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The Situation Room
Marines Suspected of Killing Civilians in Iraq; Controversy Heats Up Over FBI's Congressional Raid; Interview With Dan Bartlett
Aired May 26, 2006 - 19:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
JOHN KING, CNN ANCHOR: And, 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, the nation's capital on edge -- it's 7:00 p.m. here in Washington, where police were swarming today, and lawmakers, reporters and tourists were forced to stop in their tracks.
Also this hour, a new face-off in a constitutional showdown. The Senate majority leader calls the attorney general to the office. Did he call him on the carpet over the FBI raid on Congress?
And did U.S. Marines kill Iraqis without any provocation? Tonight, new word on the investigation into the killings at Haditha and whether they happened in cold blood.
Wolf Blitzer is off tonight. I'm John King.
You're in THE SITUATION ROOM.
Tonight, the nation's capital on security watch. In a city where tourists have struck and would like to strike again, anything that even sounds line gunshots can trigger panic in the halls of power. That's what happened here today, leaving parts of the Capitol Hill in lockdown.
Tonight, we know more of the story behind this scare.
Our correspondent Brian Todd was on the scene as all this unfolded. He joins us now live -- Brian.
BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: John, we just got word a short time ago that the well-intentioned call that started all this came from the office of Congressman Jim Saxton of New Jersey, his office on one of the lower floors of the Rayburn House Office Building, the scene of a swarm of activity today.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Straight down. Straight down.
BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Capitol chaos, a city and a nation on edge, this scare prompted by a single report of shots fired in the garage of the Rayburn Office Building. Later, two women said they thought they saw a man with a gun inside Rayburn. Work came to a halt, as word of the scare spread, stopping one hearing in mid-testimony.
REP. PETE HOEKSTRA (R-MI), HOUSE PERMANENT SELECT COMMITTEE ON INTELLIGENCE CHAIRMAN: Excuse me, Mr. Schoenfeld. I would ask all members please to stay in the room. There are -- there are reports of gunfire in the building.
TODD: Law enforcement ordered the building locked down, with hundreds of people inside. After more than five hours and an armed door-to-door search, the all-clear was sounded.
SERGEANT KIMBERLY SCHNEIDER, CAPITOL POLICE: The explanation is that there were some workers who were working in the area of the Rayburn garage in the elevator area. And in doing their routine duties, they -- they made some sort of a noise that sounded like shots fired. So, it was a valid call.
TODD: This is life in the capital post-9/11, today's scare the latest in series that have rattled nerves on Capitol Hill. Last May, both the Capitol and the Supreme Court were evacuated, and the White House put on red alert, when a small plane entered restricted airspace over Washington, and controllers were unable to reach the pilot.
With alarms and sirens blaring, thousands of people were rushed out of the Capitol complex, while fighter jets scrambled to intercept the plane, ready to shoot it down, if necessary. Instead, they forced it to land nearby. It turned out a student pilot was manning the controls and the men were using outdated maps that didn't show the restrictions over Washington.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Keep moving. Come on!
TODD: About a year before that, in June 2004, a similar incident, the Capitol and Supreme Court dramatically evacuated as an unidentified small plane approached. It turns out its transponder was just broken -- on board, Kentucky's governor, heading to the funeral of Ronald Reagan.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
TODD: So, to recap, when it was all over today, no evidence of any shooting, no serious injuries. One Hill staffer was taken to the hospital after a panic attack. She's doing fine. And one law enforcement officer, we are told, suffered a turned ankle -- John.
KING: Brian Todd, thank you very much, a great job out there today.
And stay tuned to CNN day and night for the most reliable news about your security.
Senior Pentagon sources tell CNN that U.S. Marines could soon face charges of murder stemming from the deaths of 24 Iraqis in the town of Haditha. Our report has images some viewers may find disturbing.
Our senior Pentagon correspondent, Jamie McIntyre, is following this developing story -- Jamie.
JAMIE MCINTYRE, CNN SENIOR MILITARY AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: Well, John, no U.S. Marines have been charged yet, but as the evidence is now mostly in, it's beginning to look clear that some will and probably soon.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MCINTYRE (voice-over): It's evidence like this, provided to CNN by an Iraqi human rights group, that Pentagon sources say is building a case against U.S. Marines suspected of killing as many as 24 civilians in a rampage in Haditha last November.
This 12-year-old girl told the Hammurabi human rights organization she survived an attack that killed all eight members of her family by pretending to be dead.
SAFA YOUNIS, ALLEGED WITNESS (through translator): First, they knocked on the door. My father went to answer the door. When he reached the door, they sprayed the door with bullets. But, when he opened the door, they shot him again. Then they entered the bathroom, and they set off a grenade. We went into the kitchen and found my father already dead. Then we sat down. Then the Americans started shooting at us.
TODD: Pentagon sources say the investigation is now wrapping up and that the evidence is very incriminating. The Marines will not confirm any findings of the investigation so far. But congressional sources say the 24 victims included seven women and three children, some shot in their beds.
Five unarmed men were also allegedly shot when their taxicab was stopped by Marines. One official told CNN the mass killing is far worse than the Abu Ghraib prisoner abuse scandal, which President Bush just identified as America's biggest mistake in Iraq so far.
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We have been paying for that for a long period of time.
TODD: None of the abused prisoners at Abu Ghraib died. But if the allegations at Haditha are substantiated, the civilian deaths would qualify as a massacre, which could undermine support for the United States, both in Iraq and around the world.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MCINTYRE: And, John, tonight, at Camp Pendleton, Marines from the 3rd Battalion, 1st Marines, some of the Marines from that unit who were sent back from Iraq, are anxiously awaiting to find out if they are going to be court-martialed. And, possibly, some may face murder charges.
Some have already talked to a private attorneys. And, according to Pentagon sources, they may need those attorneys to defend themselves against pretty serious charges -- John.
KING: Jamie, thank you very much.
I want to switch gears just a little bit. As you know, both the prime minister of Great Britain and the president of the United States pressured in the questioning in a news conference last night for when they might be able to announce troop withdrawals from Iraq. But my understanding is that troop levels, at least in the very short term, are going up a little bit.
MCINTYRE: Right.
KING: What can you tell us about that?
MCINTYRE: Well, you heard President Bush last night refer to sending more troops to Baghdad to beef up security there. It wasn't clear last night exactly what he was referring to.
Today, we can tell you that what he's talking about is a two- battalion task force moving from Kuwait into Baghdad, about 1,500 troops -- an indication, John, that, in the short term, anyway, they need more troops, not fewer, in Iraq.
KING: Jamie McIntyre for us at the Pentagon -- thank you very much, Jamie.
And tonight, a new development in the showdown over the raid of the U.S. congressman's office. In a surprise move, the Senate majority leader summoned the attorney general to Capitol Hill.
Our justice correspondent Kelli Arena has more on the meeting and the bigger battle between Congress and the Bush administration -- Kelli.
KELLI ARENA, CNN JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: You know, John, congressional leaders actually seem to be warming to the idea that FBI agents can legally search a congressman's office. But they want to establish protocols and procedures for doing so.
Now, the attorney general met today, as you said, with Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, in what was described as ongoing discussions between the Justice Department and Congress. On his way out of that meeting, the attorney general would only say that things went well.
Now, at issue, of course, is the FBI's search over the weekend of Congressman William Jefferson's Capitol Hill office. It is the first time that the office of a sitting congressman had ever been searched. Jefferson is under investigation for allegedly accepting as much as $100,000 in bribes from an informant and stashing it in his freezer.
Jefferson has denied any wrongdoing. And he has not been charged. Congressional leaders said that the search was an abuse of executive powers. But Justice officials say that they had no choice, because all other avenues of negotiation failed with the congressman.
Now, the president ruled yesterday that the documents that were taken will remain sealed for 45 days while the two sides try to work out a compromise for not only this issue, but future action. And those documents were expected to be transferred from the FBI to the Solicitor General's Office, where they are going to be held before this weekend -- John.
KING: Negotiations to continue.
Kelli Arena -- thank you very much, Kelli.
And our Jack Cafferty now joins us from New York. Hey, Jack.
JACK CAFFERTY, CNN ANCHOR: John, good to see you.
California's governor, Arnold Schwarzenegger, says he will veto legislation that would require public school books to include the contributions of gays. His office says it's because the governor doesn't think it's the legislature's job to determine curriculum.
The bill, the first of its kind, passed the California Senate earlier this month. Critics say it promotes homosexuality. Supporters argue that textbooks are silent about the contributions of homosexuals, like they used to be about those of other minority groups. It is unlikely it's the last we will hear of the measure, even if the California legislature doesn't pass it in its entirety, since these kinds of things often start on the left coast and then work their way across the country.
Here's the question, then, this hour: Should the teaching of the historical contributions of homosexuals be mandatory in public schools? E-mail your thoughts to caffertyfile@CNN.com or go to CNN.com/caffertyfile.
Now I have got to go thaw out some money for the weekend -- John.
(LAUGHTER)
KING: Jack, we will be back with you in a little bit.
CAFFERTY: OK.
KING: Looking forward to that.
And coming up: more on a brewing constitutional showdown. Did President Bush approve that FBI raid on Capitol Hill? We will put the question to Counsel to the President Dan Bartlett.
And then the CIA leak case -- a small victory in court for Vice President Cheney's former chief of staff, Scooter Libby.
And the secret weapon Democrats hope will prevent Arnold Schwarzenegger from serving another term as California's governor.
Stay where you are. You're in THE SITUATION ROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KING: Tonight, there are fresh reasons to believe John Snow's days as treasury secretary are numbered. After months of speculation, we're now hearing an announcement about Snow's future could come in the near future.
Let's check in with our White House correspondent, Suzanne Malveaux -- Suzanne.
SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, John, really, it's Snow himself who may be numbering his days.
We are being -- we are hearing from administration officials, as well as Republican insiders, administration officials, both current and former, they're all telling the same story, that an announcement about his resignation is imminent. What does that mean? We're talking perhaps weeks and even days -- these administration officials saying that he has already spoken to several White House officials, saying his -- he intends to resign.
This is not official until it's a done deal. And, of course, he's not offered his resignation letter to the president yet. He's not even talked specifically to the president about his intention. President Bush yesterday was asked about that, and confirmed.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: No, he has not talked to me about resignation. I think he's doing a fine job. I mean, after all, our economy is -- is strong.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MALVEAUX: But sources say that he wants to make an announcement as quickly as possible. It would be when he's in Washington.
There's a 10-day window after the Memorial Day weekend, before he leaves to St. Petersburg, Russia, for the G8 Summit, where that announcement could come before June 8, we are told, perhaps a little bit afterwards, a couple days after he comes back from the summit.
The big question, of course, John, is, who is the president, the administration, looking at as possible potential replacements? A lot of speculation over this picture, President Bush leaving for Camp David with a former commerce secretary, that, of course, Don Evans, both of them very close friends, dear friends. He's an insider. Many people believe that he's on the top of this list. Some have waved us off of that, saying, look, they vacation together often, that there's no reason he would essentially want the job or jump into the job.
The other person who is another strong candidate that is being mentioned is the president's chief economic adviser, Stephen Friedman. He was, of course, a former CEO of Goldman Sachs, another possibility.
So, we hope, in the next couple of weeks, John, all of this will be resolved, and we will stop playing the game of speculation. But people say it's on its way; it's coming in the next couple of weeks.
KING: This time, it's real. Suzanne Malveaux at the White House -- thank you very much, Suzanne.
And, in addition to personnel changes, President Bush has been trying to help solve his political problems by facing reporters more often. In the process, the president faced a question last night that, at times, has stumped him in the past: "What's your biggest mistake, sir?"
Our senior national correspondent, John Roberts, is here with more on the president and his regrets.
JOHN ROBERTS, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Oh, regrets, I have had a few.
John, it's something that President Bush has been inching toward. As you know, you got the first glimpse of it in a pre-inaugural interview you did a little more than a year ago.
But, last night, the president went well beyond anything that he's said before when it comes to the issue of what he's done wrong.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ROBERTS (voice-over): It was just what Republican advisers have been calling for, the image of a president in touch with reality on the Iraq war, strong enough to admit that mistakes have been made.
BUSH: We've learned from our mistakes, adjusted our methods and have built on our successes.
ROBERTS: That mea culpa was the opening act of an extraordinary admission by President Bush when asked what his greatest regrets about Iraq were.
BUSH: Saying, "Bring it on"; kind of tough talk, you know, that sent the wrong signal to people. I learned some lessons about expressing myself maybe in a little more sophisticated manner, you know, "Wanted, dead or alive"; that kind of talk.
ROBERTS: It's a long way from the Texas swagger that earned President Bush a reputation as a shoot-from-the-hip gunslinger, from the days when he could admit no wrong.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, APRIL 13, 2004)
QUESTION: What would your biggest mistake be, would you say, and what lessons have you learned from it?
BUSH: I'm sure something will pop into my head here, in the midst of a press conference, with all the pressure of trying to come up with an answer, but it hadn't yet.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTS: Republicans applaud this softer side of President Bush, reminding voters of why they liked him in the first place.
J.C. WATTS, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: When the president's out there, I think, giving an honest assessment, saying, you know what, if we had to do it again, we wouldn't do it like that, I think that's a very good thing.
ROBERTS: But political scholars see an obvious calculation and one that may be too late.
LARRY SABATO, DIRECTOR, UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA CENTER FOR POLITICS: My guess is, the American public, by and large, has tuned out on President Bush. They're not listening to him. And, so, when he does admit error, he doesn't have an impact, because he doesn't have that large of an audience.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ROBERTS: If the president was hoping to buy more time or change minds about Iraq, words might not be enough, because people are looking for an end to the violence and a chance for American troops to start coming home in large numbers. And unless and until that happens, John, I think a change in tone is not going to change his political position much.
KING: Fair to say, though, John, that unless and until that happens, Republicans are telling this president, you have to help us at home, because we keep getting asked, why are we still in this war?
ROBERTS: Yes. The more you're out there about it, the better. They're urging him to get out there and talk about it.
KING: John Roberts, thank you very much.
And John Roberts and Suzanne Malveaux, part of the best political team on television.
And still to come tonight in THE SITUATION ROOM, a key Republican congressman draws a new line in the sand over immigration, now that the Senate has passed its bill. We're following all the new developments in the immigration wars.
And White House Counselor Dan Bartlett weighs in on a showdown between Congress and the Bush administration. Were constitutional lines crossed in the raid on a congressman's office?
Stay right here. You're in THE SITUATION ROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KING: And Zain Verjee joins us tonight with the news making headlines right now -- Zain.
ZAIN VERJEE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: John, hi.
As of today, General Michael Hayden is the Central Intelligence Agency's new director-designate. The Senate voted 78-15 to confirm his nomination to head the nation's spy network. Hayden will succeed Porter Goss, whose resignation takes effect at midnight tonight.
Hayden's swearing-in has not been scheduled yet. Current deputy director, Vice Admiral Albert Calland, will run the CIA until the new boss takes his oath of office.
Today, Iran's foreign minister, The man in the center of this crowd, says his country will not accept a U.S. invitation for direct talks concerning Iraq after all. He announced the decision after arriving in Baghdad for meetings with new government leaders there. This is only the second high-level visit to Iraq by an Iranian official since the Iran/Iraq War began in 1980.
A court clerk in New York says radio shock jock Howard Stern and CBS Radio have come to terms over a breach of contract lawsuit. Now, both sides say nothing, except that, when an agreement's signed, there will be an announcement. CBS sued Stern in February, accusing him of using his final months on CBS essentially to promote his new venture at Sirius. Stern has said, look, you know, he did nothing wrong.
And new today, the Food and Drug Administration says it's approved a vaccine against shingles. The FDA says it gave the vaccine, called Zostavax, the go-ahead for people aged 60 and over. Shingles is a skin infection caused by the same virus that causes chicken pox. It can cause painful, debilitating nerve damage that can persist for years -- John.
KING: Zain, thank you very much.
And, just ahead, a critical new development in the CIA leak probe. We will show you why it's a victory for former Cheney Chief of Staff Scooter Libby and a possible warning shot to the news media.
Plus, do his Democratic contenders have what it takes to bring down Arnold Schwarzenegger? We will look at their odds of terminating the Terminator.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KING: Welcome back to THE SITUATION ROOM. I'm John King in Washington.
There are new developments tonight in the CIA leak probe, with major implications for news media organizations.
Once again, here's CNN's Brian Todd -- Brian.
TODD: John, the key ruling here, "TIME" magazine and its reporter Matt Cooper have one week to turn some drafts of an article he wrote over to the attorneys for the only White House figure charged so far in this case.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
TODD (voice-over): Who's got the most believable account of the outing of a CIA officer, a former top White House aide or a group of reporters? The aide has just won a key victory in his drawn-out court battle for documents. A judge rules, lawyers for Lewis Scooter Libby, former chief of staff to Vice President Dick Cheney, can get access to drafts written by "TIME" magazine correspondent Matt Cooper and possibly to materials from "The New York Times" and NBC News.
JEFFREY JACOBOVITZ, TRIAL ATTORNEY: This is a credibility issue for the jury, who to believe, whether the reporters' memories are accurate -- and this is where the notes may come in to corroborate it -- or whether Libby's memory is accurate. And the government has the burden of proof.
TODD: Libby is charged with lying to a grand jury and investigators about how he learned the classified identity of former CIA operative Valerie Plame and what he may have told reporters about her.
The case stems from the White House campaign to refute an op-ed from Plame's husband, former Ambassador Joe Wilson, who contradicted a key part of the Bush administration's case for war in Iraq. Libby denies wrongdoing.
And his attorneys have argued that he does not remember key details of those exchanges. In the latest ruling, Judge Reggie Walton noted that challenging the recollections of Cooper and other journalists -- quote -- "will likely be critical to the defense."
The judge said there were inconsistencies in different accounts that Cooper wrote about his exchanges with Libby. And -- quote -- "This slight alteration between the drafts will permit the defendant to impeach Cooper."
(END VIDEOTAPE)
TODD: Impeach, meaning Cooper's credibility could be challenged if he takes the stand. Cooper's attorney tells CNN, the reporter is unlikely to challenge the judge's ruling today -- John.
KING: Brian Todd, thank you very much.
It has been very clear in the court in these trial hearings that the Scooter Libby defense team will go after these reporters.
Thank you very much, Brian.
And now we return to another developing story we are following, Republican Senate Leader Bill Frist summoning the attorney general to his Capitol Hill office to explain the FBI raid of Congressman William Jefferson's office.
It's a bit of crisis management, fueled largely by major constitutional concerns.
A short while ago, I spoke with a key counselor to President Bush.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KING: Counselor to the President Dan Bartlett, thanks for joining us in THE SITUATION ROOM from the White House today.
I want to start with this dramatic constitutional showdown between the administration and the congressional leadership, of course, over the search -- the FBI search -- of a Democratic congressman's office last weekend.
The attorney general went to Capitol Hill today. He met with the Senate majority leader, trying to explain his side of this and at least turn down the volume for a little bit.
Dan Bartlett, who does the president agree with here? He called a time-out yesterday, ordered the documents sealed for 45 days. Does the president agree with his attorney general in the Justice Department, or does he agree with the congressional leadership that the FBI overreached?
DAN BARTLETT, COUNSELOR TO PRESIDENT BUSH: Well, John, I think the good thing is that all parties recognize that it's critically important that this investigation continue, that any time that there's any allegation of public corruption of a public official, a congressman, that we do everything we can to fully investigate this.
And what President Bush did yesterday was call a time-out, as you said, to give an opportunity for everybody to take a deep breath, look at the facts.
There's no question that this was an extraordinary measure that was taken. And the Justice Department believes it was a very necessary measure taken.
But there are a lot of feelings and beliefs and principles that are held very strongly in the House of Representatives, in the -- in the United States Congress in general. What President Bush wanted to do is allow for both of the parties to sit down and work through some of these differences they have. I don't think...
KING: Did the president -- Dan, let me interrupt there.
Did the president of the United States receive an advanced briefing on this?
BARTLETT: Receive a -- no, he did not.
(CROSSTALK)
BARTLETT: This was a strict law enforcement operation. He did not receive a briefing himself. That's typically how these type of investigations take place.
What is important over the next 45 days is for the two parties to work through some of the differences they have, at the same time, to make sure the integrity of this investigation remains intact.
And that's the -- the reason why the president called a time-out. He sealed these documents with the solicitor general who is not involved in this investigation. This will not hurt the investigation. The documents will not be accessed by anybody during this time period. And this will give an opportunity for the two parties to come together. We're very pleased to see the reaction of the leadership of the House, as well as the leadership in the Justice Department. They are going to have to have a constructive dialogue as we go forward. And that's good for the American people.
KING: A constructive dialogue, as you put it, over the legal issues involved. There has been this giant political dust up. And to many in town, they see Dubai Ports deja vu that the White House was about to do something very controversial -- and let's set aside whether the decision was right or wrong, but apparently just seemed tone deaf, if you will, to the politics, the political outrage this would cause. Fair?
BARTLETT: Well, John, if you're talking about the actual search itself, I think the American people will be assured by the fact that career law enforcement professionals, we're not taking politics into consideration. As you just noted and I just told you, the White House was not involved in this decision.
This was a strict law enforcement operation. It is one in that they obviously have to be mindful of the co-equal branch of government. And that's what these conversations over the next 45 days will hash out.
KING: What is the state right now of the president and the administration's relationship with the speaker of the House. He's perhaps the most important ally you have on Capitol Hill. And, yet, we know he gave the vice president a tongue lashing because he thought when his friend, Porter Goss, was removed as head of the CIA, that was not done right.
We know he spoke to the president about this search, and he was unhappy with that. For this president to get anything done on Capitol Hill, he needs Denny Hastert on his side. Has that relationship deteriorated to a dangerous point?
BARTLETT: No, John, and the good thing is that they do have a good relationship. And the underpinnings of a good strong relationship is one in which you can have a candid exchange of views and ideas.
But look at the track record, this speaker of the House and this president of the United States have done an enormous good for the American people. They have cut the taxes. They've created the Department of Homeland Security. They've reformed the intelligence communities. We've done things across the board that have been beneficial to this country, which would not have been possible without the leadership of Hastert.
Now, there are going to be times when there are differences of opinion. And the good thing about it is they have that type of relationship, where they can have disagreements and then move forward. And we will continue -- this relationship will continue to grow. And they'll continue to have an open flow of ideas in exchange of candid views. And we'll continue to work to get things done on behalf of the American people.
KING: Well, let's move on to one of those issues you are trying to get done, immigration. The Senate passed its bill yesterday, a pretty lopsided vote. But a majority of the Republicans in the Senate voted against the legislation.
The point person in the House is the Judiciary Chairman Congressman James Sensenbrenner. And he said today frankly that he did not think the president understood this issue. He didn't think Karl Rove, who twice in the last week has gone to Capitol Hill, understood this issue. And he did not seem pressured at all by the argument that we need to pass something because the president is so far out on this.
I want you to listen briefly to Chairman Sensenbrenner.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. JAMES SENSENBRENNER (R), WISCONSIN: This conference is going to be difficult. I would hope that the Senate would view the issue of coming up with an effective bill, not one necessarily that looks good on a bumper sticker.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KING: Chairman Sensenbrenner, Dan Bartlett, is saying you are not going to get a guest worker program that gives illegal immigrants a path to citizenship. Can the president accept something less?
BARTLETT: Well, the chairman's right, this is going to be a difficult conference. There are a lot of very complex, thorny issues to hash out. And the other thing we agree with the chairman is, you're right, there's not going to be a bumper sticker solution to this problem. And that's why the president articulated a five-point strategy, a comprehensive strategy, which is going to require all sides to give.
And President Bush recognizes that. I think members of the House and the Senate recognize that. I think right now it is time for people to take a step back, let's make an analysis of what actions the House has taken and what actions the Senate has taken. Let's start finding common ground, working on that common ground, start building some confidence in the relationship between the three parties who will be working on this. And then we'll go from there.
But the president believes very strongly, and he's somebody who does get this issue quite well. He was a governor of a border state that shared almost 2,000 miles worth of border with the state of Mexico. He recognizes the importance of border security. His proposal that he outlined to the American people does more for border security than both the Senate and the House did in their original bills.
He has made border security and interior enforcement a critical aspect of comprehensive reform. What the president has also argued is that in order to rationally enforce our borders, we have to do something with those workers who are coming into this country. And we need to have a system that's above board, across the board that deals with the realities of our economy and the realities of workers who are doing jobs that Americans won't do.
KING: Tell me, personally, how invested the president will get into these negotiations. You know the steep hill ahead of you. You heard Chairman Sensenbrenner.
Congressman J.D. Hayworth in the House says the president's plan is amnesty. The White House can spin it anyway they want. This plan is amnesty. If you are going to get a majority of the Republicans on board, you have quite a bit of work to do. Is the president personally going to do that work?
BARTLETT: Well, of course. And the president has already personally done a lot of this work. He's been meeting with members of the Congress in the House and the Senate. He has spoken to the nation from the Oval Office.
As we move into this conference period, he'll work with both sides of the chambers, both the House and the Senate and both sides of the aisle, both Republican and Democrat. And it is time for people to try to come together and see if we can forge some kind of consensus to once and for all address the issue from a comprehensive way.
KING: A lot more I'd like to talk about. But we're out of time for today. But we'll do it another time. Counsel to the president, Dan Bartlett, thank you for joining us today.
BARTLETT: Thanks, John.
KING: Thank you.
Today, we're getting a rare glimpse into Henry Kissinger's role in the Nixon and Ford administrations. George Washington University has compiled the definitive collection on Kissinger and posted tens of thousands of pages of historic documents online.
Let's go Jacki Schechner for a firsthand look -- Jacki.
JACKI SCHECHNER, INTERNET REPORTER: John, This is the transcript of the secret meeting between Henry Kissinger and an Iraqi foreign minister back in December of 1975.
You can see here where the two sit down, Kissinger in his own words explaining why he wants to establish contact with Iraq, saying he doesn't see a clash of national interest between Iraq and the United States, going on to talk about Israel, a major topic of this conversation. Kissinger in his own words saying we don't need Israel for influence in the Arab world, going on to say that Israel does us more harm than good.
He says that we cannot negotiate about the existence of Israel, but we can talk about reducing its size to historical proportions. Again, this is Kissinger's words. You can read them online. The National Security Archive has just released some 2,100 memoranda of conversations or memcons. That adds up to some 28,000 pages. You have to subscribe to read them all, but they've also released 20 samples. And those you can read online for free -- John.
KING: There's a quiz on Monday. Thank you Jacki. That's fascinating stuff.
Up ahead, Democrats take aim at Arnold. How they hope to beat the California governor at the ballot box.
And nature's fury, an underwater volcanic eruption. We'll take you into the depths online. You're in THE SITUATION ROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KING: While the immigration wars play out here in Washington, Mexican President Vicente Fox is in Los Angeles right now, wrapping up his four-day trip to the United States. CNN's Peter Viles joins us live with details -- Pete.
PETER VILES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: John, the dominant theme of this trip for the president of Mexico is immigration. He arrived here in Los Angeles this morning. His first meeting here in Los Angeles was with a leader of the pro-amnesty movement, if you will, the people who want to have a path to legal citizenship for illegal aliens. That leader, the Catholic cardinal of Los Angeles, Roger Mahony, met with the president of Mexico for about a half an hour.
Now, if there's been a defining moment on this trip, it came last night up in Sacramento, when hours after the Senate had passed that immigration reform bill, as you know, a very divisive bill there in Washington and here in California, hours after that, Vicente Fox went before the California General Assembly in a joint session, and weighed in on that, gave a strong endorsement to the Senate bill. Here's part of what he had to say.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PRES. VICENTE FOX, MEXICO: This is the moment that millions of people have been working for. This will have a strong impact on the destiny and the lives of millions of peoples and families. Today's historic vote is a monumental step forward.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VILES: "Monumental step forward," in his words, but very controversial in California. A handful of Republican lawmakers boycotted that speech by the Mexican president, saying it was inappropriate for a foreign head of state to come here to the United States and weigh in on a domestic political issue.
Just to give you an idea of how the politics of this issue are somewhat complicated out here: The mayor of Los Angeles, Antonio Villaraigosa, is going to meet with President Fox later tonight, the president's final meeting before going home to Mexico. I know nationally, the mayor is seen as a leader in this immigration fight of the pro-immigration forces, but he's told the media in Los Angeles and the people of Los Angeles that when he meets with President Fox tonight, immigration will not be on the agenda. He doesn't want to talk about it. He wants to talk about trade and tourism issues. He believes he can represent all of the people of Los Angeles in this conversation with the president of Mexico, John.
KING: And, Pete, any sense, any highlights from the meeting between President Fox and Cardinal Mahony?
VILES: Some interesting things came out of it. Cardinal Mahony has been very out front politically on this issue, arguing for fair and just treatment for illegal aliens and a path to citizenship -- amnesty, many call it -- did not discuss that at all today, but did discuss immigration. Said that he and the president of Mexico had talked about the need for better border security, that the crime and the drugs and the violence along the border was not good for either nation, and they needed a more secure border, and also something that no one could argue with, he said they agreed Mexico needs a stronger economy so that fewer Mexicans will feel the need to migrate to the United States. It will be a choice rather than a necessity.
So talking about immigration reform, but staying away from the controversial part, this issue of what kind of rights or path to citizenship should illegal aliens have in this country, John.
KING: Playing it safe, at least on this day. Peter Viles in Los Angeles, thank you very much, Pete.
And just yesterday, California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger also met with President Fox. Schwarzenegger is trying to chart his own course on immigration and other issues as he wages a very tough battle for re-election. Our senior political analyst Bill Schneider is in Los Angeles watching Schwarzenegger campaign -- Bill.
BILL SCHNEIDER, CNN SR. POLITICAL ANALYST: John, the Terminator is running for another term. The Democrats' job, terminate the Terminator.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SCHNEIDER (voice-over): Democrats hope one of these two guys can terminate the Terminator. State Treasurer Phil Angelides. Grrr!
PHIL ANGELIDES, CALIFORNIA STATE TREASURER: I'm someone who's a fighter.
SCHNEIDER: State Controller Steve Westly. Hoo-ah!
STEVE WESTLY, CALIFORNIA STATE CONTROLLER: I think what most people want in leaders is clear convictions, a direction.
SCHNEIDER: They argue Schwarzenegger has broken his promises.
ANGELIDES: He came in with a promise to balance the budget, and he's borrowed billions.
SCHNEIDER: He's wavered.
WESTLY: In his first year, he was the moderate. In his second year, he was the right-wing conservative. Now he's running on the far left.
SCHNEIDER: In 2003, Democratic Governor Gray Davis broke his promises. He wavered. He took record amounts of special interest money. Schwarzenegger beat Davis because he promised to be different. And now?
WESTLY: The governor's taken more special interest money than Gray Davis ever dreamed.
SCHNEIDER: And so...
WESTLY: He began to look like a traditional politician.
SCHNEIDER: A lot of voters see the two Democrats this year as typical politicians.
ANGELIDES: People want a real governor. They've had enough of the show.
SCHNEIDER: Do they have a secret weapon they can use to bring the mighty Terminator down? Yes. It's called President Bush. A deeply unpopular figure in California.
WESTLY: I think people will absolutely tie the two together.
ANGELIDES: He's going to be an anchor around Arnold Schwarzenegger's neck.
SCHNEIDER: The latest poll pitting Angelides against Schwarzenegger, a dead heat. Westly against Schwarzenegger, a dead heat. A policy wonk could bring down the Terminator. Sweet retribution for what Schwarzenegger did to Davis in 2003. Nerds rule. You might call this election the revenge of the nerds.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SCHNEIDER: So far, neither Democrat has caught fire with the voters. The latest primary poll shows Angelides at 35 and Westly 32. That's within the margin of error, and a third of Democrats still have not made up their minds -- John.
KING: Bill Schneider for us in Los Angeles. Thank you very much, Bill.
And up ahead, should your children learn about gay history? Children in California could soon be reading about the historical contribution of gays. What do you think of that? Jack Cafferty has your e-mail.
And an awesome look at a volcano's fury. But it could only be seen underwater. Some online show and tell just ahead here on THE SITUATION ROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KING: Here's a look at some of the hot shots coming in from the Associated Press, pictures likely to be in your morning newspaper.
In Beirut, Lebanese troops secure the area after a park car explodes, killing a leading member of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad and his brother. The group is blaming Israeli intelligence for the killing, but no official word yet on who is to blame.
In Belgium, tens of thousands of people march slowly through the capital to protest racial violence. An African woman and the white toddler she was caring for were gunned down on the street two weeks ago. The young man charged with the killings has ties to a far-right, anti-immigrant party.
In Poland, cardinals weather the rain at an open-air mass led by Pope Benedict XVI.
And in Annapolis, Maryland, members of the class of 2006 celebrate their graduation from the U.S. Naval Academy. And that's today's hot shots, pictures, as they say, worth a thousand words.
And now our hot shot up in New York with "The Cafferty File" -- Jack.
CAFFERTY: Yes, right. That's what they know me as around here.
California's governor, John, Arnold Schwarzenegger, says he will veto legislation that would require public school books to include the historical contributions of homosexuals. Schwarzenegger says it's not up to the legislature to set school curricula.
The question we asked is, should the teachings of the historical contributions of homosexuals be mandatory in the public schools?
Curtis in Portland, Maine, writes: "No, Jack. until every high school senior can read, write and do math as well as the rest of the world, we shouldn't distract these students with anything else. Knowing the sexual orientation of an historical figure is absolutely meaningless."
Bill in Elverson, Pennsylvania: "As a gay man, I can tell you that I have no interest in whether or not an historical figure was gay. Yes, teach about their contributions to history. Their sexuality was probably private when they were alive and should remain so."
Kevin in Baltimore: "It's impossible to teach the accomplishments of each of our dozens of minorities. We are obliged, however, not to minimize them. If a homosexual American has a worthy accomplishment, he or she should receive the same recognition as a heterosexual. That's equality."
Carol in Sylmar California: "Ridiculous. History books don't say Dwight Eisenhower, a straight man, was president." \
Kathy in Minneapolis: "I truly believe in the rights of homosexuals, but making their story mandatory is schools is going too far. It will be a much better world when labels don't matter."
Alex in Houston: "Hell, yes, it's time you people realized how miserable your lives would be without us."
And Debbie in Cumberland, Maryland: "Jack, sure, why not? Also include the contributions of midgets, people are who double-jointed and people who can speak Klingon, get my drift"? That's it, John.
KING: Pleasure doing business with you today, Jack. Have a great weekend. I'm very jealous. We have this shot down here on the lower wall of THE SITUATION ROOM of this beach, and it is making me very, very, very jealous.
CAFFERTY: The members of Congress and Wolf Blitzer will be on the beach this weekend, and on Monday when you and I will be back here in THE SITUATION ROOM having even more fun than we had today.
KING: I'll see you then. Hope you grill up your pork chops over the weekend. Thank you, Jack.
Today the Internet is giving us an extraordinary look at an active volcano 1,800 feet underwater 60 miles north of Guam. Jackie Schechner is standing by with that remarkable story -- Jacki.
JACK SCHECHNER, CNN INTERNET REPORTER: John, this is a submarine or underwater volcano. And the video and audio comes to us courtesy of the 2006 Ring of Fire Expedition, the third in a series of expeditions by Japanese and U.S. scientists to the Mariana Arc which is in the Pacific.
They used underwater robotics to get this close, and they say this could be the best way to study the mechanics of volcanoes altogether because it's safer. It's under 1,800 feet of water. That compresses the explosion.
By the way, they've been going back year after year and it is always erupting, so they think that maybe it's erupting all of the time. They say this is a good way to study the gas and the chemical reactions, obviously, to get this video and because 75 to 80 percent of the world's volcanoes are actually underwater, this is actually really good historic video.
When you go to the Web site, OceanExlorer.NOAA.gov, there are several of these videos. Go to the April 29th archive, that's the log that you're going to want to take a look at and you can get the audio there as well. Again, really cool stuff, underwater volcanoes -- John.
KING: Jackie Schechner, thank you very much.
And let's find out what's coming up at the top of the next hour on "PAULA ZAHN NOW." Hi, Paula. PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: Seems like I just left your team last night. It was great to be in Washington with the best political team on TV, John.
KING: You escaped pretty quickly.
ZAHN: We did, didn't we?
Coming up, just about seven minutes from now, we're going to explore some of the amazing mysteries of the mind. We're going to meet some incredibly brave children who struggle with Tourette's Syndrome, a disorder a that causes body movements they simply can't control.
Also, a baffling syndrome that causes thousands of people to spend every waking moment feeling hungry. Why aren't they satisfied no matter how much they eat? Even 10,000 calories won't satisfy them.
Plus, people with permanent jet lag. They fall asleep at sunset, they wake up before sunrise every day of the week. Why can't they adjust their body clock? There's some really interesting things we're going to explore, Many things I didn't even know about, John.
So we know you have nothing to do this holiday weekend. So why don't you stay put between 8:00 and 9:00 and learn everything you can about mysteries of the mind tonight?
KING: You got the first part right, I'll tell you that. Paula, we'll stay put. Thank you very much. We'll see you in just a few minutes. Thank you.
And still ahead here in THE SITUATION ROOM, the search for Jimmy Hoffa and the possible end of an era. Jeanne Moos has that story. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KING: So what do you get when you combine a missing man mystery with late night TV? Some comedians hope you get some killer punch lines. Here CNN's Jeanne Moos.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEANNE MOOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): As long as they keep digging for Jimmy Hoffa, the comedians will keep unearthing those Jimmy Hoffa jokes.
DAVID LETTERMAN, "THE LATE SHOW": They said he was last seen on a duck hunting trip with Dick Cheney.
MOOS: Missing for 31 years, Hoffa has come to symbolize that which cannot be found.
JON STEWART, "THE DAILY SHOW": Jimmy Hoffa, still looking for Jimmy Hoffa. That means we'll find Osama bin Laden in 2037.
MOOS: For many who weren't even born yet when Hoffa disappeared, he's a complete mystery.
(on camera): Who is Jimmy Hoffa?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I have no idea.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Who is it? I don't know.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I have skirts older than that boy. Jimmy Hoffa was a racketeer.
MOOS (voice-over): But those under 30 know him best as a movie line ...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They're going to bury you right next to Jimmy Hoffa.
MOOS: ... or the punchline to a fat joke in "The Nutty Professor."
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think I found where they hid Jimmy Hoffa.
MOOS: But there's one place that everyone jokes about, even "The Simpsons."
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I always knew him actually from -- supposedly he was buried under Giants Stadium.
MOOS: A self-described hit man spread the story that Hoffa was buried in the end zone, near section 107. Even players joked about hearing something underfoot.
CARL BANKS, NEW YORK GIANTS LINEBACKER: I heard somebody talking one time, too. You know, he said help, help.
MOOS (on camera): But wait, somebody's already found Jimmy Hoffa on eBay.
(voice-over): Jimmy Hoffa found on a piece of toast, just like that grilled cheese with the outline of the Virgin Mary. In Milford, Michigan, site of the latest dig, they're posting dogs of their own. "FBI, you're outstanding in your field," T-shirts saying "the FBI digs Milford. Do you"? And those famous hand reaching out of the ground cupcakes, they've sold over 1,800 of them, some to FBI agents.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I discovered him through the "Weekly World News." They had a ridiculous article about saying he wasn't buried under Giants Stadium, he's actually buried on the moon.
(SINGING)
MOOS: After three decades of comedian counting on them, there's only one thing that could kill of those Jimmy Hoffa jokes.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: One of these days they're going to find that son of a gun!
MOOS: Jeanne Moos, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KING: Wolf will be back on Sunday for "LATE EDITION." His guests include Iraq's deputy prime minister and the Los Angeles mayor. I'm John King in Washington. Up next, "PAULA ZAHN NOW."
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