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The Situation Room
White House Calls For Calm During Violent Middle Eastern Protests; Many New Hampshire Republicans Oppose Bush Deficit Reduction Plan; McCain And Boehner Pledge To Work Together Going Forward; Presidential Elections Are 1,000 Days Away; Who's In The Driver's Seat For Midterm Elections?; Condoleezza Rice Sounded Off About Violent Protests; Republicans Bring Minutemen To Congress; Heather Wilson Breaks With White House Over Domestic Spying
Aired February 08, 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 in THE SITUATION ROOM, where new pictures and information from around the world are arriving all the time.
Happening now, it's after midnight in Tehran. Are Iran and Syria inciting Muslim fury over those cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed? As riots rage around the world, an angry accusation from the United States.
In New Hampshire, where it's 4:00 p.m., President Bush makes a pitch for his budget blueprint, but are local Republicans seeing red over all that red ink?
And it's 4:00 p.m. here in Washington where 1,000 days remain until the presidential election. We'll look at who is hot and who is not among potential candidates.
I'm Wolf Blitzer. You're in THE SITUATION ROOM.
There were calls for calm and responsibility at the White House today where President Bush hosted a key Middle East ally, Jordan's King Abdullah. But throughout the Muslim world, angry and often violent protests continued over the caricatures over the Prophet Mohammed. They were first published in Denmark at the end of the September.
Hundreds marched today in Karachi, Pakistan, chanting "death to Denmark" and "death to America." In the West Bank city of Hebron, stone-throwing Palestinians attacked an international observer mission even though Danish members of the unit pulled out last week.
Protests in Europe today were more peaceful. In the former Soviet Republic of Georgia, home to a large Muslim minority, 1,000 people took to the streets condemning the cartoons.
In the Bosnian capital of Sarajevo, ravaged a decade ago by ethnic and religious warfare, demonstrators marched to the Danish embassy, handing in a written complaint. That may be the type of protest President Bush and Jordan's King Abdullah had in mind as they met at the White House today.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We reject violence as a way to express discontent with what may be printed from a free press. I call upon the governments around the world to stop the violence, to be respectful, to protect property, protect the lives of innocent diplomats who are serving their countries overseas.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BLITZER: We will get a live report from the White House in the next hour on the cartoon controversy. I'll also speak with the Muslim cleric who is blamed for instigating the protests. That's coming up in the 7:00 p.m. Eastern hour here in THE SITUATION ROOM.
We'll move on to some other news we're following today, including President Bush. He was on the road plugging his federal spending plan today, but in a thrifty state like New Hampshire, many Republicans see it as a free spending plan. Could this budget boomerang and come back to hurt the GOP in the next election?
Our White House correspondent, Dana Bash, is in Manchester, New Hampshire and she's got more -- Dana.
DANA BASH, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf, the president is back in Washington now. Just in the last half hour, he appeared in the East Room of the White House where he signed a so- called Deficit Reduction Act, something he says will cut the deficit by $40 billion over five years by cutting some spending.
Now, that kind of responsible budgeting, as he calls it, more restrained budgeting, is exactly what he was pushing earlier today here in New Hampshire, but it is a tough sell, especially among the locals who say they are very upset about a bloated budget.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BUSH: One of the interesting things about my job is you get to make a lot of decisions. My buddies from Texas come up and they say, after they get over the initial shock of me being ...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: In half?
BUSH: By 2009.
BASH (voice-over): But this is a state where Yankee sensibility says you don't spend more than you have, and he was greeted by New Hampshire's conservative newspaper calling his deficit reduction pledge "fiction." And skepticism from lifelong Republicans like Raymond Bolls (ph), who came to the Golden Egg Diner with a sign lamenting the $2,770,000,000,000 Bush budget.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It does not include so-called special supplementals such as the cost of the war in Iraq.
BASH: Bolls voted bush in 2000 but not last time. He was fed up with big spending by a GOP-led government and still is. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We won't be able to get out of this by 2009 which the president is predicting we can do. I am very pessimistic about that.
BASH: New Hampshire has taught Mr. Bush lessons before. He lost the presidential primary in 2000, and though he went on to carry the state that year, he lost it in 2004. Now a recent poll shows an all- time low 37 percent approval rating in the granite state.
On paper, the president should be doing better. The economy is humming. New Hampshire's unemployment rate is just 3.5 percent. But visit with rank and file Republicans at the Breaking New Grounds Coffee Shop, and you hear consternation about budget busting Bush years.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think it's scary. I think our spending is way out of control and I think it's not in line with conservative thinking.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I felt that Bush had not been a very good Republican.
BASH: Brad Laun (ph) has voted Republican for 25 years, but he's frustrated. He doesn't think his party deserves his vote this election year, but he doesn't want to switch.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The Democrats haven't demonstrated to me that they're going to be any tougher or more restrained on spending.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BASH: Now, GOP candidates' biggest nightmare this year is disillusioned Republicans actually being so upset that they actually stay home, that they don't go to the polls in November.
But the White House, Wolf, they say that they hope that they're on the right track in terms of where the budget is and that perhaps other issues like national security will help reenergize the base, not just here in New Hampshire but around the country.
BLITZER: Dana Bash on the scene for us in Manchester, New Hampshire. Good report. Thank you, Dana, very much.
From Manchester, New Hampshire to Capitol Hill where there is a truce of sorts and a new hot topic in the lobbying wars. Let's get all the specific details.
Our Congressional correspondent Ed Henry -- he is over -- all over these stories -- Ed.
ED HENRY, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, Senators John McCain and Barack Obama dropped the boxing gloves today and pledged anew that they're going to try to pass ethics reform here on the Hill but the revelation that John Boehner's landlord is a lobbyist is raising fresh questions about his commitment to reform.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HENRY (voice-over): All smiles one day after a war of words, and even some playful shadowboxing from John McCain and Barack Obama at a Senate hearing on lobbying reform.
SEN. JOHN MCCAIN (R), ARIZONA: Senator Obama and I are moving on, and we'll continue to work together, and I value his input.
SEN. BARACK OBAMA (D), ILLINOIS: I'm particularly pleased to be sharing this panel with my penpal, John McCain.
HENRY: Obama renewed his call for sweeping reform of how lobbyists conduct their affairs.
OBAMA: The bill would end all lobbyist funded gifts, meals, and travel and strengthen the Senate office that monitors.
HENRY: But McCain reminded his colleagues they just can't pick on lobbyists. They also need to stop sneaking narrow spending provisions into bills.
MCCAIN: That is out of control spending, Mr. Chairman. And it's got to stop.
HENRY: But on the House side of the Capitol, fresh questions about new Majority Leader John Boehner's ties to lobbyists and his resolve to help pass reform, after the "Washington Post" revealed the leader rents a two-bedroom basement apartment in this home from a lobbyist who had business before the education panel Boehner used to chair.
Boehner's office confirmed to CNN he rents the apartment from lobbyist John Milne and his wife, Deb Anderson, a long-time Boehner friend. Boehner says he pays fair market value and has not been lobbied by Milne, but Democrats are pointing to Boehner to charge Republicans aren't serious about reforms, like banning private travel.
SEN. RUSS FEINGOLD (D), WISCONSIN: Already we are hearing the sound of furious backpedaling in the corridors of power. Even though the speaker of the House announced that his proposal will include that reform, the newly elected House majority leader feels differently.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HENRY: Now, Boehner's office says they're not worried about these stories. They say the majority leader has been upfront, that he has some close friends who are lobbyists. They say those relationship are above board. But the broader question is whether it raises perception problems for the Republicans on a very politically volatile issue, Wolf.
BLITZER: All right. Thanks very much. Ed Henry reporting for us from Capitol Hill.
Let's go up to New York now. Jack Cafferty joining us, once again, with "The Cafferty File." Hi, Jack. JACK CAFFERTY, CNN ANCHOR: How are you doing, Wolf? You know, these guys are either arrogant or stupid and neither of those is a good thing to be if you're going to be the House majority leader.
John Boehner, elected to replace Tom DeLay in the House, just as the report suggested. DeLay, remember, is under criminal indictment in Texas, so Boehner has trotted out, and he's being touted as the Republicans' answer to reform.
The second thing we find out about Boehner is he rents his apartment from a lobbyist whose clients have a vested interest in legislation that has come before Boehner. The first thing we found out is that he accepted more than $157,000 worth of free trips to places like Scotland -- he's an avid golfer -- since the year 2000. The trip is paid for by lobbyists.
And Boehner thinks that that's a practice that should be allowed to continue. Am I missing something here? Where is reform part? I wonder how long this guy is going to last.
The question is this -- do you see anything wrong with a congressman renting his apartment from a lobbyist? E-mail us at caffertyfile@cnn.com, or go to cnn.com/caffertyfile.
I mean, wouldn't you think if this guy was going to be advanced by his own party to be the reform guy in the House, Wolf, he would have moved to a different apartment? I mean, hello! Is anybody home there?
BLITZER: But you did hear Ed Henry say it is a basement apartment, which is not necessarily all that desirable, and he's paying the fair market value.
CAFFERTY: Yes, and pigs fly upside down and the moon's made of green cheese and there no quid pro quo from a lobbyist who is also your landlord. Do I like I just fell out of the back of a vegetable truck to you?
BLITZER: No, you look like Jack Cafferty.
CAFFERTY: Thank you.
BLITZER: Thanks very much, Jack. We'll get back to you soon.
Coming up, the next race for the White House. It's 1,000 days until the presidential election exactly. We're going to take a closer look at who is hot at this early stage.
And it was the funeral that America watched, but did some speakers from presidents to preachers get too political? We're going to check the fallout from the Coretta Scott King funeral. That service included speeches by Bill and Hillary Clinton, but is the senator from New York state overshadowed by her husband? We have some new details on that. Stay with us. You're in THE SITUATION ROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK) BLITZER: As we reported, President Bush was in New Hampshire today defending his budget plan. That's familiar territory, of course, for presidential candidates. Mr. Bush won't play that role again, but with 1,000 days until the election, the race is certainly on.
So unofficially, who are the front runners? For that, we bring in our senior political correspondent Candy Crowley. Candy, let's start with the Republicans. Who is hot right now? Remember, still a thousand days before the presidential election.
CANDY CROWLEY, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: Which is why no matter where you call, South Carolina, New Hampshire, Iowa, they say, "Well, you know, everybody's sort of lukewarm." They're talking to activists right now.
They are really just getting to know the real base of their parties. For Republicans, we hear a lot about Senator George Allen, his conservative roots. He'll be at CPAC, the conservative meeting in Washington this weekend. He's been down in South Carolina. We're told they are impressed with his conservative credentials. He is getting a look.
Mitt Romney, interestingly enough, a Mormon that can be problems in the South, particularly among Baptists who look askance at the Mormonism. But we're told that he's handing out PAC money, that in fact he is becoming a real presence down in South Carolina. Of course, he's right next door to New Hampshire so that will also help.
BLITZER: One senator from Virginia and another governor from Massachusetts. Go ahead.
CROWLEY: Absolutely. And John McCain, senator from Arizona. He's pretty much the 100-pound gorilla at least at this point. I mean, he's the name that's mentioned. We're told that they're looking forward to seeing him in April in Iowa, his first trip sort of this round.
So he's got -- he is boosted because Lindsey Graham a senator from down there, is behind John McCain, so he is looking pretty good in South Carolina right now, at least they're looking pretty good at him.
BLITZER: Lindsey Graham supported him the last time around as well. Let's talk about the Democrats. Who's hot among the Democrats?
CROWLEY: Well, you know, let's set aside Hillary Clinton for the moment because that's -- you can never have a discussion without mentioning her. Hundred Club is meeting this weekend, that's a big Democratic fundraiser in New Hampshire.
The key note speaker is Senator Warner from -- Mark Warner from Virginia, who is very hot right now, has been for the past couple of months. He even called himself the flavor of the month, so he's doing well. Senator Bayh, Evan Bayh of Indiana is raising his profile both in Washington, we've seen a couple of speeches from him as well as he is wearing very well. We're told people are liking him. He is out in Iowa this weekend.
Tom Vilsack, though of course, governor of Iowa, a lot depends on what he decides to do. He is certainly looking at presidential waters out there. That would certainly change the mix. Now, Hillary.
BLITZER: I was waiting.
CROWLEY: OK, so we'll get to Hillary. That is Senator Clinton, I think we sort of she -- she has stayed out of these three states to sort of keep away from the presidential speculations, saying "Look, I'm running for reelection for senator this year, that's what I'm focused on."
But as we saw yesterday at the funeral, as she stood there beside her funeral, we saw both her strength and her weakness. Any number of Democrats that we you talk to say, if you say, what's Hillary Clinton's biggest problem? They say, well, it's her husband.
Both because No. 1 he does carry some baggage, but No. 2, as we saw yesterday, no matter who he stands on the stage with, he overshadows him. He's just that good. You know, we have to add him to the list of never share the stage with children or puppies, add Bill Clinton. We saw her problem there yesterday.
BLITZER: Speaking of this funeral yesterday, some of the speakers got very political in their eulogies, in their comments. Is there going to be some political fallout because Republicans today are really crying foul.
CROWLEY: They are. I think here's the problem with that. Particularly when you're looking at midterms, it's really hard to see how Coretta Scott King's funeral could somehow affect the district, some district in Indiana or anyplace else.
It's sort of a Rorschach Test, if you tend to like President Bush then you tend to think that he was treated rudely as Republicans do. If you tend to think he's done a bad job and you want to speak truth to power, and you see Coretta Scott King as a political figure, it all made sense to you.
So while it's kind of a two-day thing maybe, oh they were rude, no they weren't rude. It's hard to see how come November of this year, much less May of this year, it's going to have much impact, have any impact at all on the political scene.
BLITZER: Very much unlike what happened with the late senator Paul Wellstone.
CROWLEY: One particular state, exactly. I mean, you know, when we're talking about Senator Wellstone's funeral, as you know, got very political.
BLITZER: It was just before the election.
CROWLEY: Very close to the election. And it did have impact in that state. This is much tougher to do in midterm. I don't see it happening.
BLITZER: Thanks, Candy, very much. Candy Crowley is our senior political correspondent. Carol Lin is joining us now from the CNN global headquarters in Atlanta with a closer look at other stories making news. Hi, Carol Lin.
CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: Hi there, Wolf. We're going to begin with a deadly day in Baghdad. A head of a major Shiite religious festival tomorrow, three explosions in half an hour killed two people and wounded seven others today. In the first attack, a bomb inside a parked car exploded as a convoy carrying Iraq's minister of higher education went by. Several bodyguards were wounded. Minutes later, two improvised explosive devices exploded in western and southern Baghdad.
Now firefighters are racing against time and Mother Nature to control two southern California wildfires. Forecasts call for intense heat and higher winds later today. Nearly 200 firefighters are battling a brushfire in the Santa Monica mountains near Malibu. And in Orange County, helicopters are dumping water on a 7,000-acre blaze.
Well federal investigators are collecting evidence. They are trying to determine if the burning of four Baptist churches in western Alabama yesterday are linked to last week's church fires near Birmingham. Now they're looking for a dark-colored SUV. Officials say last week's fires have been determined to be arson, but they say it's possible yesterday's blazes are copycat crimes.
Well smoke and flames pouring from the hold of a UPS cargo plane. It made an emergency landing at Philadelphia International Airport overnight. Its three crew members had to jump to safety. The D.C.-8 was going from Atlanta to Philadelphia when the fire broke out. Federal investigators are trying to determine what caused that blaze. Wolf, they have an excellent safety record over at UPS, they've never had a plane go down.
BLITZER: Yes, those pictures are very dramatic, Carol. Thank you very much. We'll get back to you very soon.
We want to update our viewers now on a story we've been following closely here in THE SITUATION ROOM. Last month, a CNN investigation revealed just how easy it is for anyone to get access to a list of every phone call made from your cell phone. This hour, lawmakers are stepping up the fight to protect all of our privacy. Our Internet reporter Abbi Tatton has the latest -- Abbi.
ABBI TATTON, CNN INTERNET REPORTER: Yes, Wolf, going on right now this Senate hearing on protecting cell phone records. We have seen in the last few weeks just how easy it is to go online with just about $100 and purchase private cell phone records.
Well, this hearing is bringing together directors from the Federal Trade Commission, also the Federal Communications Commission, looking at what they can do together to address this industry that has sprung up that buys and sells cell phone records.
Also, testifying interested parties like Cindy Southwood (ph) from the National Network to End Domestic Violence, who says that the sale of cell phone records in this way endangers women who have been victim of stalking and domestic abuse.
You can watch this web cast going on right now at the Senate site. This hearing and a similar hearing like it in the House earlier this month will help lawmakers pull off legislation on this issue-- Wolf.
BLITZER:: Thanks very much Abbi for that. Abbi Tatton is our Internet reporter.
Still ahead, the battle for control of the U.S. Congress. The midterm elections just nine months away. So which party is in the driver's seat? I'll ask Paul Begala and Torie Clarke.
Plus, did some speakers get too political at yesterday's funeral for Coretta Scott King? We are going to get a take from both sides in today's strategy session. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: In today's strategy session, what is the political fallout from the tone of the Coretta Scott King funeral? Can Democrats get their political house in order to make gains in the midterm elections? And what message should the U.S. be sending to the world about the violent protest over cartoons offensive to so many Muslims?
Joining us today are two of our CNN political analysts. They have also among other things been very busy writing books. Paul Begala is the co-author with James Carville of the book, "Take it Back." There they are. Nice book jacket.
Torie Clarke is the author of a hot new book called, "Lipstick on a Pig." There she is looking gorgeous as well.
Thanks to both of you.
We will talk about the books.
PAUL BEGALA, DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST: We are both posing with pigs on the cover. I'm just kidding James, just a joke.
BLITZER: He's a nice guy, James Carville.
BEGALA: I know. And he watches every day that he's not on too. So my cell phone is going to go on.
BLITZER: Let's talk about the funeral yesterday. The Reverend Joseph Lowery was among those eulogizing Coretta Scott King. Among other things, he said this. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REV. JOSEPH LOWERY, CIVIL RIGHTS LEADER: We know now that there were no weapons of mass destruction over there. But Coretta knew and we knew that there are weapons of misdirection right down here.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BLITZER: I don't know if that was a direct reference to the president of the United States who was there, but was it appropriate?
BEGALA: Absolutely. Coretta Scott King was about a radical movement for peace, nonviolence, social justice and racial equality. Her funeral reflected that.
Reverend Lowery simply stated a fact at the first half. The second half of whether poverty and crime are weapons of misdirection that is for him to say. But it's a statement of fact that there were no weapons of mass destruction.
I thought what was more poignant frankly was how poorly President Bush performed and was received versus President Clinton. Now that is an unfair contrast, but, you know, President Bush has an 80 percent disapproval rating in the African-American community. He is just unable to heal the racial divide in America.
And it was really sad because that was a potential of healing for our president, and he is just not up to the job.
BLITZER: Torie?
TORIE CLARKE, FMR. PENTAGON SPOKESWOMAN: I think it was an incredibly important day. And I think most of the remarks were really remarkable, including President Bush's, including President Clinton's.
I think it is unfortunate that some people used the funeral of an incredibly important woman as a platform for political statements. It's not the end of the world. I think the long term impacts of the event yesterday will be some soul searching in the African-American community. Who are the next leaders?
But I just think it was an unfortunate choice of words on some people's part.
BLITZER: "The New York Times" had a big story, a front page story, you probably saw it today, about some of the Democrats and their political dilemma looking down the road.
Chris Dodd, Democratic senator from Connecticut, a former chairman of the DNC, is quoted as saying, "This has not been a very good two months. We seem to be losing our voice when it comes to the basic things people worry about."
And I want to hear from the author of "Take it Back" because you seem to be having in your book with James a similar complaint. BEGALA: Yes, I think Democrats have had a hard time finding their voice. I think they have been too perceived and in reality too weak for too long.
But here is where I disagree with Senator Dodd, things are better today than a couple of months ago, better than they were six months ago when Carville and I finished our book.
Senator Dodd's leader in the Senate, Harry Reid, he has been stronger than garlic in a milkshake. He took on the president on Social Security, the president's top domestic priority, and he beat him. He forced the Senate into secret session to try to require that they investigate whether we misled going into the war, and he won.
So I actually think the Democrats are in much better today than a few months ago, and they'll be better still a few months from now.
BLITZER: The new House Majority Leader John Boehner was quoted as saying this in "The New York Times" the other day, "It has been a tough year, and the members on the Republican side are looking at their own re-election, and the environment right now is not real good."
He's complaining also.
CLARKE: Absolutely. I think it is going to be a very tough environment for a lot of Republicans, particularly those who have been in leadership positions because you are in charge when you are up there.
But it is interesting that the Democrats have been unable to exploit those disadvantages for the Republicans and really take advantage of these opportunities.
And I think--we tend to talk a lot about voices and messages. I think it is more about substance. I think it is because the Democrats have gotten quite good at bashing and criticizing and saying what they think is wrong within this administration, with these Republicans in charge, but they have yet to put forward tangible answers.
BLITZER: But how concerned should Republicans be? The murmuring, the criticism, you're hearing it now. And Dana Bash had an excellent piece from New Hampshire today, in which you hear Republicans saying that this president has abandoned some of those core principles like a smaller federal government.
CLARKE: Oh, I think that is the weak link for the Republicans. I think that is what the real angst within the party is about. Well, you know, obviously national security very important to us. We are doing fairly well there. But on the fiscal conservatism side of things we don't feel so comfortable.
But it is interesting because it is easy for everybody, Republicans and Democrats, to bash the president. Congress has a role and a place in this as well. Every time he puts forward a budget, which may not be cutting up, they add to it. BLITZER: As attractive as it is for a lot of Democrats to sort of appeal to the base of the party, the base of the party is not necessarily the mainstream of America that you need to win elections. There's a dilemma there.
BEGALA: Midterm elections that were very often about the base. The president's problem, the Republican's problem, is the president is desperately unpopular. Not since Nixon, in the whole era since the second world war has the president in this stage of his presidency been so disliked.
And I checked one of our CNN/"USA Today"/Gallup polls recently just a few weeks ago. Fifty-two percent, the majority of Americans, described this as a failed presidency. I mean not just going in the wrong direction, which is 64, but failed, through, we're sick of him. It's over.
This is disastrous for the Republicans. If they take comfort in pretending that the Democrats won't be able to capitalize they are wrong. It's a binary choice. Paper or plastic, regular or decaf, chocolate or vanilla. And they are sick of Republicans, and Democrats, all they have to do is get out and say, "We can do better." And they're going to win. You watch. They're going to have a very good '06.
CLARKE: It's interesting. The really smart Democrats -- and Paul is one of them. And I hope not too many people -- I want him to succeed and sell the book, but I don't want them to read it. So just buy it, but don't read it.
But they talk about the polls because the polls aren't good. The polls aren't what you want. But if talk about some other numbers, if you talk about unemployment, 4.7 percent, 4.8 percent, those are numbers the Clinton administration bragged about.
If you talk about average hourly wage, over $16. If you talk about employment gains among African-Americans and Hispanics, all good. Consumer spending is up. Is consumer confidence down? According to the polls, yes. Is consumer spending up? Yes. New home sales, up. Productivity, historic highs. You talk about what's really going on, it's pretty impressive. If you just talk about the polls, it doesn't sound so good.
BLITZER: Let's see if those real economic numbers translate in the polls in the next several months. Let's talk a little bit about this whole uproar over the cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed. The Vice President Dick Cheney was on PBS yesterday. Here's what he said, in part.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RICHARD CHENEY, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We believe very deeply in the freedom of expression. Obviously, we think, you know, it's appropriate for people to respect one another's religion. But I don't believe that the printing of those cartoons justifies the violence that we've seen. (END VIDEO CLIP)
BLITZER: Let me get your sense, first, Torie, on the way the Bush administration is handling this controversy right now, in effect saying, "Yes, there should be freedom of the press, but that requires responsible decisions. And printing or publishing these cartoons and not necessarily responsible, given the fallout that can occur. At the same time, there should be no violence and certainly no death or destruction."
CLARKE: I think they're handling it very carefully, as they should. You don't want to make the situation worse. You don't want to further inflame the situation. But as the leader of the free world, you have to say something. You have to condemn the violence.
Make sure everybody in all parts of the world understands about our support for freedom of expression. Nobody is better at it than this country. But condemn the violence. I have to say, nothing condones the kind of violence that we've seen. People should not be dying over cartoons.
BLITZER: What do you think?
BEGALA: Well, that's certainly true. Violence is outrageous and shocking. But I was in the Middle East when those stories about the cartoons were coming out. I was in Doha Qatar at a conference on the Middle East. And I was with Arab Muslims, but lawyers and highly educated. They were so shocked, so aghast, so offended. And they didn't resort to violence because...
BLITZER: Offended by the cartoons?
BEGALA: Oh, yes. By the notion of them. The cartoons, of course, were not printed in the papers in the Middle East, but they were described. It's hard, I think, for us in the west to fully appreciate how offensive it is to the Muslim faith to depict Prophet Mohammed in any way.
And I think we're missing a bit of a chance. President Clinton spoke about this at that conference, and here's what he said. He said, "Of course it's wrong for them. They have the right, but it's wrong for them to exercise that right insult the prophet and a billion who follow that religion."
And then he linked it up. He said, "It's just as wrong as when, in the '40s, European newspapers ran anti-Semitic cartoons and how today in the Middle East many Arab papers run anti-Semitic cartoons." He wove it all together, and the audience, which is over 90 percent Arab-Muslim, loved it.
And I think that would be one way -- I wish, frankly, the vice president had been maybe a little more sympathetic to the really deep sacrilege that Muslims feel about this cartoon.
BLITZER: Let's talk about your new book -- your excellent new book, Torie. CLARKE: Thanks.
BLITZER: "Lipstick on a Pig." You were out promoting the book last night on "The Daily Show" with our friend Jon Stewart. Here's a little clip.
CLARKE: Uh-oh.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JON STEWART, HOST, "THE DAILY SHOW": Do you feel that spin is pervasive?
CLARKE: Yes, absolutely.
STEWART: Oh, OK. I'm sorry. I misunderstood you. I thought you were saying we live in a no-spin era.
CLARKE: The book said that.
STEWART: Oh, the book said that. OK.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BLITZER: The subtitle of the book is?
CLARKE: Is "Winning in a No-Spin Era by Someone who Knows the Game."
BLITZER: So he's saying, "You know what? There's plenty of spin still out there." And you're saying there's a no-spin era.
CLARKE: I think it is the no-spin era. I think a lot of people haven't caught up. I think a lot of government, a lot of people in business do not realize the importance or the impact of all of these information technologies and how it makes spin irrelevant, sometime irresponsible. Bad news doesn't have a place to hide, so get it out there.
BLITZER: The book is called -- your book is called "Take it Back." Your book is called "Lipstick on a Pig."
CLARKE: I have a pig, he has a donkey.
BLITZER: They are excellent books.
(CROSSTALK)
BLITZER: Congratulations to both of your on your new books.
Up next, more on those Muslim protests from Africa to Asia to Europe. Today, the Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice singles out two countries for criticism. We're going to tell you which two. That's coming up in a moment.
Plus, the political battle over immigration. Is the hot-button issue creating a rift in the Republican Party? Stay with us.
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BLITZER: Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice sounded off today on the violent protests over the cartoons depicting the Prophet Mohammed. And she made some serious accusations against a pair of America's antagonists in the Middle East. Let's go live to our State Department correspondent, Andrea Koppel -- Andrea.
ANDREA KOPPEL, CNN STATE DEPARTMENT CORRESPONDENT: Hoping to bring the escalating violence under control today, from the White House, President Bush called on governments around the world to stop the violence, while at the State Department as top diplomat, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice lashed out at two governments, Iran and Syria, already on the outs with Washington, which the U.S. now claims are stirring the pot in the Middle East.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CONDOLEEZZA RICE, U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE: Iran and Syria have gone out of their way to inflame sentiments and to use this to their own purposes. And the world ought to call them on it. All responsible people ought to say that there is no excuse for violence. We all need to respect each other's religions, we need to respect freedom of the press. But, you know, again, with freedom of the press comes responsibility.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KOPPEL: But Syria's ambassador to the United States, Imad Mustafa, denied the accusations, telling CNN, "We in Syria believe anti-Western sentiments are being fueled by two major things, the situation in Iraq and the situation in the occupied territories, the West Bank and Gaza.
We believe that if somebody would tell Secretary Rice that Syria is not the party that occupies Iraq and it's not the party that occupies the West Bank and Gaza, then probably she would know it is not Syria who is actually fueling anti-Western sentiment."
CNN also tried to contact the Iranian mission in New York for reaction, Wolf, but we haven't heard back yet.
BLITZER: Andrea, thank you very much. Andrea Koppel reporting here in Washington.
The Internet is changing the dimensions of this story with every passing day. Our Internet reporter Abbi Tatton once again is here to explain what's going on -- Abbi.
TATTON: Wolf, CNN is not showing these images. And the decisions of news outlets whether or not to publish the cartoons is being scrutinized online. Conservative blogger Michelle Malkin is one of them leading the pack. She's got a very prominent link on her site to the cartoons so her readers can see them. She said that viewers of networks and readers of newspapers that aren't showing the images are left in a cloud of ignorance in this issue for not being able to see the full extent of the controversy going on.
Another conservative site, the blogs at The National Review online have been discussing this at length as well. They link a way to another site where people can see these images. They're saying that these are no longer cartoons, they're actually news.
Many of the sites out there discussing the media's role in this, whether or not to publish. And it's not just in the U.S. This is a site, Techerati (ph), that blogs sites all over the world. Their discussion, you can see, of the Mohammed cartoon the number one discussion out there right now -- Wolf.
BLITZER: Abbi, thank you very much.
Coming up here in THE SITUATION ROOM, I'll have much more on the cartoon protest. We're going to go live to the White House right at the top of the hour. And at 7:00 p.m. Eastern here in THE SITUATION ROOM, we're going to hear from the Danish prime minister.
Up next, it's open field -- an open field, that is -- for Lynn Swann. Will the football hall of famer go from the gridiron to the governor's mansion? That story and lots more in today's political arena.
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BLITZER: Welcome back. Illegal immigration, a hotly debated issue and one that threatens to through the Republican Party. They've brought a group called The Minutemen to Capitol Hill earlier today. Let's turn to our senior political analyst Bill Schneider for more -- Bill.
BILL SCHNEIDER, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: Wolf, the immigration issue looks like a classical political protest issue. It's potent, and it's dangerous.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SCHNEIDER: The activists who gathered at the Capitol Wednesday to protest illegal immigration are angry. But who are they angry at?
REP. TOM TANCREDO (R), COLORADO: If the president of the United States really wanted to, he could secure the border tomorrow.
SCHNEIDER: Tom is a Republican congressman directing his anger at a Republican president. In fact, he's threatening to run for president in 2008 in order to force the immigration issue onto the agenda. It's an issue that could split the Republican Party wide open.
Most Americans believe the level of immigration to the United States should be key decreased. The feeling is even stronger among Republicans. But they're not getting much satisfaction from President Bush.
BUSH: We hear claims that immigrants are somehow bad for the economy even though this economy could not function without them.
SCHNEIDER: A protest movement emerges when a constituency believes no one is addressing its concerns. In the 1960s, the anti- Vietnam War movement and the George Wallace movement didn't see dime's worth of difference between Democrats and Republicans. Right now, people who say the immigration important is extremely important to them don't see a dime's worth of difference between Democrats and Republicans.
Typically, one of the major parties reaches out to protest voters. Democrats reached out to the anti-war movement by nominating George McGovern in 1972. Richard Nixon used his southern strategy to fold Wallace voters into the Republican Party. President Bush is trying to reach out to anti-immigration voters.
BUSH: We must have stronger immigration enforcement and border protection.
SCHNEIDER: But he's not reaching very far.
BUSH: And we must have a rational, humane guest worker program.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SCHNEIDER: This is a fight among Republicans. Democrats don't talk much about immigration. Democrats do talk about outsourcing of jobs, however, because that's not anti-immigrant, it's anti-business -- Wolf.
BLITZER: Bill Schneider reporting for us. Thank you, Bill, very much.
On our political radar today, a key Republican member of Congress breaks with the Bush administration on domestic spying. Representative Heather Wilson chairs the House committee which overseas the NSA, the National Security Agency.
She now wants Congress to change the 1978 Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, better known as FISA. She wants congressional oversight of the domestic spying program, something which the White House now claims for itself. Listen to this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. HEATHER WILSON (R), NEW MEXICO: I believe, as I have believed all along, we have to start from the facts. And the place to get those facts is in the House Intelligence Committee. The checks and balances in our system of government are very important, and it's those checks and balances that are going on and being executed now.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BLITZER: The Senate Intelligence Committee holds a closed-door hearing on the domestic spying program tomorrow.
BLITZER: Evangelical Christian leaders are leaping into the fight over global warming. Eighty-six of them, including the leaders of World Vision and the Salvation Army, are calling for federal action to reduce carbon monoxide emissions.
They argue that global warning comes from humans and say humans can stop it. That, they say, is a way to care for God's creations. Others evangelical leaders oppose the initiative, saying Christians, quote, "Disagree about the cause, severity and solutions to the global warming issue."
It's been quite a week for football hall of famer Lynn Swann. First, his old team, the Pittsburgh Steelers, won their first Super Bowl since Swann played with them back in the 1970s. And now, Swann is unopposed by any other Republican in his drive to become the next governor of Pennsylvania. Yesterday, his only GOP opponent dropped out of the race. Swann now takes on incumbent and Democrat Ed Rendell in November.
Up next, the start of an awesome adventure. Steve Fossett sets his sights on a new record, flying around the world. How far has he gone, and how far will he get?
And some are calling it a big fat disappointment. A new study shedding light on whether or not what you eat can help you fight some very common diseases. Stay with us. You're in THE SITUATION ROOM.
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BLITZER: Let's check in with Carol Lin once again form the CNN global headquarters in Atlanta with a closer look at other stories making news -- Carol?
LIN: Thanks, Wolf. We're going to begin with a deadly strain of the bird flu virus, which has now reached Africa. The World Health Organization says the deadly H5N1 strain was found in chickens in northern Nigeria. Bird flu experts are headed there right now. So far, there aren't any reports of people being infected yet, but 16 other countries have bird flu outbreaks. About 88 people have died of the virus.
And vote counting is underway now in Haiti. Turnout was high in yesterday's election for a new president and parliament, but there are also reports of violence. U.N. officials say crowds crushed two people to death, and a police officer was lynched after he shot and killed someone. It is Haiti's first election since President Jean- Bertrande Aristide went into exile two years ago.
Now, there was low turnout and deadly violence that marred Nepal's first election in seven years. Ballots were cast for mayors and local officials today, but six people were killed in election- related unrest. Many Nepalese reportedly stayed away from the polls because of rebel threats. Opposition political parties also boycotted the vote. Nepal's king has promised to hold parliamentary elections next year, but it is not certain that that will happen. And a picture-perfect takeoff for adventurer Steve Fossett. He says it was a bit scary, too. He took off from Florida's Kennedy Space Center this morning in an experimental aircraft. Now, he's about halfway across the Atlantic Ocean. Fossett's trying to set a new distance record of nearly 27,000 miles. He's flying around the world and then back over the Atlantic before landing outside London -- Wolf.
BLITZER: I hope he makes it. Thanks very much, Carol. We'll get back to you soon.
Still to come, new House Majority Leader John Boehner is touting lobbying reform, yet he rents his apartment from a lobbyist. His clients have a vested interest in legislation that comes before his committee. What do you think of this landlord and tenant arrangement? Jack Cafferty's going through your e-mail.
In our 7:00 p.m. Eastern hour, he's a central figure in the cartoon controversy, a Muslim cleric who helped internationalized the protest. Some say he fanned the flames. My interview with imam. That's coming up 7:00 p.m. Eastern tonight, right here in THE SITUATION ROOM.
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BLITZER: Welcome back. Let's check in with Jack. He's in New York with "The Cafferty File" -- Jack.
CAFFERTY: You know, we got letters from people that said that I did look like I fell out of the back of a vegetable truck. I wonder what they meant by that.
New House Republican leader, Wolf, John Boehner, renting his apartment from a lobbyist whose clients have a vested interest in legislation that comes before Boehner. Boehner says he pays fair market value for the apartment and has not been lobbied by John Milne, who's a veteran Washington lobbyist. So the question is, do you see anything wrong with a congressman renting his apartment from a lobbyist?
Deborah writes, "If a lobbyist can rent a legislator, why can't a legislator rent from a lobbyist?
Shirley in Atlanta, Georgia, writes, "Of course it smells, but then, what else is new? There will never be any reform unless there is public financing of campaigns and lobbyists are gone forever." Shirley is absolutely right.
Richard in Panama City Beach, Florida, writes, "There's nothing wrong with that, as long as he's paying the fair market price."
Jack in Bethesda, Maryland, has a different opinion. "Representative Boehner is supposed to be the guy in charge of cleaning up after Tom Delay. Please. The man is literally in bed with lobbyists. I can hear it now. 'Hey, Enron. You need an in the majority leader? Yes, well he lives in my freaking basement.'" Ryan in Seattle, Washington: "He shouldn't be putting himself in a position where he needs to be explaining himself, period."
Tony in Durham, North Carolina: "I think everything is wrong with that. You wouldn't find your local police chief being landlord of a crack house, would you?"
And Kevin writes, "If a Republican can't rent an apartment from his boss -- I mean, a lobbyist -- then the terrorists win."
BLITZER: Was that basically the gist, very, very anti-Boehner, the e-mail that you got?
CAFFERTY: Of course. Of course.
BLITZER: Was there anybody saying, you know, "He's paying market value. It's a basement apartment, not very luxurious"? Among the hundreds of e-mails you got, was there anybody who said that he's doing a good thing?
CAFFERTY: Wolf, you've got to pay closer attention to "The Cafferty File." I read from Richard in Panama City who said, and I quote, "There's nothing wrong with that as long as he's paying the fair market price."
BLITZER: So there was there at least one letter like that?
CAFFERTY: There might have been a half a dozen. I probably got 700 e-mails.
BLITZER: All right. Just want to...
CAFFERTY: OK?
BLITZER: Thanks, Jack.
CAFFERTY: You're welcome.
BLITZER: Jack Cafferty joining us from New York with "The Cafferty File."
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