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White House Expects President To Unveil New Course In Iraq After First Of The Year Instead Of Before Christmas; Congressman Dennis Kucinich Launches Second Presidential Bid; Dennis Kucinich Interview; Sam Brownback Interview; Prospect Of Woman And African- American Running For President Has Some Democrats Concerned About Electability

Aired December 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, President Bush won't deliver by Christmas. The White House says he needs more time to retool his Iraq strategy.

What's behind the delay? And will the new timetable step on the Democrats' toes?

Also this hour, they're eyeing the Oval Office from opposite ends of the political spectrum. I'll speak with Republican presidential explorer, Senator Sam Brownback, and newly announced Democratic candidate, Congressman Dennis Kucinich.

And is America ready for an African-American or a woman in the White House?

We have brand new poll numbers on race and gender and the presidency. Senators Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama may want to listen up.

I'm Wolf Blitzer.

You're in THE SITUATION ROOM.

Up first this hour, the way forward in Iraq gets stalled. The White House now expects the president to unveil a new course in Iraq after the first of the year, instead of before Christmas. Mr. Bush still is pushing ahead with his so-called listening tour, getting input today from the Iraqi vice president and some other key players.

In Iraq, another day and more death. A massive suicide truck bombing in central Baghdad today killed at least 71 Iraqis and wounded more than 200. The Interior Ministry says the attacker lured a crowd of unemployed Iraqis to his vehicle by offering them work.

Our chief national correspondent, John King, and our Congressional correspondent, Dana Bash, are standing by.

But first to the White House and our correspondent there, Ed Henry, with the latest -- Ed.

ED HENRY, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, six days now since the Iraq Study Group's recommendations came out and White House staffers had been building expectations that the president would be delivering a big speech before Christmas with his own way forward.

But as the president has said before, he's the decider and he decided today that he's just not ready. There are too many complex questions to answer in such a short period of time. He wants more time to think this through, check in with advisers.

So he continued that listening tour we've been hearing about today with Iraq's vice president, a key Sunni leader, who's seen his own brother and sister killed by sectarian violence. The president tried to point out that Iraqis, like this vice president, are not losing their will, and the American people cannot either.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: ... the government deal with the extremists and killers and support the vast majority of Iraqis who are reasonable people who want peace.

And so, Mr. Vice President, my message to you today, and to the Iraqi people, is we want to help you. We want to help your government be effective.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HENRY: Now, the president will not take questions about why the delays. It was left to his press secretary, Tony Snow. He denied one theory, that perhaps the president is planning to send more troops to Iraq, but wants to delay the announcement until after the holidays.

Tony Snow also denying that something came up during a secure videoconference the president had this morning with military commanders, denying that maybe something came up that caused the president to rethink this, urged more time.

But there is no denying this abrupt reversal now puts the White House even more on the hot spot right now, as they try to deal, as everyone waits for a big speech that was supposed to be coming by the end of the year.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TONY SNOW, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: You know, a lot of you have been curious about when he would be announcing or talking about the way forward. That is not going to happen until the new year. We do not know when so I can't give you a date, I can't give you a time, I can't give you a place, I can't give you the way in which it will happen.

So all of those questions are yet to be answered. But the most important thing is that the president continues to be engaged in the business of talking about the way forward. (END VIDEO CLIP)

HENRY: Now, Tony Snow did say that the touchstone to all of this is not the Baker-Hamilton Report. The touchdown -- the touchstone, facts on the ground in Iraq. And the bottom line is the president wanted to give his incoming defense secretary, Robert Gates, more time to, in the words of Snow, kick the tires, get acclimated as he prepares to implement this new strategy.

And, also, the bottom line is that there are just no easy options here. Tony Snow saying that basically the president wants to make sure he makes the right decision on this course correction, that it's more important to get it right than to get it done fast -- Wolf.

BLITZER: All right, Ed, thanks very much.

We're going to get back to you.

Let's get the reaction to the president's revised Iraq timetable. As you may suspect, Democrats poised to take control of Capitol Hill already are complaining.

Our Congressional correspondent, Dana Bash, standing by with more -- Dana.

DANA BASH, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf, if the president wants patience from Democratic leaders, it's pretty clear he's not going to get it. The incoming Senate majority leader, Harry Reid, blasted the president for delaying his announcement of this new Iraq policy, even appeared to chide him on this so-called listening tour that he's on.

That's from his office. In fact, Harry Reid's spokesman, Jim Manley, released a statement this afternoon saying: "It has been six weeks since the American people demanded change in Iraq. Iraq is falling into an all out civil war and all the president has done is fired Donald Rumsfeld. Waiting and delaying on Iraq serves no one's interests."

He went on to say: "Talking to the same people he should have talked to for four years does not relieve the president of the need to change his policy now. The ball is in his court and time is running out."

Now, other senior Democrats, even those who have been staunch critics of the president, have been a little bit more circumstanced. There you see the incoming chairman -- circumspect, I should say -- the incoming chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee. Carl Levin, through a spokesman told CNN: "The president should take the time he needs, but that he should announce his decision as soon as practicable."

Now, regardless of when the president announces these new policy changes, what Democrats and senior Republicans do seem to agree on is that he must keep his promise for bipartisan consultation. Now, there were some meetings at the White House last week with the president and top leaders, both Democrats and Republicans. Democrats and Republicans we've talked to did not seem very satisfied with those meetings, saying that they were short and not a lot of give and take.

But, Wolf, what some top Republicans here, especially the outgoing Senate Armed Services chairman, John Warner, have said in public and, we're told, also in private, to the White House, is that they must make sure that they get "buy in" from the Democratic leadership -- really bring them in and exchange ideas and thoughts on this new course in Iraq, that that is really the only way to change the debate, and, more importantly, the plummeting public opinion when it comes to Iraq.

Now, ask even Republicans around here, Wolf, they will tell you that this president and this White House simply does not have a very good history of that kind of bipartisan consultation, even that kind of consultation with their fellow Republicans here. Historically what they have done, many Republicans will tell you, is simply inform them of policy changes and things going on in the administration shortly before they're announced.

But we are told from an administration official that this consultation with the -- with Capitol Hill, Democrats and Republicans, will continue, consultation even planned as early as this week -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Dana Bash on the Hill for us.

Dana, thanks very much.

Let's get some more insight now into what's going on.

We'll bring in our chief national correspondent, John King.

As you know, here in Washington expectations are lifted. A major address, prime time address by the president before Christmas now delayed until January.

What are you hearing? What's going on?

JOHN KING, CHIEF NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: I talked to a number of senior administration officials today and also some of the outsiders who have been consulted by the administration a part of this review, including one retired general. And they say they think the president wants more time for the reason Ed Henry just noted, because it's not just one thing.

As Ed goes through the whole litany of the White House, it's not because of this, it's not because of that. These officials all believe the president is planning to do something big. He is planning to do a substantial policy shift. And one of the sources I spoke to said he believes the president is very seriously considering, in the short-term, agreeing with Senator John McCain and increasing U.S. troop levels in the short-term and also resisting the recommendations of the Iraq Study Group that he put on the table, the idea that the United States would begin to withdraw troops.

The retired generals have said they believe, like the active duty generals, any talk of withdrawing troops right now is a bad idea. And the president, we are told, has asked for more advice about how could he do it? If he wanted to send in 20,000, 15,000 more troops for a few months to try to improve the situation, primarily in Baghdad, how could that happen?

So they need more time to put all that on the table. They need more time for the new defense secretary to study it.

Another issue is this regional diplomacy. The president won't meet directly with Iran or with Syria at a high level. But if they could pull off some sort of a regional conference and essentially call the bluff of Iran and Syria, saying can you come to the table with a serious proposal to help, they think that if the Iraqis can do that, the Iraqi government can do that, that might help them, as well.

But they're also worried, Wolf. You've seen all these reports -- is the Iraqi government in trouble? Is there a stirring up within Iraq against the Maliki government?

So, the main reasons are policy questions about what the president will do, but they're also watching warily what's happening in Baghdad.

BLITZER: And what about domestic politics?

Because, as you know, some Democrats already suspicious that the president is going to delay the speech, not necessarily for strictly policy reasons, but maybe politics might be at play.

KING: What senior administration officials say is that it's policy, policy, policy. The president is looking at big changes and he needs to get this right, so he's going to take the time necessary.

But they also do believe there is a political benefit. You might get criticism now, as you just heard Dana say, from the Democrats, why not before Christmas, but they believe there's a political benefit. If you are going to disagree with the Iraq Study Group and not accept its major recommendations, then let some time go by. Let the American people forget about that a little bit. Buy some time for critics.

And you see this. The "Wall Street Journal" editorial page, other conservatives attacking, attacking, attacking the findings of the Iraq Study Group. Let that criticism take hold, especially if you're going to say thank you for your report, but I don't agree with that much of it.

BLITZER: John King, thanks.

And John King, Dana Bash, Ed Henry -- they are all part of the best political team on television.

And remember, for the latest political news at any time, check out our Political Ticker at CNN.com/ticker. Even as the president works on a new war strategy, his approval rating on Iraq has plunged to a new low. A new CBS poll just out shows only 20 percent of Americans approve of the way he's handling the situation in Iraq. A majority, 57 percent, say the president needs to make major changes in his war policy. And 64 percent of those surveyed say the cost of success in Iraq outweighs the benefits.

Carol Costello joining us now from New York with a closer look at some other important stories making news -- Carol.

CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Hi, Wolf.

And hello to all of you.

The Bush administration calls Iran's Holocaust denial conference in Tehran an affront to the entire civilized world. The White House condemnation joins that of British Prime Minister Tony Blair, who calls the gathering "shocking beyond belief." The conference was organized by the Iranian president. It has attracted an eclectic group, including former Ku Klux Klansman David Duke.

Does Israel have nuclear weapons or not?

Comments made by Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert have stirred debate about his country's nuclear capabilities. They came during an interview in Jerusalem with a German TV station. The exchange has Olmert listing Israel with nuclear-armed nations. Olmert and his aides say the comment was taken out of context.

For the next six hours, space watchers will be holding their collective breath for the first of three space walks on the Discovery mission.

You're seeing NASA pictures there from this.

Isn't that incredible?

The two shuttle astronauts on the outside of the orbiter to begin installation of an addition to the International Space Station. The addition will be a spacer between two solar arrays and will channel electricity, data and cooling fluid. These are live pictures. This is exactly what's now happening in space. And I've got to tell you, you can't -- there isn't a more beautiful picture than that, when you see the astronaut, when they take the banner away. We'll keep you updated.

Rescuers hope a break in the weather will give them the edge they need in their search for three missing climbers on Oregon's Mount Hood. The 21 searchers turned back from 9,000 feet yesterday because of 80 mile per hour winds and whiteout conditions. Three climbers started out last Wednesday and planned to finish on Saturday. One of them placed a cell phone call to his wife on Sunday. They have not been heard from since.

Back to you -- Wolf.

BLITZER: All right, we're praying for them. We're keeping our fingers crossed. I know you are as well.

Thank you, Carol.

Let's check in with Jack.

He's in New York, as well, for "The Cafferty File" -- Jack.

JACK CAFFERTY, CNN ANCHOR: Wolf, President Bush apparently in no hurry now to come up with a change of strategy in Iraq.

I mean, hey, what's the rush? Things are going to sell over there, right?

Last week he got the Iraq Study Group report amid expectations that he might announce a change in strategy sooner rather than later. Now it looks like it's going to be later.

Instead of a Christmas present to the nation and the people of Iraq in the form of a way to stop the insanity, the decider has decided not to decide until January.

In the meantime, American troops get butchered every day. The American death toll approaching 3,000 now, as December looks to be a very bloody month. Forty-seven soldiers and Marines have been killed in Iraq since December the 1st. And since the start of the war now, 2,937 U.S. troops have been killed.

And for innocent Iraqi civilians, it is much, much worse on a daily basis. Today, 71 Iraqis looking for a job, hoping to find a day's work so they could feed their families, were slaughtered by a suicide truck bomber in Baghdad and 220 additional Iraqi civilians were injured.

And yet President Bush told Brit Hume over at the "F" word network in an interview the other day that the load of the war in Iraq is "not heavy." He called it a joyful, not a painful, experience, because millions of Americans are praying for him.

So, as our soldiers get ready to spent their fourth Christmas in this hellhole, here's the question -- how long should it take President Bush to figure out what to do in Iraq?

E-mail your thoughts to CaffertyFile@CNN.com or go to CNN.com/CaffertyFile -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Jack, thank you.

And coming up, the next race for the White House -- he didn't come close last time, so why is Congressman Dennis Kucinich now making another run?

I'll ask the Ohio Democrat.

Plus, a Republican with a very different take. I'll speak with Senator Sam Brownback of Kansas, who just may be the most conservative man mulling a presidential bid right now. And later, are Americans ready for a woman or a black man running the shop at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue?

Our new poll numbers may surprise you.

Stay with us. You're in THE SITUATION ROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: There's a new long shot Democratic candidate in the race for the White House. Ohio Congressman Dennis Kucinich today launched his second presidential bid, by venting his considerable frustration about the war in Iraq. I'll speak with him in a moment.

First, though, some background from our Congressional correspondent, Andrea Koppel -- Andrea.

ANDREA KOPPEL, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, 30 years ago, Dennis Kucinich became the youngest big city mayor. Now age 60, a strict vegan who believes the U.S. needs a Department of Peace, he's hoping to become the next U.S. president.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

REP. DENNIS KUCINICH (D), OHIO: I am announcing my candidacy for president of the United States.

KOPPEL (voice-over): As only the second Democrat to officially throw his hat in the ring following Iowa Governor Tom Vilsack's announcement last month, at the moment the field is virtually wide open for the five term Ohio congressman, who says he's in it to win.

KUCINICH: A leader must have not just hindsight, but foresight.

KOPPEL: At the heart of Kucinich's campaign, his unswerving opposition to the war in Iraq, which he refused to support even back in 2002.

KUCINICH: The American people want to know what will the use of force in Iraq cost? And how will it be paid for?

Everything I said then has proven to be true. Iraq had nothing to do with 9/11. Iraq had no weapons of mass destruction. Iraq had no intention or capability of attacking the United States, but we attacked Iraq.

KOPPEL: Now, Kucinich is calling on Congress to cut off future funding for the war and on President Bush to bring U.S. troops home.

The war in Iraq was also the central issue in Kucinich's last bid for president in 2004, when he came in at the bottom of the pack. But he garnered national attention, appearing on shows like Jay Leno, when the then single Kucinich said he was looking for a wife and became the prize in an Internet contest.

Experts say there are usually only two reasons why long shots like Kucinich go through presidential campaigns.

STEPHEN HESS, BROOKINGS INSTITUTION: They're on an ego trip and they get very excited by the opportunities to be on the same platform with the contenders, if you will. It's fun-and it's interesting. And because they have something they think they have to say, and perhaps something that the others aren't saying, and they want to add their voice to it.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

KOPPEL: In this case, Kucinich believes it's not credible for elected officials to say they're against the war while at the same time voting to fund it. And he hopes that his consistent position opposing the war in Iraq will pressure Democratic leaders to urge President Bush and finally convince him, Wolf, to end the war in Iraq once and for all -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Andrea Koppel reporting for us.

Thank you, Andrea.

And joining us now from his home state of Ohio, Democratic congressman and presidential candidate Dennis Kucinich.

Congressman, thanks for coming in.

KUCINICH: Thank you very much, Wolf.

BLITZER: You want -- are you going to introduce actual legislation to stop the funding of the U.S. involvement in Iraq?

KUCINICH: Well, that, you know, that's something that could be pursued. But you don't have to do that. We appropriated $70 billion on October 1st. That money can be used to bring the troops home now. You don't have to introduce any other legislation.

The problem is -- and this is why I'm running -- our Democratic leaders have said that in April they're going to approve a supplemental of up $160 billion. That would keep the war going through the end of President Bush's term.

I say this is the time to bring the troops home.

If you looked at "The Cafferty File," you can see that, look, it's a hellhole. We need to bring the troops home.

And so my position and my run-for the presidency is about consistency. It's about a quest for integrity. It's about saying the money is there to bring the troops home, so let's bring them home.

What are we waiting for?

BLITZER: So, let me be precise. When the next appropriations bill, the spending bill, $100 billion, $150 billion, whatever it is, comes up, you want the Democrats, who are now the majority, to vote against that? Is that right?

KUCINICH: That's absolutely right.

What we need to do is...

BLITZER: Now, what about...

KUCINICH: ... is to tell the president right now we have money in the pipeline. It was appropriated just two months ago, Wolf, $70 billion. That's more than the entire budget of the Department of Education. We have the money in the pipeline right now to bring the troops home.

So why don't we bring them home? Isn't that what the people voted for in November? Isn't that why they put the Democrats in power?

So my candidacy, as a Democrat, is to give people all around the country someone they can rally around to say look, yes, we want the troops brought home.

BLITZER: Because...

KUCINICH: We're going to support Kucinich because that's what he's going to do.

BLITZER: Because I've asked most of the Democratic leaders, including Nancy Pelosi and John Murtha -- both of them are strong opponents of this war -- if they'll vote against funding for the U.S. involvement, and they all say no because they're afraid this will endanger the U.S. men and women serving in Iraq, 140,000, 150,000.

KUCINICH: OK, hold it right there and let's examine this, OK?

If we care about the troops and the money is there right now to bring them home, then why wouldn't we use the money we have to bring them home instead of appropriating even more money to keep them there another two years in a war which everyone says cannot be won militarily?

So, you know, this is a moment for me to stand up, to show leadership. You know, it's easy in hindsight for candidates to say well, you know, we shouldn't have gone there. I was right at the forefront challenging the Bush administration march toward war. People want someone who has that foresight. That's what a leader is about.

I'm saying we can get out of Iraq right now. The money is there.

BLITZER: So...

KUCINICH: And I'm taking a really strong stand on this, Wolf. I'm putting it all on the line, because I believe the American people want those troops brought home.

BLITZER: So is this an area where you disagree with the speaker- to-be, Nancy Pelosi?

KUCINICH: Nancy Pelosi has opposed the war and I'm going to vote for Nancy Pelosi for speaker. I like Nancy Pelosi. She's going to be a great speaker.

But she needs support built up in the Congress for this new direction. And what I'm trying to do is help save the Democratic Party from making a tremendous mistake.

By appropriating funds in the spring to help George Bush continue the war, we'd be buying the war.

I mean why buy a used war from this administration?

We need to go forward with the intention of creating peace in the region. We have to start with ending the occupation, bringing our troops home, but most of all, we have to realize it is not credible to simultaneously say that you oppose the war in Iraq and continue to fund it.

And so I'm challenging all of the Democratic candidates for president on this point. If you vote for funding for the war, don't tell the American people you're opposed to the war.

If you vote for funding for the war, don't bemoan the plight of the troops.

We can bring those troops home right now. I listened to Jack Cafferty...

BLITZER: What...

KUCINICH: ... Jack Cafferty's report. I mean our hearts go out to all of those families whose sons and daughters are paying a horrible price for the misjudgment of this administration.

BLITZER: You want the U.S. troops out as quickly as possible, is that right?

KUCINICH: That's absolutely right. And the money...

BLITZER: What...

KUCINICH: Moreover, the money is there, Wolf.

BLITZER: All right, so what moral responsibility do you believe, if any, the United States has to all of those Iraqis who supported the U.S. who worked with the U.S. who potentially could be butchered if the U.S. pulls out?

KUCINICH: Our first responsibility is to bring our troops home. We have a responsibility to all of the Iraqi people. But we cannot fulfill that responsibility by continuing the occupation.

We have to rally the world community, Wolf. And this means talking to people who ordinarily we may not want to talk to, people in Syria and Iran. We can use that as an opportunity for a whole new peace plan in the region, to finally look at those issues which are dividing the Israelis and the Palestinians.

I mean all these things are linked together and Americans want a leader who sees that, one who's been clear from the beginning -- and I have been. And I can win because of that clarity, because of that foresight and because of my willingness to stand up and speak out, to take a stand to bring these troops home now.

BLITZER: So you're saying this is not simply an ego trip for Dennis Kucinich?

KUCINICH: You know what, Wolf?

I mean I heard that comment and was it an ego trip to stand up in 2002 and say there was no basis for this war, when no other person was willing to do that?

I organized 125 Democrats and I took a lot of abuse on some of the talk shows with people saying what are you saying, there's no weapons of mass destruction? Kucinich, I mean don't you believe our president?

Listen, I'm -- I chose a career in public life not to -- not just to do well, but to do good. And I chose a career where I can manifest this integrity and to stand up and speak on behalf of the people.

People I represent in Cleveland, you know, they're losing their homes, they're losing their health care, they're losing their retirement security. And here we are spending huge resources in Iraq. We have to bring those troops home. We have to rededicate the purpose of our nation to something other than war.

And my candidacy is about doing just that.

BLITZER: Dennis Kucinich, the congressman from Ohio. He's been consistent on this issue from day one.

Thanks very much for coming in.

KUCINICH: Thank you very much, Wolf.

I look forward to continuing our conversation.

BLITZER: All right, we certainly will.

And should Iraq be divided into three parts?

I'll ask Senator Sam Brownback, the Republican from Kansas, who's just a step away from running for the White House himself. He's officially an explorer right now.

Plus, an old book from Hillary Clinton making some new rounds. Find out why in today's Political Radar.

But first, a closer look at where the presidential candidate Dennis Kucinich stands on the issues. Check this out.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: And to our viewers, you're in THE SITUATION ROOM, where new pictures and information are arriving all the time.

Happening now, the White House says President Bush won't unveil his new strategy in Iraq until after the first of the year. Previously, Mr. Bush had been pushing for a pre-Christmas announcement. He gave no public hint of what he's planning when he met with the Iraqi vice president, Tareq al-Hashimi.

In Iraq today, a bomb went off in a crowd of mostly poor Shiites in Baghdad, killing 71 and wounding more than 200. It was the second major attack in less than a month in which jobless Iraqis were lured to their deaths by a suicide bomber promising them some work.

And House Democrats are refusing to let one of their own back on the influential and powerful Ways and Means Committee. Congressman William Jefferson of Louisiana was reelected in a landslide on Saturday, despite facing a bribery investigation. The incoming House speaker, Nancy Pelosi, says Jefferson will remain stripped of his committee position until the probe is resolved.

I'm Wolf Blitzer. You're in THE SITUATION ROOM.

Republican Senator Sam Brownback is in Iowa right now, exploring a run for the White House. He is set to meet with GOP activists in the kickoff caucus state later, and promote himself as a full-scale conservative.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: And joining us now from Des Moines, Iowa, Senator Sam Brownback, Republican of Kansas. He wants to be president of the United States.

Senator, thanks very much for coming in.

SEN. SAM BROWNBACK (R), KANSAS: Happy to join you, Wolf.

BLITZER: Let's talk about Iraq, first and foremost, the key issue right now on everyone's agenda.

Increasingly, we're hearing a lot of concern from many of your fellow Republicans, whether Senator Gordon Smith, or Chuck Hagel, or Susan Collins, or Kay Bailey Hutchison.

Is it over, as far as you're concerned? Can the situation in Iraq still be fixed?

BROWNBACK: Well, I think it can still be fixed, but we have got to get on a new course, and I think that's what you're hearing everybody say. And it's also -- it's the right time to be saying it. The president is looking at different options right now. He's going to be announcing some new options, I hope, here before Christmas. And I think now is the time, really, for people to be speaking out, as I have been saying, that we can't face the public in a similar situation in 2008. And we have got to get the situation there to some form of political equilibrium in the fairly near future.

BLITZER: The president is not going to be announcing anything before Christmas -- the White House now saying he's going to wait until January. He needs more time to, apparently, review the various options.

His critics are already suggesting: You know what? More time is going to result in more American lives lost.

BROWNBACK: Well, this is a big course correction, if you want to call it that, a course adjustment, that he's making. And I think he needs to take every bit of time that he needs to have. We cannot be in the middle of a sectarian fight between Sunni and Shiites in Iraq.

I think we have got to figure our way out of this thing, and be also conveying to the Iraq leadership, government, and the countries in that region that, you know, look, we're not in this forever, and there is a certain timeline.

We haven't specified one. And we're going to start to use, I hope, the Iraq Study Group, as a way to get a bipartisan buy-in and a regional buy-in on a new strategy, moving us forward, and us back out of the way in Iraq.

BLITZER: You were quoted in "The Washington Post' the other day as saying this -- and I will read it to you -- "I think you may end up having a Kurdish, a Sunni, a Shiite area and Baghdad being a federal capital. Hopefully, you can maintain it in one country."

The Iraq Study Group, as you know, says that that's not necessarily a good idea. It says, "The costs associated with devolving Iraq into three semi-autonomous regions, with loose central control, would be too high."

What do you say?

BROWNBACK: Well, what I say is, let's face reality, Wolf. You look at the former Yugoslavia. When they took the military apparatus off the top of that, it broke into multiple sets of countries.

You look at Sudan today, where you have got southern Sudanese, northern Sudanese that just don't get along -- and likely for that to break apart.

I think, if you just look at what reality is, and if you're not willing to put a military apparatus sitting on top of Iraq -- either we're not willing to do it, or the Iraqis aren't capable of doing it -- you're likely to devolve down to some three types of regions, Sunnis, Shiites, and Kurds.

BLITZER: And some experts are suggesting that already, for all practical purposes, is the case, but it's going to continue, the bloodshed, for some time.

Let's talk about presidential politics for a moment or so. You have announced you're -- you have created an exploratory committee to run for the Republican presidential nomination.

In our most recent poll, Rudy Giuliani tops the list, with 29 percent, among registered Republicans; John McCain, 24. And then it goes down. You're down below. You're only at 2 percent. You have a major uphill struggle ahead of you, Senator.

BROWNBACK: I do, but I think you know what the game is. And it's these early primary states. And I'm in Iowa. And it's also about ideas. And I think, once there's a good voter contact that's made, I think we're going to move forward strongly.

Plus, you can look at the history here. Who knew Jimmy Carter when he got started? Who knew Howard Dean, on the Democrat side, two times ago, when he got started -- one time ago, when he got started?

I think we have got a really good chance on the ideas that I have been putting forward. I'm a full-scale conservative. Once a proper voter contact is made, I think we're going to move up, and I think we're going to move up very strongly.

BLITZER: Could you support Rudy Giuliani if, and it's obviously a huge if he were the Republican presidential nominee?

BROWNBACK: Oh, I think so. I believe in a big-tent party. I believe in a party that binds people together, even though we don't agree on all of the topics. And, so, I think I could do that.

But I think I'm going to be the nominee, and not Rudy Giuliani.

BLITZER: Even though he supports abortion rights for women and gay rights; he opposes -- he supports gun control, affirmative action, so many of the issues where you stand on the other side?

BROWNBACK: Well, I disagree with him on those issues. And I think that's why I will have more fortune in contacting the voters than, I think, Mr. Giuliani will.

But he is a quality American. He's led a large city in the United States. He's been very strong on crime. But, that having been said, this is about a competition of ideas. And I like the ideas that I represent. And I think those are winning ideas.

BLITZER: And what differentiates you from John McCain, your Republican colleague from Arizona?

BROWNBACK: Well, I'm a full-scale Republican conservative, a Ronald Reagan conservative.

I have also tried to grab a number of new ideas, and tried to deal with these with a compassionate-conservative theme, and just really a human-dignity theme. I don't know that that differentiates me, but it says what I pursue on issues like Darfur, on issues like prison reform, on issues like ending deaths by cancer in 10 years. I have got a set of ideas that I think are going to be very attractive and very important to this country.

BLITZER: And I will just leave it with this question, because we're almost out of time. Are you suggesting that John McCain is not necessarily a full-scale Republican conservative in the tradition of Ronald Reagan?

BROWNBACK: I am not at all, and I'm not going to get into this back-and-forth, Wolf.

What this is about is a set of ideas that I represent. Each of us will put those forward. And we will have a good competition on those ideas.

BLITZER: Senator Sam Brownback, running for president, and now in Iowa, a state he's going to be visiting quite often, I suspect, in the next several months, thanks very much for coming in.

BROWNBACK: Thank you, Wolf. Merry Christmas.

BLITZER: Thank you. You, too.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: And up next: breaking through the White House ceiling. Could a woman or an African-American candidate win the presidency in 2008? Our brand-new poll addresses questions about Senators Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama.

And, in the search for a solution in Iraq, what could Donald Rumsfeld tell the president that he hasn't already said? In our next hour, we will preview Mr. Bush's speech in our "Strategy Session."

Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: There was a time when it would have been a hypothetical question to ask Americans if they're willing to vote for a woman or an African-American for president. But Senators Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama are turning what was once a distant possibility into a very real prospect.

Let's turn to our senior analyst, Bill Schneider, with a little bit more on what is going on.

You have got new poll numbers, Bill?

WILLIAM SCHNEIDER, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: Yes, we do, Wolf.

With the prospect of a woman and an African-American running for president, some Democrats are concerned about electability. Should they be?

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SCHNEIDER (voice-over): Is America ready for a woman or an African-American president? We asked in the latest CNN poll by the Opinion Research Corporation. Sixty percent of voters said, a woman president, no problem. How about a black president?

A slightly higher number, 62 percent, see no problem with that either. Can those results be trusted? Polls are not always reliable when they ask people about prejudice.

KEATING HOLLAND, CNN POLLING DIRECTOR: Sometimes, people will hear a question, and give pollsters the answer that they think the pollster wants to hear.

SCHNEIDER: The question of electability may be less about prejudice in general and more about this woman and this African- American.

HOLLAND: I think Americans may be thinking about those specific people, Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama.

SCHNEIDER: If Senator Clinton has too much political baggage, Senator Obama may not have enough.

SEN. BARACK OBAMA (D), ILLINOIS: It's entirely legitimate for people to look at the body of my experience and the other candidates' experience and ask tough questions.

SCHNEIDER: Like, does either senator have the military experience and national security credentials to be commander in chief? That question didn't matter as much for Bill Clinton in 1992 or for George W. Bush in 2000. They ran in the inter-war years, when the Cold War was over and the war on terror had not begun.

Electability may eventually become a problem for both Clinton and Obama, but voters don't have to make a choice yet.

HOLLAND: It's only when the waiter actually gets to your table that you have got to make a real choice. Right now, Americans are just looking at every option on the menu.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SCHNEIDER: If he does run, Obama would be the first African- American candidate for president who does not come out of the civil rights movement. His appeal is not primarily racial.

In our poll, Senator Clinton is the candidate who does much better among black Democrats than white Democrats -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Thanks for that -- Bill Schneider reporting. Fascinating poll numbers.

An outspoken Republican apparently thinks Senator Clinton and Barack Obama are, in fact, electable. The former House majority leader, Tom DeLay, told conservative bloggers today, Senator Clinton would be elected president in 2008, and that she would probably tap Senator Obama as her running mate. According to "Human Events Online," DeLay went on to contend that Senator Clinton will be propelled into the White House by a liberal coalition.

And he urged conservatives to start digging into Obama's past, charging that the Illinois Democrat's record is on par -- and I'm quoting now -- "with a Marxist leftist."

In case you missed it, Senator Barack Obama made a big announcement last night. It happened on national television. Check out his prime-time moment at the start of "Monday Night Football."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, "MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL")

OBAMA: So, tonight, I would like to put all the doubts to rest. I would like to announce to my hometown of Chicago and all of America, that I am ready for the Bears to go all the way, baby. Duh, duh, duh, duh.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: The Bears are looking mighty, mighty good right now.

That free airtime was priceless for Barack Obama. If he had to pay for 30 seconds on "Monday Night Football," media expert Evan Tracey tells us it would cost between $190,000 to $210,000. When you add up all the seconds he was on, it was more a minute, double that.

More about Barack Obama and racism coming up later tonight. Please watch "Skin Deep: Racism in America," a special "PAULA ZAHN NOW." That airs tonight, 8:00 p.m. Eastern -- 8:00 p.m. Eastern -- only on CNN, right after THE SITUATION ROOM.

And coming up: items on our "Political Radar." Senator John Kerry gets a nudge from a friend. Will he or won't he run for the White House?

And Senator Clinton has a dinner party. The invitation list, that is, looks toward 2008. We will tell you who is on it.

Stay with us. You're in THE SITUATION ROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: The 2008 presidential roundup on our "Political Radar" today: Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton hosts a small dinner party tonight for Iowa Democrats. But they have to shell out their own money for airfare to D.C. -- no word on what is for dinner, but advice on how she can win in Iowa sure to be dished out.

Granite State Democrats shouldn't feel left out. She will be hosting New Hampshire power players on Sunday. In the next hour, right here in THE SITUATION ROOM, our Mary Snow will have much more on this and the paperback debut of Senator Clinton's famous book, "It Takes a Village."

And 2004 presidential nominee John Kerry is under pressure to decide on 2008 from an unlikely source. That would be the fellow Massachusetts senator, the senior senator, Ted Kennedy. Kennedy tells "The Boston Globe" he won't wait indefinitely for Kerry to make up his mind about 2008. Hours later, a Kerry spokesman said Kerry, who had planned to hold his fire until spring, the spokesman said Kerry would make a decision shortly after the turn of the year.

And, remember, for the latest political news at any time, check out our Political Ticker at CNN.com/ticker.

Coming up: Citizen Al Gore organizes viewing parties for his film on global warming. Is the former vice president using "An Inconvenient Truth" -- that's the name of the film -- as a convenient way to launch another White House bid?

And also coming up, Jack Cafferty's question of the hour: How long should it take President Bush to figure out what to do in Iraq? Jack with your e-mail -- when we come back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Here is Jack Cafferty in New York. He's got "The Cafferty File" -- Jack.

CAFFERTY: Wolf, the question this hour is: How long should it take President Bush to figure out what to do in Iraq?

S. writes: "We all know the answer to that very real question you posed, Jack. But the question should be, how long are our newly elected leaders going to continue to allow this dangerous executive branch the power to keep our young service men and women in harm's way? Impeachment, anyone?"

Josh Sylvania, Ohio: "President Bush should act now to change this mess and end this war. He's already an embarrassment to us. And, if he doesn't have a solution, he should step down as president, and allow someone who is competent to take on the responsibility of ending this Iraq war."

These are tough, some of them.

Carley in Wilmington, North Carolina: "We should not be answering the question regarding how long should it take Bush to decide. The question should be, when do the impeachment activities begin?"

Dominic in Michigan: "He already knows: Continue what he has been doing all along. Bush will keep on building permanent military bases in Iraq, looting the resources of both Iraq and the United States, while simultaneously decimating the Iraqi population and the American armed forces."

Julian in Salisbury, North Carolina: "Why should Bush care about making a quick decision on troop withdrawal? None of his kids are over there, just the ones who don't have rich parents." And John in Keene, New Hampshire: "You should know by now it's not what you're doing; it's what you appear to be doing that counts. The appearance that he's trying to listen, trying to decide, and trying to act only adds to the ever-growing frustration in this country" -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Jack, thanks. See you in a few moments.

Coming up next, man on a mission or on a convenient political platform? Former Vice President Al Gore viewing parties -- has some viewing parties, that is, for his film, "An Inconvenient Truth." We will tell you what's going on.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Former Vice President Al Gore is going online to try to organize hundreds of so-called viewing parties this weekend for his global warming documentary, "An Inconvenient Truth." Could this be a convenient opportunity for him to come clean on whether he will run for president in 2008?

Let's check in with our Internet reporter, Jacki Schechner -- Jacki.

JACKI SCHECHNER, CNN INTERNET REPORTER: Wolf, here is what is going on.

Al Gore is using his Web site and teaming up with MoveOn.org, the liberal political action committee, to spread the word about global warming. They're organizing viewing parties across the country for Al Gore's DVD, the documentary "An Inconvenient Truth." There's more than 1,600 parties scheduled for Saturday so far. And partygoers can log into a conference call with Al Gore himself. He will be phoning in from Nashville.

Now, on his Web site for these house parties, he promises he will bring people's messages to Washington next year. So, we asked if there was any meaning in that, if we could expect any sort of political announcement on the call. And a spokeswoman said that Gore's campaign is global warming. And that's what you can expect.

Now, an interesting co-sponsor of these viewing parties is JohnKerry.com. Kerry is another possible contender for '08. He has an e-mail list already built of some three million strong. And he's sending out a note, calling Al Gore a strong leader, saying he deserves support in his fight against global warming -- Wolf.

Jacki, thank you.

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