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Remembering Coretta Scott King; Senators John McCain And Barack Obama Feuding; New Outrage Over Mohammed Cartoons; Fallout Continues Over Attorney General's Defense Of Domestic Wiretapping Program; Orange County Blazes Causes Evacuations

Aired February 07, 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, Susan. 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 now, President Bush and former presidents, dignitaries, luminaries, even ordinary people, all of them remembering Coretta Scott King. They are near Atlanta to pay their last respect, praising her as a loving mother to her children and dedicated mother to the civil rights movement.

It's a day of mourning, but some used the elevated platform as if it were a bully pulpit. There were veiled references to race relations, future political ambitions, even the war in Iraq.

And it's 4:00 p.m. here in Washington where there is a spat among friends. Senators John McCain and Barack Obama exchanged some sharply worded letters. The veteran Republican even accuses the freshman Democrat of, quote, "self-interested posturing."

I'm Wolf Blitzer. You're in THE SITUATION ROOM.

Flags and flowers, prayers and praise. Right now the country is mourning the loss of Coretta Scott King. Funeral services are still underway in Atlanta. Just moments ago, there were comments from an elite roster of speakers.

President Bush is there saying he brought the "sympathy of our nation with him." And the president's predecessors also in attendance, former presidents Carter, Bush, and Clinton. Other prominent politicians also made the trip, and they're praising Coretta Scott King's life and legacy.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MAYOR SHIRLEY FRANKLIN (D), ATLANTA: She's gathered us here today from all walks of life and all persuasions to lift our voices in songs of freedom, equality, social and economic justice, not just for our own sake, but for the sake of the children the world over.

REP. JOHN CONYERS (D), MICHIGAN: She comforted and she did it all while raising four children and providing her husband with the strength that helped him bear his burdens.

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: By going forward with a strong and forgiving heart, Coretta Scott King not only secured her husband's legacy, she built her own.

SEN. EDWARD KENNEDY (D), MASSACHUSETTS: With her remarkable combination of power and peacefulness, and in the face of her constant courage, her unshakable faith, her inner strength, and quiet grace, even Jim Crow had to yield.

JIMMY CARTER, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: When Coretta and Daddy King adopted me in 1976, it legitimized a southern governor as an acceptable candidate for president. Each of their public handshakes to me was worth a million Yankee votes.

GEORGE H. W. BUSH, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Our world is a kinder and gentler place because of Coretta Scott King. And together with her husband, their unyielding moral force changed the course of history.

BILL CLINTON, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I don't want us to forget that there's a woman in there, not a symbol. Not a symbol, a real woman who lived and breathed and got angry and got hurt and had dreams and disappointments. And I don't want us forget that.

REV. JOSEPH LOWERY, CIVIL RIGHTS LEADER: Her witness and character always strong. Her spirit a melody from heaven's song. Her beauty warm like the rays of the sun. Good night, my sister. Well done. Well done.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: It's also a day to remember King's life, yet some used the occasion to make some veiled references to issues affecting the country today. Listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CARTER: The struggle for equal rights is not over. We only have to recall the color of the faces of those in Louisiana, Alabama, and Mississippi, those who are most devastated by Katrina to know that they are not yet equal opportunities for all Americans.

LOWERY: She deplored the terror inflicted by our smart bombs on missions way afar. We know now there were no weapons of mass destruction over there. But Coretta knew and we know that there are weapons of misdirection right down here, millions without health insurance, poverty abounds. For war, billions more, but no more for the poor.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: And amid all the serious mood there were also some light-hearted moments.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE H. W. BUSH: This may be your lucky day. I've lost a page. Hey, look. There it is.

CLINTON: I'm honored to be here with my president and my former presidents and -- no, no, no. Sit down.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: Let's go to the memorial service right now. The singer Michael Bolton is singing a special song he wrote for Coretta Scott King called "Courage."

(MUSIC)

(APPLAUSE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Michael Bolton, thank you, sir.

BLITZER: Michael Bolton singing a special song he wrote called "Courage," in honor of Coretta Scott King.

Let's bring in our Kyra Phillips. She's at the CNN Center. She's been watching this service all day. Tony Harris, he's outside the church.

Tony, talk a little bit about the reaction from those inside, based on what you could tell, the sort of political undertones that is were uttered during the course of this lengthy funeral service.

TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Well Wolf, you know, you played some of those sound bytes from the Reverend Joseph Lowery who co-founded the Southern Christian Leaders of Conference with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. so many years ago.

He made reference, as you played in that sound byte, to the weapons of misdirection in the fact that there were no weapons of mass destruction found over there. He also referred to the federal budget submitted by the president saying, "Look, billions for more war but no more money for the poor."

So both of those comments received uproarious applause of reaction from the crowd. And there was a sense here that this crowd actually wanted more of that, maybe more of that political dialogue. They certainly were very receptive. You had the moment when former President Carter was talking about Katrina and the federal government's response to Katrina and the fact this is still, in his eyes, not necessarily a level playing field for a lot of people economically in this country.

But there was also the moment when he referred to the fact that the Kings were spied on, were eavesdropped on by the FBI, and that was another moment that received a loud ovation from the folks in this crowd. So as I watched it, and I would be curious to hear what Kyra thinks of it, there was a sense that I had that this audience would like to have heard more of this, that they would liked to have seen this president sitting in this church taken more to task for some of this administration's policies.

PHILLIPS: Kyra, what do you think? You've watched every second of this service. KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Yes. It's interesting. I think, and as I thought about it, and I was talking with Earl Graves, the founder of "Black Enterprise" magazine and also a professor from Spelman College, he teaches history, Jelani Cobb, he was here with us. I asked them both, I said do you think maybe he should have been a little more bold? Would that have been respectful? Should he have talked about that? And it was sort of kind of a mixed reaction.

That's what was so interesting about watching this funeral and listening to the various speakers, like Reverend Joseph Lowery who comes right out with whatever he's thinking, he never holds back -- to the president being a little more subdued and just talking about her life and her legacy. It was interesting to see the mixture. And I think it was well balanced.

BLITZER: One quick question, Tony, before I let you go. We'll have you back later this hour. What seemed to touch this crowd and there are thousands of people inside. What seemed to touch them the most?

HARRIS: Wolf, a couple of moments. Again, I would love to hear Kyra's take on this as well. For me, there was the moment when the King children walked into the sanctuary. And there was this huge ovation, and you could feel in the ovation just this love and support for the kids, for Martin, for Dexter, for Yolanda and Bernice.

And then if you can imagine it, there was an even louder applause for the four presidents when they walked into the sanctuary. And look, you're talking about two Republican presidents, two Democratic presidents and yet, there seemed to be a real respect and appreciation for this moment, that these four presidents were here to pay tribute to a woman who grew up in rural Alabama who picked cotton.

A woman who lived the kind of life so extraordinary that at the end of her life, four presidents of the United States would be at her funeral to pay her tribute. That was an exceptional moment.

BLITZER: It was an extraordinary moment. And Kyra, you're nodding in agreement.

PHILLIPS: Oh, definitely. When you think about Martin Luther King, Jr. and the fact that he wasn't even recognized in this city, in this state when he died, that the governor wouldn't even allow for him to lie in state or be recognized for what he did -- it's amazing to see how many people came and paid their tribute.

Now, I thought Maya Angelou was absolutely incredible, Tony, singing the spiritual made me think of Coretta Scott King's relationship with Harry Belafonte and then just really talking about how they call each other sister and that was their special bond. That's the way they talked to each other. And then ending once again with a black spiritual, it was beautiful. It was such a great moment and I saw everybody in the sanctuary really respond to that as well.

BLITZER: And she said even though they're in their 70s they still call each other girls. You know, that was a really cute moment. All right Kyra, Tony, stand by. We're going to be getting back to both of you. Right now, while you watch our coverage of the Coretta Scott King service, you can also go online, pull up the funeral program. Our Internet reporter Jacki Schechner has more on that -- Jacki.

JACKI SCHECHNER, CNN INTERNET REPORTER: Wolf, courtesy of the "Atlanta Journal Constitution" online, this is the cover of that program. We have just dug into page six of this. You heard the performer Michael Bolton sing his original song of "Courage." You can follow along online.

Also some interesting things within this program, it's 28 pages. They have some beautiful photos. Can you see Coretta Scott King with Serena and Venus Williams. Some other incredible photos from her life.

Another place online you want to take a look today would be from Stamford, this is the Martin Luther King Institute, and they have all sorts of biographical information, including this interesting little nugget, a Valentine's telegram that Martin Luther King sent to his wife Coretta on Valentine's Day back in 1957.

And if you want to follow along with the entire funeral, you can do so online through our broadband service Pipeline. This here is a clip of people remembering her. But of course, we have live streams of the funeral as well, Wolf.

BLITZER: All right Jacki, thank you very much -- Jacki Schechner, our Internet reporter. This note, we're going to have much more live coverage of the funeral for Coretta Scott King throughout this hour, including some of the other eulogies for her, including one from her daughter Bernice King. That's coming up this hour.

We're also following other news today. Regardless of calls for calm, more Muslim protest igniting from Asia to Africa over a cartoon depicting the Prophet Mohammed. We're going to check out the situation across the globe.

And a major announcement that could affect Middle East peace. We're going to tell you what Israel's acting prime minister now says about a withdrawal from the West Bank.

Plus, we'll go live to the front lines in the battle against fierce flames in southern California. A blaze that's forced thousands to flee. You're in THE SITUATION ROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: We're going to continue to watch the funeral of Coretta Scott King, take you there live later this hour. That's coming up, but let's check some other news. Here in Washington in the gentile club that is the United States Senate, usually at least, an ungentlemanly exchange happening right now. A spat between the veteran Senator John McCain and the freshman Senator Barack Obama. Let's get details now from our Congressional correspondent, Ed Henry. Ed, what's going on? ED HENRY, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, it's like a prize fight between two of the Senate's heavyweights with McCain landing some tough punches that he refused to run from today.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SEN. JOHN MCCAIN, (R) ARIZONA: I don't believe there was any venom. I think it was straight talk about Mr. Obama's, Senator Obama said he would work with us and then decided not to.

HENRY (voice-over): No venom? As Senate spats go, this got ugly. John McCain was furious that after privately agreeing they would work on a bipartisan ethics proposal, Barack Obama went public with a letter suggesting McCain was slow- walking it.

McCain, who has long pushed reform, didn't take kindly to the lecture from a freshman. In a letter to Obama he accused him of "self-interested partisan posturing, "disingenuousness," and noted, sarcastically, "I concluded your professed concern for the institution in the public interest was genuine and admirable. Thank you for disabusing me of such notions."

Obama insisted he was puzzled by McCain's reaction. "The fact that you have now questioned my sincerity and my desire to put aside politics for the public interest is regrettable, but does not in any way diminish my deep respect for you nor my willingness to find a bipartisan solution to this problem."

Political analysts say this is a twofer for McCain as he ponders another presidential run.

STU ROTHENBERG, POLITICAL ANALYST: He can reassert his ownership of the ethics issue and at the same time score some points with Republicans by taking on Barack Obama, the golden boy of the Democratic Party.

HENRY: McCain denies 2008 played any role and recycled the line from the 2000 campaign to dismiss suggestions that his temper got the better of him.

MCCAIN: It's straight talk. People don't like straight talk. I understand that. That's why I'm not going to win Miss Congeniality again this year in the Senate.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HENRY: The broader issue is that in the wake of the Abramoff scandal bipartisan reform seemed like a slam dunk. This illustrates that major reform may get bogged down in partisan disputes, Wolf?

BLITZER: Sort of the spat, as you call it, seems to be crying out for an actual meeting between these two heavyweights in the United States Senate. Any plans for a get together and a photo opportunity?

HENRY: In fact, Barack Obama is saying he will meet John McCain anywhere, anytime, good-naturedly. He is basically saying he wants to continue the dialogue and actually work out bipartisan reform.

He thinks John McCain misunderstood his original letter. In fact, Wolf, their going to get a chance to meet again tomorrow. The Senate Rules Committee has their first hearing on all these lobbying reform proposals. Two witnesses, John McCain and Barack Obama. We'll see them together.

BLITZER: And we'll have cameras there, hopefully, as well. Thanks, Ed, for that good report.

Let's go up to New York. Jack Cafferty is standing by with "The Cafferty File." Hi again, Jack.

JACK CAFFERTY, CNN ANCHOR: This is why you get up in the morning. I love this stuff. McCain and Obama. This is terrific. John McCain is a popular fellow on both sides of the aisle in Washington. That can't be said of many down there.

One of the reasons is McCain is seen as a stand-up guy, unlike so many political colleagues. When he talks about ethics reform, he means it. A lot of people are hoping he will run for president in 2008. It's not like the Republicans are knee deep in great candidates.

The early polls suggest that he and former New York Mayor Rudy Guiliani are the top two Republican choices in '08. In theoretical match ups, McCain defeats Senator Hillary Clinton, a likely Democratic presidential candidate.

So what exactly was Senator Barack Obama thinking? Obama is considered a rising star in the Democratic party. McCain has now succeeded in portraying him as just another political hack who pays lip service to lofty ideals but when it comes time to fish or cut bait reverts to business as usual.

Here's the question. Did Senator Barack Obama make a rookie mistake? E-mail us at caffertyfile@cnn.com or go to cnn.com/caffetyfile. We'll read your thoughts in about half an hour.

BLITZER: Who would have thought a feud between McCain and Barack Obama. It doesn't get much better than that if you are a political news junky as we are.

CAFFERTY: Obama says I'll meet him anytime, anyplace. Sounds like two kids saying, after school in the playground across the street and I'm going to kick your rear-end.

BLITZER: We'll see what happens tomorrow. Thanks very much, Jack, for that.

Coming up, we'll return to the Coretta Scott King funeral. That's under way just outside Atlanta. You can watch the entire funeral uninterrupted by going to CNN Pipeline at cnn.com.

Also coming up -- the battle over the budget. Does the president's proposal have a fighting chance in the U.S. Congress? I'm going to ask Dick Armey and Bill Press. They're standing by for today's "Strategy Session."

Plus, the political war over domestic spying. Which party is hurt? Which party is helped by the NSA surveillance controversy. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Welcome back to THE SITUATION ROOM. I'm Wolf Blitzer in Washington. New violence and fresh outrage in the Muslim world over cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed. More than 6,000 people demonstrated against them today in Peshawar, Pakistan. The prime minister has condemned the cartoons and several provincial officials took part in the protest.

In neighboring Afghanistan, demonstrators tried to get into a NATO base, fire broke out as they shot guns and grenades at Norwegian peace keepers there. Those troops responded with tear gas and warning shots.

In Iran, demonstrators hurled fire bombs at the Danish embassy and tried to storm the building. The cartoons first appeared in a Danish newspaper. Iran says it is cutting off trade with Denmark and the Iranian ambassador has been recalled.

And a Muslim crowd in the predominately Christian Philippines burned a Danish flag in protest of the cartoons.

Depictions of the Prophet Mohammed are forbidden in Islam and many feel the cartoons are especially insulting. One shows the Prophet Mohammed wearing a turban with a bomb. Denmark's prime minister is calling the protest a growing global crisis and he has issued a new appeal for calm.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERS FOGH RASMUSSEN, DANISH PRIME MINISTER: Right now, radicals, extremists and fanatics are adding fuel to the flames in order to push forward their own agenda. For that purpose, they are portraying a picture of Denmark and European countries that is not true. Today, the people of Denmark witness with disbelief and sadness the events unfolding in the world. We're watching Danish flags being burned and Danish embassies being attacked.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: The Danish government is advising all its citizens to leave Indonesia which has been rocked by violent anti-Danish protest. We'll have more on this story tonight here in THE SITUATION ROOM at 7:00 p.m. eastern, including my interview with the editor of the Danish newspaper that first published the cartoons. He'll explain what was going through his mind.

Betty Nguyen is standing by at the CNN Global Headquarters in Atlanta right now with a closer look at other stories making news.

BETTY NGUYEN, CNN ANCHOR: Hi there, Wolf. A pair of bombs tore through a central Baghdad market today, killing at least three people. Twenty others were wounded. Those bombs were timed to go off just minutes apart, with the second probably intended to target first responders.

And the U.S. military today reported the deaths of four marines west of Baghdad. They died in a pair of roadside bombings yesterday and Sunday; 2257 American troops have now died in the war in Iraq.

Well, today marks one month in captivity for abducted American journalist Jill Carroll. Celebrities and journalists were among dozens to rally in Paris to call for her release. Actress Juliette Binoche urged people around the world to keep Carroll in their thoughts and prayers. And the "Christian Science Monitor" was taken hostage, as you recall, by Iraqi militants in Baghdad on January 7. Her interpreter was murdered.

Israel's acting prime minister has given his clearest indication to date of his vision for the future shape of Israel. Ehud Olmert says his country should unilaterally withdraw from most West Bank territories while holding on to the main Israeli settlement blocks and keeping Jerusalem unified. Olmert took over for Ariel Sharon when the prime minister suffered a massive stroke in early January. Elections are scheduled for late March.

And police are looking for a dark-colored SUV in connection with a string of church fires in western Alabama overnight. All four fires were at rural Baptist churches near the Mississippi border. Arson is suspected, but investigators say it is simply too early to make a link to five smaller fires south of Birmingham on Friday. Now, the FBI is treating those fires as civil rights violations -- Wolf?

BLITZER: Betty, thank you very much. We'll get back to you soon.

Coming up here in THE SITUATION ROOM, we're keeping an eye on the funeral of Coretta Scott King in suburban Atlanta. We're going to have much more coverage coming up. And remember, you can you watch the entire service on CNN pipeline.

Also, the NSA domestic spying controversy. The arguments on both sides is part of today's "Strategy Session." That's coming up.

And in the next hour here in THE SITUATION ROOM, I'll speak live with Congresswoman Jane Harmon. She is the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee. You're in THE SITUATION ROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Today in our "Strategy Session," the president's budget has drawn political lines on Capitol Hill. What will the impact be on the November elections?

And the fallout continues over the attorney general's defense of the domestic wiretapping program. Did the Bush administration win over any critics? Joining us now, radio talk show host Bill Press and former Republican House Majority Leader Dick Armey. He's now chairman of Freedomworks.org.

Gentlemen, thanks very much to both of you for joining us. Let's talk about the budget. First, trillions and trillions of dollars. A lot of our money at stake, right now, us taxpayers. Listen to what Democratic Senator Tom Harkin said today. Listen to this, Congressman.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. TOM HARKIN (D), IOWA: What we see here is the real cost of the president's tax cuts. This budget would squander nearly $2 trillion on tax cuts. The bulk of it would go to helping people making over $1 million a year. It would starve the people's priorities, including healthcare, medical research, public schools and higher education. This is a budget that lacks compassion and decency for any semblance of fairness.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: I think what he's referring to is that if all the tax cuts that were approved during the first term are made permanent over the next ten years, it would cost, as they say, $1.5 or so trillion dollars, which is a lot of money.

DICK ARMEY, FORMER HOUSE MAJORITY LEADER: Well, of course, again, that's a static analysis. The statement by the senator was probably a fairly decent political statement, but it would not hold up to any economic analysis. The fact of the matter is the president is correct in trying to make his tax cuts permanent.

And then, of course, he's caught up with the need to try to do something about the deficit. That comes from too much spending while he fulfills the requirements needed for national defense and terrorism. So he's trying to rearrange priorities in the spending while he reduces spending and then leave the tax cuts in place to grow the economy.

BLITZER: And the argument they make, the president and his supporters, is that these tax cuts, if made permanent, will continue to stimulate the economy. GDP will continue to grow, and that will trickle down and benefit the middle class and everyone else.

BILL PRESS, RADIO TALK SHOW HOST: I think the tax cuts are unnecessary. They went to the wrong people. Let's get back to the budget. I remember the leader in the Congress as a voice of fiscal responsibility. I think this is a budget that Dick Armey could not support.

First of all, it's not genuine. It doesn't count -- the 2.77 trillion doesn't count the war in Iraq and Afghanistan, another $120 billion on top of it. Doesn't count Katrina, another 18 billion on top of that, Wolf. It leaves a $423 billion deficit. I think, also, it's a budget that is dead on arrival. Republicans this year are not going to vote to cut Medicare.

BLITZER: Here's what you wrote, Congressman, in "The Wall Street Journal" on November 29th of last year. "Our base rightly expects Republicans to govern by the principles lower taxes, less government, more freedom that got them elected. Today, with Republicans controlling both the legislative and executive branches of the federal government, there is a widening credibility gap between their political rhetoric and their public policies."

ARMEY: Yes. I wrote that. I think I was correct in my observation at the time. I think the president has agreed with me. He's put forth a budget that targets 144 programs for elimination. The fact of the matter is you're right. I wouldn't approve this budget.

But you wouldn't approve of my budget that would do away with foreign policy and a great many things and whole hog (ph). So the president, within the confines of what is politically possible, I think has put forward a budge that is probably doable, but barely so.

BLITZER: Democrats find themselves, though, in an awkward position because if they don't vote for the extra funding for the war in Iraq and for the war in Afghanistan, the war on terror, homeland security, it will look like they don't support the troops. If they do vote for it, then it's going to continue policies that a lot of them oppose. What do they do?

PRESS: Well, Wolf, most Democrats have voted for the war in Iraq. I don't think they should have. But since then, since we're there, most Democrats have voted to give the money to support the troops both in Iraq and Afghanistan. But I think this is a win-win for Democrats.

The president has put $35 million in cuts on Medicare on the table. Democrats are going to be able to attack Republicans for wanting to cut Medicare, even though I don't think politically they will do so this year. So I think Democrats get it both ways. Republicans get attacked for wanting to cut Medicare, and then they won't be able to do it.

BLITZER: This is the largest -- correct me if I'm wrong, Congressman, You've been around Washington a long time -- the largest expansion of the federal government in history. Is that right?

ARMEY: You mean the Medicare prescription drugs?

BLITZER: No. I'm talking about the U.S. government right now. The federal government, the 2 point whatever trillion dollars. The budget has never been that high.

ARMEY: No, no. Of course, I mean, it's always -- next year will be larger than this year. You know, the question now is the question not about the question of a cut. A cut in Washington is a slowdown in the rate of increase. It's ever a real reduction.

BLITZER: Are you worried that the national debt, though, has gone from $5 trillion to $7 trillion, and in another couple years it will be $11 trillion? ARMEY: I've never been worried about the national debt. The national debt has always be to me a symptom of a bigger problem, which is the fact that the government is too big, does too many things it ought not to be doing, does too many things poorly and wastefully.

The fact is the biggest problem is the government is too big; 144 programs? That's probably considered in this town a big deal. But in point of fact, there are probably at least 500 government programs that are unnecessary and infective that should be eliminated.

PRESS: Just very, very quickly. This is the largest federal government work force ever. It is the largest federal budget effort. It is the largest budget deficit ever. It is the largest national debt ever. I think -- you know, the so-called tax-and-spend Democrats have been replaced by the charge-it-and-spend Republicans because that's all they're doing. They keep rolling up the debt. Not fiscally responsible.

BLITZER: We've to leave it there. Dick Armey, Bill Press, good discussion. We'll continue it down the road.

Coming up, we'll go back live to the funeral of Coretta Scott King in suburban Atlanta. We're awaiting the main eulogy from her daughter, Bernice King. And remember, you can watch the entire service on CNN pipeline. Go to CNN.com/pipeline. You'll be able to watch it there.

Plus, President Bush in a dancing mood. What got him up on his feet and twirling his partner around on the White House dance floor? Does John Travolta need to be worried? Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Welcome back. John McCain tops today's "Political Radar." The Senator made a cameo appearance on last night's episode of the hit action show "24." The Arizona Republican jokes that if you blinked, you missed him. But he was on screen, if only for seconds. This isn't the first time McCain's dabbled in entertainment. You can also catch him in the film "The Wedding Crashers." I saw him there. He should keep his day job.

President Bush shows he can do a little Fred Astaire. The commander-in-chief demonstrated some smooth moves over at the White House last night. It was in a tribute to Arthur Mitchell's dance theater of Harlem. Mr. Bush gave his partner a twirl. First Lady Laura Bush also got on the dance floor. The crowd sang to Al Green's "Let's Stay Together." Great song.

Let's go back to Kyra Phillips at the CNN Center in Atlanta. She's been watching the funeral of Coretta Scott King all day today. It's getting near the end, Kyra, but it's been going on. What time did it start?

PHILLIPS: Oh, my gosh. Around noon Eastern time. So we're getting close to five hours, Wolf. But it doesn't surprise me. This woman led an incredible life. And if you look -- I was actually looking through the pages, the order of service. It's about six pages of all the guests from spiritual leaders to political leaders to friends, to family, to special musical presentations. I mean, it's been incredible. We wouldn't expect anything less.

BLITZER: We were talking earlier about moments that really stood out in your mind. And you were giving us a few examples. I know there were so many that were so moving and so passionate. And it really underscores what has been happening in our country over these past several decades. But talk a little bit about that.

PHILLIPS: Well, I think one of the most amazing things that we had a chance to talk about was Coretta Scott King's life even before she met Martin Luther King, Jr. This woman was so progressive. She was such a forward thinker.

Even when she married Martin Luther King, Jr. -- I don't know if you knew this, Wolf. It's a great anecdote. She told Martin Luther King's father, "When you perform the ceremony, I will not say, 'Obey thy husband.' I want that taken out of the vows." She just was always -- she wanted to be an incredible mom and wife and partner to Martin Luther King. But at the same time, she really was her own woman.

BLITZER: Is there a sense in Atlanta -- and you live in Atlanta, so obviously the King family has been so important to the whole community there -- that this is part of the new South that has developed? This is not simply African-Americans expressing their love for this family. But in the South, in Georgia right now, give us a little flavor of the mood on this day.

PHILLIPS: That's actually -- you just led me to a quote from Coretta Scott King. And she said "I believe all Americans who believe in freedom tolerance and human rights have a responsibility to oppose bigotry and prejudice based on sexual orientation. Segregation was wrong when it was forced by white people, and I believe it is still wrong when it is requested by black people."

She has had such a tremendous influence, not only in this city and in this state, but as you know, across the United States and even overseas. But when you talk to people here that knew her and spent a lot of time with her, they always -- they say two things. She was so loving and compassionate, and she always remembered your birthday, the holidays.

She was a constant giver and would never forget the personal side to her friendships with people. She never forgot her roots. She never forgot where she came from. And she just lived this beautiful life of not only peace but compassion and love.

Something else that is interesting is when you go down to the area where Martin Luther King, Jr., lived and where he preached at the Ebenezer Baptist Church, and then across the street is the Horizon Sanctuary, where we saw a beautiful musical tribute yesterday -- right there on Auburn Avenue, you've got the Center for Nonviolence, and you have his church where he preached, and then house where he group up. And she kept that going, Wolf. And it's meant so much to this city and to the people that lived here.

BLITZER: What a wonderful woman, indeed. Thank you, Kyra. We're going to be getting back to you very soon. We're going to continue to watch this funeral unfold. We'll take a quick break, though.

Up next, we'll also go live to Anaheim, California, for an update on those massive wildfires out there.

Plus, what do you do when you win the Super Bowl? Throw a victory party, of course. We're taking you the to the Steelers' super parade. Find out which star player is saying a special goodbye.

And appeals for calm as more protests erupt over the newspaper cartoons of the prophet Mohammed. The controversy takes a new twist today. That's coming up here in THE SITUATION ROOM.

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BLITZER: Gusting winds and high temperature have Southern California under a red flag fire warning. Crews are battling one major blaze in Orange County right now. It's forced the evacuation of about 2000 homes. CNN's Jen Rogers is there. She's joining us now live with the latest.

What is the latest, Jen?

JEN ROGERS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf, let me tell you where we are. We are on Highway 241. And this is normally a much busier highway; about 50,000 to 60,000 motorists use it every day. And as you can see, it is empty except for fire personnel and media.

It is being used as a major dividing line in this fire. I'll give you an idea of what we've been watching for the last hour and a half here. A fire came over this ridge. It's actually called Windy Ridge. And the wind is one of the main culprits that we have here today battling this blaze.

The wind about 10 to 15 miles an hour sustained, gusts up to 40 miles an hour. Right now, what you're seeing is all smoke left over from the flames that have come through. We had about five helicopters supporting the ground crews here as they tried to battle this blaze.

Estimates are right now that it is about seven percent contained. About 3,500 acres have burned. And as you mentioned, some 2,000 homes have been evacuated. So what they're trying to do is get those evacuations out now.

Right now, no homes are in imminent danger. But with these high temperatures expected to continue and the high winds possibly getting worse, they want to make sure that people are evacuated ahead of any potential trouble. Right now, though, the fire department is saying they are cautiously optimistic about the next 24 hours -- Wolf?

BLITZER: We'll check back with you, Jen. Thanks very much. Jen Rogers on the scene for us near Anaheim.

Still to come, it's the tiff everyone in Washington -- or at least a lot of us -- are talking about. Senator John McCain versus Senator Barack Obama. But who's really at fault, if anyone? Jack Cafferty is about to weigh in.

And anger flaring again today over the cartoons of the prophet Mohammed. We're going to talk with the editor of the Danish newspaper that first published those cartoons. That's coming up, 7:00 p.m. Eastern, right here in THE SITUATION ROOM.

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BLITZER: Welcome back. We're monitoring the funeral of Coretta Scott King in suburban Atlanta. We're awaiting the main eulogy from her daughter, Bernice King. We're going to have live coverage when she begins speaking. Remember, you can watch the entire service on CNN pipeline.

In the meantime, let's check back with CNN's Jack Cafferty. He's in New York with "The Cafferty File" -- Jack.

CAFFERTY: Thanks, Wolf. Senator John McCain has accused freshman Senator Barack Obama of Illinois backtracking on a previous commitment to work on a bipartisan proposal for ethics reform, something they could use in the nation's capital. Obama says he was puzzled by McCain's reaction, and he insists he supports a bipartisan approach. The question we ask was this, did Senator Barack Obama make a rookie mistake?

Celia in Morris, Kansas, writes, "Nope. McCain is trying to ingratiate himself with the hard core GOP by setting Obama as difficult to work with. Then at some point in the future, Republicans can say, 'Look at the history of this disingenuous double-talking Obama.' This is just fake indignation to attack a rising star."

Jameson writes, "Oh, Obama. You were so promising. You weren't Ted Kennedy, your husband didn't cheat on you, and don't go skiing in Switzerland that much. Then you had to go and throw it all away by getting into a tiff with the most respectable of senators. Well, it's always 2012 for Democrats, right?"

Bill in Champagne, Illinois: "It sounds like sounds like McCain assumed that by working together, Obama meant doing it McCain's way. Obama wants to do corruption lobbying reform through the regular committee process, not McCain's task force."

Larry in Pennacog (ph), New Hampshire: "Yes, Senator Obama made a mistake. The mistake was to be naive enough to believe this might be a real debate on political reform. It's like leaving the cats in charge of protecting the mice. He simply didn't know how the game is played."

Patrick in Wooster, Ohio: "Since when has anyone on Capitol Hill ever cared anything about the public good?" Amen -- Mr. Wolf?

BLITZER: All right, Jack. Thanks very much. We'll get back to you soon.

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