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The Situation Room
Key Witness in Foley Scandal Speaks Before House Ethics Committee; Tensions High on Korean Peninsula; Former Virginia Governor Mark Warner Decides Not To Run For Democratic Presidential Nomination; NTSB Holds Press Conference on Lidle Crash
Aired October 12, 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: 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, a key witness in the Mark Foley congressional page scandal tells his story to lawmakers. Will he provide ammunition against the House Speaker Dennis Hastert? It's 4:00 p.m. in Washington, where the ethics investigation is now intensifying. We're also heading to the heartland to test the Foley factor in the battle for the U.S. Congress.
Also this hour, the first big dropout in the race for 2008. Democrat Mark Warner takes a pass on running for president. What was the former Virginia governor thinking, what does this mean for those likely to throw their hats in the ring?
And fault lines in the North Korea nuclear standoff. The push for U.N. sanctions may be losing some momentum. We'll you take to Ground Zero in this potentially explosive situation, the buffer zone between North and South Korea. I'm Wolf Blitzer. You're in THE SITUATION ROOM.
Also standing by -- momentarily we expect a news conference in New York at the scene of that crash 24 hours ago, precisely. That crash in that high-rise apartment building in New York. We're going to be going there. A spokeswoman for the NTSB, the National Transportation Safety Board, Deborah Hersman, expected to start speaking and answer questions from reporters about what exactly they have learned so far, what caused this crash.
We'll go to the scene very soon, though we're going to continue with other news in the meantime.
Up first this hour, a former congressional aide right now in the hot seat and House Republicans in hot water over the Mark Foley scandal. Former Foley chief of staff Kirk Fordham gave crucial testimony to the House Ethics Committee today. He says he warned the speaker's office about Foley's inappropriate messages to teenage boys several years ago. Speaker Dennis Hastert's chief of staff disputes that.
Meantime, Hastert is looking for another show of presidential support in Chicago later today. Less than a month before the elections, questions persist about what Hastert and other GOP leaders knew about Foley's behavior and when they knew it.
Our congressional correspondent Andrea Koppel is standing by with this developing story -- Andrea.
ANDREA KOPPEL, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, three hours. That's how long Kirk Fordham has been behind closed doors, answering questions from members of the House Ethics Committee. As one of Mark Foley's closest aides and someone who worked for him about ten years, he could provide investigators with some hard, cold facts as to who knew what when.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KOPPEL (voice-over): Hours before Kirk Fordham and his attorney arrived on Capitol Hill, reporters cornered him at his Washington home and peppered him with questions.
QUESTION: Are you nervous about going under oath?
KIRK FORDHAM, FMR. FOLEY CHIEF OF STAFF: Not really. Slept very well last night. Got a good night's sleep. Talked to my family. And, you know, I'm going to tell the truth.
KOPPEL: But while Fordham may be sleeping well, it's a safe bet some house Republican aides are not. That's because a source familiar with Fordham's account of events tells CNN he planned to testify he'd warned a top aide to Speaker Dennis Hastert about Foley's behavior several years ago. That directly contradicts the speaker's version, that his office first learned about Foley's inappropriate e-mails to House pages last fall.
FORDHAM: I'm going to tell the truth.
QUESTION: What is it? What are you going to tell them?
FORDHAM: That will become apparent when the report is issued, but I'm pretty comfortable with what I'm going to say today.
KOPPEL: The other Republican who testified Thursday was West Virginia Congresswoman Shelly Moore Capito, one of three House members responsible for overseeing the page program.
REP. SHELLEY MOORE CAPITO (R), PAGE BOARD MEMBER: I'm a member of the page board who was not informed of the e-mail messages that were sent. And I want to see this investigation go forth quickly and reach a conclusion.
KOPPEL: But while Capito was in the dark until two week ago, Illinois Republican John Shimkus, the board's chairman, was not.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KOPPEL: Now, Congressman Shimkus claims that he was first notified about those inappropriate e-mails that Foley exchanged with pages last fall, Wolf. And CNN has learned that the congressman himself will be in hot seat before the House Ethics Committee tomorrow. Meanwhile, we still have Kirk Fordham, who is in the hot seat behind closed doors right now -- Wolf.
BLITZER: We'll be standing by together with you, Andrea, to see what, if anything, he says once he emerges before those -- before the cameras over at the committee hearing room. Thanks very much, Andrea, for that.
President Bush is standing behind the house speaker and his handling of the entire Foley scandal. And Mr. Bush is scheduled to stand with Dennis Hastert only a few hours from now. They'll both be appearing at a Republican campaign event in Chicago. Mr. Bush put in a good word for Hastert during his news conference yesterday, while again denouncing Mark Foley's actions.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: This is a -- you know, it's disgusting behavior when a, you know, a member of Congress betrays the trust of the Congress and, you know, family that sent a young page up to serve in the Congress. And I appreciated Speaker Hastert's strong declaration of his desire to get to the bottom of it. And I -- you know, we need to know what Republicans knew and what Democrats knew in order to find the facts.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BLITZER: Senator John Kerry is pouncing on the Bush/Hastert connection. The former presidential nominee cites tonight's joint appearance by the speaker and the president in a new fundraising letter for Democratic House candidates. More on this story coming up here in THE SITUATION ROOM.
But let's move now to the North Korea nuclear standoff. The United States says it's still pushing for the U.N. Security Council to vote on sanctions by tomorrow. The U.S. ambassador John Bolton says the Council should respond to North Korea's defiance in the same week the communist regime claimed to conduct a nuclear test.
The U.S. now circulating what's being described as watered down resolution. Some of the more severe sanctions originally sought by the Bush administration have apparently been dropped to make sure China and Russia stay on board. But both nations still appear to have some serious reservations to the kind of very tough sanctions the White House wants.
On the Korean peninsula right now, tensions are high and the U.S. allies in the south are on alert.
CNN's Dan Rivers is reporting from the Korean demilitarized zone.
DAN RIVERS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, tensions across the Korean peninsula remain high as everyone is wondering what the world is going to do about North Korea. Well, today, we were given exclusive access to the South Korean army to see how they are reacting to the crisis.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) RIVERS (voice-over): Commander Kim Yong Woo surveys the demilitarized buffer zone that separates North and South Korea with an expert eye. Suddenly, this fault line between communism and capitalism has the world's attention.
He gives me a tour of his section of the fence and reveals that the South Korean army has increased the number of soldiers patrolling and manning watchtowers by one third since the North claimed it had tested a nuclear device. He says, "Since the nuclear test, we are not detecting any movement of North Korean soldiers, but we are sure North Korea will have another test. We are preparing for this. We are heightening our defense posture to confront the north's aggression."
The patrols are bigger and more alert. A once boring routine now has an edge.
(on camera): Despite Kim Jong-il's saber rattling, the message here from the southern Korean army is clear. They are highly trained and heavily armed, prepared to repel any aggressive incursion into their territory.
(voice-over): Beyond the razor wire, we manage to glimpse a slice of daily life inside the world's most secretive state. North Korean villages clearly visible, and even workers can just be made out tending the fields by hand.
A society cut off from the outside world, probably largely oblivious to the current international crisis which is growing deeper each day.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
RIVERS: Pyongyang is accusing the United States and South Korea of plotting an invasion, but from what we've seen today, they are prepared to defend their own territory, but there's no signs yet that they're planning to go on the offensive -- Wolf.
BLITZER: Dan Rivers reporting for us. Thank you, Dan.
Let's check in with Zain Verjee for a closer look at some other important stories making news right now -- Zain.
ZAIN VERJEE, CNN ANCHOR: Wolf, 17 more people killed in scattered attacks around Baghdad today. Eight were killed in two separate bombings in central Baghdad. The other nine died when gunmen stormed a television station in eastern Baghdad. The station hasn't officially opened and it has been airing only test broadcasts.
The head of the Committee to Protect Journalists called the deadly raid a reminder that Iraq remains the most dangerous assignment in the world right now. A U.S. military spokesman says there's been a tremendous spike in the number of attacks during this holy month of Ramadan.
Federal investigators pore over the Manhattan crash site, where New York Yankees pitcher Tory Lidle and his flight instructor were killed. A spokeswoman says they're taking fuel samples and looking at maintenance records in Lidle's flight log book for clues to why the small plane slammed into a high-rise condominium yesterday. They found the plane's parachute's detonated, but couldn't tell if it exploded before or after impact. Some building residents are being allowed back in.
In Nickel Mines, Pennsylvania, a quick closure for the Amish community, not to mention the community at large. A demolition crew this morning quickly leveled the one-room schoolhouse where a killer gunned down 10 Amish girls before taking his own life 10 days ago. Five of the girls died. A new school will be built somewhere else.
Gerald Ford's chief of staff says he's doing well after being hospitalized again. She says the 93-year-old former president was admitted to Eisenhower Medical Center in Rancho Mirage, California for tests. President Ford underwent angioplasty at the Mayo Clinic in August to reduce or eliminate blockages in his arteries. He has been hospitalized several times in the past year -- Wolf.
BLITZER: Zain, thanks very much.
And I just want to remind our viewers we're awaiting the start of that news conference in New York. Deborah Hersman of the National Transportation Safety Board expected to appear at those microphones on the streets of New York near that 50-story building that saw that small plane crash into it about 24 hours or so ago. Once she starts briefing reporters on the course of this investigation, how this could have happened, we're going to go there live for you.
In the meantime, let's stay up in New York with Jack Cafferty. He's got "The Cafferty File" -- Jack.
JACK CAFFERTY, CNN ANCHOR: Yes, I'll fill a little time for you, Wolf, before that news conference starts.
Midterm elections tend to be a yawn but not this time. Renewed interest in politics thanks to the war, the Foley scandal, the corruption, the bleeding borders, and all the other things we have to be so proud of in this country right now could drive more a lot more people to the polls.
In fact, according to a new Associated Press-Pew poll, 70 percent of those polled say they are talking about politics with their friends and family, 43 percent talking about politics at work. The poll also shows 51 percent of Americans say they've given quite a lot of thought to the midterms. That's up from 45 percent in the last midterm election, and just 42 percent back in 1998.
So the question is this: Are you more interested in the upcoming midterms than you have been in the past elections?" E-mail your thoughts to CaffertyFile@CNN.com or go to CNN.com/CaffertyFile.
BLITZER: I think a lot of people are a lot more interested, at least in my unscientific little survey among my associates and friends, Jack, but we'll see. Thanks very much. And remember, we're standing by for the start of this news conference in New York, outside that apartment building that saw that crash yesterday, that small plane go in. A spokeswoman for the National Transportation Safety Board, Deborah Hersman, a board member, is going to be briefing reporters on the course of this investigation. We will go live to New York very soon.
Also coming up, is the Foley scandal changing voters' minds? The CNN Election Express is in southern Indiana right now to see what they're saying out in the Heartland.
Also, the war on terror. It was a Republican's ace in the hole but our new poll shows some deep trouble for the GOP. Former Senator Max Cleland is speaking out in a special edition of our "Strategy Session."
But up next, the Democratic presidential contender takes his hat out of the ring. Why is Mark Warner dropping out, and what does that mean for the race for the White House? Stay with us. You're in THE SITUATION ROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: Once again, we will go to the streets of Manhattan and the streets of New York once this news conference starts there, a news conference being conducted by the National Transportation Safety Board which is in charge now of this investigation of why that small plane carrying the New York Yankees pitcher Cory Lidle crashed into that high-rise apartment building. We'll go to the news conference once it starts.
Meanwhile, a surprise announcement today in the pre-game show of the 2008 presidential race. The former Virginia governor, Mark Warner, says he's decided not to run for the Democratic presidential nomination. Warner says he wants -- and I'm quoting now -- "a real life right now." But he didn't rule out running for the Senate or the governor for Virginia once again. So what does this mean for a White House campaign that hasn't even officially started yet?
For some answers, we always turn to our senior political analyst, Bill Schneider -- Bill.
WILLIAM SCHNEIDER, CNN SR. POLITICAL ANALYST: Wolf, not a single candidate is running for president yet but that doesn't stop people from asking who is helped, who is hurt by Mark Warner's decision not to run.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SCHNEIDER (voice-over): Mark Warner was touted as the ultimate red state Democrat, the moderate southern governor who was popular with rural voters, NASCAR fans, and Republicans.
MARK WARNER (D), FMR. VIRGINIA GOVERNOR: Rank and file Democrats everywhere are energized and want our party to be a party of hope, not a party of anger. SCHNEIDER: Warner was called the anti-Hillary, the fallback candidate Democrats could turn to in case Senator Clinton faltered. So who is affected by Warner's decision not to run?
MARK PRESTON, CNN POLITICAL EDITOR: It affects Hillary Clinton, it affects Evan Bayh, it affects John Edwards.
SCHNEIDER: Clinton looks even more like the frontrunner. Bayh faces less competition for the title, "King of the Red State Democrats." But the Democrat who is likely to benefit most is Edwards.
D. TAYLOR, CULINARY WORKERS' UNION: He's from the south, but he has a lot of liberal support, union support.
SCHNEIDER: Edwards appears to be running strong in Iowa, where he came in second in 2004 ahead of Howard Dean. Edwards' economic populism could help him with union voters in Nevada five days later.
TAYLOR: In our members' views, bread and butter issues that are important.
SCHNEIDER: A week later, South Carolina, Edwards' native state. He won that primary last time. If she runs, there's no question that Clinton would take up a lot of political space.
PRESTON: Not only is she soaking up the money, Hillary Clinton is soaking up advisors and she's soaking up support across the country.
SCHNEIDER: There may be some space to her left for a strong anti-war Democrat energized by the net roots. There will also be space for the un-Hillary, the Democrat who claims to be more electable than the New York senator, someone who shows better in the red states, the candidate formerly known as Mark Warner.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SCHNEIDER: Warner said his decision not to run for president, quote, "Doesn't mean I won't run for public office again." Maybe another term as governor of Virginia, or senator, or maybe vice president.
After all, John Edwards has been there and done that -- Wolf.
BLITZER: Bill Schneider, thank you.
And since leaving the governorship in Virginia, Mark Warner has been testing the presidential waters online, at least until today.
Our Internet reporter Abbi Tatton has the latest now on how the Web is responding to today's surprise announcement -- Abbi.
ABBI TATTON, CNN INTERNET REPORTER: Wolf, Warner's courting of the online community and his use of technology went above and beyond the usual political outreach, early on signing a prominent liberal blogger, Jerome Armstrong, to his political action committee. Warner was reaching out through that Web site, and also through social networking sites to reach young people.
Warner also was going out to meet the bloggers, not only appearing at a blogging convention earlier on this year, YearlyKos, but also throwing a party at that convention for the convention-goers, complete, that party, with ice sculptures of commuters.
Now, the use of technology and the outreach by the former governor of Virginia sometimes verged on the bizarre. Look at this. This is a virtual Mark Warner that was created by Warner in August to appear on the virtual online community "Second Life" to answer questions from a virtual reporter. That, getting a lot of discussion online.
So how is all of this working? Well, the big liberal blog "Daily Kos" does a monthly straw poll. Warner was never leading the pack, but he did consistently poll in the top four there. Lots of reaction today from "Kos", wondering -- curious where that online support's going to go. Other bloggers saying that this announcement might benefit the former vice presidential candidate John Edwards, who, himself, a young southern Democrat with a considerable online presence -- Wolf.
BLITZER: Could benefit Evan Bye as well, the former governor of Indiana, the current senator from Indiana.
Thanks, Abbi, very much.
Abbi Tatton and Bill Schneider are part of the best political on television. And remember, for the latest campaign news at any time, check on you our political ticker. That's an easy thing to. Just go to CNN.com/ticker.
Just a note. We're still standing by for that news conference from the National Transportation Safety Board in New York. There you see the microphones. Once Deborah Hersman shows up, she's going to brief us on the course of this investigation into the plane crash into that high-rise yesterday.
But up next, more on the Foley factor. The "CNN Election Express" is in southern Indiana today to see if the scandal here in Washington is changing voters' minds out on the campaign trail.
Plus, the president says the Democrats want to cut and run from Iraq. Is that a smart strategy? I'll ask the former U.S. Senator Max Cleland. And Terry Jeffrey of "Human Events." They're standing by for our "Strategy Session".
Stay with us. You're in the SITUATION ROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: Welcome back to the SITUATION ROOM. I'm Wolf Blitzer in Washington. We're about to go to New York. A news conference about to begin. The news conference will be conducted by the National Transportation Safety Board. There you see Deborah Hersman, she's going to be making a statement and answering questions. Deborah Hersman from the National Transportation Safety Board, which is in charge of this investigation into the crash yesterday. Let's listen.
DEBORAH HERSMAN, NTSB SPOKESWOMAN: Good evening. I'm Debbie Hersman. D-E-B-B-I-E. Last name, H-E-R-S-M-A-N. I'm a board member with the National Transportation Safety Board. I'm accompanied by the Lorenzo Ward (ph), the investigator in charge for the accident.
I'd like to begin by giving you some updates on the progress that our team has made since we arrived yesterday. We're here to investigate the accident that occurred yesterday afternoon. NTSB investigators are assisted by the Federal Aviation Administration; the airplane's manufacturer, Cirrus Aircraft; the engine manufacturer, Teledyne Continental Motors.
We have received tremendous unseen support from the city of New York and all of the state, local, and federal emergency responders and officials. They have assisted us with locating all of the aircraft parts and with moving them to a nearby facility, which is a process that is ongoing.
Information about the two pilots that were presumed to be on board, one was a private pilot, who was properly certificated. The other was a certified flight instructor, who was authorized by the FAA to conduct flight training on this type of aircraft.
Our team is interviewing, as we're here today, a local certified flight instructor who had flown numerous times with the aircraft's owner. Radar data has been obtained from various sources. We're correlating all of that data and putting it together.
The information that we have so far indicates the flight left Teterboro headed north. It made a right turn and flew south over the Hudson River near the New Jersey shore line. It made 180 degree left turn around the Statue of Liberty. It was headed north. It flew along the East River, between Roosevelt Island and Queens. At about 70th Street, it was still headed north at approximately 120 miles -- 112 miles per hour. It began a left turn back to the south at approximately 700 feet.
The final radar return shows the airplane in a left turn a quarter a mile north of the building at an altitude of approximately 500 feet. Additional radar data from other sources will provide us more information. We continue to put that together at our headquarters in Washington.
Weather information at the time of departure: the winds were from the east at seven knots, visibility was seven miles, the ceiling was at 1,700 feet. At the time of the accident, the winds in Central Park were from the northeast at six knots.
On scene today, our team took a very systemic approach to documenting the wreckage. They began on the 40th floor where the airplane impacted. They worked their way through the 41st floor, and then down from the 39th floor, and on through the rest of the floors. They were looking on terraces and ledges for any aircraft parts.
We did locate a hand-held GPS system, which we have sent back to Washington to be analyzed. On the third floor terrace, we found a memory chip for a multifunction display. This may have some memory on it. Both of these items, though, are damaged. This was a severe impact.
The memory chip is bent. And both items exhibited some thermal damage as well. They have been sent to our headquarters, our labs in our headquarters, for additional review and download of any information that might be there.
We have located all four corners of the airplane. What this means is that we have located the nose, the tail, and both of the wings. We have located control surfaces, such as ailerons, the elevator, and the rudder.
We have gone through nearby rooftops and adjacent buildings. We're locating aircraft parts. And the purpose for this is to document their specific location and the condition. We will be collecting all of those parts and moving them to another facility.
Finally, we located the instrument panel. Information from the instrument panel will aid our investigators, if it's usable. We have sent that, also, back to our all lab and headquarters for analysis.
The engine was brought down from the 40th floor this afternoon. It's going to be shipped to Alabama. That's where Teledyne Continental Motors is based. The NTSB will supervise a teardown or a further review, an examination of the engine.
The propeller was manufactured by Hartzell. It's being sent to Ohio. And, again, the NTSB will supervise a further review of the propeller.
Initial field examination shows strong evidence that the propellers were turning at the time of impact. A representative from the parachute manufacturer was also assisting us on scene today. He's examined the parachute system. An initial examination, appears that it was thermally discharged. I just...
QUESTION: Say it again, please.
HERSMAN: Sure.
The parachute manufacturer conducted an initial examination of the charge that was discharged for the parachute system, the aircraft parachute system. Early indications that he observed shows that the air -- shows that it was thermally discharged.
QUESTION: (INAUDIBLE).
HERSMAN: He still needs to conduct an additional examination to ensure that that is actually how the discharge occurred, but I'm sharing with you preliminary information that we have found from our initial reviews.
I did go take another look at the accident scene. And the parachute is very tightly packed. There is significant burn damage to the package that contains the parachute, but it is tightly packed.
Toxicology samples have been taken. And this is a standard practice in accident investigation. Our team is completing our on- scene investigation at this point in time.
As I mentioned to you earlier, numerous parts are being sent back to our headquarters lab in Washington, D.C.
(SIRENS BLARING)
HERSMAN: Thank you.
Our team is completing the on-scene phases of our investigation. As I mentioned, numerous parts have been sent back to our lab in Washington. The engines and the propellers are being sent back to the manufacturer site for further review and teardown.
We hope to release the scene within the next 24 hours and be able to move the aircraft parts to another facility for further examination. This will likely be our final press briefing while we are on scene. However, any additional information that becomes available will be presented to the public through follow-up briefings, press releases, and information released from our Washington headquarters office.
I would be happy to take questions.
QUESTION: Debbie, what does thermally discharged mean?
HERSMAN: The manufacturer of the parachute system has taken a look at the system, especially the charge.
And it appears that it has been thermally discharged. As you all know, there was significant fire that occurred post-crash. The thermal discharge indicates that there was a heat and fire effect on the charge, and that it appears that it was thermally discharged.
The things we are looking at is whether it could have been deployed by the crew, whether it was damaged on impact, or whether there was thermal damage or discharge. The manufacturer took a look at it. His preliminary information that was provided to us is that it appears that the charge -- that it was thermally discharged.
QUESTION: Can you talk about the flight...
(CROSSTALK)
QUESTION: Meaning that the fire...
(CROSSTALK) QUESTION: ... who was piloting the plane...
(CROSSTALK)
QUESTION: ... Cory Lidle or the flight instructor?
HERSMAN: We do not know who was piloting the aircraft.
QUESTION: Can you talk about the flight log at all?
(CROSSTALK)
QUESTION: ... airport for permission to enter airspace. Is that accurate?
HERSMAN: We have heard reports that there were additional contacts with air traffic control that have -- that have been stated in the media.
We have been working with the FAA. They're reviewing tower tapes at Newark, La Guardia, Kennedy, and Teterboro. We do not have any information of any mayday or distress calls or that any other contact was made with those towers requesting other clearances.
As we reported last night, they were -- they took off from Teterboro. They were in contact with the tower at Teterboro. Teterboro tower asked them if they wanted to be transferred to New York TRACON. They said that they did not want to be transferred to New York TRACON, that they were going to fly VFR up and down the river. That was the last contact that we have reported to us by air traffic control.
(CROSSTALK)
QUESTION: Could you talk a little bit about the flight log and whether or not...
(CROSSTALK)
QUESTION: (INAUDIBLE).
HERSMAN: One of our investigators is interviewing an instructor, a certified flight instructor who has flown with the owner of the aircraft on numerous times.
That interview was being conducted when I was preparing for this press conference. And I do not know what information might have been gleaned from that interview.
NTSB investigations are very comprehensive. We're going to be looking at training. We're going to be looking at qualifications. We have taken fuel samples. We will be looking at fuel samples. Air traffic control tapes, radar data, maintenance records, all of this information is part of our investigation, as are witness interviews, and interviews of people who have flown with these two pilots in the past. QUESTION: Can tell (INAUDIBLE) the last there was a mechanic look at that (INAUDIBLE).
HERSMAN: The question was is if we have any information about the last time this plane was looked at by a mechanic. That is also part of our investigation.
We will be gathering maintenance records. We will looking -- be looking at where this aircraft was based, what maintenance might have been done, any records that might be available. That is all part of our investigation. And that is standard procedure in NTSB investigations.
(CROSSTALK)
QUESTION: Were weather conditions...
(CROSSTALK)
QUESTION: Do you have any information...
BLITZER: All right, Debbie Hersman of the National Transportation Safety Board briefing us on the course of this investigation -- it's only just beginning. This will take weeks, probably months, before the NTSB comes up with a final report.
Some preliminary indications, though, that that parachute aboard that small plane, according to the preliminary investigation, was, in the words of the parachute manufacturer, thermally discharged, though it was tightly packed when they found it, unclear how it was discharged, whether it was discharged upon impact, whether someone pushed the button, the lever, to discharge that parachute. That's one thing they are going to be looking at.
Also, she is now saying there is no evidence -- at least they haven't found any evidence yet -- that there was any distress call or mayday appeal from the cockpit of this small plane, contrary to some reports yesterday that there was a mayday distress call that was made.
We're going to continue to monitor this news conference, get you more information, as it becomes available. But, clearly, they have a lot of work to do to determine why that small plane crashed into that 50-story residential building yesterday.
Up next: He's the top Democrat in the Senate, but now Harry Reid is under attack from Republicans because of the sale of some property. We are going to take a closer look at just what the senator did.
Plus: Arnold Schwarzenegger's late-night adventure. Why is his appearance on the "Jay Leno" show causing some political controversy?
Much more coming up. Stay with us. You're in THE SITUATION ROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK) BLITZER: Now less than four weeks before the elections on November 7, lots going on, voters clearly concerned about the war in Iraq, the war on terror.
Let's get to our "Strategy Session" today.
Joining us from Cleveland, the former Democratic Senator Max Cleland of Georgia. Here in our D.C. bureau, Terry Jeffrey. He's the editor of "Human Events."
Thanks very much to both of you for coming in.
Senator Cleland, the president of the United States was very forceful yesterday in depicting you and other Democrats as being a party, in his words, of cut-and-run. Listen to what he said.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BUSH: When you pull out before the job is done, that's cut-and- run, as far as I'm concerned. And that's cut-and-run as far as most Americans are concerned.
And, so, yes, I'm going to continue reminding them of their words and their votes.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BLITZER: But other Republican strategists are saying they're going to try to do to other Democrats what they did to you when you lost your bid for reelection in Georgia. What do you make of this Republican strategy?
MAX CLELAND, FORMER U.S. SENATOR: Well, first of all, I would like to remind the American people and the president that he cut and ran from Vietnam. So did his vice president.
I mean, they cut and ran from Osama bin Laden. They are cut-and- running from Americans veterans. They spend $8 billion a month in Iraq and underfund the V.A. by $6 billion a year, according to the Congressional Budget Office.
So, this cut-and-run stuff is just bumper-sticker stuff. It is not a plan to win. It is certainly not an exit strategy. So, we have 140,000 troops on the ground getting blown up and shot in a civil war. It's time to redeploy them, bring our Guard and Reserve home, to guard our own borders, and go after Osama bin Laden, and al Qaeda. It's still, al Qaeda, stupid. And that is what the president doesn't get.
BLITZER: You know, a lot of Americans agree with the senator, Terry.
In our most recent CNN poll, we asked if you favor or oppose the U.S. war in Iraq. Look at this. Thirty-two percent say they favor it. Sixty-two percent say they oppose it. That's the lowest number of support for the war since we have been conducting these polls over the past three-and-a-half years. TERRY JEFFREY, EDITOR, "HUMAN EVENTS": Well, Wolf, I agree with Senator Cleland that cut-and-run can become a bumper sticker, and it's really not going to be helpful for Republicans.
But the truth is that a lot of Democrats, like Senator Cleland, voted to authorize this war. And now we have both a moral responsibility and a responsibility to our national interests to make sure that, in the way we get out of the Iraq war, we don't entail greater consequences than we are suffering right now.
So, I think it is a good strategy for the president and the other Republicans to point out that the Democrats are not presenting a realistic, viable alternative for getting out of Iraq...
BLITZER: All right.
JEFFREY: ... without bringing...
(CROSSTALK)
JEFFREY: ... consequences.
BLITZER: What is a realistic, viable alternative, Senator?
CLELAND: Get out. Redeploy. Take care of our own troops.
I mean, I think that's what we're talking about here. We have -- we do not have a plan to win. Well, that's not -- stay the course is no strategy. It is no strategy to win. It is no strategy to exit. We're just getting kids blown up. We have lost 2,700 kids over there. We have got 20,000 wounded, 10,000 wound -- wounded for life, maimed for life. And it's time to end this thing.
Now, the Iraqis are going to settle their differences, one way or the other. They have been at this for 5,000 years. Let them have it. And it is not our 51st state. We have got to take care of our country. We have got to bring the Guard and Reserve home to take care of our country. We got to focus our active forces , covertly and overtly, on killing or capturing Osama bin Laden and his terrorist cadre.
JEFFREY: But...
CLELAND: They are the real threats to America right now.
JEFFREY: But, Wolf, what Senator Cleland is not dealing with is the potential consequences of withdrawing U.S. troops from Iraq now.
How are we going to prevent a civil war? The problem we have had over the summer there is an intensification of sectarian violence between Sunni and Shia. You have Iranian-backed and armed Shia militia there. You have Sunni insurgents who don't want to give up the fight.
BLITZER: All right. JEFFREY: How is Senator Cleland going to stop, if he removes our troops from Iraq, Shiite civil war from breaking out all down the Persian Gulf?
BLITZER: All right, what about that, Senator?
CLELAND: If people don't understand that there is a civil war going on there, and more than 100 Iraqis dying every day, and that three out of five Iraqis want to kill Americans, then, I can't make them -- make this point any clear -- any more clearly.
It is time to redeploy our forces...
BLITZER: All right.
CLELAND: ... from Iraq, and bring them home, and refocus on the real enemy.
BLITZER: Terry -- hold on, Terry, because there is another poll I want to show. This may be even more worrisome to Republicans right now.
Who is doing a better job in fighting terrorism? Back in September, the Republicans had a 47-41 majority -- advantage on that issue. But, in our most recent numbers, right now, the Democrats get 45 percent. The Republicans get 40 percent.
This was supposed to be the big -- the rallying cry for Republicans, but, in this poll, the Democrats are doing a better job.
JEFFREY: Well, it is very bad news for the Republicans, politically. There's no doubt about it, Wolf.
But voters should remember the Democrats tried to stall the Patriot Act. Many Democrats have opposed intercepting international communications and al Qaeda in and out of the United States. They have objected to a military tribunal for terrorists that we have detained.
So, I think, on the merits, the Republicans have the high ground. They have lost the political high ground. I think that, in large part, is fallout from the public dissatisfaction with the course of the war in Iraq. I believe, were it not for the public dissatisfaction with what's going on in Iraq, the Democrats would have no chance at this time of winning in November.
BLITZER: All right.
JEFFREY: However, now, I think they have a very real chance of doing it.
BLITZER: You want to respond, Senator?
CLELAND: If a frog had wings, he wouldn't bump his rear end.
I mean, this has been a disaster for the country, not just for the Republicans. We had four years in this war. We have lost a lot of fine young Americans there. It's time to redeploy the forces, our forces, and bring them -- bring the Guard and Reserve home, and refocus on the real enemy.
It is al Qaeda, stupid. And this crash in New York should just remind us that it's been five years since 9/11. And, if we don't get it now that it's al Qaeda, stupid, we..
BLITZER: All right.
CLELAND: ... we should be...
JEFFREY: Wolf...
(CROSSTALK)
JEFFREY: ... sent up the creek.
BLITZER: Hold on. Terry, hold on.
We're almost out of time, but a final question for you, Senator.
What advice do you have for your fellow Democrats who may be in tough battles right now to avoid what happened to you when you sought reelection?
CLELAND: Fight back. Fight like hell. And that's exactly what a lot of them are doing.
That's what all of them are doing, especially the fighting Dems out there, you know, Eric Massa in New York, Patrick Murphy, and Joe Sestak, and Chris Carney, and Jack Murtha in Pennsylvania. And -- and -- you know, we got just a whole host of people, Charlie Brown in California. We got Jay Fawcett out in Colorado Springs, Mike Weaver in Kentucky.
They're all veterans of military service. Most of them are combat veterans. And they know how to fight. And they are fighting back. And a lot of them are going to win.
BLITZER: Max Cleland, Terry Jeffrey, thanks to both of you for coming in. Appreciate it very much. We're going to have both of you back.
And here is what is on our "Political Radar" this Thursday.
A top Democrat who has accused Republicans of fostering a culture of corruption now dealing with his own ethics flap -- that would be the Senate minority leader, Harry Reid -- the Associated Press reporting that Reid failed to properly account for a business deal that allowed him to collect over $1 million on land he hadn't owned for three years.
Reid's office strongly denies any wrongdoing by the senator, and suggests Republicans are simply promoting this story to take the focus off their own ethical and political troubles. Reid reportedly has asked the Senate Ethics Committee for an opinion on his handling of the land deal, and he's said to be waiting for a response.
And just weeks before reelection Day, the California governor, Arnold Schwarzenegger, returned to the place he launched his political career. That would be "The Tonight Show With Jay Leno." He touched on some serious political subjects, but also played his late-night appearance for some laughs.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, "THE TONIGHT SHOW WITH JAY LENO")
JAY LENO, HOST, "THE TONIGHT SHOW WITH JAY LENO": Political ads, to me, I -- I love these things. They're -- now, they are running these ones where they are linking you, Arnold Schwarzenegger, George Bush, Arnold Schwarzenegger, George Bush's best friend, Arnold Schwarzenegger, George Bush.
(LAUGHTER)
LENO: Is that a fair approach? Is that fair, do you think, to link you so closely?
GOV. ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER (R), CALIFORNIA: Well, I think to link me to George Bush is like linking me to an Oscar.
I mean, it's like, you know...
(LAUGHTER)
SCHWARZENEGGER: It's ridiculous.
LENO: Wow.
(APPLAUSE)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BLITZER: I don't believe he ever won an Oscar.
Schwarzenegger's Democratic challenger, by the way, Phil Angelides, is not amused at all. His campaign is asking NBC for equal time, under the Federal Communications Commission rules for broadcast coverage of political candidates. The FCC isn't commenting. So far, neither is the Schwarzenegger campaign, letting the governor's quips with Leno and his lead in the polls speak for themselves.
And, remember, for all the latest campaign news at any time, check out the political ticker, CNN.com/ticker.
Coming up: the political playbook -- with just 26 days until the election, what do the Democrats and Republicans need to do to come out ahead? I will ask Bill Bennett. That's coming up in the next hour.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: Up next, Jack Cafferty wants to know, are you more interested in the upcoming midterm elections than you have been in past elections? Jack with your e-mail -- when we come back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: In these final weeks before the congressional elections, many Republicans are wringing their hands over what is called the Foley factor. And, in, some House races, the online message scandal has created a fear factor.
Let's go to our national correspondent, Bob Franken. He has got a close-up view. He's in Clarksville, Indiana, with the CNN Election Express -- Bob.
BOB FRANKEN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: And this is a district, Wolf, where the two candidates here, Democrat and Republican, have run against each other three times. It's a very evenly balanced district, albeit being conservative.
Now, the question is, what is the Foley factor going to be? The voters are beginning to say out here that they have heard quite a bit enough of this, that they are not going to be voting on the question of Mark Foley; they are going to be voting on the various local issues here.
And, in that regard, this may become just sort of a metaphor for the whole country. Of course, that would be the fondest hope of the Republicans, who like to quote that Democrat Tip O'Neill, in saying that they hope that, in fact, all politics is local -- Wolf.
BLITZER: Bob Franken on the scene for us -- Bob, thank you.
Let's go to New York.
Jack Cafferty has got "The Cafferty File" -- Jack.
CAFFERTY: A new poll suggests that voter interest is at its highest level in years. The question is, are you more interested in the upcoming midterms than you have been in past elections?
George writes: "I am so motivated by the incredible mess the GOP has made in this millennium that I'm going to the polls with a fire in my pants, blood in my eye, and attacking the ballot with a vengeance, voting for anything that has Democrat after it. With luck, we can get America tilted back toward the left, before we slip off into the poison sea and self-destruct."
It's a little overly dramatic, George, you know what I mean?
Tom in Bardstown, Kentucky: "Not really. I still have to vote either Republican or Democrat. If none of the above was a viable option, I would be the first in line."
Mike in Pembroke Pines, Florida: "I'm more interested in the upcoming midterm elections, Jack, not because I think that much will change. I'm rather inclined to believe that those in power will find a way to save themselves, because a majority of the American people are not capable of making rational judgments anymore. The lies and corruption are now totally ingrained in our national culture."
Jenny writes from New York: "Yes! This is for all the marbles, and Bush knows it: subpoena power, investigations, et cetera, all on the line, if the Democrats take control of Congress. This is the big one."
Finally, Cyn in Kentucky writes: "You bet. I'm busy signing up people, talking wherever I can about it, walking my precinct, making phone calls, and have volunteered to work on Election Day. That tired old phrase of stay the course is so outdated, it's time to change the course."
We invite you to join us a week from tonight, actually, for this -- this here program called "Broken Government." We're going to take a look at some of the stuff that's just gone haywire in Washington, see if we can figure out how to fix some of it.
We would like your ideas as part of this. It is actually your program. So, you know, we will read some of your e-mails. And -- and you can even do this thing where you send us a video. The e-mails, you send to JackBrokenGovernment@CNN.com. And, if you want to send these video things that you can do with your -- I guess with your phone -- I'm not sure how all that works -- but you go to this CNN.com/ireport, and you can actually make a little videotape. And, if they are any good, we might use a few of them.
Anyway, next -- next Thursday night, 7:00 -- Wolf.
BLITZER: We will be watching. It sounds great, Jack. Thank you very much.
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