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The Situation Room
President Bush Meets With Senate Democratic Leaders; Democrats Raise Idea of Bipartisan Congressional Review; Incoming Congressional Freshman Class Has Conservative Democrats
Aired November 10, 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, Susan. 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, olive branches and oversight. President Bush and newly empowered Senate Democrats look each other in the eye. But do they see eye-to-eye about re-examining the strategy in Iraq?
Also this hour, Democrats divided over when to bring the troops home. The issue that helped them win control of Congress may be a source of friction as they move forward.
And dispirited Republicans are now trying to pick up the pieces. But will the finger-pointing at outgoing leaders get in their way? I'm Wolf Blitzer. You're in THE SITUATION ROOM.
Right now, President Bush is digesting his second helping of humble pie. He met today with leaders of the soon to be Democratic majority in the Senate a day after sitting down with their House counterparts. Once again, there was a lot of talk about bipartisanship.
Still the Democrats broached the sensitive subject Iraq. They pitched the idea of a bipartisan congressional group to review the mission and possibly develop an exit strategy. Our congressional correspondent Dana Bash is standing by, but let's go to our White House. Our correspondent Elaine Quijano has the latest from there -- Elaine.
ELAINE QUIJANO, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: And Wolf, it was all smiles once again in the Oval Office today. For the second day in a row, the message was that the election is over and that Republicans and Democrats can get along.
President Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney sat down for about 45 minutes with Senator Harry Reid, the man set to become the next Senate majority leader, as well as the No. 2 Democrat in the Senate, Dick Durbin. After bitterly-fought campaigns, the president once again tried to underscore a bipartisan approach.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: My attitude about this is that there is a great opportunity for us to show the country that Republicans and Democrats are equally as patriotic and equally concerned about take the future and that we can work together.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
QUIJANO: At the same time, the president has laid out agenda items for the lame duck session of Congress that already have some Democrats bristling. They of course include the terrorist surveillance act, as well as the renomination of John Bolton as ambassador to the United Nations. Well today White House Press Secretary Tony Snow insisted that President Bush is not trying to test Democrats by laying out those priorities.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TONY SNOW, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: I don't think you should look at these as necessarily provocative. I know you should -- that there is an attempt to do so but, again, you've got -- look at John Bolton's record and the real question is what complaint do you have with a man who has been so successful?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
QUIJANO: Of course, another issue that continues to loom is Iraq. That was the topic of discussion today at the Oval Office. It will be once again next week. On Monday, President Bush is set to meet with the members of the Iraq study group. Those members will also be meeting with other top administration officials, including Vice President Cheney, as well as Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and the outgoing Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld -- Wolf.
BLITZER: And that study group led by the former secretary of state James Baker and former Democratic Congressman Lee Hamilton. Thanks very much, Elaine for that.
In our next hour, I'll ask the No. 2 Democrat in the Senate Dick Durbin about the party's vision and divisions and White House Chief of Staff Josh Bolten will be among my guests this Sunday on "LATE EDITION." "LATE EDITION" airs 11:00 a.m. Eastern for two hours. "LATE EDITION," the last word in Sunday talk.
Like President Bush, the chairman of the joint chiefs of staff also scheduled to meet with the Iraq study group on Monday. General Peter Pace says he and other military leaders are responsible for giving their best advice about the way to move forward in Iraq. He says that duty is unchanged by the resignation of the Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld or the Democratic takeover of Congress.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEN. PETER PACE, JOINT CHIEFS CHAIRMAN: I think the serious issue on the table is what are the strategic objectives of the United States in the war on terrorism and what is going right in the pursuit of those objectives and what is not going right and should be changed?
And it's my responsibility, along with the other joint chiefs of staff, and in coordination with General Abizaid and General Casey to review that continuously and to give our best military advice and that is exactly what we're going to do.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BLITZER: General Pace answering questions this morning on "AMERICAN MORNING" right here on CNN.
Let's go to Capitol Hill now where Democratic leaders have a new mantra to go along with their new muscle and that would be oversight. Our congressional correspondent Dana Bash is standing by with more with that -- Dana.
DANA BASH, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hi Wolf. Well first, in the issue of Iraq you were just talking about, that is still the issue Democrats say they rode here into power. At a meeting over at the White House today, that Elaine Quijano was reporting on, Harry Reid, the soon to be majority leader formally floated an idea to the president, something that he talked about here earlier in the week, that perhaps they might not be able to do a lot here in Congress when it comes to Iraq policy, but he suggested to the president perhaps he forms a bipartisan commission to study Iraq.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. HARRY REID (D-NV), MINORITY LEADER: I really think it's a good idea that he would meet with the bipartisan congressional leadership and he wants to have Hamilton and he wants to have Secretary Baker there, that's fine with us. But we need, in this war in Iraq where we're losing soldiers every day, American people need to know that there is something going on back here with leaders of this country that we're talking about it, rather than just talking past each other.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BASH: Now he also said that the president didn't reject that idea. Now, on another note, another major issue, Wolf, that the Democrats campaigned on during the election was on oversight. They said time and time again that Republicans in control of Congress didn't do enough to hold the administration's feet to the fire, to hold them accountable, basically, on issues range ranging at the beginning of the administration the vice president's energy task force to more recently, the issue of weapons of mass destruction, whether the administration properly used intelligence to go into Iraq.
Now, what Democrats are still talking about here is what they're going to do with their new power and Harry Reid again talking outside, as he came back from the White House, had some enlightening comments on that.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REID: There simply has been no oversight in recent years. And I don't want to frighten anyone about investigations -- congressional oversight is not a negative, it's not a negative term. People talk about investigations. There will be times, on rare occasions, when subpoenas will have to be offered but rarely. (END VIDEO CLIP)
BASH: And Reid said Democrats will try to find out what's going on in Iraq by looking at several different agencies that oversee and are directly involved with the war in Iraq. Now Democratic leadership aides say that they are still trying to figure out exactly where they're going to go on these issues. They're not interested in payback and they understand that they have to tread carefully when they come to this.
But they also say that congressional oversight is something that members of Congress are supposed to do by law and it's in the constitution. So anything that they look into when it comes to policy is fair game.
BLITZER: We can expect a lot of hearings in the new Congress. Thanks very much, Dana for that.
Let's check in with Carol Costello. She's joining us from New York with a closer look at some other important stories making news. Hi, Carol.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Hi, Wolf, good afternoon to all of you.
Al Qaeda in Iraq, its new leader is taunting President Bush and Donald Rumsfeld. In a new audiotape posted on an Islamist Web site, a man claiming to be Abu Hamza al-Muhajer calls President Bush a lame duck and the outgoing defense secretary a coward.
And that's not all he says. He also threatens to blow up the White House. CNN has not confirmed the tape's authenticity. Our Michael Ware will join us in the next hour from Baghdad with much more on this story.
The U.S. death toll in Iraq keeps on rising. The U.S. military says three U.S. soldiers and two marines were killed in Iraq in the past two days. That brings the total number of U.S. military deaths in the Iraq war to 2,844.
And Britain spy agency has got its hands full. It's tracking as many as 30 potentially deadly terrorist plots. Just since last year's deadly train and bus bombings in London, the intelligence agency has uncovered five major terror conspiracies and its chief warrants future threats could include chemicals, radioactive materials and even nuclear technology. That's a look at the headlines, back to you, Wolf.
BLITZER: Thanks very much, Carol Costello. I want to welcome Carol. She's a new member of our SITUATION ROOM team. She's going to be with us for a long time. Carol, welcome aboard.
COSTELLO: Glad to be here, Wolf, thanks.
BLITZER: An old member of our SITUATION ROOM is standing by as well. That would be Jack Cafferty. Hi, Jack. JACK CAFFERTY, CNN ANCHOR: That's very nice. An old member?
BLITZER: Not old in the sense of old. But old, you've been with us since day one.
CAFFERTY: No, damage has already been done.
It was the perhaps the most nastiest, most expensive midterm cycle ever. Mercifully, it's over now. No more campaign billboards and flyers, no more phone calls at dinnertime at home from candidates asking for your vote. No more posturing. Well, not so fast. It seems no sooner the midterm election ended than the 2008 race for the White House has already begun.
The polls of potential matchups, the favorability ratings of Hillary and John McCain. The guessing games, will Barack Obama run. Already one Democrat, Iowa Governor Tom Vilsack has thrown his hat in the ring. He wants to be president. I don't know about you. I'm sick and tired of politics. I need a little break.
Here's the question: How long a break do Americans deserve before the 2008 presidential campaign starts? E-mail your thoughts to CaffertyFile@CNN.com or go to CNN.com/CaffertyFile -- Wolf.
BLITZER: Just think about this. It's only a little bit more than a year between now and those first caucuses and primaries in Iowa and New Hampshire and then South Carolina, and it's probably only -- what -- about six months before the first real presidential debates, Democratic Party debates, Republican presidential debates get going. I know you're a little sick of it right now, but guess what? Don't be too sick of it because we're going to be all over this story.
CAFFERTY: Well, you have a lot of enthusiasm in your voice for a guy who is just done 7,000 hours of political coverage. You're ready to get on with the next leg of this.
BLITZER: Well, if you love politics, as you and I do, it's great, right?
CAFFERTY: Carol, you'll find there is no limit to the amount of fun you can have here on THE SITUATION ROOM.
BLITZER: We're going to have a great time. Jack, thanks very much.
And to our viewers, if you want a sneak preview of Jack's questions plus an early read on the day's political news and what is ahead in THE SITUATION ROOM, you can sign up for our daily e-mail alert. Just go to CNN.com/SituationRoom.
Coming up, Democrats are taking control of Congress but that doesn't necessarily mean a move to the left on Capitol Hill. We'll take a closer look at the incoming freshmen class.
Plus, a party divided? Dennis Hastert is stepping down as the top Republican in the House. Will a battle break out over his succession?
And next hour, the president and his father. The son has tried to be his own man, but is Bush 43 asking for help from Bush 41's top advisors? Guess what? The answer is yes. Stick around. You're in THE SITUATION ROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: Democrats now preparing to take charge on Capitol Hill and they will be welcoming a new generation of lawmakers into their ranks. It will be a freshmen class that defies labels. Some members might be tempted to defy the party's more liberal leaders. Let's bring in our chief national correspondent John King.
He has got more on this story -- John.
JOHN KING, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf, the new speaker of the House is a liberal. She's from San Francisco. Many of those in line to take over the chairmanships are longtime liberals in the House of Representatives.
But at least six members of the incoming freshman Democratic class are anti-abortion. Many have other conservative stands. You might call it, as the new Congress is about to convene, an internal set of Democratic checks and balances.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BRAD ELLSWORTH (D), INDIANA CONG.-ELECT: Well, thank you very much. I'll work hard for you.
KING (voice-over): Brad Ellsworth is anti-abortion, opposes same-sex marriage, and is an Indiana sheriff who very much believes in the Second Amendment right to bear arms.
ELLSWORTH: We're a pretty conservative bunch, and I think I fit right in with those values of the people here.
KING: Ellsworth is coming to Congress as a Democrat, just one reminder President Bush isn't the only conservative Nancy Pelosi has to deal with if she wants to get things done once she becomes speaker of the House in January.
REP. NANCY PELOSI (D), MINORITY LEADER: We've made history. Now we have to make progress.
KING: The incoming freshman class includes a number of Democrats at odds with positions backed by more liberal congressional leaders. Ellsworth and Joe Donnelly from Indiana, Jim Mahoney from Florida, Ed Perlmutter from Colorado, John Yarmuth from Kentucky, and Heath Shuler of North Carolina among them.
Different breed of Democrat in the new Senate class, too, including anti-abortion Bob Casey of Pennsylvania and pro-gun conservative Jon Tester of Montana.
JON TESTER (D), MONTANA SENATOR-ELECT: Now's the time, really though, to come together. It really is a time to put politics aside.
KING: Shuler is a devout Christian who shies away from alcohol and caffeine, and who moved quickly in the campaign when Republicans tried to link him to the liberal Pelosi.
HEATH SHULER (D), N. CAROLINA CONG.-ELECT: That's why we have to do a good job of being in a district like this where they can talk and they can spread the word and say, you know, he's not like some of the national Democrats. You know, he's one of us.
KING: Some friction between the new members and the more liberal Democrats in line to run most of the committees is inevitable.
DICK GEPHARDT, FMR. HOUSE DEMOCRATIC LEADER: It won't be easy because there's a lot of disagreement even in the Democratic caucus. But they all know the test is what can we get done and what can we get done that is important to the American people.
KING: The differences are likely to be less evident, though, in the short term, as the new Democratic majority deals first with shared campaign promises.
JOHN PODESTA, CENTER FOR AMERICAN PROGRESS: They have -- really came in on two basic premises. One is we need a new course in Iraq. And second, we need to strengthen the middle class in America again.
KING: Former Clinton White House chief of staff John Podesta predicts the new members will help the party heading into the 2008 presidential cycle.
PODESTA: What you're going to see is the ability of the -- particularly the more conservative members, to say, let's make sure that the face we're showing on security is one that I can go back home and run on.
KING: Running, again, comes in two years. First, they have to prove they can get along.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KING: And, Wolf, all of the Democrats, these new conservatives Democrats, the more liberal Democrats, say the best way to keep it all together is to stay focused on the bread and better issues, Iraq and the economy, middle class issues and stay away from what many Democrats call the three Gs: god, gays and guns.
BLITZER: You know, it sort of would appear to vindicate the strategy that Howard Dean, the Democratic Party chairman, put in place, a 50 state strategy, not giving up on those really red states thinking that some of those states could turn a little bit blue.
KING: It vindicates his strategy, and even more so, it vindicates the recruitment of both Chuck Schumer on the Senate side, the Senate Democratic campaign chief, and Rahm Emanuel, who ran the House Democratic campaigns. They deliberately went out and recruited these candidates knowing that there would be tension in the caucus if they won.
They went out and found conservatives knowing they were probably outside the majority, if you will, within the Democratic caucus but they could win in their home districts and give the Democrats a majority so it is a problem they're happy to have.
BLITZER: So are the leadership of the Democrats, are they pretty much all on the same page right now? In other words, usually these guys fight amongst themselves pretty quickly. What is going on inside the Democratic leadership?
KING: They're pretty good at fighting amongst themselves. They have a history of that, but they also have a history now of 12 years in the minority and they didn't like it. Most of the senior Democrats remember the majority 12, 13, years ago. They liked that very much.
They're going to move into bigger offices. They're going to get their privileges back, and they understand that one way to keep them is that between now and 2008 to build, support with the American people by staying away from the issues that the American people don't support.
BLITZER: Because a lot of people who watch Congress don't necessarily appreciate the enormous difference in power by being a member of the majority as opposed to being a member of the minority.
KING: It is a huge question, and the key question over the next few years is was this a protest vote, were people just mad at the Republicans or do they actually support the Democratic agenda? The Democrats need to prove that it's the agenda, not just a protest by getting things done.
BLITZER: All right, thanks very much. John King reporting.
And John, and as you saw earlier, Dana Bash and Elaine Quijano, they are all part of the best political team on television.
And remember, for the latest campaign news at any time, check out the Political Ticker at CNN.com/Ticker.
Up next, the blame game. Republicans in Congress and across this town pointing fingers as they try to explain their election night thumping. But do they have a plan to right their wrongs?
And they're all smiles, but can the president and the Democrats in Congress really work together? Donna Brazile and Bay Buchanan they are standing by for today's "Strategy Session." We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: Welcome back to THE SITUATION ROOM, I'm Wolf Blitzer in Washington. Under the Capitol dome, Republicans are now trying to figure out how to rise from the ashes of their midterm election defeat. But they may be getting sidetracked by sniping and new power struggles. Let's go back to our Congressional correspondent Dana Bash -- Dana. DANA BASH, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf, time for a change was the Democrats campaign slogan but more and more you're hearing that from Republicans talking about their own party here on Capitol Hill in the wake of pummeling they took at the polls.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: It was a thumping.
BASH: Thumping, pounding, beating, no Republican is trying to sugar-coat what happened to their grand ol' party on election night and recriminations are everywhere. Arizona's John Shadegg first came to Congress in 1994. Part of the Republican wave that took the majority from Democrats. Like many conservatives, he blames his own party for losing its way.
REP. JOHN SHADEGG (R), ARIZONA: We broke faith with the American people and they sent us a clear message. Now, I don't know if my colleagues have understood that message yet. I think they are kind of in shock still. But they sent a clear message. You promised to change the way Washington works and you didn't do it and so it's time to give the other team a turn.
BASH: Republicans like Shadegg say it's easy to see what went wrong. The party let the deficit balloon with too much pork barrel spending and let the government get too big with new entitlements like prescription drugs for Medicare and let themselves become corrupted by power.
SHADEGG: We had said we would be different, we would clean up Washington and it would operate openly and above-board and no secret deals and no smoke-room deals -- smoke-filled room deals and no backroom deals that are cut and no late night deals and the American people have now read that in point of fact none of that happened.
BASH: Shaddeg is one of several rank in file Republicans now running to unseat GOP leaders. Part of the Republicans search for new direction and a path back to power. But most Republicans call it a matter of better discipline because they say voters rejected their party's behavior, not its philosophy and say it's time to get back to basics.
SENATOR JOHN SUNUNU (R), NEW HAMPSHIRE: The issues of fiscal responsibility, getting rid of wasteful government spending, encouraging economic growth and opportunity.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BASH: Now, another big reason the Republicans concede they lost their way is of course the war in Iraq and Wolf, if you're going to look for some change here on Capitol Hill, probably among the biggest Republicans say is that they're going to be more aggressive in questioning the Bush Administration when it comes to the strategy in Iraq. BLITZER: Dana, thanks very much. Meanwhile, will the political honeymoon last between the White House and the newly resurgent Democratic Party? joining us in our "Strategy Session" CNN political analysts, Democratic strategist Donna Brazile and Bay Buchanan, the president of American Cause. Guys, thanks very much.
This love affair that seems to be going on, at least on the surface, Donna, how long is this going to last?
DONNA BRAZILE, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: Well, Wolf, I'm sure it's going to last for a couple of months as the Democrats reorganize and begin to put together their agenda to submit to the president. But, look, we all know that the president is still in charge of policy. Will be submitting his budget next year, give the state of the union, but Democrats are prepared to go in there, work with the president, Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi, they have extended the olive branch and we'll see how long it lasts.
BLITZER: The president is gracious in dealing with the enormous setback for the Republican Party.
BAY BUCHANAN, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: And he should be. he needs to be gracious. The American people have sent him a clear message. They want something to happen in this town and they expect him to work with those people they sent back here to work with him. But Wolf, the word cooperation is being tossed around a little bit too much.
That's what puts shudders through the bones of our conservatives because President Bush has always really raved about those days in Texas when he worked so well with Democrats. He came to Washington and he worked well with Democrats and we ended up with no child left behind. We ended up with an entitlement program working with Democrats.
BLITZER: But, wasn't it one of the messages in this election though that the American people want the government to function, they want these parties to work together to deal with these substantive issues?
BUCHANAN: They want them to work together but in no way was this a referendum on the liberal agenda. No way. This was a rejection of what the president has proposed. And one of the things the president is known at, he's the leader of the pro amnesty team in this country.
BLITZER: On immigration?
BUCHANAN: On immigration. He's very much ...
BLITZER: He denies it's amnesty. It's a guest worker program.
BUCHANAN: The name changes regularly. The bottom-line is that it's an amnesty for 12 million and guest worker for millions more. So -- he was rejected outright so what does he do within 12 hours of this election results? He says maybe now with those House Republicans gone --
BLITZER: I'll get back to that in a moment. But, what do you think about the point Bay made?
BRAZILE: Well, look this is a repudiation of the rubber stamp Congress. This was a rejection of the do nothing Congress and this was also a rebuke of the conservatives having a narrow agenda that didn't address the hopes and aspirations of the American people. I think the Democrats are right on target to go out there and say to the president we want to pass minimum wage, we want to talk about stem cell, but most importantly we want to change the course in Iraq.
BLITZER: And Harry Reid made that point. I want you to listen to what the new majority leader in the Senate, in the new Senate, Harry Reid, what he said when he emerged from the White House and went back to Capitol Hill.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REID: We need, in this war in Iraq, where we're losing soldiers every day, the American people need to know that there is something going on back here with the leaders of the country that we're talking about it, rather than just talking past each other.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BLITZER: And I suspect, and I think you'll agree, Bay, that the study group that the former Secretary of State James Baker and Lee Hamilton, the former Democratic Congressman and now the bringing in of Bob Gates to be the new defense secretary, it's all part of a strategy to try and find some sort of consensus between the Democrats and the Republicans on Iraq.
BUCHANAN: I disagree. I don't think it's a consensus what they want. They want to figure a way out of Iraq -- both sides now. That's what the American people have said. They basically put a limit on this war and told the president he has got two years now and the end of two years if he doesn't have us out of there or at least have some kind of gameplan that shows us on our way out, this will be the issue again in 2008.
So I don't agree whatsoever that somehow the Democrats are going to come up with this solution and we have to accept it. I think the key is that if anyone has any good ideas, let's put them on the table and let the president look at them. He is the commander in chief.
BLITZER: He's demonstrating now he is willing to listen to different ideas.
BRAZILE: And it's about time. Look, the bipartisan study group that will come out next week with its recommendations -- Joe Biden has already said and he's presumably the head of the foreign relations committee next year -- he said there's a bipartisan way out of this. Let's look at the ideas and let the Democrats hold hearings and let the administration come up with whatever plan they have for an exit strategy and the Democrats will hold hearings to see if it will work.
BUCHANAN: This is so outrageous. The idea ...
BLITZER: What's so outrageous?
BUCHANAN: We are in a war over there and we have generals over there on the ground who have really good ideas. They are the ones we should be listening to. We can't run a war by committee or by politics. We have to decide what is our gameplan? Do we have to be out of there in two years? Ok, Mr. President, you've got two years. Let's talk to the generals. What can be accomplished, so that we can give these people in Iraq, as best a possibility for their self- determination as possible.
BRAZILE: But, Bay, they...
BUCHANAN: Maybe it's not democracy.
BRAZILE: But, Bay, they have ignored the...
(CROSSTALK)
BUCHANAN: Maybe we have to forget democracy.
BRAZILE: They have ignored the generals for the last three years.
BUCHANAN: But those are the...
(CROSSTALK)
BUCHANAN: What is -- these guys on the Hill know?
BRAZILE: It's time that we come up with a strategy for success.
What they know -- they have been over there. John Warner, who is a respected chairman now, he went over there, and said, look, if we're on the verge of a civil war, it's time for us to reassess...
BUCHANAN: Exactly.
BRAZILE: ... our strategy.
BLITZER: All right.
(CROSSTALK)
BUCHANAN: This is what happened in Vietnam.
BLITZER: All right. Let me...
BUCHANAN: It was run in Washington, and not in the field.
BLITZER: Let me move on to this immigration issue that you...
BUCHANAN: Sure.
BLITZER: ... you raised.
Some of the most ardent anti-amnesty, anti-immigration types that were out there on the Republican side actually lost...
BUCHANAN: Yes.
BLITZER: ... J.D. Hayworth, for example, Randy Graf in Arizona. And some are suggesting, you know what? The American people don't want that very, very...
BUCHANAN: You know...
BLITZER: ... anti-immigration policy. They want to see this comprehensive strategy that the president, John McCain and Ted Kennedy like.
BUCHANAN: That's a deliberate effort to misread the message. Two of our best guys did lose down there in Arizona.
But, in Arizona, on the ballot, were four very tough immigration propositions, English as an official language, no in-state tuition. All of them won by over 70 percent.
We know where the people of Arizona think. They want really tough immigration answers. Nothing like amnesty are they going towards. And the person who is most well-known for an amnesty type of position, this comprehensive idea, is the president. And he was rejected, and he took down his whole team.
BLITZER: All right.
BUCHANAN: And that was one of the reasons.
BLITZER: Final thought, because we got to go.
BRAZILE: Well, I just wanted to share with Bay that just a sign of bipartisanship.
(LAUGHTER)
BRAZILE: I received my first-ever holiday card from the president and first lady. And I just want to say, thank you. And I intend to go.
BLITZER: I don't know. Can we check the -- can I see the address to make sure? Let me see.
BRAZILE: It's my address. It's my name.
(CROSSTALK)
BLITZER: There it is.
BRAZILE: I checked it twice.
BLITZER: The White House, and it's addressed to Ms. Donna Brazile. I'm not going to give your address.
BUCHANAN: This worries me. BLITZER: But it does say that you're invited to a -- "President and Mrs. Bush request the pleasure of your company at a holiday reception to be held at the White House."
BRAZILE: And I just want to say it on CNN. I accept.
Mr. President, I will be there. And I...
(CROSSTALK)
BLITZER: A very gracious...
BRAZILE: Absolutely.
BLITZER: So, what you're saying, since you were Al Gore's campaign manager back in 2000, first time you have been invited to go back to the White House?
BRAZILE: I went back during Katrina to help the president out.
But I'm going back to celebrate. And I'm going to show him how to do the thump...
(LAUGHTER)
BRAZILE: ... since Democrats are finally dancing in the end zone.
(CROSSTALK)
BRAZILE: If they can invite Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi, they can certainly invite...
BRAZILE: They can invite Donna Brazile.
BLITZER: ... Donna Brazile.
Bay is still waiting...
(CROSSTALK)
BLITZER: You're still waiting...
BUCHANAN: How quickly this administration has moved on.
BLITZER: Bay, you're still waiting for your invitation.
(LAUGHTER)
BUCHANAN: Six years now.
BRAZILE: It's in the mail. It's in the mail.
BUCHANAN: I'm sure. I'm sure.
(LAUGHTER) BUCHANAN: Donna said she might take me as her date, though.
BLITZER: That would be nice.
(LAUGHTER)
BLITZER: All right, guys, thanks very much.
And up next: They won the election thanks to the war in Iraq, but are Democrats still divided over what to do about the conflict? Bill Schneider standing by with that.
And the political battle over gay marriage -- the latest developments are in today's "Culture Wars."
Stick around. You're in THE SITUATION ROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: Congressional Democrats have plenty of reason to pop a few champagne corks this weekend, but it's not all back-slapping and celebration, necessarily. The party remains sort of split over an Iraq exit strategy.
Let's bring in our senior political analyst, Bill Schneider -- Bill.
WILLIAM SCHNEIDER, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: Wolf, Iraq was a big factor in the Democrats' victory this week. And it could be a big factor in the race for House majority leader next week.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SCHNEIDER (voice-over): Iraq got the Democrats their new majority.
REP. NANCY PELOSI (D-CA), MINORITY LEADER: Nowhere was the call for a new direction more clear from the American people than in the war in Iraq.
SCHNEIDER: Next week, House Democrats will meet to choose a new majority leader. They can choose to make a bold statement about Iraq or not. The bold choice would be John Murtha.
REP. JOHN MURTHA (D), PENNSYLVANIA: The president kept talking about the last election being a mandate for him to go forward in Iraq. Well, this election was the opposite. This election was for -- to redeploy the troops and my plan, which is the opposite of his plan, as soon as practicable out of Iraq.
SCHNEIDER: The cautious choice would be Steny Hoyer, who is now the Democratic whip, and, therefore, next in line to become leader.
REP. STENY HOYER (D-MD), MINORITY WHIP: But we will work together, we being Republicans and Democrats, the president and the Congress, to solve the problems, and make their lives better, more secure, and more -- and our country more safe.
SCHNEIDER: Hoyer has been in the leadership since 1989, and has broad support among party veterans.
But freshmen Democrats are deeply imprinted with the force that got them elected. More than anything else, that means Iraq.
PATRICK MURPHY (D), PENNSYLVANIA CONGRESSMAN-ELECT: We absolutely need the change of direction in Iraq. And I will fight every single day down in Washington, D.C., to make that happen.
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
SCHNEIDER: Murtha, a 16-term congressional veteran, is a hero to many freshman Democrats, the guy who stood up first, and is still standing up.
MURTHA: Why did we go into Iraq with insufficient forces? Why did we go into Iraq with inadequate body armor and with inadequate Humvees? We want to make -- find out who is responsible for the mistakes that were made.
HOYER: We had a welfare bill.
SCHNEIDER: Hoyer has the inside track for the leadership post. Murtha has the message that won the glorious victory of '06.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SCHNEIDER: Another wrinkle in this race: Nancy Pelosi and Steny Hoyer were rivals for the whip position in 2001. Pelosi's campaign manager in that race? John Murtha -- Wolf.
BLITZER: Is it possible a third candidate might emerge to try to take some votes, and -- and emerge as sort of a compromise between these two guys?
SCHNEIDER: It's always possible, Wolf. And we -- it's very hard to predict these. I can predict the outcome of a national election much more easily than this election, especially because this is a secret ballot. And we don't know how anybody is going to vote.
BLITZER: Bill Schneider, thanks very much.
And this note: I spoke with John Murtha right here in THE SITUATION ROOM yesterday. I will interview the other candidate for that slot, the Democratic whip, Steny Hoyer, right in THE SITUATION ROOM on Monday.
Bill Schneider, and, as you saw earlier, Donna Brazile and Bay Buchanan, they are all part of the best political team on television.
And, remember, for the latest campaign news at any time, check out our Political Ticker, CNN.com/ticker.
In the "Culture Wars": The political and legal debate over gay marriage continues, even after Election Day. In Massachusetts today, opponents of same-sex marriage say they might ask a federal judge to order the state legislature to vote on a proposed constitutional amendment. Stay lawmakers recessed a constitutional convention yesterday, without taking action on a proposed ban on gay marriage.
Same-sex marriage has been legal in Massachusetts since 2004. Voters in eight states cast ballots Tuesday on measures to ban gay marriage. All were approved, except for one in Arizona.
Coming up: Election Day was Tuesday, but some races -- get this -- still deadlocked right now. We will look at some big names that are still fighting for their political lives.
Plus: Will Democrats in Congress play ball with the president? I will ask the number-two Democrat in the Senate, Dick Durbin. He joins me right here in the next hour in THE SITUATION ROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: On our "Political Radar" this Friday: The balance of power in the new Congress still isn't final.
We know there will be at least 229 Democrats, and at least 196 Republicans, but 10 races have not been decided. Some feature some prominent incumbents.
In Ohio, Congresswoman Deborah Pryce, a member of the Republican leadership, has a 3,500-vote lead over Democratic challenger Mary Jo Kilroy. But more than 9,000 provisional ballots have yet to be counted.
Another GOP incumbent in Ohio, Congresswoman Jean Schmidt, is ahead of her Democratic challenger, Victoria Wulsin, by fewer than 3,000 votes.
In Louisiana, Democratic Congressman William Jefferson failed to get over 50 percent of the vote in that state's nonpartisan election. So, he now faces a runoff against a fellow Democrat, State Representative Karen Carter. Jefferson is also facing, by the way, an FBI bribery investigation.
And it's deja vu in Florida, where the race to replace Republican Congresswoman Katherine Harris is going to a recount. Harris gave up the seat for a failed Senate campaign. She, of course, is no stranger to recounts, having served as secretary during the 2000 Florida recount. We all remember that.
Remember, for the latest campaign news at any time, check out our Political Ticker. Go to CNN.com/ticker.
Carol Costello once again joining us from New York with a closer look at some other stories making news -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Hi, Wolf.
And good afternoon to all of you. True to form, Iran is not backing down on its controversial nuclear program. Its top nuclear negotiator says Tehran is ready to take part in international talks, but will not give up its right to pursue peaceful nuclear energy. He's meeting with Russian officials in Moscow. He also warns the U.N. Security Council not to approve sanctions against Iran for its refusal to stop enriching uranium.
The Palestinian Authority prime minister is hinting he will quit his job, if that would help lift economic sanctions against his government. Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh says Western nations don't want him to be part of a potential new unity government between Hamas and its rival, Fatah. The U.S. and other Western nations have refused to lift sanctions, until Hamas recognizes Israel and renounces violence.
A stunning new report suggests military service may increase one's risk of developing Lou Gehrig's disease. But the National Academy of Sciences stresses, more research is needed to confirm this. Lou Gehrig's is a -- or ALS, as they call -- that's the technical name -- is a progressive, degenerative disease that attacks the nervous system.
Five studies looked at possible links between military service and ALS. Flaws reportedly put three of the studies into question. A fourth found no link at all. But a fifth study found a slightly higher risk.
A New York woman is talking about her terrifying near brush with death. Ilana Benhuri was baking an apple pie and doing some paperwork, when a small plane carrying Yankees pitcher Cory Lidle smashed through her apartment window last month. The explosion threw her into the air. She says she remembers thinking she was dead.
Lidle and his flight instructor were killed in the crash. Benhuri just got out of the hospital today. She suffered severe burns.
But it looks like, Wolf, she is going to be OK.
BLITZER: Oh, what...
(CROSSTALK)
COSTELLO: Can you imagine? You're baking apple pie, and a plane comes through your window?
BLITZER: Oh. I can't. I can't.
COSTELLO: Oh.
BLITZER: But she is a lucky lady, to be alive after something like that.
And, once again, we're really excited, Carol, that you're going to be with us. I hope ready for this new gig.
COSTELLO: I'm trying to handle Jack. But it's hard.
(LAUGHTER)
BLITZER: All right. Keep him honest over there.
(LAUGHTER)
BLITZER: Thanks very much.
Up next: It's the ultimate prize, but how long of a break do Americans deserve before the start of the next race for the White House? Jack Cafferty standing by with your answers.
Plus: He won a tough campaign battle, and now he's the senator- elect from Maryland. Coming up in the next hour, we will speak with Ben Cardin. He will join us live right here in THE SITUATION ROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: Here is a look at some of the "Hot Shots" coming in from our friends at the Associated Press, pictures likely to be in your hometown newspapers tomorrow.
Let's start at the White House. Senator Democratic Leader Harry Reid shakes hands with Vice President Cheney this morning in the Oval Office.
In the Middle East, Israeli drag queens race one another during a big gay pride event in Jerusalem. The event was held in a sports stadium because of concerns that a parade could have led to by unruly protests by Ultra-Orthodox Jews.
In Michigan, a deer struggles with a plastic pumpkin on his head. It's been stuck for days. Zoo and animal experts are trying to track the young animal down and shoot it with a tranquilizer dart to remove the jack-o'-lantern without hurting the animal.
And, in Wisconsin, an 81-year-old woman prepares to hurl a snowball at a friend during a snowball fight -- some of today's "Hot Shots," pictures often worth 1,000 words.
Jack Cafferty is in New York with less than 1,000 words -- maybe more.
CAFFERTY: No, many fewer, Wolf.
The question this hour is: How long a break do we Americans deserve before the 2008 presidential campaign starts?
Barb in Union City, Michigan: "We deserve at least two years, with a total rewrite of how future campaigning can be done. No more TV ads. I have got carpal tunnel syndrome switching the channels to avoid those awful commercials."
Tom in Twentynine Palms, California: "Never too early to start thinking about 2008. We need to give everyone a lot of time to contradict themselves, make questionable remarks, mud-sling a little, and then claim that everything they said was misconstrued by the media."
Dave in Santa Cruz, California: "Perhaps time to adopt the Canadian rules for political campaigns. If I'm not mistaken, they have rules how long prior to an election the parties can start campaigning. And each and every candidate has the same amount of resources with which to campaign. I realize that's probably too civilized for our politicians, but I think the people would love it."
I think you might be right.
Gene in Houston: "At least a year-and-a-half. They say nothing of any consequence. They lie. They insult each other. They talk about everything but the issues. They make promises they can't keep. That ought to be enough time, a month or so, for them to be able to do all that."
And Tim in Carefree, Arizona: "I'm convinced the same people that run elections work for the companies that include Christmas marketing. Pretty soon, we will have our Christmas lights up all year long, and I will have to open an artery."
This weekend on, "IN THE MONEY": a look at the incoming congressional Democrats. A lot of them bear remarkable resemblance to Republicans. There are some conservative folks in that incoming Democratic freshman class.
"IN THE MONEY" airs Saturday at 1:00, Sunday at 3:00, Eastern time. We invite you to join us for that. Christine Romans is on with Andy Serwer and Allen Wastler and me this week. And it's a -- a wonderful little program.
BLITZER: It is an excellent program. And our viewers will like it, Saturdays at 1:00 p.m. Eastern, Sundays replayed at 3:00 p.m. Eastern, Jack's weekend program.
Is it a -- is -- is this good for the Democrats, to bring in some more conservative, moderate voices into that tent?
CAFFERTY: Well, there's a couple of schools of thought.
You know, Bill Clinton was very successful by moving the Democratic Party to the center and governing more from the middle. One of the thoughts is that we don't have two parties anymore. What we have are different versions of one party.
And the other one is that extreme politics of the kind that Karl Rove tried to use as a strategy, sort of divide and conquer, go out and get your base, and drum up the support there, doesn't work so much. We do have a large middle class in this country. And -- and, if you want to be successful politically, it would seem, over the longer period of time, that you would have to kind of target them. And that means getting to the center and away from the far left or the far right. BLITZER: I can tell you, here in Washington, Jack, the Democrats are just so happy to be in the majority in the Senate and House. They don't care...
CAFFERTY: When was...
BLITZER: ... what these guys think.
(LAUGHTER)
CAFFERTY: When was the last time you suppose Dick Cheney and Harry Reid shook hands?
BLITZER: It's been a while.
(LAUGHTER)
CAFFERTY: I will bet it has.
BLITZER: Thanks.
(LAUGHTER)
BLITZER: See you in a few minutes.
CAFFERTY: All right.
Up next: It was one of the scandals that had a major impact on the election -- now new developments in the Mark Foley page controversy. We will get "The Situation Online."
And they're all smiles, but can the president and the Democrats in Congress really work together? I will ask Dick Durbin. He's the number-two Democrat in the Senate. He joins me in the next hour.
Stick around. You're in THE SITUATION ROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: Former Congressman Mark Foley's Florida district was among the many House seats to turn Democratic on Election Day. It was Foley's e-mail with a 16-year-old page that set off the scandal.
Now there are new details emerging about the man behind the anonymous Web site, Stop Sex Predators, where those e-mail first appeared, days before news media reports.
Abbi Tatton standing by with more on this -- Abbi.
ABBI TATTON, CNN INTERNET REPORTER: Wolf, Lane Hudson says that Foley's contact with congressional pages was well-known on Capitol Hill, and that he published these e-mails online out of frustration that nobody was doing anything.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) LANE HUDSON, STOP SEX PREDATORS: It's astounding to me that, for over a year, the mainstream media didn't do anything about it. We know that the FBI had them. We know that the Republican leadership had them. Lots and lots of people had them, and no one did anything about it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
TATTON: Hudson has worked in Democratic politics. He was also a onetime staffer on Capitol Hill.
In that interview today with CNN's Lisa Goddard, he didn't reveal where he got the e-mails from. But he did say they were not hard to come by. Hudson also told CNN that he, himself, was the recipient of e-mails from Foley back in 1995. Hudson says that, at that time, when he was 18, he met then Congressman Mark Foley in a Capitol Hill bar. Soon after that, he received e-mails from him, e-mails he said were not sexually explicit. But he said the content was inappropriate.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HUDSON: Asking, you know, if I would like to go to dinner, have drinks, that kind of thing.
LISA GODDARD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Flirtatious?
HUDSON: Yes.
And I was pretty naive at 18.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
TATTON: David Roth, an attorney for Foley, has not returned e- mail -- calls to CNN today. But he has said in the past that Foley has acknowledged full responsibility of inappropriate e-mails and instant messages.
As for Lane Hudson, he wanted to keep his identity a secret. He told CNN in an October 4 e-mail, "My plans are to remain anonymous." He also added that he's been getting threats. That all was derailed last month when another anonymous blogger tracked down Lane Hudson, revealed his identity.
That resulted in Lane Hudson's firing from his job at the Human Rights Campaign, a gay and lesbian rights group. He was fired for inappropriate use of organizational resources.
Now, Lane Hudson says that, while his employment situation is now uncertain, he does sleep well at night, because he believes, by publishing these e-mails online, that he did the right thing -- Wolf.
BLITZER: Abbi, thank you.
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