuela.
We are asking this hour: Is Harry Belafonte out of line, claiming these things, that millions of Americans support a socialist revolution in Venezuela?
Reuben (ph) in Denver writes: "I suspect Belafonte thinks he is speaking for millions of discriminated-against minorities of all colors in the United States, who relish one of their own standing up to the president of Euro-America."
Carle in Ann Arbor, Michigan: "Don't pick on ol' Harry. His agent told him he was doing a grand opening of a Banana Republic. What else is an aging has-been to do?"
Christine writes: "Jack, it's really amazing to how Harry and every other celebrity think for one moment they speak for me and millions of other Americans. How would he know? I just checked my voice-mail, didn't hear any message from Harry asking for my opinion on the Chavez nightmare. Reminds me of Jane Fonda way back when."
Parker in Houston, Texas: "Harry Belafonte obviously has Alzheimer's and has forgotten what this country, under capitalism, has done for him. He has gone crazy."
Gator writes: "Mr. Belafonte has been a tremendous civil rights activist for more than 40 years. I appreciate his tireless effort to improve the conditions of the oppressed around the world. I especially appreciate his willingness to look past the blinding ideology of patriotism to give accurate critiques of U.S. foreign policy."
And Dan write in Los Angeles: "Between Belafonte, Cafferty and the senators at the Alito hearings, I haven't seen this much hot air on television since PBS broadcast that special on ballooning in New Mexico. I don't know what keeps my TV set from floating up to the ceiling."
(LAUGHTER)
CAFFERTY: Wolf.
BLITZER: Jack, see you in one hour.
(CROSSTALK)
BLITZER: We are here in THE SITUATION ROOM weekdays 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. Eastern -- back at 7:00 p.m. Eastern. See you in one hour from then.
Until then, I'm Wolf Blitzer in Washington.
Lou Dobbs picking up our coverage -- Lou.
DOBBS: Wolf, thank you.
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