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Should English Be The National Language?; Bush May Be Making Headway In Polls; Justice Department Will Place Federal Polling Monitors Across New Orleans During Tomorrow's Election; Students Protest John McCain; Senate And House Compete
Aired May 19, 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: 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 today's top stories.
Happening now, divisive language in the immigration wars. It's 4:00 p.m. here in Washington, where the White House is endorsing a Senate vote to make English the national language. Critics, though, are blasting the move as racist.
Also this hour, race and the New Orleans mayoral run-off. It's 3:00 p.m. in Louisiana, where the Ray Nagin/Mitch Landrieu showdown is down to the wire. One candidate says tomorrow's vote will send America a message about prejudice.
And protesting John McCain. In 4:00 p.m. in New York City, where the senator's latest commencement address is stirring up anger on the left. Is the possible presidential contender playing both sides against the middle?
I'm Wolf Blitzer. You're in THE SITUATION ROOM.
Today, many senators are heading from Washington back to their home states and they're likely to get some feedback on some of the latest and most explosive votes in the immigration wars. Members approved two amendments last night: one to make English the national language; the other calls it a common and unifying language. The White House says President Bush agrees with the measures approved by the Senate.
But in Texas today, Reuters is now quoting the Attorney General Alberto Gonzales as saying the president has never supported making English the national language, and Gonzales says he doesn't see the need to have such laws on the books.
Our White House correspondent Suzanne Malveaux is standing by. Let's get the latest, though, from our senior national correspondent John Roberts -- John.
JOHN ROBERTS, CNN SR. NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good afternoon to you, Wolf. Hard to think that this national convulsion over immigration could get any more passionate than it already is, but the action in the Senate last night has set-off another round of high- pitched debate over national identity and charges of racism. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ROBERTS (voice-over): As the Senate attempts to hammer out a solution to illegal immigration, it was the conservative from Oklahoma who laid down a strict marker.
SEN. JAMES INHOFE (R), OKLAHOMA: Today the Senate is stating that there is no right, entitlement or claim to services and materials in any language other than English.
ROBERTS: English is the official language of the United States. The right thing to do?
SEN. LAMAR ALEXANDER (R), TENNESSEE: Part of who we are. It is our national language.
ROBERTS: Or wrong?
SEN. HARRY REID (D), MINORITY: While the intent may not be there, I really believe this amendment is racist. I think it's directed basically to people who speak Spanish.
ROBERTS: In the end, the Senate approved two amendments: one to make English the national, not official, language; another codifying it as America's common and unifying language. It was more symbolism than anything. Neither amendment appears to override existing protections for other languages. But Latino civil rights groups fear some non-English speakers could lose crucial language assistance.
RAUL GONZALES, NATIONAL COUNCIL OF LA RAZA: Symbolism is important. And we agree that we should always affirm that English is the language of this country, because it is. That's why 92 percent of Americans speak it. But, you know what? We don't know the practical effect.
ROBERTS: That was a concern expressed by some people we talked to on the streets. How would the law be enforced? Surprisingly, though, most had no problem with the declaration of English as the national language.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And this is America, country of law. And I think English is our language. No matter where we come from, we need to speak English.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think definitely it's very important that English is the only language of the United States and that this is respected like this.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ROBERTS: In fact, the greatest resistance to the idea came from people whose first language is English. They thought that it was a slap in the face to people who come from other countries and that it might be too much to ask for a new immigrant to become proficient to the language in addition to everything else that they need to learn here -- Wolf. BLITZER: So John, based on what we know right now, the language, as currently moving forward in Congress, would still allow the Department of Motor Vehicles, for example, to have explanations in Spanish and other languages or boards of election to have explanations in multiple languages? There would be nothing preventing these local agencies or state agencies from going forward with having instructions in many languages?
ROBERTS: No, it wouldn't appear to. And to some degree, the White House got out a little bit ahead of itself this morning in talking about this. They have sense dialed back just a little bit. And we should point out also that these services are still available, even though 27 of the states of this union do have laws declaring English as the official language of the state. But there is no national law yet.
BLITZER: All right, John, thanks very much.
Let's go over to the White House. Suzanne Malveaux is standing by. She's following all of the stories. What's the latest that you're hearing there? It sounds like a little confusion. The president may have one stance or at least his spokesman is suggesting one stance. The Attorney General Alberto Gonzalez, if this Reuters report, Suzanne, is correct, may be having a different stance.
SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf, here's how the White House is explaining it. Initially, White House Press Secretary Tony Snow saying that, look, they support both of the amendments, but he's saying really kind of broad terms here. He says that he believes these amendments are consistent with the president's broad philosophy here that English language -- of course, all American citizens should have a mastery of the English language.
He also went on to say he believes that studies have shown that people who learn English tend to be more prosperous, they tend to do better in society, that they have better jobs. And it is part of the president's general push, if you will, to talk about assimilation, the importance of immigrants coming to the United States and learning the English language as a tool to realize the American dream.
President Bush from just yesterday.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: If you learn English and you're a hard worker and have a dream, you have the capacity from going from picking crops to owning the store. Or from sweeping office floors to being an office manager. And that's been the greatness of America, when you think about it. People have come here with a dream and have worked hard and have realized the dream.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MALVEAUX: And the White House also making it very clear that they are not talking about promoting -- rescinding any kind of laws or things that would promote bilingual education or communication, things like that, that they are simply reaffirming that English is a language that all American citizens should be proficient in.
Also we got from former White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan, in a briefing rather recently when the president was talking about the national anthem, a little bit more of an explanation about the president's position on this.
It's called the "English Plus Approach," which simply means that yes, people should be able to write, to speak English, but that there also should be some sort of recognition of alternative languages or languages other than English that people are proficient in, and there should be an acknowledgement in bilingualism -- Wolf.
BLITZER: I think the White House itself practices that. If you go to their Web site, as we did earlier today, Suzanne, the speech that the president delivered yesterday in Yuma, Arizona, along the border with Mexico, if you go there you can see the speech in English, as well as translated into Spanish. That's a normal, I assume, occurrence as far as the White House -- the official White House Web site is concerned.
MALVEAUX: Sure, Wolf. There are two things that are going on here. First, there's an executive order that was signed by President Clinton back in 2000, simply saying that federal Web sites, they needed to get up to speed and at least allowing and providing for additional language for those whose language -- English is not the first language.
Also, of course, you've got a White House that is very politically in tune with the Hispanic community, have been very, very proficient in actually addressing the needs as a voting bloc. So that's not surprising that you see them reaching out in that way.
BLITZER: Suzanne, thanks very much. Suzanne Malveaux at the White House for us.
President Bush is making stops today in Virginia and Kentucky on his agenda fundraisers for two Republican congressional candidates. Mr. Bush's power to attract political cash is clearly on display. There are also some new signs that his public support may be inching up a little bit.
The new CBS poll shows the president's approval rating now up at 35 percent. That's up four points in less than two weeks in that specific poll. Our newest CNN poll that came out yesterday puts the approval rating at 36 percent. That was a two-point rise within the past two weeks. We're going to have a lot more on the polls coming up. Bill Schneider is crunching the numbers.
Let's go to our Kathleen Koch, though, first. She's traveling with the president today in Highland Heights, Kentucky. Kathleen?
KATHLEEN KOCH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Wolf, the president right now is speaking to an audience of about 2,000 at Northern Kentucky University. He's touting his American competitiveness agenda. That's his plan to spend roughly $136 billion over the next ten years on increasing research and development, increasing spending also on science and math education.
But about 40 minutes ago, there was an angry crowd of roughly 200 that came marching through the plaza right behind me here, trying to send a message of their own to President Bush. They were carrying signs and shouting slogans, chanting "no human is illegal" and "impeach Bush now." Also some of the signs read "money for jobs, not war"; "keep us off welfare," "bring home our men." It's not clear if President Bush, from where he is making his speech right now -- as he arrived, if he was able to see or hear those protesters.
But he certainly, as you pointed out, has been seeing a lot of Republican supporters today. The president going first to Virginia Beach, Virginia, where he spoke at a $5,000 a plate luncheon, raising some half million dollars for a Congresswoman Thelma Drake. And this afternoon, he'll be speaking in Florence -- Florence, Kentucky, nearby here, raising, he hopes, roughly $450,000 for the campaign coffers of Congressman Geoff Davis.
Now, Davis, interestingly, did travel here with President Bush on Air Force One, will be, obviously, participating in his own fundraiser. But Congresswoman Drake skipped hers. Now her staff said that she had to vote on a military spending bill in Washington, obviously, Wolf, trying to quell any speculation that she is among the growing numbers of Republicans who are worried about being seen with the president, worrying that those low poll numbers of his could drag them down as well -- Wolf.
BLITZER: Thanks Kathleen for that.
Let's get some more now on the president's poll numbers, whether he's making any headway in getting back his so-called mojo, as the chief of staff at the White House, Josh Bolten, recently put it.
Our chief national correspondent John King is here in THE SITUATION ROOM.
What is your take on all of these latest numbers?
JOHN KING, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, the president perhaps ticking up a little bit. But we should be careful, most of the increases are within the margin of error. Most believe there was a generally positive reaction to his immigration speech. That is an issue on the agenda, so let's watch it in a couple of weeks.
What most Republicans will tell you, for the president to be a, quote, "net positive" in the campaign, he needs to get above 40. Well above 40. And they simply don't expect that to happen. They are telling their candidates that assume the president will be below 40 percent through November. That makes you run a different race. It makes you occasionally assert your independence from the president and from the national party.
But I spoke just the other day to Republican pollster Whit Ayres about this. And he says yes the president's numbers of course are down nationally. They are even down some among Republicans. The president used to be in the 80s or 90 percent approval rating among Republicans. Now he's in the mid 60s. But Whit Ayres told me that's not quite as bad as you might think.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
WHIT AYRES, REPUBLICAN POLLSTER: It's a rock. It's frustration over illegal immigration. It's a whole range of things, but it's important to keep that in perspective. One of the reasons we can say he has dropped among Republicans is because he was sky high for so long. His low point among Republicans equals the low point of Ronald Reagan, a Republican icon. So let's keep that in perspective.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KING: And of course we are in the fund-raising season now, not the late campaign season. The president is quite welcome when he raises money. Today will put him over the $106 million mark for this campaign cycle.
The big question will be where will we see the president in October and the first few days of November? I doubt you will see him in Connecticut or upstate New York, but you very might well see him in Virginia or Kentucky, places where he is more popular.
BLITZER: A lot of these Republican candidates, whether in the Senate or the House, they certainly would welcome the cash. The question is, do they really want to be on the stage with the president at these kinds of political rallies at this point or as we get closer to November?
KING: It really depends on the district. If you're in a competitive district, where you're going win or lose based on how the independents vote or moderate Democrats vote, then you're not going to see the president in those districts. If you're in a race that simply comes down to who can turn out their vote, can the Democrats get out the union workers or can the Republicans get out the Republicans, then you might see the president.
They are testing this now. The president has been a bit more active than you might think. In a few recent primaries and special elections, he has recorded get out the vote phone calls. They are essentially testing whether the president this week in the polls can still get Republicans to turn out. So far the Republican National Committee thinks so good.
BLITZER: John thanks very much. John King, Kathleen Koch, John Roberts, Suzanne Malveaux, all part of the best political team on television, CNN, America's campaign headquarters.
Zain Verjee is joining us now from the CNN global headquarters in Atlanta with a closer look at some other important stories making news.
Hi, Zain.
ZAIN VERJEE, CNN ANCHOR: Hi, Wolf.
Iraq appears to be one step close to forming a permanent government. Iraqi Prime Minister designate Nouri al-Maliki is set to name his cabinet at tomorrow's meeting of parliament. That's according to an official with the leading Shia party. The official also says al-Maliki will fill the posts of defense and interior ministries with temporary appointments until sectarian and political coalitions can finally agree on the permanent appointment.
It's a city seeing brutal battles and persistent insurgents, but more U.S. troops are on the way. Ramadi in Iraq's Anbar Province is a hotbed of anti-U.S. resistance. Now CNN has learned that U.S. military commanders will send more U.S. troops to Ramadi to help put down the violence. Fighting has been raging in Ramadi for weeks between coalition forces and insurgents.
In Afghanistan dozens are killed in two days of fighting. Officials saying over 60 so-called enemy fighters and 17 Afghan police have died in the fighting between coalition troops and Islamic militants. Officials say Taliban extremists have launched a violent spring offensive.
Yesterday, the U.S. Embassy reported the death of an American who was working with the U.S. State Department, and a Canadian officer became Canada's first woman killed in action since World War II.
And a death wish causes a prison uprising. Right now the situation said to be under control at the Guantanamo Bay Detention Facility in Cuba. This after Gitmo prisoners attacked U.S. military personnel yesterday. Now, the Pentagon says it all started after one prisoner tried to hang himself. U.S. guards rushed to save him, but other prisoners attacked them with makeshift weapons. The Pentagon says no U.S. troops or prisoners have been hurt.
Meanwhile, a United Nations committee is calling for the U.S. to close the facility at Guantanamo Bay -- Wolf.
BLITZER: Zain, thanks. We'll get back with you soon.
Jack Cafferty has the day off. He'll be back with us on Monday. If you want a sneak preview, by the way, of Jack's questions next week and every week, plus an early read on the day's political news, and what is ahead in THE SITUATION ROOM, easy to do so. Simply sign up for our daily e-mail alert. Go to CNN.com/situationroom.
Coming up, tomorrow's election day in New Orleans. Is the mayoral campaign turning into a race about race? We'll have a live report that's only minutes away.
Plus, should English be the country's national language? Paul Begala and Terry Jeffrey, they will join us in today's "Strategy Session."
And later, which is doing a better job, the Senate or the House? We have got some new poll numbers out this house that may surprise you. Stay with us. You're in THE SITUATION ROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: Welcome back.
There's a new development in the New Orleans mayoral race on the eve of the heated runoff between the incumbent Ray Nagin and the Lieutenant Governor Mitch Landrieu. The Justice Department now says it will place federal polling monitors at various locations across New Orleans tomorrow during the vote. Civil rights groups have raised concerns about the election and whether African-American's voting rights may be violated.
Our Gulf Coast correspondent Susan Roesgen is joining us live from New Orleans with more.
I suspect, Susan, the anticipation is building?
SUSAN ROESGEN, CNN GULF COAST CORRESPONDENT: Very much so, Wolf. It's a very exciting time for the city of New Orleans. This could a history changing election.
You mentioned the concerns about African-Americans being able to vote in this election. About 66 percent of the people who were displaced by Hurricane Katrina are African-American. And so the concern is that maybe they have not been afforded the ability to get back and vote, either absentee or early.
In either case, white or black voters in the city want to know who is the best person to help this city recover.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ROESGEN (voice-over): If only five year olds could vote. Political analysts say in the last week incumbent Mayor Ray Nagin has gained momentum. But they give his challenger Lieutenant Governor Mitch Landrieu a slight edge.
Landrieu has picked up more big endorsements, and he's raised about six times as much money as Nagin, money to spend on critical advertising in these last few hours of the campaign. Landrieu also has strong support among both black and white voters, while Nagin's "chocolate city" comments back in January, when he said God wanted New Orleans to be a majority African-American city, caused many white voters to desert him.
But Nagin has been courting the conservative business vote, reaching out to voters who see Landrieu as the more liberal candidate and worry he will raise taxes and support social programs voters don't want.
The turn-out is expected to be about what it was in the primary election, about 36 percent. But with so much of the city standing still, waiting for a recovery that's been promised but hasn't come, that 36 percent could change the city's future.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ROESGEN: And the vote tomorrow is expected to be very, very close, Wolf, with maybe just one or two percentage points separating the winner and the loser.
BLITZER: How much of a factor is race in this election that's going on based on everything you're hearing and seeing, Susan?
ROESGEN: Well, I think it would be too simplistic, too easy to say that all the white voters are going to vote for the white candidate, Mitch Landrieu, and all the black voters are going to the African-American candidate, Ray Nagin, when in fact Mitch Landrieu picked up 25 percent of the black vote in the primary election, Wolf.
Ray Nagin only got six percent of the white vote, but he has been, as I mentioned in that report, reaching out to white voters. So really they both need voters, both black and white tomorrow. Whoever is going to win this thing has got to get as many voters as he can of either race.
BLITZER: Susan, thank you very much for that. The runoff election in New Orleans may be tomorrow but thousands of displaced people by Hurricane Katrina have already cast their vote for mayor.
Our Internet reporter Abbi Tatton has more on the absentee voters in this historic election -- Abbi.
ABBI TATTON, CNN INTERNET REPORTER: Wolf, right now, as we speak, the community organization ACORN is getting buses ready across Texas to take displaced voters to the polls tomorrow. Buses are departing tonight from San Antonio, Houston, and Dallas. They will be driving through the night and depositing voters in New Orleans from 8:00 a.m. tomorrow.
Many more have elected not to make the journey. This is a map from the "Times-Picayune" Web site showing the absentee ballots requested by state, the majority there coming from Texas.
The Louisiana secretary of state tells us that 25,000 prevotes have now been cast. That's by mail or fax or in satellite voting stations. That's nearly 12 times the number of absentee ballots that were cast in the last mayoral election in 2002.
Two-thirds of the prevotes have come in so far from black voters. Nagin got 66 percent of the black vote in the primary. All these online votes are going to be coming in at the Louisiana secretary of state's Web site tomorrow night -- Wolf.
BLITZER: Thank you, Abbi.
Up next, the battle over immigration. It's the issue that's dominating Congress and the White House right now. And it's front and center in today's "Strategy Session" here in THE SITUATION ROOM.
Plus, is President Bush a help or a hindrance to his fellow Republicans up for reelection? I'll ask our analysts, Paul Begala and Terry Jeffrey. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: Welcome back to THE SITUATION ROOM. I'm Wolf Blitzer in Washington.
Today in our "Strategy Session," the English-only debate in the Senate brings charges of racism. Is the immigration rhetoric getting overheated? Is there any chance for a compromise?
Joining us here in THE SITUATION ROOM are CNN political analyst and Democratic strategist Paul Begala, and Terry Jeffrey, the editor of Human Events.
We played it before. We'll play it again. Listen to the Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid talking about this legislation that would make English the national language, if you will, of the United States.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. HARRY REID (D-NV), MINORITY LEADER: While the intent may not be there, I really believe this amendment is racist. I think it's directed basically to people who speak Spanish.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BLITZER: Terry, those are tough words from the minority leader. What do you think?
TERRY JEFFREY, EDITOR, HUMAN EVENTS ONLINE: Well, I think it represents the moral and intellectual bankruptcy of the Democratic leadership in the Senate. I would like to ask Harry Reid, Wolf, what race of people speak Spanish and what race of people speaks English?
The language is not related to the person's race and clearly that wasn't the intention of Senator Jim Inhofe's amendment which, by the way, passed the Senate overwhelmingly. It's just an absurd, demagogic argument, Reid trying to drive a wedge along racial grounds, which we don't want to see happen in this country. It's just wrong.
BLITZER: What do you think?
PAUL BEGALA, DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST: Of course it's racist. Of course it is. Harry Reid is right and finally, finally there's a Democrat who will stand up and say these people are trying to divide Americans against each other in order to distract them from our real problems.
There's no real problem here with English. The GAO did a study. More than 99 percent of official government documents are in English. More than 99. Now the tiny exception is the report you and Suzanne just had. The Bush White House puts out its documents in Spanish very often as well as English, and good for them.
But there's no crisis here, and it was brought up in an immigration bill which the Republicans are trying to use to rally their base and attack vulnerable Hispanic immigrants. That's what's going on here.
(CROSSTALK) JEFFREY: Excuse me, Wolf. I went out to the National Mall here a few weeks ago to the rally. There was 500,000 there speaking Spanish. The people on the stage were speaking Spanish. The people in the crowd were chanting back to them in Spanish. Nothing wrong with those people, they're God's children, but they are speaking a foreign language in our country. Now I'd like to put the question directly to Paul ...
BEGALA: So is our president. What? He doesn't even speak English, Terry. Wait a minute. George Bush ran ads in Spanish. He puts his statements out there in Spanish.
JEFFREY: Right.
BEGALA: English is clearly not his language. He says, "these people should learn to talk more gooder English." He doesn't speak English.
(CROSSTALK)
JEFFREY: What race of people speak English, Paul?
BEGALA: Terry ...
JEFFREY: What race of people? Simple question.
BEGALA: No, some are black, some are white.
JEFFREY: What race of people ...
BEGALA: This is definitely bigotry.
JEFFREY: Well, aren't some Hispanic -- don't Hispanic people speak English?
BEGALA: Of course they do, Terry.
JEFFREY: All right, so what race of people speak English?
BEGALA: Terry, why are they raising this?
JEFFREY: You didn't answer my question.
BEGALA: Answer my question.
BLITZER: All right, hold on there.
BEGALA: Why is Jim Inhofe raising this?
JEFFREY: What race of people speak Spanish?
BEGALA: Ninety-nine percent of our government documents are already in English. What's the crisis?
JEFFREY: Because the law is intended to establish that you do not have an entitlement to a public service to a foreign language. BEGALA: To speak whatever language you want?
BLITZER: Terry, here's our latest CNN poll. Do you approve of how Bush is handling immigration? In January, only 25 percent approved. Now after his speech this week and his effort to find some sort of middle ground it went up to 36 percent. He did get a -- on this issue of handling of immigration, he got a nice bump.
JEFFREY: He did get a little bump. The next day in the Senate, Teddy Kennedy and Dick Durbin went down to the Senate floor, Wolf, and said they agreed with the president.
I think the president's problem is he may have gotten a little bit of movement in the middle. His conservative base is irate at the proposal he made Monday night. They're very angry from people in Congress to people out in the grassroots. If he actually succeeds in getting the legislation he envisions, it could cause the Republicans to lose Congress in November.
BLITZER: What do you -- I mean, this is an odd alliance that you've got the liberal Democrats supporting the president, his conservative Republican base, as Terry says, irate.
BEGALA: And they are but, you know, the president is coming to heel, isn't he? Apparently now the president's spokesman says well, all of a sudden he does support English-only, something he never ...
BLITZER: A lot Democrats in the Senate voted for that too, as you know.
(CROSSTALK)
BEGALA: Not a lot. Six. I think there were six. That was at least the report I got. And that's their business. OK. But this is about the president and about his right wing base that is trying to now lead him around by the nose. I think it's great.
This is going to be for the Republicans nationally the way it worked out for Pete Wilson and the Republicans of California. They delivered Hispanic voters to the Democratic Party for a generation. The Republicans are telling Mexican Americans, other Latinos they are not welcome in the party.
Democrats are saying (SPEAKING IN SPANISH).
BLITZER: What do you think?
BEGALA: Should I get arrested for saying that, Terry? I just spoke Spanish.
JEFFREY: Last week on this show Paul Begala said he didn't want to secure the border.
BEGALA: I said I don't want to use troops.
JEFFREY: You and your party will never do anything-to-effective to secure the border. You won't secure the border. You'll have a massive population of people coming into the United States who speak Spanish. They want to break down the systems and assimilation in our country so these people aren't brought into our culture. They don't want to make English our language. We are going to end up like Canada, we are going to have two languages in our country. That's not good for America.
BLITZER: Here is some numbers from our most recent CNN poll. "Which issues are extremely or very important to your vote for Congress coming up in November?" Take a look at the order. Terrorism 79 percent. Extremely or very important. Then Iraq then the economy, then gas prices, then corruption. And then finally at 62 percent of those said immigration. Surveillance was down at 54 percent. What does that say to you about the very, very heated debate right now over immigration?
BEGALA: It shows that the Republicans are trying to create an issue for their base as Terry said. The president is down among his base. But he has allowed the border to be porous. Terry a moment ago said I don't want to secure the border. That's not true, actually. Democrats within -- I have been supporting them, have been calling for years for doubling the Border Patrol. I even said I'm open to a fence as many Democrats are. But the president has wanted porous border. Mostly to please his corporate financial supporters.
But now his conservative vote and his financial supporters are at war with each other and I couldn't be happier.
JEFFREY: It's absurd for Paul to say the Republican leadership, led by the president, is trying to create an issue for his base. The president is directly at odds with the base of the Republican Party on immigration. He's with Dick Durbin and Ted Kennedy.
The problem with the country is you have this tremendous grass roots movement that wants border security. Neither party in Washington represents their interest. There are conservatives in the House who are fighting for them. They don't even necessarily control the Republican conference in the House of Representatives.
What is wrong right now the bipartisan political elite in Washington does not share the values of the average American voter of either party, Paul.
BEGALA: What does beating up on people who speak Spanish have to do with securing the border? Jim Inhofe and the Republicans put up the racist amendment.
JEFFREY: That is not a racist amendment.
BEGALA: Sure it is. It has nothing to do with securing the border.
JEFFREY: Are you saying that Jim Inhofe is a racist?
BEGALA: No, I'm saying the amendment is racist. BLITZER: We're almost out of time. Are Republicans who are up for reelection in November running with the president or running away from the president.
JEFFREY: It will depend on individual circumstances. The two candidates that George Bush is helping today, Wolf, they have three things in common. They are in very conservative districts Bush took by large margins, they are first-termers so they are vulnerable. The Democrats have put up very good candidates against them. In one case a person who is actually more conservative than many of the conservatives in the House of Representatives.
BLITZER: What do you think?
BEGALA: I think the republicans are going to run from this president. Like the devil runs from Holy Water.
BLITZER: They want the money, though.
BEGALA: That's right. And that money, they are going to need the money because the Democrats are then going to run ads that morph the Republican congressman's face into George W. Bush face. They vote with him on average over 90 percent of time. House and Senate Republicans. Over 90 percent of the time. If two people agree 90 percent of the time, one of them is not necessary.
BLITZER: Two weeks ago his approval number in our poll, job approval number was at 34 percent. It's gone up to 36 percent. Another poll out today showed a slight little bump as well. What do you attribute that to if anything?
BEGALA: I think on Wall Street if Ali Velshi was here he would say that's called a dead cat bounce. He's through. He proposed things that when we polled them polled 65 to 79 percent popular. The proposals. Both so called amnesty and border security. Yet the man who proposed them only moved two points. Why is that? The country hates him. They think he is a liar and they don't - even when he says things they like, they don't give him any credit because they don't believe.
BLITZER: Quickly, Terry.
JEFFREY: I think the president has a big problem. He doesn't have credibility on the immigration issue. Now that it's a major issue before the country it's not going to help him.
BLITZER: Terry Jeffrey, Paul Begala, you guys did not agree today but go ahead and shake hands. I don't want our viewers going into the weekend thinking ...
BEGALA: We're going to have a margarita. Oh wait, is that illegal?
BLITZER: As we reported a new Senate amendment would prevent the government from offering services in any language other than English. But is it that precise? Thanks to an executive order signed by President Clinton six years ago many federal agencies already use a number of languages from Creole to Chinese and lots of other languages help out people in this country. Abbi Tatton has the situation on line -- Abbi.
TATTON: Wolf, at the Web site you can see more and more government agencies offering languages other than English. We should say the majority of the things that are on these Web sites are in English but for the Department of Treasury, for example, when they were launching in 20 different languages. Two types of new bills they were offering information in 20 different languages. Two types of Chinese, Kazakh, amongst other languages there.
The Social Security Web site says that they want to give access to public information regardless of someone's ability to communicate in English. They have 16 different languages there. They have information on Medicare in Creole, on disability in Tagalog.
There are many more examples listed at this site advocacy group, U.S. English. They are trying to forward English in the United States. What they say is they don't want to stop people getting access to this information but with over 300 languages in this country they say at some point you have to draw the line -- Wolf.
BLITZER: Thank you, Abbi for that.
Up next, protesting John McCain, the senator and possible presidential candidate gets a rude reception at a commencement speech in New York City. We're going to find out why. Our Mary Snow is on the scene.
And in our 7:00 p.m. Eastern hour the political fight over the war in Iraq. I'll speak with outspoken Congressman John Murtha. That's coming up in our 7:00 p.m. Eastern hour. Stay with us.
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BLITZER: Only moments ago Senator John McCain wrapped up a commencement address at one of New York City's most liberal universities. This just days after he spoke to graduates at the conservative Christian university founded by the Reverend Jerry Falwell. That would be Liberty University.
At today's events some students and faculty of the New School protested McCain's appearance and the political views of the possible presidential contender. Let's go live at the scene. Mary Snow is standing by. Mary, you're outside Madison Square Garden.
MARY SNOW, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Wolf. The commencement just finished and if John McCain met new friends at Liberty University he certainly met some new foes here at this graduation ceremony. About 40 protesters stood up and turned their backs while McCain spoke.
Many more held orange signs saying McCain does not speak for us. Now, former Democratic Senator Bob Kerrey is the president of the school. He started the ceremony today, right away by addressing the protests acknowledging that students were upset because they said if McCain does run for president they don't want him to use the speech as a campaign platform.
Also Bob Kerrey said the protests really started to kick in after John McCain agreed to speak at Liberty University, one of the most conservative universities in the U.S. Saying that the New School, many of the students saying McCain does not reflect the views of this very liberal school. One of the more heated comments came when John McCain talked about his position on Iraq.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. JOHN MCCAIN (R), ARIZONA: I supported the decision to go to war in Iraq. Many Americans did not. My patriotism and my conscience required me to support and engage in the debate over whether how to fight it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SNOW: Now Senator McCain was heckled several times but he pretty much stuck to his script. Former Senator Bob Kerrey, though did not. Once John McCain was finished he got up and reacted to the audience saying that it does not take an act of bravery to heckle and laugh for the crowd. For that Bob Kerrey, too, was heckled -- Wolf.
BLITZER: Mary is going to have much more on this story coming up here in THE SITUATION ROOM. Mary, thank you very much.
And coming up next, military funding in a bold maneuver by conservatives in the battle over spending. We're going to tell you about the latest Republican rift in the House. And should English be declared the national language of the United States? Senators say yes. CNN's Lou Dobbs and a representative of the nation's largest Hispanic civil rights advocacy group, they will be joining us in our 7:00 p.m. Eastern hour to discuss this issue. Stay with us. You're in THE SITUATION ROOM.
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BLITZER: On our political radar this Friday the Senate Intelligence Committee is expected to vote on General Michael Hayden's nomination to be the CIA director on Tuesday. The panel wrapped up confirmation hearings yesterday and is likely to send the nom nag to the full Senate. Some Senate Democrats say they still have some big questions about Hayden's past role in the National Security Agency's domestic surveillance program.
In the House today a battle over military spending pitting Republicans against Republicans. Conservatives stripped more than 500 million dollars of construction projects from a 2007 spending measure. That prompted a heated debate over the swelling federal budget and the importance of the military.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. JEB HJENSARLING (R), TEXAS: We will support our troops but to sit here and pay for all of these earmarks and all the pork projects wrapped in the American flag is the wrong thing to do.
REP. RAY LAHOOD (R), ILLINOIS: Please don't tells you support the troops. Please don't tell us you support the war. When you came out here and Xed out all of these important projects that helped our troops, help us win the war, help the administration fight war on terror. Pick another bill, not this one.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BLITZER: We'll have more on that coming up.
But up next we're watching planned progress of the space shuttle Discovery. We're going to tell you what NASA is doing today and about a launch it is planning in the very near future.
And if she placed a personal ad it might read, single female, great story teller, highly spontaneous, loves getaways. We're going to tell you about a new lease on life for a woman known as the runaway bride. Stay with us.
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BLITZER: Here's a look at some of the "Hot Shots" coming in from our friends over at the Associated Press. Pictures likely to be in your hometown newspapers tomorrow.
In Iraq a young woman holds pictures of her father who along with 15 other tae-kwon-do athletes kidnapped on the way to a training camp.
In the Philippines a girl stands in a rubble of 800 shanties demolished on the edge of a Manila suburb to make way for a new highway.
In the disputed region of Kashmir, an Indian army officer measures the chest of a new Kashmiri recruit hoping to join up.
In Birmingham, Alabama, this 16-year-old lion get as full medical and dental exam at the local zoo.
Some of today's "Hot Shots", pictures often worth a thousand words. Let's check back with Zain for a quick look at some other important stories making news, Zain?
VERJEE: Wolf, a group of plaintiffs is suing AT&T over the reported release of customer phone records to the National Security Agency. Plaintiffs in the class action lawsuit are seeking $1,000 for each disclosure of a call record. Excuse me. And $100 for every day of violation.
Last week "USA Today" reported that AT&T and other phone companies handed over million of customer call logs to the National Security Agency. AT&T says the company has not given the information to the government without legal authorization.
Right now at the Kennedy Space Center NASA is preparing the space shuttle Discovery for a trip to space. It would be only the second liftoff of a space shuttle since the Columbia disaster three years ago. Last summer a Discovery mission went wrong after foam insulation snapped off the craft's external fuel tank. This new Discovery liftoff is supposed to happen sometime in July.
And, Wolf, the love endured tall tales, low moments and even a disappearing act but it appears they will not be living happily ever after. Jennifer Wilbanks, known as the runaway bride, tells CNN that she and her fiance are through. The Georgia couple spent time in the national spotlight a year ago when Wilbanks vanished just days before her big wedding and she turned up in New Mexico claiming to be the victim of kidnapping and sexual assault. She later pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor of filing a false police report -- Wolf.
BLITZER: Zain, why am I not surprised this couple is breaking up? It was a huge story a year ago. And a lot of us were surprised he took her back. He did but what's the inside story down there in Georgia? What really happened?
ZAIN: Well, they are not forthcoming with any of the details but the groom's family has come forward and said that look, for whatever happened we're glad we had some finality to the story. It's been really tough on all of them, they said.
BLITZER: Zain is going to dig and dig.
ZAIN: I'll be spending my weekend doing that. Speaking of runaways, where is Jack?
BLITZER: Jack has run away for the day but I can assure you he will be back on Monday. The show is not the same without him. He will be back. A well-deserved day off for Jack Cafferty. We miss him already. I'm sure our viewers do. I know Zain does.
Still to come, civil rights and the political play of the week. And some brand new poll numbers on Congress. Which chambers approval rating is worse. Would it be the Senate or would it be the House of Representatives? You get the answer because you're in THE SITUATION ROOM.
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BLITZER: On Capitol Hill lawmakers are in full battle mode as they race toward midterm elections this is fall. It's Democrats versus Republican. But is there also some competition between the Senate and the House. Let's bring in our senior political analyst Bill Schneider -- Bill.
BILL SCHNEIDER, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: Wolf, the latest polls show President Bush at 35 and 36 percent approval. Not good. And Congress, worse. We asked people separately about the Senate and the House of Representatives. Now both are rated negatively but the Senate is worse.
Thirty four percent approve the way the House is doing its job only 25 percent approve of the Senate. Now it's not partisan. Democrats and Republicans both give the House a higher rating. The difference may have to do with performance. In the House the majority rules. The House minority party may be the most oppressed minority in American politics.
The Senate minority does have power. It can filibuster. It can tie up legislation. The Senate takes pride in being more deliberative but that means it has more trouble getting it done like immigration reform. That could be why the public is more exasperated by the Senate.
BLITZER: Very interesting indeed. All right, Bill, it's Friday. As we all know that means it's time for the political play of the week. What have you got?
SCHNEIDER: Well, a Republican sponsored civil rights bill is news. And it's also the political play of the week.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SCHNEIDER (voice-over): No taxation without representation.
ANTHONY WILLIAMS, DC MAYOR: We need a vote in the Congress, don't we?
SCHNEIDER: The rallying cry of the American Revolution lives on. On license plates in the District of Columbia. The nation's capital votes to send a delegate to the House of Representatives but she can't vote.
REP. TOM DAVIS (R), VA: Hard to justify spending billions of dollars to bring democracy to Baghdad and Kabul, Afghanistan when in your own capital of the free world, the bosom of democracy, they don't get a vote in our Congress.
SCHNEIDER: What is the Republican representative Tom Davis doing sponsoring a measure that would add another likely Democratic vote to the House? After all DC voted 89 percent Democratic in the last presidential election. Davis engineered a deal. Hey, this is Congress after all. That would add two new votes to the House. One for DC and one for Utah. Why Utah?
DAVIS: It just so happens under the formulas the next seat would go to Utah. They just missed it by like 30 people in the last census.
SCHNEIDER: It also just so happens the Utah is the most Republican state in the union. A Utah Republican vote would balance the DC Democratic vote. Oh, it would also give Utah an additional electoral vote in 2008. Good enough said the committee's Republicans, who voted 14 to four to join the Democrats and support the bill to give DC a vote.
No bill has ever gotten this far or gotten Republican support. How did it happen?
DAVIS: It's freedom. That's what we stand for. And the right to vote goes to the essence of the basis of what our freedom represents. SCHNEIDER: It's also the political play of the week.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SCHNEIDER: If the measure becomes law the total number of electoral votes for president would increase from 538 to 539, an odd number which makes it much less likely that a presidential election could end up in a tie. You remember, like we nearly had in 2000?
BLITZER: Who could forget that, Bill? Thank you very much.
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