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The Situation Room
Brand New Poll Shows Public Approval of President Bush, Congress at Historic Lows; White House Changes?; Bombing in Tel Aviv
Aired April 17, 2006 - 19:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: To our viewers, you're in THE SITUATION ROOM, where new pictures and information are arriving all the time.
Standing by, CNN reporters across the United States and around the world to bring you tonight's top stories.
Happening now, it's 7:00 p.m. here in Washington, where President Bush hits a low point in a key poll. But if you think he gets bad grades from the public, wait until you hear what they say about the Republican-led Congress.
The Reverend Jerry Falwell offers his own one-man poll on Rudy Giuliani. We're going to tell you why Falwell gives the former New York City mayor no approval when it comes to a presidential bid.
And a secretive Catholic group breaks its silence to take on "The Da Vinci Code." Why is it so upset about the upcoming film?
I'm Wolf Blitzer. You're in THE SITUATION ROOM.
Tonight, new reason for Republicans to have a sinking feeling. A brand new poll showing public approval of the president and of the Republican-led Congress at historic lows. It could be an early warning of an election year revolution in the making.
Our White House correspondent, Suzanne Malveaux, is standing by. But let's get the details from our senior national correspondent, John Roberts -- John.
JOHN ROBERTS, CNN SR. NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hey. Good evening to you, Wolf.
And here is a number that has to be very troubling for the Republicans, 23 percent. That's the slice of Americans who think that Congress is doing a good job. The number of people who think they're doing a bad job far exceeds that. And while the figure doesn't break down party affiliation, the number is very significant when put in historical context.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ROBERTS (voice over): Twenty-three percent, with 70 percent of Americans saying they disapprove, those are exactly the same marks Congress got in October of 1994, right before the revolution that ended 40 years of Democratic dominance on Capitol Hill. A bad omen? Just ask Senator John McCain, whose presidential aspirations may turn on how much he can help stem the bleeding.
SEN. JOHN MCCAIN (R), ARIZONA: We're in trouble. We are in trouble. And we've got a tough fight to keep both the House and the Senate, and it deserves all my efforts.
I think we're in trouble because maybe we've lost our way to some degree. We haven't been able to address some of the major concerns that Americans have.
ROBERTS: That's just what Republicans were saying about the Democrats 12 years ago. And how does the architect of the "Contract with America" and the Republican takeover feel about his party's chances this November?
NEWT GINGRICH, FMR. SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE: I think they're in very serious danger of having a very bad election this fall. And I think that you have to respect when you get poll after poll telling you basically the same thing, you have to respect the right of the American people to say they want change.
ROBERTS: The decline closely tracks the precipitous drop in President Bush's approval ratings, down now to 36 percent. Compare that to the 46 percent President Clinton scored just before Congress slipped through his fingers.
And here's another troubling number for Republicans. Only 27 percent of Americans are satisfied with the way things are going in the United States. That's the lowest number in 10 years and down from the 31 percent who were satisfied in 1994, a month before they threw the Democrats out.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ROBERTS: Despite the bad polls, though, the math is still not working out in favor of the Democrats. They need a net gain of 15 to take over the House, five to take back the Senate, and right now the numbers aren't there. But Wolf, it's still a long way to November.
BLITZER: All right, John. Stick around. We have another important story you're working on as well.
John Roberts reporting.
Over at the White House tonight, staffers are on notice that there may be personnel changes in the days ahead. The new white house chief of staff, Josh Bolten, put out the word today, and the press secretary, Scott McClellan, passed it along to reporters.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SCOTT MCCLELLAN, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: As you know, any White House goes through change. People decide to leave after they've served here for a while. It's hard work serving here at the White House.
And so he said to the senior staff -- and I think this will be passed on to others as well -- is that, if you're thinking about leaving sometime in the near future, now would be a good time to do it, because this is this transitional period. And so that's the way I would look at it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BLITZER: Let's bring in our White House correspondent, Suzanne Malveaux.
Any indication, any names being mentioned, who might leave, who might be coming in? What are you hearing, Suzanne?
SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, very interesting. There are Republican strategists, as well as White House insiders, Bush administration officials all pointing to a couple of areas. Of course, they look at Treasury Secretary John Snow. A lot of speculation over his future and whether or not he can really win the kind of endorsement that -- that President Bush has given to Secretary Rumsfeld. He's not so far been able to do that.
Also, two other areas. White House communications, whether or not it is at the podium, Scott McClellan's position, or behind the scenes. Clearly, they want to shake up something when it comes to strategic communications, the face of the White House.
And also, of course, the third area, legislative affairs, how they communicate with Republican leadership. The relationship between the White House and key Republicans has deteriorated, as you know, over the months. They really want to make some improvements in that area as well -- Wolf.
BLITZER: But as far as Donald Rumsfeld, the defense secretary, is concerned, the White House remaining very firm in its support of the defense secretary.
MALVEAUX: Absolutely, Wolf. Secretary Rumsfeld is here to stay. That is the word that the president gave over the Easter holiday weekend. It is also something that White House officials continue to reiterate, saying he is not going anywhere.
BLITZER: Suzanne Malveaux reporting for us.
Thanks, Suzanne, very much.
And we're going to have a lot more ahead on the political damage for the White House, the dilemma it faces as it tries to beat back calls for Donald Rumsfeld's resignation. James Carville, J.C. Watts, they'll join us here in the "Strategy Session."
We're just getting word here in THE SITUATION ROOM of some rolling blackouts potentially affecting tens of thousands, maybe hundreds of thousands of people, in Texas. Ali Velshi is following developments for us.
What is going on, Ali? ALI VELSHI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: We've just gotten off the phone with the company that runs the electrical grid in Texas. They have declared an emergency situation.
This is the company that is responsible for 80 percent -- 85 percent of the electrical grid. They are the ones who redistribute power so that a blackout doesn't occur.
Well, they've had to implement rolling blackouts in Houston, Dallas, San Antonio, Austin. These cities are all experiencing rolling blackouts.
It's been very hot in those cities. And they've had 15-minute blackouts in a lot of these cities. We've had traffic lights out of order, we've been told, and you can see some of the traffic situations there, people using intersections as stop -- stop streets. We have been told that emergency services are being provided with electricity.
We've just spoken to the grid company. They shed 1,100 megawatts of power. That's about 100,000 houses' worth of power.
They've gotten most of that back on, or at least half of it back on, and they've passed the peak usage. So they'll start -- the people in Texas will start to see their power coming back very shortly.
However, there has been a strain on this system. And in Houston, Dallas, Austin, and San Antonio, with the hot weather, people are being asked not to use unnecessary electricity, switch off the air- conditioning, keep the house at 78 degrees, no cooler, and not use things that they don't need to right now.
We'll keep you posted -- Wolf.
BLITZER: Thanks very much, Ali.
We know that customers in Austin, Houston, and Dallas, among other places in Texas, have been affected. We'll continue to watch this story for you.
Other important news we're watching elsewhere around the world, death and destruction today in Israel. A baby-faced bomber sets off his explosives on a Tel Aviv street. The suicide attack quickly won the open approval of Hamas, which is now in charge of the new Palestinian government. The Israeli government is weighing its next moves.
Let's turn to our Zain Verjee. She's joining us from the CNN global headquarters with details -- Zain.
ZAIN VERJEE, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Wolf, the Israeli cabinet's meeting tomorrow to decide how to respond to this attack. It's the deadliest suicide bombing in Israel in more than a year, and the first in Israel since Hamas took over the government.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) VERJEE (voice over): It's been a target before, and today it was a deadly target again. The bomber struck at lunchtime outside a falafel stand at the Old Central Bus Station in Tel Aviv. This eyewitness says, "I saw a security guard holding a young guy, asking him to open his bag. When he opened it, I heard a boom."
The powerful blast killed nine other people and wounded more than 50. The falafel stand shattered as debris shot into the street. Sniffer dogs searched for more explosives as paramedics helped the wounded.
The Palestinian militant group Islamic Jihad says it's responsible for the attack. It issued this videotape from the West Bank town of Jenin, naming the bomber as Sami Salim Mohammed Hamad (ph), seen here posing with a rifle.
Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas condemned the attacks, saying it was not in the interest of Palestinians. But Hamas, which took control of the Palestinian parliament two and a half weeks ago, says the attack was justified. It says, "Palestinians have a right to defend themselves against Israeli occupation." Hamas has not carried suicide bombings for more than a year as part of an informal cease- fire with Israel, but despite strong international pressure, it refuses to recognize Israel's right to exist and won't give up its arms.
Islamic Jihad, backed by Iran and Syria, rejects the cease-fire and has claimed numerous attacks since the cease-fire began. Israel says it holds Hamas responsible for the bombing and that it will respond appropriately.
YIGAL TALMOR, ISRAELI FOREIGN MINISTER: Hamas needs to understand one thing, by shedding blood, they will achieve nothing.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VERJEE: And Wolf, Israel says that the international community must take a strong stand now and make Hamas leaders renounce and confront terrorism -- Wolf.
BLITZER: Zain, thank you very much.
Zain Verjee reporting.
Jack Cafferty standing by in New York with "The Cafferty File" -- Jack.
JACK CAFFERTY, CNN ANCHOR: Wolf, some senators from both parties now calling for the United States to talk directly with Iran about its nuclear program before considering any sort of military option. Republican Richard Lugar says direct talks would be useful since "... the Iranians are a part of the energy picture." Democrat Christopher Dodd also says such talks are necessary. He says the United States has ceded too much diplomacy to Europe.
For its part, the Bush administration says it will talk with Iran about its activities in Iraq, but it rejects the idea of direct negotiations about its nuclear program.
So, the question we pose this hour is: Should the U.S. engage in direct talks with Iran about its nuclear program?
E-mail your thoughts to caffertyfile@CNN.com or go to CNN.com/caffertyfile.
BLITZER: Jack, thank you very much. We'll get back to you soon.
And coming up here in THE SITUATION ROOM, we're following developing stories. An emergency on energy in Texas. Rolling blackouts affecting lots of people there. We're going to be getting some more information on what's going on.
Also, a major development in the fight against breast cancer. We're going to have details.
And Rudy Giuliani and the religious right. Find out why the Reverend Jerry Falwell says he won't back the former New York mayor if he runs for the White House.
And inside Opus Dei. That's the conservative Catholic group. It's taking on "The Da Vinci Code," the film, releasing a video of its own.
And living in a disaster area. Millions of Americans keep building their homes in earthquake zones, but are they ready for the next big one?
Stay with us. You're in THE SITUATION ROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: We're watching a story that's happening now in the state of Texas. A big chunk of that state affected by blackouts, rolling blackouts, due to the unusually high temperature in so much of the state today.
We're watching this story. We're going to get a live report. That's coming up.
But there's other important news we're following as well, including some potentially very important new developments tonight in the fight against breast cancer. Word that a drug used to treat osteoporosis may actually help fight breast cancer in older women with fewer side-effects.
Once again, let's bring in our senior national correspondent, John Roberts.
What's going on, John?
ROBERTS: This really is big news, Wolf. It's something that has been studied by the National Cancer Institute, just a little bit north of here in Washington, for the last five years. They studied almost 20,000 women, split them into two groups. Half of the group -- half of the groups, at least, received Tamoxifen, which is the only drug approved for both pre and post-menopausal women now to prevent breast cancer. They found that there was a 50 percent reduction among women who took Tamoxifen, but they also found out that women who took this alternate drug called Avista (ph) or Raloxifene, also got a benefit of a 50 percent reduction in breast cancer.
OK. So, you think that's a wash, but here is where the two of them differ. Added benefits of Raloxifene were found that it reduced the incidence of uterine cancer by 36 percent and reduced the incidence of blood clots by 29 percent.
Now, this is very important, because Tamoxifen has been found to actually cause uterine cancer in post-menopausal women. Raloxifene is an osteoporosis drug, it was first approved in the late 1990s, but also found to have protective effects against breast cancer.
I first broke this story, Wolf, back in 1998. It was believed back then that Raloxifene had far superior powers to Tamoxifen for preventing breast cancer. Over the years, and as the studies increased in size, that all evened out.
So, now you get the same protective effect in post-menopausal women with an increased risk of breast cancer. But with Raloxifene, you also get these added benefits of the reduction of these side- effects, and that is very important.
BLITZER: So, women who are worried about this, right now they need to consult their physician, first and foremost.
ROBERTS: They should to decide which drug is better for them. I mean, if they want to treat osteoporosis and get an added benefit of reduction of breast cancer, that's one reason. If they are at an increased risk of breast cancer, perhaps they want to be on one of these drugs.
If they're worried about side-effects like blood clots, because maybe some of these women are predisposed to that, or uterine cancer, perhaps there's a family history, then Raloxifene may be the better drug. But the bottom line is, you always have to talk to your doctor about this.
BLITZER: This is potentially very, very significant information.
Thanks very much, John, for that.
ROBERTS: Certainly.
BLITZER: His name comes up quickly in almost any conversation about 2008 and the Republican presidential candidates. But one prominent Christian conservative says the former New York City mayor, Rudy Giuliani, won't be getting his support.
CNN's Mary Snow is joining us now live from New York with the story -- Mary. MARY SNOW, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf, the Reverend Jerry Falwell isn't giving his political blessing to Rudy Giuliani. And some say Falwell's disapproval is part of a litmus test that could spell trouble for Giuliani should he decide to run for president.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SNOW (voice over): Will Rudy Giuliani, a darling of the Republican Party, be dragged down by conservatives like the Reverend Jerry Falwell?
REV. JERRY FALWELL, LIBERTY UNIVERSITY: I'll never speak an ill word about him because he means so much to America. But yes, you're right, I couldn't support him for president.
SNOW: Falwell's lack of enthusiasm for the man dubbed "The Nation's Mayor" is important, say political observers, because of who Falwell represents.
STU ROTHENBERG, THE ROTHENBERG POLITICAL REPORT: There are significant numbers of social conservatives in the Republican Party who would find former Mayor Giuliani unacceptable, and those people are critical in winning a Republican presidential nomination.
SNOW: Unacceptable because Giuliani's support of abortion rights and gay rights put him at odds with conservatives.
FALWELL: We have -- as conservative Christians who take the bible seriously, we have probably irreconcilable differences on life and family and that kind of thing.
SNOW: Falwell has reconciled his differences, though, with Arizona Senator John McCain, whose popularity ranks alongside Giuliani among Republicans in recent polls when it comes to White House hopefuls. But observers say those polls are misleading since Giuliani hasn't officially announced his candidacy.
ROTHENBERG: No longer would it would be, Rudy Giuliani, the hero of 9/11, the celebrity. It would be Rudy Giuliani, the presidential candidate, Rudy Giuliani, the guy with positions on abortion and gay rights and gun control that really don't fit in the Republican Party.
SNOW: But according to former Giuliani pollster Frank Luntz, the United States is shifting in ideology when it comes to picking a president.
FRANK LUNTZ, REPUBLICAN STRATEGIST: Because he is so well defined and favorably defined by what happened on 9/11, he doesn't have to play by the same rules that all the other candidates have to play by.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SNOW: Now, we contacted Rudy Giuliani's office to see if he had anything to say about the Reverend Falwell's remarks. A spokeswoman declined comment -- Wolf. BLITZER: Thanks very much for that.
Mary Snow reporting.
Let's go back to CNN's Ali Velshi. He's watching this story, an emergency declared in the state of Texas. About 80 percent of that state right now facing some rolling blackouts due to the high temperature, the unusually high temperature throughout the state, and the lack of energy, lack of electricity, to be specific.
Ali, what are you picking up?
VELSHI: Well, we've got temperatures in the high 90s and 100 right around some of the cities in Texas that are being affected. In Dallas, it should be about 77 degrees. It's 99 degrees, at its peak today.
Now, what the problem is, is as -- as the draw on energy increases because of this, the grid system -- and this happens all across America -- it redistributes electricity so that it takes it from places that aren't being used, puts it into other places where they need it. That grid system has not been able to keep up with demand in Texas because of the heat and they've instituted rolling blackouts, 15-minute blackouts.
They've gotten most of the power that they need back on line. It will still be some time before they finish with that, but they are asking people in Texas cities to please use less energy right now.
In Arlington, it was 100 degrees. The normal should have been 76. This is April.
In Dallas, 77 degrees -- 99 is what it was today. In San Antonio, it should have been 80 -- 99 again today.
So they are asking people to bring their thermostats up to 78 degrees, don't use more electricity than is needed. And we are in contact with the grid operator in Texas to try to bring you information as soon as we can, Wolf, on when power will be restored across Texas.
BLITZER: Because they don't think they have enough generating capacity, they're deliberately causing these rolling blackouts.
VELSHI: That's correct. Yes.
BLITZER: It's not just a natural phenomenon.
VELSHI: It's deliberate, but it's automated. That's what happens. Before there's an entire blackout, before the fuse blows, as it will, the grid system moves it around so that they don't blow, that they take -- they redistribute it as much as possible. It doesn't always work, and that's what we're seeing right now.
BLITZER: Ali, stand by.
We have a representative of the Electrical Reliability Council of Texas. Dottie Roark joining us on the phone.
Can you hear us?
DOTTIE ROARK, ELECTRICAL RELIABILITY COUNCIL OF TEXAS: Yes. I'm here.
BLITZER: All right. Dottie, tell us what's going on. And be precise, please.
ROARK: Well, we've -- as of about five minutes ago, I believe we've got the 1,100 megawatts of tower back on the grid that we had to shed around 4:00. That was to maintain the stability of the grid. But basically, we are in a procedure that we call our emergency electric curtailment plan that kicks in when we get in a situation where -- where we've got -- we're at capacity close enough to our demand that we have to shed some load in order to keep the grid stable.
BLITZER: How many people are affected right now, Dottie?
ROARK: You know, I can't really say that, because we look at it from the megawatt side of it. And I can tell you that, you know, around 4:00 this afternoon we had to shed 1,150 megawatts of interruptible load. That's the load that they agree to be shut off in this kind of emergency. And then around -- about 15 or 20 minutes later, we had to shed -- shed a thousand megawatts of firm load...
(CROSSTALK)
BLITZER: Are there people right now who don't have electricity in the state?
ROARK: You know, there may be some of the interruptible loads that that affects, but we basically have put back on the 1,000 megawatts of firm load. Because we're -- we're past that hot peaking hour of the day. So our demand is down.
BLITZER: Dottie, we're going to let you go, but we're going to try to get back with you later. And we'll get some more information.
Dottie Roark of the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, where there have been these rolling blackouts.
We're going to continue to watch this story, other important news that we're watching here in THE SITUATION ROOM as well.
Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: We're watching this developing story out of Texas right now. An emergency declared in much of the state because of these rolling blackouts.
Unusually high temperatures forcing the electric companies to start stopping -- to start stopping electricity for major parts of the state at 15-minute intervals. We're watching the story. We'll get some more information for you on what happens.
But the temperature in much of the state in Dallas and Houston and Austin approaching in the 90s, 100 degrees. Unusually hot for this time of the year. And as a result, they don't have enough generating capacity to keep the electricity going.
We'll get some more specific details for you. That's coming up.
Other important news we're watching, though.
This on the West Coast. Tomorrow, get this, marks 100 years since one of the worst natural disasters in American history, the 1906 earthquake and fire that nearly destroyed the city of San Francisco. And everyone agrees it's only a matter of time before the next one, next big one, that is, hits.
CNN's Chris Lawrence is joining us now live from Berkeley, California, across the bay from San Francisco, with more -- Chris.
CHRIS LAWRENCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf, emergency management officials are using this anniversary to remind people here you'd better be prepared to be on your own for up to three days after the next big quake. And it's inevitable, because that stunning view is built on top of two major faults in the earth.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
LAWRENCE (voice over): Almost like clockwork, disaster strikes again and again. Same cities, same furious weather.
SEN. DIANNE FEINSTEIN (D), CALIFORNIA: We keep putting homes in plains that you know are going to be inundated with water.
LAWRENCE: That's Senator Dianne Feinstein talking about torrential rains that flooded northern California.
(on camera): Are there certain places we just shouldn't live?
SIMON WINCHESTER, AUTHOR: I'm afraid there are. And I think New Orleans is one of them.
LAWRENCE (voice over): Simon Winchester says a city under sea level doesn't make sense. The same goes for a bay area built on fault lines, or desert towns so dry they have to import water. He's written about the 1906 earthquake that destroyed San Francisco.
WINCHESTER: Everyone in California is in this blissful state of denial. An earthquake? Well, it might happen.
LAWRENCE: Winchester says Europe is littered with the ruins of once great cities.
WINCHESTER: And I wouldn't be surprised if in 100 or 200 years' time if you looked at a map of America you'll see the ruins of New Orleans, the ruins of Tucson, the ruins of some towns in southern Florida where we simply should not have built cities. And we'll just look at them as tourists and say, how crazy for people to have lived there.
LAWRENCE: Yet, millions of people keep moving to coastal communities, from south Florida to San Francisco.
FRED STUDER, SAN FRANCISCAN: We built in an impossible place. You know, the bridge, the Golden Gate Bridge was built so that people could go back and forth between these two impossible places. But the fact that the quality of life is just so spectacular just far outweighs the impossibility.
LAWRENCE: There are signs all over the city to remind residents what's coming next century, next year, next week.
ANNEMARIE CONROY, DIRECTOR, EMERGENCY SERVICES: A major rupture of the Hayward Fault would cause catastrophic damage throughout San Francisco and also throughout the East Bay.
LAWRENCE: Annemarie Conroy runs the Office of Emergency Services. She recently revamped its entire plan to better deal with a disaster.
CONROY: For San Francisco, it's not a question of if. It's a question of when.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LAWRENCE: In fact, experts say some time in the next 20, 30 years, there's a 62 percent chance that another big earthquake will hit the Bay area. But a recent Red Cross survey found only 6 percent of residents have any kind of disaster plan. Those numbers just don't add up, Wolf.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BLITZER: What a story, Chris. Thanks very much. Chris Lawrence reporting for us.
In case you missed the president's Good Friday declaration, the White House repeated it once again today. Mr. Bush continues to fully support the defense secretary, Donald Rumsfeld. The uproar over Rumsfeld and the Iraq war is only heightening the anxiety for many Republicans in Congress now running for re-election. In our strategy session tonight, our CNN political analysts, Democratic strategist James Carville, and former Republican Congressman J.C. Watts.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BLITZER: You saw these poll numbers, the president's job approval in the new Gallup poll, only 36 percent. The Congressional job approval, only 23 percent. And that hasn't been that low since '94, when the Democrats lost their majority in the Senate and the House.
At what point do you think, and is this even realistic, that Rumsfeld who is a good Republican, says to himself, you know what, I don't want to hurt my party and I'm going to have to step down? J.C. WATTS (R), FORMER CONGRESSMAN Well, I think if you continue to have generals say things, you continue to have people like John McCain say, you know, we've lost confidence, you know, that eventually will have an effect.
But Wolf, I don't think it's to that point. I think the president is keeping the secretary in place because he feels like there are good things happening in Iraq. You don't get rid of -- in Washington there has to be a scapegoat. There has to be somebody to point to to blame. If you blame him for political purposes, that's one thing. That's totally different than blaming him because you think there's success and it might hurt the opposition. And I think that's a lot of what we're seeing.
BLITZER: Here's a hypothetical for you James. Let's say Rumsfeld on his own decided, you know, I don't want to hurt my party and I am becoming a lightning rod, I'm so controversial, I'll step down. The president then -- and this name has been out there for a while -- brings in Joe Lieberman to be his defense secretary. What does that do for the Republican prospects in November?
JAMES CARVILLE, DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST: Not much. And again, I'm not sure if I was a Republican I think I would be helped by a Rumsfeld resignation, to start with, because I think that would send a message that hey, there really is something wrong.
BLITZER: There really is no incentive to get Rumsfeld politically. Is that what you're saying?
CARVILLE: I'm saying there's an argument to be made that it would be politically damaging to get rid of him, that it would send out the counter message to what the White House message that they're vested in, that they have a strategy and the strategy's working.
The second thing is I'm not sure it -- I mean, we're three defense secretaries away from doing well in Iraq and they're all like the father the son and the holy ghost here. I mean, it's almost an impossible situation on the ground. If you bring in Joe Lieberman instead of Rumsfeld, is Joe Lieberman going to be capable of turning the situation around? I doubt it. It's more governed by what's happening on the ground in Iraq than what's happening in the defense secretary's chair.
WATTS: But James, if you brought in the father, son, and the holy ghost, you still have the same critics out there. It doesn't matter if it's Joe Lieberman. Donald Rumsfeld's in a position and the president's in a position that in Washington you're going to have those type of critics.
Wolf, look at the numbers. You've got 15 percent more in the army re-enlisting. Fifteen percent more than what they thought. That I think in itself is a good sign that good things are happening in Iraq. You know, the people on the ground, they stay there.
These generals, I think it's interesting listening to them be critical of this thing. But nevertheless, I think the president is saying you guys want me to admit I stole the cookies when I really didn't steal the cookies. And that's what this is all about.
BLITZER: I think one of the fears that the administration has, at least this is what I've heard from top administration officials, is if they force Rumsfeld to leave it would be seen by the insurgents, the terrorists, the enemies of the United States in that part of the world as a victory that they could gloat, look at what we did, we got rid of this architect of the war.
CARVILLE: That may be. And that argument may or may not be true. But what's clear from a political standpoint is I'm not sure you gain much. You may lose something by him resigning or allowing him to resign because it will be viewed by the public as an admission things are not going well.
These generals are hurting Republicans. You have two division commanders that were in Iraq saying that Rumsfeld should go. They're not used to seeing this kind of -- they've never seen this kind of dissension between --
BLITZER: James makes a good point. It's not unusual for James Carville to be criticizing Donald Rumsfeld. But when you have the former commander of the 82nd Airborne Division, the former commander of the First Infantry Division going out and saying Rumsfeld must go, that's news.
WATTS: When they say that, Wolf, one of them talked about his arrogant management style. I agree. I think Rumsfeld does have an arrogant management style. But that doesn't make you a bad defense secretary, because you have an arrogant management style. In times of war I think you want somebody that's going to show a little moxie and they're going to be strong in leading DOD.
However, let me say this about the political consequences here. I don't think you make these type of decisions based on politics and based on the critics. I think this has to be a sound strategic move in terms of the war, and I don't think the president's close to being there in terms of removing the secretary.
BLITZER: We've got to leave it there, J.C. and James. Thanks very much. A good discussion in our strategy session.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
And just ahead-more on that developing story we're following out of Texas. There are rolling blackouts. An energy emergency declared in much of the state. We're going to give you the latest details. What is going on?
Also, the upcoming movie "The Da Vinci Code." What does one very private Catholic group want you to know before you go see this film?
And look at this. It looks like THE SITUATION ROOM but guess what, it's not. And guess what, that's not me. We see imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. We're going to share the story with you coming up. You're in the real SITUATION ROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: More on that rolling blackout in Texas. The emergency that's declared. We'll get to that shortly. But in tonight's look at the culture wars, it's not quite David versus Goliath, but a small religious group is taking on a big blockbuster film head-on. Let's bring in our Brian Todd. He's joining us from the newsroom -- Brian.
BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, for a group that's often labeled secretive, this might count as an all-out P.R. offensive for Opus Dei. This week they released a short testimonial film from members in their broader effort to counter a much bigger production.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(voice over): Projected to be a box office best-seller next month, "The Da Vinci Code," starring Tom Hanks, already has members of Opus Dei on edge. The small conservative group within the Catholic church whose members adhere to a strict routine of prayer and sacrifice wants Sony pictures to issue a disclaimer at the start of the film.
BRIAN FINNERTY, OPUS DEI: We want the disclaimer to make clear that the movie is not an accurate representation of history.
TODD: Controversy that has hounded Opus Dei since the publication of Dan Brown's hugely successful novel, a work that Brown has said is fair to the group. But Opus Dei leaders say it is hardly fair to claim they have any monks at all, certainly, not like on in the story.
BRIAN FINNERTY, OPUS DEI: The fictional Opus Dei is an albino monk running around killing people in search of the holy grail. The real Opus Dei is ordinary people trying to come closer to God in their work and everyday lives.
TODD: Father James Martin who writes for the "Jesuit America Magazine," agrees that Opus Dei is unfairly characterized in the book but says the group has brought some of this on itself.
FATHER JAMES MARTIN, AMERICA MAGAZINE: There are some problems with it. They have some very heavy-handed recruiting techniques. They do have this penchant for secrecy.
TODD: Those long-standing criticisms denied by Opus Dei leaders, who want Sony to at least change the group's name in the movie. Sony says it won't reveal details of its film, issuing a statement to CNN reading in part, "We view "The Da Vinci Code" as a work of fiction and at its heart, it's a thriller, not a religious tract."
(END VIDEOTAPE)
TODD: That may not be enough to satisfy Opus Dei leaders who tell us they are not calling for a boycott of "The Da Vinci Code" and have no plans to sue if there's no disclaimer. But they do say they'll continue to make public appeals to what they call Sony's sense of fairness -- Wolf. BLITZER: Brian, thank you very much for that.
Our Internet reporter Abbi Tatton is standing by with more on "The Da Vinci Code" controversy, what is happening online.
Abbi, what are you picking up?
ABBI TATTON, INTERNET REPORTER: Sony Pictures has said repeatedly this is a work of fiction but that hasn't stopped a whole slew of web sites springing up challenging "The Da Vinci Code." That letter that Brian was referring to from Opus Dei can be found online. Unofficially, an Opus Dei priest is blogging from his home in Italy on his thoughts about the book and the upcoming movie.
The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops has just released jesusdecoded.com on the topic. And another site, the truth about Da Vinci, was launched just on Good Friday from an evangelical seminary. Sony says they were anticipating all this. They released their own web site a couple of months ago, thedavincidialogue.com, a place for religious leaders and writers to go on and debate all the issues raised.
This is a lot of information about all these web sites. We've posted them all at CNN.com/situationreport -- Wolf.
BLITZER: Thanks very much, Abbi, for that.
Let's check in with Ali once again. He's watching these rolling blackouts affecting thousands, hundreds of thousands of people in Texas. You're getting an update, Ali.
VELSHI: Yes, for now they are over. The company that manages the electrical grid for 85 percent of Texas has just reported to us that they have lifted the order for public utilities to impose these rolling blackouts. Power should be back online or coming back online for residents across Texas, including in Austin, Dallas, Houston, and San Antonio.
We have seen record high temperatures. Some of the generating plants were off line or at least at reduced capacity for spring cleaning. That conspired together to cause the grid system to impose rolling blackouts along the state starting at 5 p.m. Eastern this afternoon.
We now hear that they have been lifted. We have got reports from Houston from a couple of sources that say that the power is back in Houston, and there should be no more of that expected. The utility is still asking people to conserve energy, and there doesn't seem to be a break in sight for the hot weather.
So unclear whether this repeats itself in the heat of the day tomorrow. But for now it looks like things are getting back to normal in Texas.
BLITZER: Good word for Texas. Thanks very much, Ali. Appreciate it. Just ahead in THE SITUATION ROOM, new developments in the Duke lacrosse rape scandal. We're going to have details of some grand jury action announced just a couple hours ago.
Plus, the joke's on us. That would be us in THE SITUATION ROOM. "Saturday Night Live" takes off on THE SITUATION ROOM. We're going to show you what they showed the world. That's coming up. Stay with us.
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BLITZER: Let's check in with Zain once again at the CNN center in Atlanta for a quick look at some other news making headlines right now -- Zain.
VERJEE: Wolf, the questions concern whether or not an African- American dancer was recently raped in North Carolina and if any of the white players from Duke University's lacrosse team were involved. Now, right now a source tells CNN that a grand jury has brought sealed indictments against two members of the team in connection with the alleged rape. That source says those players are not in custody, but they could be arrested in two days.
In Illinois it's the climax of the biggest political corruption scandal in that state in decades. Today former Illinois Governor George Ryan was convicted of racketeering, conspiracy, mail fraud, tax fraud, and lying to the FBI. A federal grand jury found Ryan guilty of steering millions of dollars in state contracts to political insiders. Ryan says he'll appeal.
In eastern Mexico at least 60 people are dead after a bus plunges some 650 feet off a cliff in Vera Cruz. Officials say two people are in critical condition and two survived the crash. The bus is said to have been overcrowded when it veered off the highway ramp, tore through a metal barrier and plunged into a ravine. Passengers were on their way back home to the Gulf Coast after an Easter week gathering.
And the Kenyans ruled the day at the Boston marathon. Robert Cheruiyot was the champion with a record-setting time of two hours, seven minutes and 14 second. And a Kenyan woman was the first female to cross the finish line. Rita Jeptoo had a time of two hours, 23 minutes and 38 seconds -- Wolf.
BLITZER: Congratulations to your fellow Kenyans. Zain was born in Kenya and is very, very happy today. Thanks, Zain.
Up ahead, should the United States engage in direct talks with Iran? Jack Cafferty's taking your e-mail.
Plus, get this. The joke's on us. "Saturday Night Live" in THE SITUATION ROOM. That's not me. We'll tell you who it is. Stay with us.
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BLITZER: Let's go up to New York. Jack Cafferty standing by with "The Cafferty File" -- Jack. CAFFERTY: Thanks, Wolf.
Some senators from both parties are calling for the United States to talk directly with Iran about its nuclear program before considering any military options. For its part the administration says it'll talk with Iran about its activities in Iraq, but it rejects the idea of direct talks about its nuclear program.
So the question is should the U.S. engage in direct talks with Iran about its nuclear program?
W.B. in Las Vegas, Nevada, "Yes, but only if they are secret back door discussions. There's been so much saber rattling by both Iranians and the West, especially the United States, that I don't think open discussions would work at this time. It worked for the Nixon administration in normalizing relations with Mao's China in the '70s. Just maybe it would work with Iran."
Mike in San Diego, "Of course the United States should engage in dialogue with the Iranians regarding their nuclear program. That's what we pay our overpaid diplomatic windbags to do, have astronomically large expense accounts, regurgitate meaningless rhetoric for hours on end and get absolutely nothing accomplished. That way when the time comes we can justify going and bombing the hell out of them."
Bill writes, "Having the Bush administration sit down and try to work anything out with anybody would be like having the three stooges plumb or wire your house."
An old friend of ours, Dave in Japan, "By invading Iraq while ignoring North Korea, America has already effectively engaged in direct talks with Iran. The message, develop a nuclear deterrent and America will leave you alone."
And Bob in Massapequa writes, "Apparently there's no trade barrier barring the importation of sand from Iran. The Bush administration policy of no negotiation with Iran clearly shows they have obtained enough of it to stick their heads fully into it" -- Wolf.
BLITZER: All right, Jack, stand by. I want Zain to stand by as well, and both of you together with our viewers out there watch this clip from "Saturday Night Live." Listen to this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hello. I'm Wolf Blitzer. Tonight on THE SITUATION ROOM, the president's poll numbers hit an all-time low and the fallout has begun.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A lot of people may be leaving but so many great people are staying, Wolf. The president is staying. Vice President Cheney is staying. Condi is in it for the long haul.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'll come back to you. Also troubling the administration, Iran's announcement that they have successfully enriched uranium. Let's speak with the president's Iran expert, Eileen Bevilaqua. Ms. Bevilaqua, what can you tell us about the situation in Iran?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Wolf, here's what we know. Iran is a Middle Eastern country with a population of 68 million people. It used to be called Persia. And the U.S. had some hostages there in 1980 for some reason.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Miss Bevilaqua, how long have you been the president's Iran expert?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Two days. Prior to that I worked in a private sector.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: As what?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: A temp.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BLITZER: But she had good experience as a temp, Jack. She knew Excel. She knew Word Perfect. So she was pretty good. That's very funny, don't you think?
CAFFERTY: I think they captured it.
BLITZER: What do you think, Zain?
VERJEE: I think Jack should have been in it. And I'm wondering, is it fun watching people make fun of you?
BLITZER: Yes. It's a lot of fun.
VERJEE: Maybe we should do more of that here.
CAFFERTY: That's a good idea, Zain. Let's go to work on that.
BLITZER: Next time I hope both of you are depicted on "Saturday Night Live." You know, you've come of age to a certain degree. Thanks very much.
VERJEE: Thanks. Hi Jack.
BLITZER: Paula Zahn is standing by in New York with a little preview of what's coming up right at the top of the hour.
PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: Hey, Wolf, for the record, you arrived a long time ago, and your ties are much better than the guy who played you...
BLITZER: That was Chris Parnell.
ZAHN: ...on TV. Coming up the top of the hour, big news tonight in the Duke rape investigation. Indictments handed down. I will have an interview with the outspoken lawyer of one of the players on the team. We will also hear from Jesse Jackson, who's getting involved in the case. We'll tell you why.
Also, as the Tennessee preacher's wife awaits a grand jury to hear evidence against her in the killing of her husband, we're going to have a very revealing look at the surprisingly high-pressured lives of women married to clergymen. Sometimes we forget that their jobs are harder than their husbands'.
BLITZER: They are indeed. Thanks very much, Paula. We'll be watching.
Still ahead, commuting to work like the Jetsons? Find out why the future may be closer than you think. Miles O'Brien standing by.
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BLITZER: Tonight, cutting down on your commute. Let's check in with CNN's Miles O'Brien -- Miles.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, more than three million Americans commute at least 50 miles each and every day. And on top of that, many drivers spend hours stuck in bumper to bumper traffic. But what if we could simply pull a George Jetson and fly to work, breezing above the gridlock?
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: One day not too far into the future people are going to get off the ground, and they're going to be able to get airborne.
O'BRIEN (voice over): Woody Norris (ph) is a man with big ideas. The inventor's latest project, the air scooter. Don't let its looks fool you. This flying machine is ingenious for its simplicity. It is an odd hybrid design with blades like a helicopter, a handlebar like a motorcycle and a specially designed lightweight four stroke engine.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Turn the throttle and you go up. Release the throttle and you come down.
O'BRIEN: Due to hit the market later this year with a price tag of about $50,000, Norris says the air scooter could make rush hours a thing of the past.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: With the air scooter, it is a direct line, where the bird flies. There is a lot more space up there then there is down here on the ground, so we think that is going to solve the congestion problem.
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O'BRIEN: Woody Norris says eventually the air scooter would be a good candidate for NASA's proposed highway in the sky, a more user friendly way of mapping and navigating through the air without running into anyone or anything -- Wolf.
BLITZER: Miles, thanks very much. Let's go to Paula in New York -- Paula.
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