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The Situation Room
President Bush Visits Gulf Coast One Year After Katrina; Karr's DNA: No Match; Evacuation Order in Effect in South Florida
Aired August 28, 2006 - 16:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
JOHN KING, 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, President Bush marks one year since the Katrina catastrophe. It's 3:00 p.m. in Mississippi, where Mr. Bush is assessing hurricane recovery and the lingering damage to his presidency. We have brand new poll numbers on the finger pointing at the White House.
Also this hour, Tropical Storm Ernesto beats a path to south Florida. It's 4:00 p.m. in the Keys, where an evacuation order is in effect. We'll tell you where and when Ernesto is expected to hit, and how bad it's likely to be.
Plus, a senator's very personal journey turns into a mass love fest. It's 11:00 p.m. in Kenya, where crowds are enthralled with Barack Obama. Will the uproar in his father's homeland boost his star power back in Washington?
Wolf Blitzer is off today. I'm John King. You're in THE SITUATION ROOM.
This hour, a potential bombshell in the investigation of John Mark Karr. He's the suspect in the 1996 death of JonBenet Ramsey. KUSA Television in Colorado is reporting the DNA found on the body of the child beauty queen does not match Karr's. We'll have much more on this story ahead.
But first, Florida officials are warning residents to take Tropical Storm Ernesto very seriously. It's expected to strengthen as it moves past Cuba, and it could make landfall in south Florida tomorrow. The hurricane watch now covers most of Florida's Atlantic coast.
The timing of this storm isn't lost on anyone. It's nearly a year to the day after Hurricane Katrina ravaged the Gulf Coast. President Bush is in Mississippi right now. He's remembering the destruction and despair that flooded the region and overwhelmed federal, state and local officials.
Our just-released new poll shows 64 percent of Americans now disapprove of the way Mr. Bush handled the government response to Katrina. That's significantly up from the 55 percent who disapproved soon after the storm hit a year ago. Our Bill Schneider is standing by with more on that poll. Dana Bash is keeping track of Democrats visiting the Gulf Coast.
But first to our White House correspondent Suzanne Malveaux with the president in Mississippi -- Suzanne.
SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, John, as you know, of course, the president facing a great deal of criticism, even an overwhelming sense of disappointment from people not only in Mississippi, but also in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. Many different assessments of just how the recovery efforts have been going on.
Many officials believe that this really is a day of dread for the Bush administration. But President Bush certainly making it very clear here that, yes, he has made a commitment, a commitment that he believes, coming from the federal government, is a strong one, in the tune of $110 billion. But he also wants to tell people that, yes, there is more that needs to be done, that he is recognizing his failures of the past year, as well. President Bush summing it right up this way, saying optimism is the only option.
Not surprising, John, the president putting the emphasis on local and state officials. Their responsibility to try to get money for those rebuilding, for those housing efforts, but also a partnership that the president says he believes is working.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We understand people are still anxious to get in their home. We understand people hear about help and wonder where it is. We know that. But the first thing is is that this federal government has made a commitment to help. And it starts with a large check. It also means that in order for the rebuilding to be as strong as we want, there has to be a partnership with the federal government and the state and local governments.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MALVEAUX: Now, of course, President Bush, seeming somewhat optimistic himself, told a reporter from American Urban Radio Networks, aboard Air Force One, saying that he certainly hopes when history looks back and evaluates his own performance, the federal government's performance, that perhaps it will look completely different in ten years or so, that this will all just be a memory of sorts, and that they will look forward to a day that people move forward.
But, of course, John, as you know, all of this has great political implications. The Democrats seizing on this opportunity to say, once again, that the Republicans and this administration have been incompetent dealing with a natural disaster and catastrophe. And, of course, big questions, John, whether or not it's going to perform well with Ernesto -- John.
KING: Big questions for the president, big questions as we look ahead. Suzanne Malveaux, traveling with the president on the Gulf Coast. Suzanne, thank you very much.
Now let's get more on our new poll and the political fallout from Katrina. Here's our senior political analyst Bill Schneider -- Bill.
WILLIAM SCHNEIDER, CNN SR. POLITICAL ANALYST: John, if 9/11 was a turning point for President Bush, so was Hurricane Katrina four years later.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SCHNEIDER (voice-over): Hurricane Katrina was a deep shock to the American public.
BUSH: The federal, state and local governments were unprepared to respond to such an extraordinary disaster.
SCHNEIDER: Sure, there's lots of blame to be shared, but that doesn't get President Bush off the hook. Shortly after the hurricane, only 40 percent of Americans approved of the way President Bush handled the government's response. A year later, only 34 percent approve.
President Bush took two hits from Hurricane Katrina. One was to his image of strength and competence.
SEN. MARY LANDRIEU (D), LOUISIANA: It's past time that we hold government officials accountable, not just for their policies, but for their follow through and their competence.
SCHNEIDER: Just after 9/11, three-quarters of Americans called President Bush strong and decisive. In July 2005, 62 percent still felt that way. Just after Katrina, a bare majority, 52 percent, called Mr. Bush strong and decisive. And a year later, no improvement.
President Bush's self-declared image as a compassionate conservative also took a hit. The public saw a remote, even clueless president after Katrina struck.
BUSH: Brownie, you're doing a heck of a job.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We misled the public about how bad things were there, which is the typical Washington way of doing things.
BUSH: Particularly when T.V. viewers could see for themselves how bad things were. Before Katrina, most Americans saw President Bush as someone who cares about people. After Katrina, that number fell to 42 percent. And now, worse.
During the year before Hurricane Katrina, President Bush's job approval averaged 49 percent. During the year after Katrina, his polls have averaged points lower.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SCHNEIDER: A year later, New Orleans has still not fully recovered. Neither has President Bush -- John.
KING: Fascinating look, Bill Schneider. Bill, thank you very much.
And some of the president's Democratic critics are also on the Gulf Coast today. Our congressional correspondent Dana Bash is covering their travels and their message -- Dana.
DANA BASH, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Ask Democrats to name the single biggest event that altered their political fortunes against the Bush White House this election year, and their answer Katrina. Because, as Bill was just pointing out, it took the president's biggest assets away from him: leadership, confidence and the perception that he can keep Americans safe.
So while Democrats are slamming the president's trip to the Gulf Coast this week as nothing more than a photo op, 25 House Democrats are there right along with Mr. Bush to deliver their talking points. The delegation is descending on Louisiana and Mississippi over the next two days to talk about everything from health care to insurance with local residents there. And it should come as no surprise what their theme is. It's right here on this report House and Senate Democrats released last week, and the title is, "Broken Promises: How the President and Republicans Left Survivors' Needs Unmet."
And Republicans, as you can imagine, John, insist Democrats are on shaky political ground, since they -- Democrats run state and local government in Louisiana, which gets a big part of the blame for the slow recovery a year later -- John.
KING: And Dana, as the political debate plays out, is it a debate playing only in the Gulf Coast region, or are the Democrats trying to take this elsewhere?
BASH: Definitely elsewhere. You know, Green Bay, Wisconsin, was nowhere near Katrina's wake, but the Democratic congressional candidate there, Steve Kagan, is airing a TV ad right now, talking about Katrina.
Let's lisen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
STEVE KAGAN (D), WISCONSIN CONGRESSIONAL CANDIDATE: Iraq. Katrina, FEMA. Port security. Poor judgment all the way around. It's time for change in Washington.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BASH: So never mind the voters in Wisconsin were not directly affected by Katrina. Kagan talked about Katrina in that ad because it fits right into the anti-Washington sentiment that he and other Democrats across the country are trying to exploit by saying Republicans who control Washington are falling down on the job, and it's time for a change. That's why other Democrats challenging vulnerable Republicans, I should say, are also talking about Katrina this week.
Republican Curt Weldon is a former firefighter and was one of the first members of Congress to visit the Gulf Coast last year. But the press release for an event his Democratic opponent is holding tomorrow asks this: do the people of this district want more of the same FEMA- style government, or do they want a new direction in the way Congress handles the critical needs of the American people? That's in Pennsylvania, John, very far from the Gulf Coast.
KING: Very far, but an anniversary that is echoing throughout the -- what's left of this campaign here. Dana Bash, thank you very much. And Dana Bash, Bill Schneider and Susan Malveaux, all part of the best political team on television, CNN, America's campaign headquarters.
Now, as we mentioned, a potential bombshell in the investigation of John Mark Karr. He's the suspect, of course, in the 1996 death of JonBenet Ramsey. KUSA Television in Colorado is reporting the DNA found on the body of the child beauty queen does not match Karr's.
Let's bring in our Susan Candiotti. She's in Boulder, Colorado with more on this -- Susan.
SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: John, that's a bombshell, that piece of information, done by an investigative reporter from KUSA, a CNN affiliate. Because, as has been said by a number of experts in this case, it would be very difficult to make a case against John Karr if there is no DNA match. And, in fact, that television station is also reporting that no charges will be filed against him. So that could turn today's first appearance into quite a proceeding. It was supposed to be something that was pretty unimportant and uneventful.
Now, obviously we may learn far more. It was supposed to be an initial appearance where he could have waived the reading of why he was arrested to begin with. But remember at this stage, John, he was never formally charged. All that had happened at this time was that we knew there was important information that led authorities all the way to Bangkok, Thailand to pick him up.
And in fact, U.S. law enforcement official had told CNN that John Mark Karr did have information that was not previously released by the medical examiner or by investigators, so it is still unclear how he could have known that information if there is no DNA match. Perhaps someone else told it to him if this is the case.
Nevertheless, today's court proceeding could prove to be quite interesting, indeed. Hopefully we will learn more about what is happening. It is important to keep in mind that a gag order has been in place about this matter since last Friday, which prohibits anyone connected with this case with discussing any aspect of it. Nevertheless, someone apparently has according to KUSA, told them that there is no DNA match and that John Karr will not be charged.
Again, assuming that that is the case, that could mean that John Mark Karr is simply a man obsessed with the JonBenet Ramsey murder, or possibly he might have some other connection to the case. Perhaps we will learn more at this hearing this afternoon.
KING: Susan Candiotti, tracking that hearing for us in Boulder, Colorado. Susan, thank you very much.
We want to bring in now our senior legal analyst Jeff Toobin, who joins us on the telephone. Jeff, this is a KUSA report. We are trying to confirm it ourselves, but put it into legal significance. If it fact is true that the DNA found on the body of JonBenet Ramsey is not this suspect's DNA, what happens?
JEFFREY TOOBIN, CNN SR. LEGAL ANALYST (on phone): Well, John there are a couple of possibilities about what the DNA test actually will show. One is that this is the identifiable DNA of an individual and that individual is not John Karr. That would come close to ending the case.
If, however, the test simply does not come up with a match, that the DNA is degraded that it is not a good sample that it is an incomplete match, that would lead investigators to look at other evidence in the case. There is a finger print in the house, is he tied to the fingerprint, is he tied to the footprint? Is there any other proof he is involved in the case? Certainly the absence of a match is good for John Karr assuming he wants to be acquitted. But it's not necessarily the end of the case.
KING: And so Jeff from a double jeopardy standpoint, KUSA also reporting he will not be charged. Does that make sense in the idea that if there's not a DNA match, that the prosecutors, who as you know for years have been criticized for their handling of this case, are trying to take more time to understand exactly what evidence they have and what they might still need to look for.
TOOBIN: Well, they did file an arrest warrant against him. That's what he was brought back from Thailand on. But if that is dismissed, there is the possibility he could be charged later. But I can't imagine they would dismiss the arrest warrant in the contemplation of filing charges later. I think they're either going to prosecute this guy or not prosecute him, rather than just put the matter off, further. They have all the evidence that they need in terms of what was at the crime scene. They know whether they can tie any of it to him.
KING: Our senior legal analyst Jeff Toobin helping us understand this potentially big development in the JonBenet Ramsey case. Jeff, we will check back with you as we wait for this court hearing later today. Jeff, thank you very much.
And right now south Florida is bracing for high winds and waves as Tropical Storm Ernesto turns closer. It could become a hurricane again as it makes its way to the Florida coast. Our meteorologist Jacqui Jeras is tracking all of this at CNN's hurricane headquarters. Hi, Jacqui.
(WEATHER REPORT)
KING: And Florida officials of course, have Ernesto in their sites and are kicked into emergency mode. Governor Jeb Bush is warning hurricane veterans along the coast not to let their guard down.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GOV. JEB BUSH (R), FLORIDA: Hurricanes are hurricanes, they're not -- we start thinking, well a Cat 3 storm, boy that's really bad, I better take this seriously. Anything below that, not that important. That's the wrong attitude to have. We've been hit by so many hurricanes, I think people start thinking that they have the capability of underwriting the risk based on whether a storm was a Cat 1 or a Cat 2 or a Cat 3. My suggestion and the suggestion of the professionals that work very hard at the local and state level and here at the state level is to take this storm very seriously.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KING: Florida Governor Jeb Bush a bit earlier today.
NASA is planning to pull the space shuttle Atlantis from the launch pad tomorrow unless Ernesto makes a surprise turn that eases the storm threat at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. If the shuttle is rolled back to protect it from the storm, NASA isn't sure when it will be able to go ahead with the mission considered vital to the future of the international space station.
If the looming storm is just one of the weather related setbacks space shuttle Atlantis has faced over the past couple of days. Now NASA is posting new details online and our Internet reporter Jacki Schechner has the latest -- Jacki?
JACKI SCHECHNER, CNN INTERNET REPORT: Well John, they've got this video online of lightening striking a launch pad where the space shuttle Atlantis was set to go for a Sunday launch. You're going to see it up here. This is one strike. They've looped the video over and over again so you can see it.
NASA says this is the strongest strike ever they have seen at the launch pad, but they've checked out the shuttle, the orbiter and the external fuel tank and they say they don't see any sign of problems related to this strike.
Now online they also have some still photos of the lightning strike in case you missed it on the video. You can check that out. They're also keeping a very close eye on Ernesto right now with the hurricane resource page. They have got this shot taken from the international space station of the tropical storm. You can see it right there. They are also continuing to update online at Nasa.gov, John, of everything that has to do with Ernesto in relation to Atlantis and whether or not it will eventually get off.
KING: And we'll keep an eye on that. Jacki Schechner, thank you very much.
And time now for "The Cafferty File." Jack Cafferty joins us from New York. How are you doing, Jack? JACK CAFFERTY, CNN ANCHOR: I'm fine, where's Wolf?
KING: Can't tell you, Jack, you know how this goes, need to know basis.
CAFFERTY: I took a couple of days off, I come back and he's abdicated. You know, it occurred to me John that the news media is going to be heartbroken not to mention looking a little stupid if this John Karr ain't the guy that killed JonBenet Ramsey. I mean, that's all they've been doing for like two and a half weeks. Now it turns out he may not be the fellow. Oh, well.
Onto other things. Political stupidity reaching yet a new level. I know you didn't think that was possible. Well it is. Remember Katherine Harris, the Republican congresswoman? She became a household name during the 2000 presidential race overseeing the Florida recount as that state's secretary of state. Now she's running for the Senate.
However I would not bet my lunch money on her winning. Harris says the separation of church and state in our country is a, quote, "lie we've been told to keep religious people out of politics." She also told the "Florida Baptist Witness," I guess that's a newspaper, quote, "If people aren't involved in helping godly men in getting elected then we're going to have a nation of secular laws and that's not what our founding fathers intended and that's certainly not what God intended."
Apparently God has talked to her and told her what he intended. She went on to say, "If you are not electing Christians, then, in essence, you are going to legislate sin."
Religious and political leaders from both parties were quick to note that Harris may have lost her mind. Fellow Republicans call her comments offensive, not to mention stupid beyond belief. Harris' campaign says she was speaking to a Christian audience, talking about the common misperception that religious people shouldn't be involved in government, huh?
Here's the question, what does it mean when Florida Congresswoman Katherine Harris says that separation of church and state is a lie. E-mail us at CaffertyFile@CNN.com, or go to CNN.com/CaffertyFile, John?
KING: Maybe some good will come of this, Jack. Maybe people will read the Federalist Papers to try to get to the root of all of this.
CAFFERTY: Maybe Katherine Harris killed JonBenet Ramsey.
KING: I will just leave that one right there. Coming up why did Com Air flight 5191 take off from the runway. Next, we'll tell you what investigators are saying today about yesterday's deadly plane crash.
Plus the battle for Congress, can the Democrats win back the House this November? We will tell you what a leading political analyst now thinks.
And later, much more on our top story, how much did Hurricane Katrina hurt President Bush politically. I will ask two experts, Donna Brazile and Torie Clarke, right here in THE SITUATION ROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KING: Our Zain Verjee joins us now with an update on the Kentucky plane crash investigation, Zain.
ZAIN VERJEE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: John, airport officials in Kentucky say the taxi way at Blue Grass Airport was altered one week before yesterday's deadly Com Air crash. Forty nine people died when the plane crashed on takeoff from the airport in Lexington, Kentucky early yesterday morning. Only the co-pilot survived. He remains in critical condition in a Kentucky hospital. Investigators say the plane should have taken off from runway 22 but instead turned onto the much shorter runway 26. Investigators are checking to see how much rest the flight crew actually had before takeoff and the markings and the lighting on the two runways.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DEBBIE HERSMAN, NTSB SPOKESWOMAN: The most recent information that we have is there are lights on 26 and they were out of service at the time of the accident yesterday. We are seeking to determine exactly what the status of those lights are, what their function was, who had access to them and all of those questions are what our investigators are trying to find the answers to today.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VERJEE: That's the latest on the investigation, John.
KING: Zain Verjee, thank you very much.
Federal investigators are exploring every factor that could have influenced this crash and many of the clues can be found online. Our Internet reporter Abbi Tatton is standing by with the details, Abbi.
ABBI TATTON, CNN INTERNET CORRESPONDENT: John, the investigators are looking at recent work that was done at this airport, what potential impact that could have had, whether there was anything altered. We do know from the website that there was a recent resurfacing project going on, just completed a week before, on the larger of those two runways there and that that did include the relocation of some runway lighting.
We also know from that press conference earlier that investigators are querying this database. This is a NASA aviation safety database, hundreds of thousands of reports in this through the years from pilots, from air traffic controllers. We've been looking through this as well and we found a 1993 incident where pilots confused these two runways at the same airport. They were, in fact on the shorter of the two here, but thought they were on the longer of the two. They were about to take off. They were told by the tower not to do so because they were on the wrong runway. In that one it cited confusing runway intersection in that 1993 incident, John.
KING: Fascinating. Thank you very much Abbi and we'll have a full report on this story coming up in our next hour.
But still up next, it's been a year since Hurricane Katrina devastated the Gulf Coast. So what kind of impact will the storm and its aftermath make on the midterm elections. Find out right here in today's "Strategy Session." And later it was anything but a quiet homecoming for Barack Obama. We will go live to Africa as the senator from Illinois tours his father's native land and makes a serious statement.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KING: We go straight back to our Zain Verjee for an update on the JonBenet Ramsey investigation, Zain.
VERJEE: John, CNN is able to confirm that John Mark Karr will not be charged in the connection with the JonBenet Ramsey murder case. He will not be charged by the Boulder County district attorney's office. We are going to bring you more details when we get them, John.
KING: Zain Verjee, thank you very much and welcome back to THE SITUATION ROOM. I'm John King in Washington. Topping our "Strategy Session" today, the political damage from Hurricane Katrina one year later. We are joined by our political analysts, Democratic strategist Donna Brazile, former Pentagon spokeswoman Torie Clarke. We should call you Republican analyst too. Can we do that? Do you have a change of registration, have you?
DONNA BRAZILE, DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST: You're presuming she's Republican.
KING: Presuming, that's true. President Bush is down in the region today, working for those Republican presidents, that tends to happen. They have a litmus test, I think. President Bush is down in the region. I want to show you some polling numbers I find interesting, a year later, obviously the region has to deal with the recovery, which is a very serious substantive issue, but we are in an election year here in the United States and you see the political legacy.
Who is more responsible for problems after Katrina? President Bush and the federal government, 40 percent; Mayor Nagin and the local government, 53 percent. And, yet, even though they say the locals are more responsible, President Bush's job approval rating, in the 12 months before Katrina, 49 percent; in the 12 months since Katrina, 39 percent.
I want to start with you, Torie Clarke.
This was a -- this came at a time when the American people were souring on the Iraq war. Did this push him over the edge, do you think, past a point where he can recover? CLARKE: Oh, certainly not past a point from which he can recover, but I think it was cumulative, obviously -- Iraq, very, very tough, day in and day out; Katrina, a disaster of huge, huge proportions, shared responsibility, shared blame for the failings of -- of dealing with that.
But I -- I just wish -- I know we have to focus on these polls. And the -- the polls of the state and the local officials are just as bad as the president's are. I wish people could focus on the tone and the tenor we saw today, which was extraordinary, positive, constructive.
The president acknowledged big problems, big challenges lying ahead. The federal government is -- is putting massive amounts of money into it. And, most importantly, he focused on what I think is most important. It's going to be at the local level that that money is best used. So, he's talking about an incredibly important partnership with the state and locals.
So, I hope people can focus on some of that going forward, not just the political worries of -- of politicians this year.
BRAZILE: Well, look, there's no question that President Bush took a -- a huge hit, but it was not a shining moment for -- at -- at any level of -- of -- of the federal government, the state government, the local government.
I -- I can speak personally, as -- as not just a native, but someone who was on the phone with the White House, on the phone with Governor Blanco's office, Mayor Nagin's office. You know, my dad was missing, my sisters, my brothers. We wanted immediate help. And -- and because of the slow response, the chaos and the confusion, all the political leaders are suffering.
But, look, John, there are visible signs of progress. There's a lot of -- there's a lot that remains to be done. And I am glad that President Bush is going back to the region. And I hope he continues to commit federal resources, federal help, because We need help in rebuilding the city of New Orleans and the Gulf Coast region.
KING: Well, what about Torie's point? And I will let you go first. You had a problem last year. The president, the mayor, the governor weren't getting along. You couldn't get them in the same room to have a real conversation. Is there better communication now, as they decide how to spend $110 billion in federal money, plus state money, plus city money?
BRAZILE: Well, I told the president, when I sat down with him a couple months ago, that, you know, asking New Orleanians to sit in the same room is -- is like getting two chefs in the kitchen and say, let's make a pot of gumbo. We have different recipes.
Look, the truth of the matter is, is that the president wanted the -- the governor and the mayor to -- to be on the same page. I think we're getting closer and closer together. There's money in the pipeline. The governor is -- is clearly interested in helping to rebuild New Orleans. We need to make sure that the money now gets into the hands -- hands of the homeowners, so that they can use that check to rebuild their homes, repair their homes, or relocate somewhere within the state.
(CROSSTALK)
KING: It was interesting, as a conservative and as a former governor, has let the locals deal with it. But, if there is dysfunction, do you think one failure of this president should have been, look, there's dysfunction at the local level; I need to take lead here?
CLARKE: No. I think he recognizes there -- there was failure at several levels.
But it's funny you say that about, as a former governor. As I was watching today, I said, boy, I am starting to see and feel a lot of what you saw and felt when he was governor and when he was running for president the first time, which is really understanding what it takes at the local level to get the job done.
And I -- I know he didn't mean it this way, but it was a bit of a shot at people in Washington or people in other parts of the country who think they can micromanage how to deal with this recovery effort. He knows they can't. And he was saying, push back here. We are going to do what we need to at the federal level. State and locals have to share their...
KING: You have both...
CLARKE: ... their part.
KING: You have both been involved in campaigns that struggled.
Katherine Harris' campaign in Florida...
CLARKE: Some more than others.
(LAUGHTER)
KING: Katherine Harris' campaign in Florida is struggling right now. She has said some things that are quite interesting, provocative, some find over the line, including this quote: "If you are not electing Christians, then, in essence, you are going to legislate sin."
She went on to say in this same address, according to "The Florida Baptist Witness: "If people aren't involved in helping godly men in getting elected, then, we are going to have a nation of secular laws. That's not what our founding fathers intended. It certainly isn't what God intended."
CLARKE: I personally think it was over the line. I -- I don't think she probably really thought through what she was saying, and -- and what the effect would be beyond the crowd to whom she was speaking. But I can see, given the -- the audience that she was dealing with, what she was saying. I heard somebody on a -- a talk show this morning talking about it, saying, look, if somebody -- if -- if a -- a gay person were speaking to a gay and lesbian audience, saying, hey, if we want our issues advanced, we have to elect more gays and lesbians to office, which is true....
(CROSSTALK)
BRAZILE: Well, one of the principles of our Constitution is the separation of state and church. And I think Congresswoman Harris misspoke. And it's unfortunate.
And -- and, no, I don't believe she had anything to do with the -- the killing of JonBenet Ramsey, to answer Jack's question.
But I do believe that this is going to hurt her campaign even more. And her campaign really has never gotten off the ground. Bill Nelson is doing a fabulous job, and he should be reelected.
KING: We are going to leave it right there for today.
Donna Brazile, Torie Clarke, thank you very much.
And Donna and Torie, both part of the best political team on television -- CNN, America's campaign headquarters.
On our "Political Radar" this Monday: a striking political prediction. A top analyst of congressional races now believes Democrats will pick up enough seats on Election Day to reclaim the majority control of the House of Representatives. Stuart Rothenberg estimates, Democrats likely will gain 15 to 20 seats. That's up from his earlier prediction of eight to 12 seats.
Coming up: Pat Buchanan charges that illegal immigration is ruining America. I will speak with the conservative commentator next hour.
But next: a war of words over the recent war in Lebanon. We will tell you what top leaders in Israel and Lebanon are saying today about the fighting.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KING: An update now on a developing story in Boulder, Colorado.
CNN has now confirmed that John Mark Karr -- he's that suspect brought back from Thailand -- will not be charged in the 1996 death of JonBenet Ramsey.
Just a short time ago, his attorney, Seth Temin, spoke in Colorado. Let's listen to a bit of what he said.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SETH TEMIN, COLORADO PUBLIC DEFENSE'S OFFICE: The warrant on Mr. Karr has been dropped by the district attorney. They are not proceeding with this case.
We are deeply distressed by the fact that they took this man and dragged him here from Bangkok, Thailand, with no forensic evidence confirming the allegations against him, and no independent factors leading to a presumption that he did anything wrong.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KING: Seth Temin, an attorney for John Mark Karr, speaking a short time ago in Boulder, Colorado.
Much more on this developing story up at the top of the hour, but, now, our Zain Verjee joins us with a closer look at other stories making news.
Hi, Zain.
VERJEE: Hi, John.
At least 11 people are dead and dozens wounded in today's suicide bomb attack in Baghdad. The attack happened outside the Interior Ministry this morning. It comes despite a major drive -- drive to curb violence in the Iraqi capital -- Iraqi forces trying to stem clashes that have broken out in the Shia city of Diwaniya. So far, more than 60 Iraqi soldiers and militia fighters are dead since the fighting began late yesterday.
And violence over the weekend in Baghdad killed at least eight U.S. soldiers. That brings the total number of U.S. military personnel who have died in Iraq to 2,629.
Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert takes full responsibility for last month's decision to invade Lebanon, but he rejects calls to set up an independent commission to investigate the handling of the offensive.
Meanwhile, Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah says he would not have approved the kidnapping of two Israeli soldiers if he had known how Israel was going to respond. But, in an interview on Lebanese TV, Nasrallah says Israel was already planning to invade Lebanon, and the kidnapping simply caused them to launch their early offensive.
U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan is greeted with boos as he tours a Beirut suburb devastated by Israeli airstrikes. Annan is visiting the Lebanese capital to shore up the cease-fire with Israel. Earlier, Annan met with Lebanese and Hezbollah leaders. He says he's working to lift Iran's air and sea blockage of Lebanon, as well as secure the release of the kidnapped Israeli soldiers.
Investigators in Turkey are looking for the cause of an explosion that killed at least three people and wounded more than a dozen. The explosion was the latest in a string of bombing attacks along the Turkish coast today. Officials aren't sure if the attacks are related.
Strikes turn into riots across Pakistan today, after government troops kill a tribal leader. Now, the violence closed businesses in at least three provinces, including the country's largest city, Karachi. The protests were called after Pakistani soldiers killed that prominent tribal chief, Nawab Akbar Bugti.
And, John, he had been leading a tribal insurgency in the region. They had wanted more control of the area, a -- a greater autonomy, and -- and a share of the region's mineral wealth.
KING: Disturbing pictures.
Zain, thank you very much.
And coming up: Barak Obama's excellent adventure. We will go live to Kenya, where the senator from Illinois got a rock star's welcome.
Plus, we're tracking Ernesto. Will the tropical storm strike Florida? We're awaiting a brand-new forecast from the National Hurricane Center.
Stick around. You're in THE SITUATION ROOM. .
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KING: Even the most popular U.S. presidents rarely get the kind of overseas welcome that Senator Barack Obama has been getting in Africa. The Illinois Democrat is drawing enthusiastic crowds in Kenya, his father's homeland. Today, the cheers were just as loud, even as Senator Obama urged Kenyans to fight against corruption.
Our Africa correspondent, Jeff Koinange, has more from Kenya.
Hey, Jeff.
JEFF KOINANGE, CNN AFRICA CORRESPONDENT: Hey there, John.
And I tell you, the local media here have dubbed the senator's Kenyan trip with a new word. They are calling it Obama-mania. And nowhere was that more evident than when he touched down in his father's hometown.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KOINANGE (voice-over): If Barack Obama was expecting a quiet family reunion in his ancestral hometown, he was seriously mistaken. From Obama T-shirts...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (INAUDIBLE) one, two, three.
KOINANGE: ... to photo-ops...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Got it?
KOINANGE: ... to signings of his 11-year-old autobiography, now a bestseller, all in its first few minutes here.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Back up, guys. Back up.
KOINANGE: And the phalanx of bodyguards more visible here due to the sudden rock star status.
SEN. BARACK OBAMA (D), ILLINOIS: This is obviously a wonderful event for me, the opportunity to come back to the land where my father was born.
KOINANGE: And with that, the senator's convoy was off. Thousands lined the streets just to catch a glimpse of the man many here consider their son and brother, even though he was born in the U.S. All the way to his first stop, the crowds kept growing and singing.
This was the first time the crowds had seen Obama. And, even for a politician used to crowds, Obama-mania here seemed a bit overwhelming.
But he quickly composed himself, greeting them in the native tongue of his father, a goat-herder-turned-Harvard-educated-economist.
OBAMA: I am so proud to come back home and to see all...
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
KOINANGE (on camera): It was at his first stop that Obama probably got his biggest welcome, thousands of locals turning up just to see him take an HIV test.
OBAMA: I just want everybody to remember that, if a U.S. senator from the United States can get tested, and his wife can be tested, that everybody in this crowd can get tested, and everybody in the city can get tested, and everybody in country can get tested.
(APPLAUSE)
KOINANGE (voice-over): Applause now, but this is a country where many avoid getting tested, out of fear of testing positive for AIDS. More than two million people in this country have died of AIDS, and at least three million are carrying the virus, and probably many more.
Next stop: the recently named Senator Barack Obama secondary school in his father's village, an hour away. The students ecstatic, singing Senator Obama, you have achieved fame and fortune; you are our inspiration. Where he unveiled a plaque.
But the best, no doubt, came last, Obama reuniting with his grandmother for first time in 14 years, and introducing his children -- a favorite son, now a hero, trying to make a difference on both sides of the Atlantic.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KOINANGE: And, John, as you mentioned earlier, yet another raucous welcome for the senator, as he gave a speech at the country's largest university, where he spoke of -- spoke out against topics he says are slowing down Kenya's progress, namely, ethnicity and corruption.
The senator leaves the country Wednesday, goes on to Djibouti, before traveling to Chad, and returning back to the U.S., but, no doubt, his most -- greatest welcome was in his father's hometown -- John.
KING: Jeff Koinange, I suspect we will be hearing about this trip when Senator Obama returns home, and in campaigns to come. Jeff, thank you very much.
Now, we should note, U.S. taxpayers are footing the bill for Senator Obama's visit to Africa, because it's considered an official -- official congressional trip. But Obama says he's personally paying for his wife and children to go along, in part so they can trace their family ties.
Up next: the consequences of disaster. One year after Katrina, how serious is the political damage? Our Jeff Greenfield put the catastrophe into context.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
GREENFIELD: When a disaster like Katrina strikes, the effects on the public are immediate, ongoing and clear-cut. President Bush is reminded of that today, as he visits Mississippi, one year after Katrina. He's also well aware, the political fallout of a hurricane, or other kinds of storms, are sometimes harder to gauge.
Here's our senior analyst, Jeff Greenfield.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEFF GREENFIELD, CNN SENIOR ANALYST: John, what are the political consequences of disasters? The anniversary of Katrina puts that question front and center. And what history tells us is that the consequences are as varied as the disasters themselves.
(voice-over): After the great Chicago fire of 1871, investigators blamed much of its spread on cheap wooden building that housed working-class families.
The editor of "The Chicago Tribune" then organized a Fireproof Reform Party, that tried to ban wood construction in the city. The movement failed, in part, because the reformers also pushed for the Sunday closing of taverns.
Nearly 35 years later, in 1904, another disaster befell working- class families in New York City. When the steamboat General Slocum, on an excursion up the Hudson River, caught fire, over 1,000 men, women and children died. This reenactment is from a 1934 movie, "Manhattan Melodrama." A commission named by President Theodore Roosevelt demanded and got major changes in steamboat safety.
But it was another fire seven years later in New York where political consequences were most striking. On March 25, 1911, 146 workers at the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory in Greenwich Village died, most because of dramatically unsafe conditions and blocked exits.
Reformers, like future Governor Al Smith and future Senator Robert Wagner fought for new laws and regulations. And out of this disaster, a political alliance between labor, liberals and politicians changed the face of urban politics, and helped shaped the Democratic Party of the New Deal era.
But what about a natural disaster, like a huge flood? In 1927, flooding of the Mississippi River and its tributaries killed people from Virginia to Oklahoma. But the response of the federal government, rescue fleets, shelter, food and supplies, reinforced the image of Commerce Secretary Herbert Hoover as a humanitarian hero. It was a big reason why he was elected president the next year.
But that same thing, outrage over the response to flooding in New Orleans helped trigger the political rise of Huey Long, who became governor, then senator, and the near dictator of the state.
And, sometimes, even minor events can produce major political headaches. When a 1969 snowstorm paralyzed parts of New York City, it almost cost Mayor John Lindsay a second term.
A decade later, in Chicago, a paralyzing snowstorm did cause Mayor Michael Bilandic his second term.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE H.W. BUSH, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We're here to help.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GREENFIELD: While the government's response to Hurricane Andrew in 1992 hurt the first President Bush badly in Florida, almost costing him the state that November.
(on camera): A couple of cautionary notes here about just how big the Katrina fallout might be -- first, remember that, in May, New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin, who took a lot of heat for his conduct during Katrina, ran for reelection in that stricken city, and won.
Second, more broadly, will voters punish Republican candidates in, say, Ohio or Missouri for what the Bush administration did and did not do in New Orleans? -- John.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KING: Thank you, Jeff.
And still to come: provocative words from a controversial politician. Congresswoman Katherine Harris calls the separation of church and state a lie. Jack Cafferty will be back with the fallout.
You are in THE SITUATION ROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK) KING: Jack Cafferty is back now with "The Cafferty File."
Hey, Jack.
CAFFERTY: John, the question this hour is as follows: What does it mean when Florida Congresswoman Katherine Harris says that the separation of church and state is -- quote -- "a lie"? She really said that.
Tom writes from New York: "More frightening than Ms. Harris' disgustingly vile and exclusionary comments is her campaign's clarification that she was speaking to a Christian audience. Does this mean that anyone running for position of public trust can take -- make offensive remarks with impunity, as long as they're made to audiences that will appreciate them?"
Grover in Fairfield, Ohio: "Harris has to go. The separation of church and state much be the law of the land. If they are blended, neither will survive."
Elizabeth in New York: "Katherine Harris' comments may be surprising, but they are hardly surprising. I have a feeling that, if most conservatives spoke their true minds, they would all be goose- stepping behind Ms. Harris."
W., in a similar vein, from New Mexico: "Katherine Harris' remarks reflect the neoconservative hope of a theocratic, Judeo- Christian government, that, while condemning fascism in some Islamic nations, encourages strict doctrine here. Our fundamental freedoms are at serious risk of compromise from a frighteningly powerful group of conservative elites."
Connie in Sarasota, Florida: "Thank you for saying what the majority of us here in Florida are thinking: Katherine Harris has completely lost her mind. Try living here."
And Craig in Richmond, Virginia: "Dear Jack, Ms. Harris' comments are a perfect example of the separation of her mind from her mouth" -- John.
(LAUGHTER)
KING: Thank you, Jack.
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