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The Situation Room
Ayman al-Zawahiri Attacks President Bush On New Videotape; President Bush and Republicans Feeling Heat Today With Journalist Bob Woodward's New Book; Congressman Foley of Florida Resigns; Congress Prepares to Leave Washington
Aired September 29, 2006 - 16:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: Thanks very much, Cheryl.
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 today's top stories.
Happening now, new threats from al Qaeda's number two leader. We'll bring you his message for the world and for President Bush. That's coming up.
And a stunning portrait of the Bush administration, dysfunctional, divided over the Iraq war. It's 4:00 p.m. here in Washington, where we have new details from Bob Woodward's bombshell of a book. We'll get a read on the reaction from Democrats, as well as from the White House.
Plus, an eye-popping record of convicted lobbyist's White House -- a convicted lobbyist's White House contacts. Congress releases Jack Abramoff's trail of bills and e-mail. Was he able to gain influence by wining, dining and giving perks to top policy makers? That's coming up.
And the 109th Congress gets ready for its curtain call, but one lawmaker already is calling it quits amid questions about his e-mail to a 16-year-old boy.
I'm Wolf Blitzer. You're in THE SITUATION ROOM.
Up first this hour, al Qaeda's second in command launching a new verbal attack on President Bush. Ayman al-Zawahiri appears in a new video posted on the Internet. Let's bring in our justice correspondent Kelli Arena. Kelli, what are we learning from this video?
KELLI ARENA, CNN JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: Well Wolf, this new tape is nearly 18 minutes long and actually it looks like two tapes, with two entirely different backgrounds. In the first part, Ayman al- Zawahiri attacks President Bush, calling him a lying failure for saying that the United States is winning the war on terror.
Now Zawahiri focuses on 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Muhammad and his capture. He insists that although the U.S. says that it has received valuable information from KSM and some other, that that information has not been a benefit. Now KSM, you remember, was one of the detainees who was recently transferred from a secret CIA prison to Guantanamo Bay.
Zawahiri taunts the president, saying, in essence, with all of that information that you allegedly got, you still haven't caught us. And then he says that his followers are only more determined to die in battle. Then he moves on, calling the Pope a charlatan for his recent comments on Islam and he urges Muslims to fight Holy War in Darfur, against what Zawahiri calls crusader U.N. troops. Now terrorism analysts looked at the tapes, say that it seems like Zawahiri is trying to basically stay tactically engaged.
This is his third message that has been released this month. So we're seeing a lot of these tapes, Wolf. And interestingly, there is no mention of Osama bin Laden. That's despite rumors that he died of Typhoid. We thought there would be, not a mention.
BLITZER: No mention and no sighting of Osama bin Laden.
ARENA: That's right.
BLITZER: A lot of sighting of Ayman al-Zawahiri, but no sighting, no mention, no video --
ARENA: Right, we haven't seen Osama in two years.
BLITZER: Yes, all right Kelli, we are going to stay on top of this story. Kelli Arena reporting.
It's a couple of days early to be an October surprise, but President Bush and his party are feeling considerable new heat today as details emerge about journalist Bob Woodward's new book, entitled "A State of Denial." Top Democrats are calling the book a deeply, deeply troubling account of the Bush administration's Iraq war policies that show in an abysmal lack of planning and communication.
It's also becoming powerful new ammunition for critics of the Iraq mission six weeks before an election that could hinge on Americans concerns about the war. CNN's Kathleen Koch is standing by at the White House. But first let's get some more on this book. Mary Snow is joining us from New York, Mary.
MARY SNOW, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well Wolf, CNN was able to purchase a copy of the Woodward book, "State of Denial, Bush at War, Part III." It describes divisions within the Bush administration over the war in Iraq and how it was handled, even claiming tensions between Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. President Bush is quoted, telling Rumsfeld at one point, quote, I know you won't talk to Condi, but you've got to talk to her." To that charge of tensions, White House spokesman Tony Snow.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TONY SNOW, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: I talked with Secretary Rice today and her quote was this is ridiculous and I told that to Woodward. (END VIDEO CLIP)
M. SNOW: Now the book also claims that former White House secretary -- White House chief of staff Andrew Card had tried to get Donald Rumsfeld fired on two occasions, the first in 2004. At the time there were nomination hearings for two cabinet positions and political advisor Karl Rove weighed in.
The book reads, quote, clearly the conduct of the war in Iraq would be the subject of confirmation hearings for anyone Bush nominated to be the new Secretary of Defense. Rove agreed that they did not want to do anything that would prompt hearings on the war, Jesus now.
Now, the book claims Card tried to fire Rumsfeld a second time in 2005 but the president refused. A source close to Card confirmed to CNN that Card did fail to persuade the president to replace Rumsfeld. In Slovenia today Secretary Rumsfeld was asked several questions about the book. Overall, though, he downplayed it.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD RUMSFELD, U.S. SECRETARY OF DEFENSE: I haven't seen the book. I haven't read his first two books yet either, so I wouldn't hold your breath on this one.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
M. SNOW: I'll have more on the book's revelation in our next hour, Wolf.
BLITZER: And one of those additional revelations that the former Secretary of State Colin Powell, when he stepped down, he thought Rumsfeld should step down at the same time. That clearly did not happen. Mary, thank you very much.
Democrats pouncing on the Woodward book, while the Bush White House downplaying it. Here is a sample of some of the political give and take.
We don't have that clip but we'll get it for you later. By the way Bob Woodward is going to discuss his book and the new allegations about the war in Iraq on CNN's "LARRY KING LIVE" this Monday night, 9:00 p.m. Eastern. By the way, we do have that clip now. Let's listen to the back and forth between the Democrats and the Republicans.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HOWARD DEAN, CHAIRMAN OF THE DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL COMMITTEE: As Bob Woodward pointed out in his book that just came out this week, apparently the commanders in Iraq asked for more troops a long time ago and the president ignored them. You can't fight a war if you ignore the military and the president has never listened to the military.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BLITZER: Howard Dean, the chairman of the Democratic party. Let's go over to the White House and the president's on-going efforts to defend his war-time strategy. CNN's Kathleen Koch is standing by there. Kathleen, I take it this book caused a big uproar at Tony Snow's daily briefing today.
KATHLEEN KOCH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It did cause quite an uproar there. Tony Snow really saying there wasn't much to the contents of the book and actually, if you'd like to hear a little bit of what Tony Snow said, take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
T. SNOW: In a lot of ways the book sort of like is cotton candy. It kind of melts on contact. We've read this book before. This tends to repeat what we've seen in a number of other books that have been out this year, where people are ventilating old disputes over troop levels.
Bob Woodward is a guy who comes up with the details other people don't have but it's worth sort of taking a look at a lot of these things. Now when it comes, for instance, to the issue of assaults on troops, this is something on which the president's regularly briefed and people know about it. Nobody has tried to mislead anyone about it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KOCH: Now the president himself did not address any of the charges that are raised in Bob Woodward's book. In his speech today to the Reserve Officers Association, here in Washington, the president actually spent much of the 45 minute speech talking about Afghanistan, talking about how difficult it is to build and support a fledgling democracy.
The president coined a new term for the extremists, the Taliban, who the U.S. is fighting, they're calling them haters of humanity. The president drew a lot of clear implications that there were similarities between Afghanistan and Iraq, but he only mentioned Iraq when taking on one of the findings in the National Intelligence Estimate that was released earlier this week, that concluded that the war there was helping recruit terrorists worldwide.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Some of us selectively quoted from this document to make the case that by fighting the terrorists, by fighting them in Iraq, we are making our people less secure here at home. This argument buys into the enemy's propaganda that the terrorist attack us because we're provoking them. I want to remind the American citizens that we were not in Iraq on September 11th, 2001.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KOCH: Now Democrats having a press conference after the president's speech were quick to challenge his argument and his logic.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. JANE HARMAN (D-CA), INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE: This morning President Bush said, quote, you do not create terrorism by fighting terrorism, unquote. That's a good sound bite, but respectfully, Mr. President, your own intelligence professionals have concluded that you're failed strategy in Iraq has exacerbated the terrorist threat. As the key judgments in the now declassified NIE on terrorism said, the Iraq conflict has become the cause celebre for Jihadists.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KOCH: Now party leaders insisted that there is no solution to the current conflict in Iraq, only an alternative and that is a new direction that they believe only Democrats can provide. Wolf?
BLITZER: Kathleen Koch at the White House, thanks very much. A lot more coming up on Bob Woodward's book this hour and next hour as well.
Let's go to Capital Hill though right now. A congressman's stunning decision to resign happening only within the past hour or so. Republican Mark Foley of Florida calling it quits amid questions about the e-mail he sent to a teenage boy who had served as a congressional page. Let's go up to the Hill. Our congressional correspondent, Dana Bash, is watching this story.
What is the latest, Dana?
DANA BASH, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: This is certainly a fast-moving story that we're learning more about minute-by-minute, Wolf. Congressman Mark Foley of Florida, as you just said, is confirming what CNN reported earlier today. That is, he is not only not seeking reelection but he is resigning.
He has resigned immediately and, in fact, he put out a statement just moments ago saying the following: "Today, I have delivered a letter to the Speaker of the House informing him of my decision to resign from the U.S. House of Representatives effective today. I thank the people of Florida's 16th Congressional District for giving me the opportunity to serve them for the last 12 years. It has been my honor."
He went on to say, "I am deeply sorry and I apologize for letting down my family and the people of Florida I have had the privilege to represent." Now, to put that in a little bit of context, this comes a day after Congressman Foley -- it was reported that Congressman Foley had e-mail exchanges with a 16-year-old young man, a former congressional page. And according to ABC News, that first reported the story, the boy forwarded those e-mails to an unknown congressional source and called the e-mails, "Sick, sick, sick."
Now, Foley has admitted through a spokeswoman that he did have these e-mail exchanges, but had flatly denied that there was anything inappropriate in them. Now, the speaker of the House, again, just a short while ago, was asked about Foley's resignation and this whole situation. Listen to what he had to say.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. DENNIS HASTERT (R-IL), SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE: He has to resign to the governor of the state of Florida. He sent that letter and we have an attached copy and we've laid it down and he is, for all practical purposes, resigned from the House.
QUESTION: As of now?
HASTERT: He's done -- as of now. He's done the right thing. I've asked John Shimkus, who is the head of the Page Board, to look into this issue, regarding Congressman Foley. We want to make sure that all our pages are safe and the page system is safe.
QUESTION: How disturbing is this?
HASTERT: Well, none of us are very happy about it. Thank you.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BASH: There are some tough words from the House speaker about this situation. And just to button this, Wolf, Republican sources close to Mark Foley and who have an understanding of the situation say that he was concerned that there was other politically damaging information, perhaps e-mails out there that could have surfaced up -- that is why he decided to take this extraordinary step and resign effective immediately.
BLITZER: I will be speaking with the number three Republican in the House, Roy Blunt, later this hour. I'll ask him about this story as well.
Dana, today is last day of this session of Congress. As there always is, there is always a mad dash to get some legislation enacted, passed in the final days. What, if anything, happened today or yesterday?
BASH: What didn't happen? Essentially, when you look at the frenzy that's going on, the desire to make things happen is certainly from the point of view of Republican leaders. You see there one thing that Republican leaders are at least taking credit for and touting as an accomplishment.
Just a short while ago they sent off to President Bush something that he will claim as a big victory, and that is a bill allowing some explanation and guidelines for how to try terror detainees and to allow for some tough interrogations of those terror suspects. That is something that the president is getting.
But as we speak, Republicans are trying desperately to get other security-related measures off of the floor of the House and the Senate and to the president. That includes a border security -- they have ditched the idea of, of course, comprehensive immigration reform and they're now working on the idea of border security, just a 700-mile fence. Also trying to get a Homeland Security funding bill to the president, as well as a port security bill.
One thing that we do not believe will happen, before they leave to go campaign full-time, is another big priority for President Bush, and that is getting legislation to authorize terror surveillance or wiretapping. That is not going to happen before they campaign.
That is all the talk in terms of what they can and cannot do in terms of substance these last minute few hours, Wolf, but there is a lot of talk behind the scenes and around the hallways -- even in the subway -- of one other question -- big question here -- which happens every time this year, which is, when are they going to get out of here?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
QUESTION: What time do you think you'll be on a plane?
SEN. JUDD GREGG (R), NEW HAMPSHIRE: I think most of the votes will be completed early this afternoon.
QUESTION: What time does that mean?
GREGG: I intend to be back in New Hampshire this evening.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. JOHN SUNUNU (R), NEW HAMPSHIRE: 6:45 P.M.
QUESTION: 6:45 P.M. or A.M.?
SUNUNU: P.M. What did the senator say?
QUESTION: Are you going to bet money on that?
SUNUNU: No, I don't bet money on the outcome of political events.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
QUESTION: What time do you think the Senate is going to get out tonight?
SEN. BARBARA MIKULSKI (D), MARYLAND: 1:17 A.M.
QUESTION: Yes?
MIKULSKI: Yes.
QUESTION: Take that to the bank?
MIKULSKI: I'll take it to the deficit.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. JOHN MCCAIN (R), ARIZONA: And rapidly, we come together as the weekend progresses.
QUESTION: What do you make of that? Isn't that odd?
MCCAIN: That's just the strangest thing. It's one of the great phenomenas. It's sort of like Halley's comet -- it's unexplainable.
QUESTION: Jet fumes breed bipartisanship?
MCCAIN: That's a good line.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. PAT LEAHY (D), VERMONT: I think we've only passed one of the appropriations bills. The law requires the Republican-controlled Congress to pass a budget act by April? Gosh. It's late September. We haven't even done that yet. This has been a do-nothing Congress.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. JOHN THUNE (R), SOUTH DAKOTA: There are a lot of things we got done that had been stalled out in the last Congress. I don't look at it that way. We got an energy bill passed, a highway bill passed, litigation reform, bankruptcy reform, judges confirmed.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. OLYMPIA SNOWE (R), MAINE: We should stay here however long it takes to complete the appropriations process. Eliminate the recesses and do whatever is necessary to do it. I think it's inexcusable.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BASH: Amid some laughter and perhaps giddiness about the idea of getting out of here, you definitely heard some of those senators, Republican and Democrat, sticking very much to their campaign talking points.
And at the end there, one Republican senator, Olympia Snowe of Maine, clearly very unhappy with her own party leadership that she has to go home and campaign on the idea that at this point the Republican- controlled Congress has only sent one of the 11 funding bills that Congress is required to send to the president. The president has only gotten one of them so far. They hope to get another one, but it may not happen -- Wolf. BLITZER: They are getting out of Dodge as quickly as they can. Dana, thanks very much. Dana's on the Hill -- she's not scurrying anyplace.
Jack Cafferty is in New York. Jack, you would love to be on Capitol Hill today to see these members of the House, members of the Senate, fast -- doing a little bit of work so they could get out and start campaigning.
JACK CAFFERTY, CNN ANCHOR: How is it they can walk around and pat themselves on the back for this 11th-hour rush over the cliff like a bunch of lemmings on pieces of legislation that they virtually ignored for five years since September 11? The security of our ports, for example. How do they do that and then go home and look the voters in the eye and say, You should reelect me because I'm doing a hell of a job for you. Can you explain that to me?
BLITZER: No.
CAFFERTY: OK.
It's become a daily occurrence in Iraq. The police get up in the morning, go out and collect the bodies in the streets. Often, they have signs of torture. They're finding them all over the country. Today, 25 were found just in Baghdad. Since Sunday, 147 bodies found in the capital city.
Also today, a relative of the chief judge in Saddam Hussein's trial shot and killed. That's a trial, by the way, that's never going to end. Imagine the violence in Iraq if Saddam is found guilty.
Meanwhile, things are going so well in Iraq that the military has hired a PR firm to monitor news outlets -- you know, make sure all the good stories are getting out. That firm will also provide talking points and speeches for American military officers in Iraq. It's a multimillion dollar contract -- hey, what other kind is there, when you're doing government work -- which is supposed to build support around the world for destroying the insurgency and helping Iraq form a democracy.
By the way, this is the same outfit that was hired by the government as part of the military's program to pay Iraqi newspapers to run positive articles about the war. That worked out pretty well. The question is this -- Why is the government monitoring U.S. news reports that are coming out of Iraq? You can e-mail us at CaffertyFile@CNN.com or go to CNN.com/CaffertyFile.
And it's my fervent hope, Wolf, that each and every incumbent senator and/or congressman or -woman running for reelection gets voted out, regardless of what party they belong to. I hope they all lose!
BLITZER: Thank you, Jack. I'll pass that word on. Appreciate it. Jack will be back a little bit later this hour.
Coming up, did disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff curry favors with Bush administration officials, and did they respond? What the White House press secretary is saying today.
And what will surely be an intense month of campaigning set to begin. Will it end with Democrats seizing control of at least one house of the Congress?
And we'll keep looking into Bob Woodward's bombshell allegations about Iraq and the White House. I'll talk with James Carville, Bay Buchanan --they're standing by live in today's "Strategy Session."
And this important note: this weekend, make sure you check out our CNN Presents: Rumsfeld: Man at War -- Man of War, I should say. This Saturday and Sunday, 8:00 p.m. Eastern.
Stay with us. You're in THE SITUATION ROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: Welcome back. Let's check in with Zain Verjee. She's got a closer look at some other important stories making news.
Hi, Zain.
ZAIN VERJEE, CNN ANCHOR: Hi, Wolf.
Well, authorities are trying to confirm the identity of a gunman who allegedly shot and killed a Florida sheriff's deputy and injured another yesterday. SWAT team members caught the suspect earlier today. Officials say they fatally shot him when he refused to show both hands. Hundreds of police joined in the search. Authorities say the suspect had hidden himself in a dense brush in a wooded area in Lakeland.
A Wisconsin school principal is fighting for his life. Police say a 15-year-old student shot the principal three times today at Weston High School. A custodian managed to wrestle the gun away from the ninth grader. Now, the teen is in custody. The motive for the shooting is not clear. Another student says the suspect was recently suspended for throwing a chair at the principal, who is hospitalized in critical condition.
The gunman who held six Colorado high school students hostage and killed one of them mailed a letter to his family the same day as the attack. Police say Duane Morrison mentioned suicide in the letter and apologized for things that will occur. Morrison fatally shot a 16- year-old girl and then turned the gun on himself on Wednesday -- Wolf.
BLITZER: Zain, thanks very much. Zain reporting from New York Today.
Now, a startling new window into the way Washington, D.C. works. The influence pedaling, the favors traded and sometimes questionable contacts. A new draft of a congressional report documents hundreds of contacts between White House officials and the now-convicted lobbyist Jack Abramoff and his firm.
The report shows more than 400 instances over three years where Abramoff's firm billed clients for work involving White House officials. Ten of those contacts were with the president's top political advisor, Karl Rove. The House Government Reform Committee found that most of Abramoff's efforts to influence presidential appointments and nominations were not successful.
But he had far better luck getting federal money for clients, including from those Indian tribes. The report shows Abramoff's firm secured more than $16 million for a jail for an Indian tribe, and $3 million for school construction for another Native American tribe.
Democrats are pointing to the report as evidence that the Bush administration is part of a culture of corruption in the nation's capital, but the White House says it's Jack Abramoff who is corrupt.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
REP. NANCY PELOSI (D-CA), MINORITY LEADER: Shame, shame, shame, once again, on the administration, saying one thing when another set of facts is revealed. The fact that, what, hundreds of interactions were made?
QUESTION: Four hundred meetings.
PELOSI: Four hundred meetings between Jack Abramoff and the White House, $24,000 in restaurant tabs from Jack Abramoff entertaining people in the White House, 82 meetings with Mr. Rove alone if the report is true.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TONY SNOW, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: I'll tell you what it accurately portrays, is the fact that Jack Abramoff was an exuberant practitioner of sleaze.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BLITZER: The next hour, we will speak with a Congressman Henry Waxman, the ranking Democrat on that committee that put out this report. The new House report also gives an extraordinary look inside -- an inside look at how hard Jack Abramoff's firm lobbied the White House. We've now posted it, by the way, online.
Let's bring in our Internet reporter Jacki Schechner with some more details -- Jacki.
JACKI SCHECHNER, CNN INTERNET REPORTER: Wolf, you can read it for yourself. Go to CNN.com's new Political Ticker at CNN.com/ticker. It's 95 pages and it does detail more than 400 instances where it looks like Jack Abramoff's firm probably billed clients for work that looks like they were wining and dining White House officials from January 2001 to March 2004.
For example, they say the restaurant that was most often frequented was Signatures, which was owned by Jack Abramoff, and there was a single bill detailed for more than $2,400 detailed as dinner and beverages for House, senate, and White House staffers.
There is also an e-mail here where it looks like Jack Abramoff offered Karl Rove NCAA tickets. Now, Rove may have paid for those tickets, but there are all sorts of bills and e-mails detailed in here. Rove has distanced himself, saying that he is not close to Jack Abramoff and the White House says that these bills are nothing new, that they are widely regarded at fraudulent.
Now, over the last five months, watchdog groups on the right and the left have been compelling the U.S. Secret Service to turn over White House visitor logs as well. They want to know when Jack Abramoff was there, and other GOP strategists -- Wolf.
BLITZER: Jacki, thank you very much for that.
Still ahead, the fallout from Bob Woodward's new book. Is it a free election gift to Democratic critics of the Iraq war? James Carville and Bay Buchanan, they are standing by for our "Strategy Session."
Also, they will take on the list of failures and accomplishments this term on Capitol Hill. Do Republicans have a strong enough record to run on? Our "Strategy Session" just ahead. Stay with us. You're in THE SITUATION ROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: There's a developing story out of Baghdad.
Let's bring in Zain.
Zain, what is going on?
VERJEE: We're learning that a curfew has been imposed in Baghdad that essentially bans virtually all movement in the city. It's being enforced from 11:00 p.m. today, Friday -- that was around 3:00 p.m. Eastern, our time -- through to 6:00 a.m. on Sunday, that according to police there.
So, that basically means that there can be no cars out on the streets, and no pedestrians either. There was no reason given for why the curfew has been implemented.
But, as we know, Wolf, there has been a massive increase in sectarian violence in Iraq over the past few weeks. Police are also being targeted -- many, many bodies of civilians being found, many tortured and shot at point-blank range and -- and discovered all around Baghdad and elsewhere.
But that's what we are learning now, Wolf. A curfew has been imposed in Baghdad.
BLITZER: And this being the holy month of Ramadan probably exacerbating the tensions right now.
We will stay on top of this story, try to find out why this curfew in the Iraqi capital has been imposed. We will get back to you, Zain, on that.
More now on the bombshell allegations in Bob Woodward's new book on Iraq -- and it's causing a lot of fallout here in Washington. Will it also impact the upcoming elections?
Joining us now, our CNN political analyst and Democratic strategist James Carville, and our CNN political analyst and president of the American Cause, Bay Buchanan.
Whenever Bob Woodward -- you and I have been around -- all of us have been around Washington for a long time.
(CROSSTALK)
JAMES CARVILLE, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: Yes.
BLITZER: He writes a book, we know a few things are going to happen. There is going to be a lot of nuggets in there.
CARVILLE: Right.
BLITZER: There is going to be a lot of news in there, and it's going to be number one on "The New York Times" bestsellers list very, very quickly.
CARVILLE: It's already number one on Amazon.
(CROSSTALK)
BLITZER: What a surprise. What a surprise.
CARVILLE: What a surprise.
And, also, we know that he's going to be wall to wall on the media.
(CROSSTALK)
CARVILLE: It's going to be "LARRY KING..."
(CROSSTALK)
BLITZER: Right. He starts with "60 Minutes" Sunday night, and "LARRY KING LIVE" Monday.
(CROSSTALK)
BLITZER: He will be here in "THE SITUATION ROOM" later in the week.
CARVILLE: Exactly. He -- he's going to roll out all week and beyond. So, it's going to -- he will be in "THE SITUATION ROOM."
(CROSSTALK)
CARVILLE: ... blanket coverage. BLITZER: So, the political fallout from this suggestion that this president is in a -- the title of the book, "A State of Denial," and that the White House, in conducting this war in Iraq, has been dysfunctional.
CARVILLE: Yes.
BLITZER: That's the suggestion in the book.
(CROSSTALK)
CARVILLE: I guess -- I guess, this week, we found out that Willie Nelson smokes pot and the White House is dysfunctional.
(CROSSTALK)
BAY BUCHANAN, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Yes, exactly. Nothing new. James is absolutely correct.
CARVILLE: There's nothing new. We have a dysfunctional White House.
Anyway, I think that Bob -- the thing about Bob Woodward is -- is, he is very seldom, if ever, challenged on the facts. I mean, he really is. I mean, some Democrats didn't like his first two books. The republicans have -- obviously, don't like this book. Some people in the Clinton administration didn't like "The Agenda." Other people didn't.
But Bob is pretty good about -- he has a pretty good record of getting his facts right.
(CROSSTALK)
BLITZER: This is part three, this book, on the Bush administration. Part one and part two, a lot of people thought were favorable toward the Bush administration.
BUCHANAN: Yes, and people -- and Democrats thought too favorably.
But the key is, you all act surprised. Oh, my gosh, it's number one again. He usually always is. No wonder he is number one. You have got him all over the media.
The media is playing this as if there are some new revelations. There is nothing new in this book. Sure, he's got some little details that might be interesting we didn't hear about.
(CROSSTALK)
BLITZER: All right.
(CROSSTALK)
BLITZER: Here are a few nuggets. Let's talk about some of... (CROSSTALK)
BLITZER: But you all really are being irresponsible, in the sense of making this something bigger, hyping it, because it's an election.
BLITZER: Here is a -- a quote from the book, page 360 and 361.
"The biggest voice for change at the Pentagon was the then Secretary of State Colin Powell. In one conversation Powell had with White House Chief of Staff Andy Card -- quote -- 'If I go, Don Rumsfeld should go.'"
Did you know that Powell was urging Rumsfeld to go after he left?
BUCHANAN: I knew -- it doesn't surprise me.
I didn't know specifically. But I did know that Powell was very much in -- did not believe we should go to war, and that he was inside fighting against it constantly, which means he would have been fighting against what Rumsfeld wants to do. And he felt, if he leaves, if he can take Rumsfeld with him, all the better.
What I also know is, Rumsfeld won that round.
BLITZER: Rumsfeld is still there.
BUCHANAN: Yes. Exactly.
(CROSSTALK)
CARVILLE: I just find in stunning that -- that Woodward says that the White House was dysfunctional in pursuing the war, and the Republican answer is, well, we all knew that.
Well, I never heard anybody say that this was any Republican say this White House is completely dysfunctional in its Iraq strategy, and completely incompetent.
And I think Bob even goes further to be...
BUCHANAN: Yes.
CARVILLE: Based on what I have seen, he's saying that they're not telling that the American people everything about this.
(CROSSTALK)
BLITZER: So, you're suggesting...
(CROSSTALK)
BLITZER: ... when -- when some people say this book could have an impact on the November 7 midterm elections, what you're saying is that most people are already discounted...
BUCHANAN: No. What I'm saying is...
BLITZER: ... the notion that this is a White House that is dysfunctional?
BUCHANAN: ... that this is what the Democrats and the media want.
And, so, they are going to hype it and hype it, make it sound like new revelations. But what you have just said is, it's dysfunctional. That's a word he uses.
What he also -- what also could be interpreted, which we all did know, is that there are great disagreements, and they were -- that's exactly what America should want, is that the people in the White House are disagreeing with one another, as they present their case to the president, so he hears both sides. He calls it dysfunctional.
I say all the better that Colin Powell was there disagreeing.
BLITZER: The Senate and the House, they're leaving today, as you know. They are going into recess today to go get themselves -- try to get themselves reelected. Democrats say this was a do-nothing Congress. Republicans are pointing to several accomplishments.
CARVILLE: Right.
BLITZER: As they go into the recess, looking toward the election, who has got the upper hand right now...
CARVILLE: Well -- well...
BLITZER: ... from a strategy point of view, the Democrats or the Republicans?
CARVILLE: I think -- I think the approval of this Congress is like 31, 32 percent.
I don't think anything -- and if you give the Foley situation, I can't imagine that anything is going to happen in the next 24 or 48 hours that is going to change that.
When this Congress goes home, it is going to be ranked as one of the most unpopular Congresses in history. I don't see anything that has happened or happening that is going to change that.
BLITZER: So, that's bad for incumbents across the board?
BUCHANAN: Sure, it would be, across the board, Democrats and Republicans alike.
But -- but the key in -- in -- but I do agree with James that, if the American people are going to vote on the issue that they are unhappy with Congress, it's obviously going to hurt Republicans, because that is who has the majority. But the key here is, that is not what is happening right now. There has been a lot of transactions take place in the last couple weeks, as always happens before an election.
We have got stronger national security, got border -- border security, port security. This is something the American people are going to be very, very pleased about. This Congress cut taxes. That's something Republicans are proud to run on. And we have two new judges as a result of this Congress, and plus a number of federal judges that we're also very proud of. There's a lot here to excite the best -- base of the Republican Party.
BLITZER: She actually sounds excited about it.
(LAUGHTER)
CARVILLE: I -- I -- you know what? American -- like I say, there's nothing going to change. And then you have -- you have got Randy "Duke" Cunningham in jail. You have got Ney pleading guilty. You have got Foley resigning because of that -- because, obviously, not allegations, something untoward with a -- with a young male, underaged male.
I just don't see anything changing people's opinion. I -- I think most people agree with Jack Cafferty, is that the Congress is not very impressive.
BUCHANAN: James -- James, there's as many Democrats under investigation as Republicans.
CARVILLE: No, there are not. Of course there's not.
BUCHANAN: And there's one in jail as well. So, let's...
(CROSSTALK)
BLITZER: Let's leave it -- let's leave it there.
BUCHANAN: All even.
(LAUGHTER)
BLITZER: We will -- we will talk about it a lot more in the days ahead.
(CROSSTALK)
BLITZER: Thanks guys, very much, James Carville and Bay Buchanan.
CARVILLE: Appreciate it. Thank you, Wolf.
BLITZER: Up next: Will Republicans ride out the '06 election and keep control of the Congress? The CNN Election Express and our Bill Schneider right now on Capitol Hill to give us a new snapshot of the battle for Congress.
And I will ask the number-three Republican in the House about the party's legislative record, as members prepare to hit the campaign trail.
The majority whip, Roy Blunt, he is standing by to join us live right here in THE SITUATION ROOM.
But, first, we want to go to CNN's Arwa Damon. She's in Baghdad right now. She's following this breaking news.
Arwa, we understand that a curfew has been imposed on the Iraqi capital. What -- what do we know about this?
ARWA DAMON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, basically, what we know right now is actually very little more than your average Iraqi citizen knows.
What we know is that there is a vehicle and pedestrian curfew that is in place, as of 11:00 p.m. local today, Friday, until 6:00 a.m. on Sunday. This was announced on local state television, Al- Iraqiya. What we do know, though, from the Iraqi emergency police is that there have been clashes in three Baghdad neighborhoods that have been ongoing since sunset.
What we know is that clashes happened between armed gunmen and the Iraqi police. They have -- and Iraqi army as well -- they have called for backup from U.S. forces. We are still right now waiting for more information and clarity on this.
BLITZER: And, just to give it some context, Arwa, there have been curfews imposed from sundown to sunrise in Baghdad, elsewhere in Iraq, on several other occasions, usually when is there an election or something huge going on. How extraordinary is this curfew that's sort of come out of the blue?
DAMON: Well, I have to say that it really did catch us all by surprise. I mean, there is a normal curfew here. It's normally from 9:00 p.m. until 6:00 a.m. Because, right now, we are in the holy month of Ramadan, and a lot of Iraqis go after sunset, that was actually reduced to being from 11:00 p.m. until 6:00 a.m. local. This announcement came at about 10:30 p.m. local time, and really caught everybody by surprise.
We do see a lot of vehicle curfews that are imposed, especially in times of increased violence or increased expected violence. But the fact that this is a vehicle and pedestrian curfew, this is fairly unusual, and really has caught everybody by surprise.
BLITZER: Arwa Damon is our reporter in Baghdad. She has been there for more than three years, doing outstanding work for us.
Arwa, be careful over there. Thanks very much. We are going to check back and get more on this story, a lot more on this story.
A lot more on the Bob Woodward book -- other events we're following.
Stay with us. We will be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: On our "Political Radar" this Friday: members of Congress preparing to head for the exits and hit the campaign trail in earnest. Six weeks before Election Day, where does the battle for Congress stand right now?
For some answers, we turn to our senior political analyst, Bill Schneider. He is on Capitol Hill with the CNN Election Express.
What is the answer, Bill?
WILLIAM SCHNEIDER, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: Well, Wolf, a Republican Congress is leaving. What are the odds that a Republican Congress will be coming back?
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SCHNEIDER (voice-over): Democrats are cautiously optimistic about regaining the majority in the House of Representatives, and increasingly hopeful of winning control of the Senate. Right now, CNN estimates that 22 House seats could change parties, all in the same direction.
STUART ROTHENBERG, "THE ROTHENBERG POLITICAL REPORT": If you look at the most vulnerable 15, 20, 25 congressional districts from the country that are most competitive, that could turn, each and every one is a Republican.
SCHNEIDER: Democrats need a net gain of 15 seats to win the majority in the House. Fifteen out of 22 sounds tough. But it looks increasingly doable.
Republicans are in serious trouble in the suburbs, homeland of moderate voters, like the New York suburbs of Connecticut, the Philadelphia suburbs, and the suburbs of Denver and Tucson. The Senate looks tougher for Democrats.
ROTHENBERG: I think the Republicans are still narrow favorites to hold the Senate, but there has been a fundamental shift in the way I think I and -- the way I view the race and the way most handicappers view it.
SCHNEIDER: Right now, seven Republican Senate seats at risk. The Democrats need to win six of those seven seats to control the Senate. That's tough. Five of those seven states voted to reelect President Bush in 2004. That's tougher.
Democrats cannot afford to lose the one Senate seat they hold that may be in trouble, New Jersey. They say a week is a long time in politics.
ROTHENBERG: Three weeks from now, we could decide that the Democrats have a best -- better chance in the Senate than the House. Things are shifting. It's -- it's -- there are a lot of unknowns.
(END VIDEOTAPE) SCHNEIDER: What is known is that national conditions favor Democrats. Republicans are borrowing a bit of wisdom from a Democrat, the late House Speaker Tip O'Neill, who said, all politics is local, which is true, except when it isn't true, maybe, Democrats hope, this year -- Wolf.
BLITZER: Bill Schneider on the Hill for us -- Bill, thank you very much.
And up next: the last hurrah for the 109th Congress, with Republicans fighting, as we just heard, to keep control, and a U.S. congressman quits, amid questions about his contacts with a teenage boy -- tough topics for the number-three Republican in the House of Representatives, the majority whip, Roy Blunt. He's standing by live. He will join us next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: On Capitol Hill today, a stunning announcement, even as the Congress wraps up its work before congressional elections: a House Republican, Mark Foley of Florida, resigning amid questions about his e-mail to a teenage boy who had worked as a congressional page.
Joining us now, the number-three Republican in the House, the majority whip, Roy Blunt of Missouri.
A lot of us were shocked when we heard that Mark Foley had decided to resign today. What's your reaction? What do you know about this, Congressman?
REP. ROY BLUNT (R-MO), HOUSE MAJORITY WHIP: Well, Wolf, I don't think I probably know as much about it as you do. I do know that Mark Foley is a friend of mine. I've seen him as a hardworking member of Congress.
Based on what I know already about these events, it sounds like to me, though, that Mark made the right decision to leave the Congress. And the speaker has asked Congressman Shimkus, who is the head of our page board, to look into the entire situation involving pages, be sure that any people involved are -- we -- we show our concern and reach out to them in an appropriate way.
Also, I'm -- I'm concerned that Mark is able to deal with this problem in the way he needs to deal with it, because, clearly, the behavior that we -- we hear talked about is behavior that Mark Foley would not want to be part of. And I hope that he can solve this problem for himself.
BLITZER: But...
BLUNT: And I wish him well. And I'm particularly concerned about any pages who may have been involved.
BLITZER: But is there any word, or do you have any indication there's any criminal investigation or any investigation of wrongdoing under way? BLUNT: No, I had no indication of anything until yesterday. There was some discussion of this, as you know. And, so,that's -- that's the only indication I had of any potential problem here. And I assumed it was a problem that would not lead to Mark's resignation.
But it has. And I think he probably did the right thing, for himself and for the Congress.
BLITZER: A lot of people are looking at this Congress, a Republican-led House, a Republican-led Senate, Democrats especially, saying -- calling it a do-nothing Congress. They're citing failures to do anything as far as Social Security reform concerned, lobbying reform in the aftermath of the Jack Abramoff scandal, comprehensive immigration reform.
You have a different assessment of what you accomplished in this -- this session.
BLUNT: Well, I -- I do have a different assessment of what we have accomplished.
I think, when you look at the national security issues that affect the country, we have done the right thing. Some of those things had to be done, even this week. And -- and we addressed those appropriately.
Economic opportunity -- the economy is strong because of the policies that this Congress has pursued. Energy independence, a goal that I think will be the primary goal of the next Congress, will only be able to be achieved because what we did when we passed an energy bill. We have worked toward that.
And, obviously, immigration reform -- it looks like the Senate today may actually take the secure-the-border-first approach that the House proposed last December and move forward with that agenda.
I think it's an agenda that our members are proud to go home and talk about. And, when you look at this week's activities on security, when you look at the -- the consumer confidence, the Dow, the declining gas prices...
BLITZER: All right.
BLUNT: ... all those things are things that give people more a sense of -- of opportunity in the country.
BLITZER: How -- how worried are you that you will be in the minority after the election?
BLUNT: I think we will not be in the minority after the election. I think our members saw a big turnaround when they were home in August. I think they're going to find, when they go home in October and talk about what they have done , rather than what our opponents, and, frankly, some people on the media every day have repeated about what we have done, they're going to find a totally different response than we might expect to see today. I feel good about the majority. We're working hard to secure it. I think the work we did in September will have a lot to say about what happens in November.
BLITZER: Roy Blunt is the majority whip. We will see if he's the majority whip after November.
Thanks, Congressman, for coming in.
BLUNT: Thank you, Wolf.
BLITZER: And coming up: inside Bob Woodward's new book on Iraq and allegations of a Bush White House divided and dysfunctional. I will talk to CNN's own national security adviser, John McLaughlin, who is mentioned in the book, entitled "A State of Denial."
Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: And still to come: a leading House Democrat right here in THE SITUATION ROOM. Congressman Henry Waxman weighs in on the Jack Abramoff influence-peddling scandal and the new report just out on the convicted lobbyist's contacts with the White House.
But, up next: Why is the Bush administration monitoring U.S. news reports out of Iraq? Jack Cafferty has some strong opinions about this one. He also has your e-mail.
Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: Lots of news happening today.
Let's check in with Jack Cafferty with "The Cafferty File" -- Jack.
CAFFERTY: Wolf, the question of the hour is: Why is the government monitoring U.S. news reports out of Iraq? They have hired some P.R. firm, given them a bunch of money, and said, all right, we want to -- want you to watch over what is coming out of there in the way of news.
Timothy in Illinois writes: "Simple answer is the media shape people's perceptions of events they do not experience for themselves. For most of us, that includes the situation in Iraq. Their hope is to manipulate the coverage. Positive coverage equals success for Bush. They forget a principle, though, that we teach our P.R. students, that you have to base your words on actions. The actions in Iraq do not indicate success."
Michael is Virginia says, "They ran out of things to monitor in the United States."
L. writes: "The Nazis monitored the media in Germany, the communists in the Soviet Union. Since these seem to be the governments that this administration admires and models itself after, why should we be surprised?"
Art in Colorado Springs: "Curiosity, Jack. They want to know what is really going on, too."
Draco writes: "There is far too much brush to be dealt with in Crawford, Texas, for this administration to be expected to watch, much less read the news."
Al writes from Payson, Arizona: "Of course there will be no monitoring of the Ministry of Propaganda, otherwise known as FOX News."
And Clark writes: "Jack, your sunny disposition and upbeat assessment of the myriad accomplishments of this Congress and administration just makes my day."
(LAUGHTER)
CAFFERTY: Wolf.
BLITZER: Jack, thanks very much. See you in a few moments.
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