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The Situation Room
Search Continues for Missing Mountain Climbers; Robert Gates Takes Charge of Pentagon; Is Hillary Rodham Clinton Seizing Spotlight Back?
Aired December 18, 2006 - 16:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
WOLF BLITZER, HOST: And to our viewers, you're in THE SITUATION ROOM, where new pictures and information are arriving all the time. Standing by, CNN reporters across the United States and around the world to bring you today's top stories.
Happening now, a desperate search for two missing climbers after their friend is found dead. We're live in Oregon for the manhunt on the treacherous slopes of Mount Hood on this day of hope and heartache.
Also this hour, Robert Gates takes charge of the Pentagon and an increasingly unpopular war. With have brand new record-breaking poll numbers on the Iraq mission and the way President Bush is handling it.
Plus, Hillary Rodham Clinton and the Democrats' presidential campaign playbook.
Is she seizing the spotlight back from another Senate star, Barack Obama?
And can her party seize momentum in torture with a mile high convention?
I'm Wolf Blitzer.
You're in THE SITUATION ROOM.
In Oregon right now, rescuers are scrambling to beat the clock and the odds, hoping upon hope that they'll find those two missing mountain climbers alive on Mount Hood. But they're also pushing ahead with the grim task of recovering the body of a third climber who definitely didn't make it.
Let's turn to CNN's Dan Simon.
He's in Hood River, Oregon with more on this life and death drama as it's unfolding.
It's been now 10 days since they started that trek up the mountain.
What do we know right now -- Dan.
DAN SIMON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf, it is a twofold mission for crews today, first to recover the body of Kelly James, who was found in one of two snow caves discovered yesterday. And also to continue the search for those other climbers, Brian Hall and Jerry Cooke.
Authorities have narrowed the search to an area they call "The Gulley." This is very steep terrain and it's right below the two snow caves.
One of the operating theories is that the two may have fallen while trying to escape some dangerous weather, although things may not bode well, Wolf, for finding those two climbers alive. Civil crews made it clear they have not given up hope.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SHERIFF JOE WAMPLER, HOOD RIVER COUNTY, OREGON: They had the best chance to get out because they were up and moving. But they haven't been seen anywhere. A big problem. But since the best climber in the group was there, I don't know, maybe the best chance still exists.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SIMON: Meanwhile, a tragic outcome for the family of climber Kelly James. His body is still on the mountain. Crews trying to get his body off the mountain right now. His brother talked about his love for the mountains, his sense of adventure and how he just loved to climb.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
FRANK JAMES, BROTHER OF DEAD CLIMBER: As Christians, we find peace that Kelly is with god. Kelly always told us that he felt closest to god when he was on a mountain.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SIMON: There will be a press conference in about an hour, Wolf.
But in the meantime, we are pleased to welcome here Captain Chris Bernard.
I know that has been an extraordinary ordeal for you and the other rescuers and, of course, for the families. But at this hour, tell me how things are going in terms of, A, finding those two other climbers and, B, bringing Kelly James back down.
CAPT. CHRIS BERNARD, AIR FORCE RESERVE: Actually, both missions are progressing well. The first one, I just got word they're about an hour out from getting the body out of the snow cave to an extraction point. There's still some helicopter work there. Or they're going to decide how to extract the body.
The search, I actually participated on the first portion. Our mission this morning, after we inserted the para-rescue team, we did a detailed search from the snow cave and below, down to the gulleys that you were talking about earlier. And I'm -- it was -- it was really detailed. I mean we hovered. We used -- utilized stabilization binoculars and we had about six or 10 people looking out in all directions.
SIMON: One of the things, you know, we've been hearing about is that, you know, if these two climbers had the ability to make their presence known -- in other words, raise their hands when this search was going on yesterday -- wouldn't they have done so?
BERNARD: Yes, that's a true statement. But at this point we believe that they're suffering from the effects of hypothermia. And very soon, when you get in a hypothermia situation, you lose that. You get weak. These people haven't eaten for a while. Hopefully they've been drinking some water.
But, yes, they're weak. They're very weak right now.
SIMON: Captain Chris Bernard, before I let you go, I want to give Wolf Blitzer the opportunity to take you a quick question -- Wolf.
BLITZER: Captain, thanks very much, and thanks for your good work.
Is the weather conducive today to go up there?
You have a few more hours of daylight to try to continue the search for these two missing climbers.
In other words, is the weather cooperating today?
BERNARD: Yes, the weather is cooperating. There is a cloud layer, as you can see, in the background here. But that -- that peaks out at about 2,500 feet. Above there, it's sunny and clear -- optimal search and recovery operation conditions.
BLITZER: Have you seen anything at all, any clues that might give hope to the -- as part of the latest flyover, if you will, hope to the families and the friends and all of us who have been watching this?
BERNARD: On my portion of the search, there was some clues, but not -- nothing significant. And it still has to be analyzed because there's all kinds of pieces of equipment. You know, this is the second most climbed mountain in the world. And so we see something, we look at it, we take a picture of it, we bring it back, analyze it, discuss it.
But right now nothing significant.
BLITZER: And, finally, captain -- I want to let you go back to your work -- as you spend these next few hours searching up there for anything potentially, it's been 10 days since they started to go up that mountain.
How long can these guys, who are obviously well trained, experienced, how long can they survive in these kinds of conditions?
We've heard stories that there have been other survivors for as long as 13 days.
BERNARD: Yes, I know that story very well. In fact, I happened to be able to listen to that story the other night from one of the persons that survived for 13 days. And it was encouraging to hear that. I'm not a specialist in hypothermia and all that, and time and whatever.
We continue the mission and we don't turn off until the county sheriff says, you know, it's time to stop.
BLITZER: Captain Chris Bernard of the 304th Rescue Squadron, U.S. Air Force Reserve.
Captain, thanks very much.
I just want to bring back Dan Simon for a moment.
BERNARD: You're welcome.
BLITZER: Dan, you said there's going to be a news conference coming up shortly, an update on what we know.
Tell our viewers what we can expect.
Who's going to be doing this and is it based on just a standard time of the day when they do these news conferences or is there any substantive information we might be hearing?
SIMON: Well, we were told in advance this news conference was going to take place at 2:00 p.m. local time. And Captain Bernard will be there, as well as Hood River Sheriff Joe Wampler.
But we feel, you know, there's still some lingering questions here and those questions include why did the three separate? When did Kelly James pass away? And what is the fate of these other two climbers?
And, you know, unfortunately, as this story progresses, Wolf, we may not have the full story. We may still be left with some of these questions.
BLITZER: Well, we'll stay on top of it together with you, Dan.
Stand by.
We're going to be getting back to you.
And we'll get back to the news conference once it occurs here in THE SITUATION ROOM.
Dan Simon is on the scene for us at Mount Hood.
And we're going to keep track of all of the developments, bring them to you as we get them in THE SITUATION ROOM.
The search continuing this hour for those two missing climbers.
There is some other important news we're following, as well, including a bleak new snapshot of Americans' views of Iraq.
Our just released poll shows support for the war has dropped to its lowest level ever, only 31 percent. Sixty-seven percent of those surveyed now oppose the war in Iraq. And it's a sobering reminder of what the new defense secretary, Robert Gates, is facing, along with President Bush.
Gates was sworn in today as Donald Rumsfeld's replacement. Gates says he plans to travel to Iraq, and I'm quoting now, "quite soon."
He wants to speak to commanders on the ground.
On the ground in Iraq today, three bombings in Baghdad killed six people and wounded at least 25 others. Another 44 bullet-riddled bodies were found scattered across the capital city once again today. And the Iraqi Red Crescent -- that's their version of the Red Cross -- is refusing to resume aid work in Baghdad a day after the mass kidnapping of its aid workers. Sixteen of those abducted still are being held. Fourteen others have been freed.
The U.S. troop death toll since the start of the war three-and-a- half years ago, almost four years, now stands at 2,949. Sixty American troops have been killed so far this month of December.
Our Bill Schneider is standing by with more on the new poll numbers.
First, let's go to our White House correspondent, Suzanne Malveaux -- Suzanne.
SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf, earlier today, President Bush stood shoulder to shoulder with the man who, of course, will be advising him on any kind of change in tactics regarding Iraq. The president attending the official signing in ceremony of his new secretary of defense, Bob Gates.
Now, we expect some sort of announcement in a couple of weeks, the new year, of course, on possible changes in those tactics. But already we're hearing a change at least in tone with the administration. It was Gates, during his confirmation hearing, who gave a real blunt assessment of the state of the war, saying, in fact, that we are not winning.
Today we heard from both, who highlighted the tremendous political stakes that they face at turning this U.S. mission in Iraq from failure to success.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We are a nation at war and I rely on our secretary of defense to provide me with the best possible advice and to help direct our nation's armed forces as they engage the enemies of freedom around the world. Bob Gates is the right man to take on these challenges.
ROBERT GATES, DEFENSE SECRETARY: All of us want to find a way to bring America's sons and daughters home again. But at this point has made clear, we simply cannot afford to fail in the Middle East. Failure in Iraq at this juncture would be a calamity that would haunt our nation, impair our credibility and endanger Americans for decades to come.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MALVEAUX: Now, Wolf, as you know, the president is considering a number of options to present to the American people in the next couple of weeks. One of them, a senior administration official confirms, is a possible temporary surge in U.S. troops in Baghdad to help secure that area while the Iraqi government tries to get its political house in order.
We heard over the weekend from the president's former secretary of state, Colin Powell, who poured cold water on that idea, saying that he was not persuaded that that was a good idea, saying that the U.S. Army is almost broken at this point and that there would need to be further considerations.
The White House trying to downplay that today, saying, look, persuading Powell is really not their priority. They respect his opinion, but he's looking at the advice from the Pentagon, the State and Iraqi officials, who don't necessarily agree with Powell's analysis -- Wolf.
BLITZER: And General Powell also suggesting the U.S. is losing right now and that this is, in fact, already a civil war.
Suzanne, thanks very much for that.
While the Bush administration struggles with what to do next in Iraq, the American people are increasingly clear about their opposition to the war.
Let's get more from our senior political analyst, Bill Schneider -- Bill, there's a brand new CNN poll that is now out.
WILLIAM SCHNEIDER, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: That's right. And, you know, the message of the voters last month was loud and clear. Now, it's louder and clearer.
(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)
SCHNEIDER (voice-over): In November, Americans voted for change in Iraq. The new defense secretary is open to change.
GATES: You have asked for my candor and my honest counsel at this critical moment in our nation's history and you will get both.
SCHNEIDER: The demand for change is growing louder. Only 28 percent of Americans say they approve of the way President Bush is handling Iraq. Disapproval has reached 70 percent. There seems to be four options.
Some anti-war critics want to withdraw immediately. Just 21 percent of Americans support that.
The Iraq Study Group recommended withdrawing within a year. Thirty-three percent favor that.
Put those two options together and you have a majority of Americans in favor of withdrawing within a year.
The status quo is President Bush's policy -- take as long as necessary to turn control over to the Iraqis. Thirty-two percent agree.
What about the McCain option, send more troops?
That has the least support of all, 11 percent.
Over the past six months, support for the status quo has dropped. Every alternative has gained support.
The message is do something different.
President Bush continues to promise victory.
BUSH: We agree that victory in Iraq is important.
SCHNEIDER: Only 27 percent of Americans believe victory is likely. Twenty percent predict a defeat.
The prevailing view -- stalemate.
Do Americans believe victory is even possible?
They're split. But President Bush has kept his base. More than three quarters of Republicans hold fast to the view that victory is possible. An even larger number of Americans, 62 percent, believe a U.S. defeat is possible. That's where the president's base is getting shaky. The majority of Republicans now say yes, a defeat is possible.
(END VIDEO TAPE)
SCHNEIDER: Sending more troops would be a tough sell. But the poll points to growing urgency for new policy and rapidly diminishing confidence in the status quo -- Wolf.
BLITZER: All right, I think that's loud and clear, as you pointed out.
Thanks very much, Bill, for that.
Let's check in with Jack Cafferty.
He's got "The Cafferty File" -- Jack, welcome back. JACK CAFFERTY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Thanks, Wolf.
There's a 90 percent chance Senator Hillary Clinton will run-for president in 2008. That's according to President Bill Clinton's former White House summit chief of staff. If she does run, a key question becomes just what impact her husband might have on the race.
As the "Washington Post" puts it, and we quote here, "Bill can deliver political superstardom. He's razor sharp when it comes to political strategy. He knows the institution of the presidency and his fundraising chops (ph) are unrivaled."
In fact, a recent poll shows Bill Clinton with a higher favorable rating than his wife, 60 percent to 50 percent.
But then there's the flip side of Bill. The former president could be a distraction to the race -- a big one. Some experts say that Hillary would have to be careful not to be upstaged by her husband. That would mean staying out of the same room for the two of them.
And, of course, he comes with eight years worth of baggage from his time in the White House, including Monica Lewinsky and the fact that he was impeached.
So here's the question this hour -- would the former President Clinton help or hurt his wife's potential run-for the White House?
E-mail us at caffertyfile@cnn.com or go to cnn.com/caffertyfile -- Wolf.
BLITZER: You remember when he was running and he would refer to Hillary Clinton and say you get two for the price of one. She could say, I guess, the same thing right now -- vote for me, you get two for the price of one.
CAFFERTY: You know, a lot of people have suggested if Al Gore had enlisted Bill Clinton's help, we might have had a different man in the White House for the last six years.
BLITZER: Jack, thanks very much.
We're going to get back to you shortly.
Coming up, more on that search against time for those two climbers still missing atop Oregon's Mount Hood. This after their friend is found dead. We're going to have more on this story, including another live report from the scene.
We're standing by for that news conference from authorities who are part of this rescue operation. Now, that's coming up.
Also, much more on the race for the White House. Hillary Clinton goes on the offensive.
Is this a campaign to grab the 2008 spotlight back from Barack Obama? And will the Democrats go Rocky Mountain high for their 2008 convention?
We're going to go live to Denver to find out why the Mile High City thinks it's the place to be.
Stay with us. You're in THE SITUATION ROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: We're keeping an eye on Oregon's Mount Hood and the search for those two climbers who have been missing on the snowy slopes now for more than a week. A third climber, Kelly James, was found dead inside a snow cave. We're told they're about an hour away from recovering his body. And rescuers now are focusing in on an area between that cave and an area directly below.
We're also standing by for a news conference that's coming up. We're going to bring it to you here in THE SITUATION ROOM. All of the information as we get it, we'll share it with you.
We'll move on, though, to the race for 2008.
Senator Hillary Clinton back on some familiar turf today, as the attention grabbing leader of the emerging Democratic pack. It doesn't hurt that Senator Barack Obama right now on vacation.
And there's one less Democratic rival on the playing field today, as well.
Our chief national correspondent, John King, is here with all the latest developments.
It seems like this election is coming up tomorrow -- John.
JOHN KING, CHIEF NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Is that what -- Barack Obama has to go on vacation for anyone else to get attention?
You're about right.
Barack Obama is on vacation in Hawaii, where he says he'll decide whether or not he will run-for the 2008 nomination. All indications are go. Senator Clinton now signing books. Ten years ago, "It Takes A Village" was released, Hillary Clinton's then controversial book.
And gone from the race, Wolf, a candidate that, on paper, would seem as impressive, if not more impressive, than both Barack Obama or Hillary Clinton. He's from a red state, a popular Democrat from Indiana, a two-term governor, now in the United States Senate.
(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)
KING (voice-over): Just 10 days ago in New Hampshire, Evan Bayh eagerly embraced the underdog role.
SEN. EVAN BAYH (D-IA), INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE: I felt like the story of David and Goliath. David did OK. KING: But this past weekend, Senator Bayh abruptly ended his bid for the 2008 Democratic presidential nomination, saying in a statement: "Whether there were too many Goliaths or whether I'm just not the right David, the fact remains that, at the end of the day, I concluded that due to circumstances beyond our control, the odds were longer than I felt I could responsibly pursue."
The Goliaths on the Democratic side are Senators Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama.
MICHAEL FELDMAN, DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST: They're huge names. They have constituencies. They have -- they've started to raise money and there's less and less oxygen for the lesser known candidates to compete.
KING: Senator Clinton is assembling a campaign team. And in an interview with NBC's "Today," the former first lady took what could be seen as a gentle poke at Obama, who, just two years ago, was in the Illinois legislature.
(VIDEO CLIP FROM "THE TODAY SHOW," COURTESY NBC)
SEN. HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON (D), NEW YORK: You know, one thing that I think is important is whoever the next president is, has to hit the ground running.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KING: Senator Clinton long has been viewed as a formidable front runner. But it is the recent crush of attention on Obama that is most responsible for shrinking the Democratic field.
FELDMAN: You have an increasingly competitive media marketplace. So it's harder and harder for people to find -- find a way in. And I think that's what's -- that's what's resulting in this early winnowing process.
KING: Bayh joined Senate colleague Russ Feingold and former Virginia Governor Mark Warner in deciding it's best to sit out.
Democrats still testing the waters include Senators John Kerry, Chris Dodd and Joe Biden, and New Mexico-Governor Bill Richardson.
Former Senator John Edwards is set to announce his candidacy later this month. Anti-war Congressman Dennis Kucinich and former Iowa Governor Tom Vilsack are already in and already trying to navigate all the Clinton and Obama buzz.
GOV. TOM VILSACK (R), IOWA: Yes, I'm an underdog and I've, you know, I've always -- always had to work my way up.
(END VIDEO TAPE)
KING: Maybe the most interesting guy to watch, Wolf, as this Democratic campaign plays out isn't a candidate. The Democratic leader of the Senate, soon-to-be the majority leader, Harry Reid, imagine his task. He has only 51 votes to begin with. Senator Tim Johnson, who is recuperating from surgery, probably won't be back for several months. All these senators running for president, Harry Reid is going to tell them, you need to be in Washington for votes, not out in Iowa and New Hampshire.
BLITZER: Easier said than done.
There's a similar phenomenon going on in the Republican Party, as well, two frontrunners who are sucking up a lot of that oxygen.
KING: That's true. John McCain is exploring, he says. But he's out there running for president, running for the Republican nomination, even though he hasn't officially said so yet. Rudy Giuliani is the most interesting one, the former mayor of New York City, who most conservatives say well, there's no way he could win, but he's right up there with McCain in the polls right now.
They are getting so much attention, Senator Bill Frist decided not to run, some other Republicans -- Chuck Hagel probably not going to run, although he hasn't said that officially yet.
So, yes, two stars at the top of both fields causing it -- making it much harder for others to get attention.
BLITZER: And Barack Obama going to Hawaii to discuss with his family whether or not he should run.
Hawaii is a lovely island, obviously. It's a great state. But he has some family there. This is a place that he lived in at one point in his life.
KING: It's an annual trip. He's not out getting one more luxury vacation before he makes this big decision in his life. He goes every year. His grandmother still lives there. He spent some time there. He lived there as a child.
Here's there with his wife, so he's there to see family, which he does every year. But the most important conversation on this trip will be with his wife and his two young daughters, saying, do you really want to do this?
BLITZER: Let's see what he says when he comes back from vacation.
Thank you...
KING: We might want to know.
BLITZER: Thanks very much, John, for that.
And still to come, we're going to have more on that search, it continues, for the two missing climbers in the mountains of Oregon.
But how much longer will the weather cooperate?
We're going to have the latest on that. Also, Iowa's Tom Vilsack, a Democrat with his eye on the White House challenging Senator John McCain on his strong suit -- military matters. We're going to tell you what's going on on that front, as well.
Stay with us. You're in THE SITUATION ROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: To our viewers, you're in THE SITUATION ROOM, where new pictures and information are arriving all the time. Happening now, recovery teams in Oregon are getting closer to removing the body of a climber found dead inside a snow cave on Mount Hood. The other two climbers still missing this hour. Rescue crews are taking advantage of what's being described as good weather in a desperate search to find them, hopefully still alive.
The new Pentagon chief, Robert Gates, says it would be a calamity if the U.S. mission in Iraq is a failure. Gates was sworn in today as Donald Rumsfeld's replacement. He's pledging to travel to Iraq soon and give President Bush some honest advice.
New evidence this hour of how the Iraq mission is weighing in on the minds of Americans and weighing down President Bush. The president's approval rating on Iraq has fallen to an all time low. In our CNN poll, only 28 percent approve of the way he's handling his job in Iraq. Public support for the war also has hit a new low, as well. Thirty-one percent approve.
I'm Wolf Blitzer and you're in THE SITUATION ROOM.
Authorities in Oregon suspect two still missing climbers may have fallen on a steep slope on their way down Mount Hood, the state's highest mountain. Air crews are leading the search because of treacherous conditions.
Joining us now on the phone, Colonel Jon Proehl of the 152nd Airlift Wing of the Nevada Army National Guard.
Colonel Proehl, thanks very much for coming in.
I take it you've been involved directly in this search.
Give our viewers a sense of what's going on.
COL. JON PROEHL, 152ND AIRLIFT WING COMMANDER, NEVADA NATIONAL GUARD: Sure. We started -- we were called out on Wednesday to participate in the search. Due to weather, we didn't get up there until Friday. We could have gone there. There was just nothing that we could get down in to see.
On Friday, I personally flew the first mission in. And there was still so much weather that we just didn't have a chance. I took out Friday night. There was some clear weather in. But we were not getting any infrared hits off that mountain, and we scoured it for quite a while. Then we ran a mission on Saturday with better weather, but still a lot of overcast. Nothing.
And then yesterday our final mission. We actually had to get out of the way because the helicopters were doing the best work then.
BLITZER: All right, so what about now? What -- the weather cooperating, we were told earlier. It's still a pretty risky, dangerous mission, whether you're in a helicopter or a fixed wing aircraft.
PROEHL: Right.
That -- the mountain, as a mountain goes, isn't large, but it is just very steep. Having circled that for 16 hours in the last couple of days, it is very rugged, very steep. And where they found the -- the rope and the equipment, on that north side, is pretty treacherous.
We saw them hovering helicopters right off the snow and doing a great job. But it was even too close for them to get that close with their blades. That's how steep it is.
BLITZER: How sophisticated is the equipment you have in your aircraft, the C-130s, that could detect movement or metal or anything that would give a hint to a -- a promising hint in this search?
PROEHL: I think the stats are, we can detect down to about a 0.3 degree difference between a background and something in front of it.
So, our tactic was to buzz that mountain and get them to come out. And all I needed to see was a flashlight, a -- a match, anything with any warmth, and it would have stood out on that whole mountain. Our equipment was there. And it was ready to go. They -- we just didn't see a thing. And I'm afraid they just weren't able to give us any kind of signaling device at all. We would have seen it.
BLITZER: So, right now, the only aircraft that are flying are the helicopters. They have suspended the C-130 missions for the time being, we heard earlier, Colonel, because, frankly, you weren't showing -- you weren't coming up with anything concrete?
PROEHL: Right. I'm -- I'm actually back in Reno, so I'm not real familiar with what is going on right now on the ground at Mount Hood.
But, at some point, it was determined that our capability just wasn't adding any value, because there just was no heat signature to pick up.
BLITZER: CNN Jon Proehl, we are going to check back with you. Thank you very much for your special insight. And thanks to all your good work and all the work of all those others involved in this rescue operation.
Climbers around the world are going online to discuss the unfolding events in Oregon. And before embarking on his trip to Mount Hood, one of the missing climbers, Jerry Cooke, left some footprints on the Web.
Let's turn to our Internet reporter, Abbi Tatton.
ABBI TATTON, CNN INTERNET REPORTER: Wolf, rescuers have described these men as strong and confident climbers, and that planning and experience is evident from this site, summitpost.org, where posts appear to have been made by 36-year-old Jerry Cooke in his profile, listing multiple ascents in the U.S. and Canada, along with pictures of those trips over the last four years.
This is a photo of Cooke at Mount Rainier's Liberty Ridge on a trip in June. Alongside this, Cooke wrote, "I met a strong pair of climbers from Texas. Brian and Kelly, you two are gentlemen."
Kelly James' body was found yesterday. Brian Hall, along with Cooke, is still missing. At another forum earlier this fall in -- last month, Cooke appears to have been planning the trip, asking for advice from other climbers about this trip to Mount Hood, saying, "We are going to be a party of three, trying for the north face," asking about a shelter on the way up.
Other climbers weighing in with advice there -- and these are other climbers on these forums that had made the trip themselves, posting their images, recording their experiences, one at summitpost.org saying, "Do not underestimate this climb" -- Wolf.
BLITZER: Abbi, thank you for that.
And I just want to remind our viewers, we're standing by. There is going to be a news conference from Mount Hood. The authorities involved in this rescue operation will update on what has happened today. We will bring that to you live right here in THE SITUATION ROOM. We're standing by for that.
In the meantime, let's check in with Carol Costello. She is in New York with a closer look at some other important stories making news -- Carol.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Wolf. Hello to all of you.
A new nuclear pact between the U.S. and India is now law. President Bush signed the measure, allowing the shipment of civilian nuclear fuel and expertise to India. Mr. Bush says it will strengthen ties between the two democracies and help India reduce greenhouse emissions. India has nuclear weapons and has refused to sign the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. One critic calls today's bill- signing a historic mistake.
Will anyone blink? International arms talks resumed in Beijing today, for the first time in 13 months. It is also the first time since North Korea's October nuclear test. The communist north insists that it now be treated as a full nuclear power, and that sanctions against it be lifted.
The U.S. says time is running out for Pyongyang to dismantle its nuclear arsenal or face new sanctions.
And Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert says he is prepared to release seized Palestinian funds for humanitarian purposes. But he says a large-scale money transfer to Palestinians' Hamas-led government is out of the question. Olmert's comments came during a joint news conference today with the British prime minister, Tony Blair, in Tel Aviv.
Hamas won power in the January elections. And, since then, Israel has sat on hundreds of millions of tax dollars it collected for the Palestinians. The West Bank and Gaza Strip are now in economic crisis.
That's a look at the headlines right now -- Wolf.
BLITZER: Thanks, Carol, for that.
And, once again, want to remind our viewers, we're standing by for a news conference from Mount Hood. We will go there live once it starts -- the search continuing for those two missing climbers. We will bring it to you when we get it.
In the meantime: coming up, a new defense secretary, but the same old divisions over the war in Iraq. Should President Bush send more troops into the war zone or should he start pulling them out?
I will ask J.C. Watts and Bill Press. They're standing by.
Also: Hillary Clinton back in the headlines. Is she trying to grab the campaign spotlight, grab it back from Barack Obama? All that coming up in our "Strategy Session."
Stay with us. You're in THE SITUATION ROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: A new man at the top, new questions about where he might take the U.S. military mission in Iraq.
Robert Gates' first warning to the nation, failure, he says, simply not an option -- fodder for today's "Strategy Session."
Joining us now, Democratic strategist and radio talk show host Bill Press and Republican strategist and former U.S. congressman, J.C. Watts.
J.C., listen to what General Colin Powell, former secretary of state, said yesterday about the current situation in Iraq. Listen to this little clip.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
COLIN POWELL, FORMER SECRETARY OF STATE: So, it's grave and deteriorating. And we're not winning. We are losing.
(END VIDEO CLIP) BLITZER: Blunt assessment from your friend Colin Powell: "We are losing."
J.C. WATTS, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: and Well, I don't think Secretary Powell has ever given, you know, a shiny picture of what was going on in Iraq.
If you recall, Wolf, back when this first happened, he said, Mr. President, if you break it, you own it. And he talked about overwhelming the opposition, and, if we don't, then, our kids come back in body bags. I think that would be an argument -- at the time, that would have been an argument to say, as General Shinseki said, we need more troops.
BLITZER: Overwhelming force.
WATTS: Overwhelming force, that's right.
So -- but, today, General Powell has some reservations about that. So, I think the president needs to take all of the advice that he's going to get. I think Bob Gates has set the right tone during the hearing. He is going to Iraq. He will take an assessment, come back. And this, hopefully, I think, gives the president an opportunity to pivot into the right strategy there.
BLITZER: Yesterday, the Democratic leader in the Senate, Harry Reid, said, if it's a short surge, 20,000 troops or whatever, for a short period of time, a few months, he would go along with that, although there are plenty of other Democrats, Ted Kennedy, Jack Reed -- he was on my show -- saying, they don't want any surge at all.
(CROSSTALK)
BILL PRESS, RADIO TALK SHOW HOST: You know, Colin Powell, on that same show, Wolf, said he wouldn't -- he didn't think sending more troops in was a good idea.
You know what? I think...
(CROSSTALK)
BLITZER: He's not convinced yet, he said.
PRESS: He's not convinced.
I don't -- I think Senator Harry Reid either misspoke or he was dead wrong. And, as you said, Senator Clinton, Senator Biden, Senator Reed, Senator Kennedy have all said they wouldn't support it. I don't think Harry Reid could get the votes in his caucus for this.
The Democrats that I have spoken to feel they were snookered by this president once. They are not going to be snookered again by suggesting or believing that these troops, extra troops, would go in, only stay a couple of months, and then that would be a ticket to come home. Nobody believes it. BLITZER: Just when the president and his supporters think maybe the poll numbers couldn't get much worse for him, on the question of how the president is handling Iraq, in our poll, a whole -- a brand- new low.
In October, 34 percent approved of the way he was doing in his job on Iraq. Now it's only 28 percent. Seventy percent disapprove of his handling of the situation in Iraq.
WATTS: Well, Wolf, it can't get any worse with the American people.
(LAUGHTER)
WATTS: That's for sure. But...
BLITZER: I suppose it could go down to zero.
(LAUGHTER)
(CROSSTALK)
WATTS: But, again, I think that, again, I think, sets the stage to listen to all the advice that the president is going to get.
We can't -- you know, all the people that Bill is saying would not support more troops, you know, that may not be the right strategy. But, you know, it can be. It sounds like to me the Democrats are trying to say, we're opposed to this because this is President Bush. We got snookered.
But this should not be a Republican or a Democrat or even a Bush war.
(CROSSTALK)
PRESS: Well...
WATTS: This is a war that America has to win, and I think we have to get the right strategy in order to win it, and get out of there.
PRESS: First of all, it is George Bush's war, make no mistake about it. It is his war. He owns it. He has got to fix it.
(CROSSTALK)
BLITZER: But let me interrupt for a second. There were plenty of Democrats who supported the resolution to authorize him to go to war.
PRESS: Sure. Sure. And they feel they were misled by this president, which is why they're not going to believe him now, when he says more troops.
But I want to point out, there is a bipartisan plan friend bipartisan plan -- on the table that President Bush has chosen not just to ignore, but it sounds like he is thinking about the reverse, which instead of going what Baker and Hamilton suggested, and move toward redeploying troops and getting them out, is putting more in.
BLITZER: All right.
Let's make a quick turn to politics.
PRESS: Yes.
BLITZER: Evan Bayh, a couple weeks ago, he was David running against Goliath, referring to Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton. Now he's out.
That was a pretty quick turnaround.
PRESS: Yes. And I think Evan Bayh made a mistake, frankly.
I think he's a great man. He's a good governor. He's got a good message. He's the kind of centrist Democrat I think that -- candidate the Democrats need in the heartland. He had $10 million in the bank, Wolf. You know, I think...
BLITZER: He was on this show, twice elected in a red state like Indiana as governor, and then, obviously, elected to the Senate.
(CROSSTALK)
PRESS: I think, in that second tier, below Hillary and Barack Obama, Evan Bayh was the strongest. If he had held on, I think his time would have come.
BLITZER: I was pretty surprised, just like when Mark Warner dropped out, the former governor of Virginia. I guess they're -- they're scared because of Hillary and Barack Obama.
WATTS: You know, Senator Bayh made the analogy or gave the example of David and Goliath. I thought Mark Warner and Evan Bayh both would have been very good Davids.
PRESS: Mmm-hmm.
WATTS: I, too -- it's not my decision to make. It's his. But I was looking toward to Evan Bayh being in the race.
And Senator Clinton bought the -- Obama's tickets to Hawaii, so that she could kind of get a little play here.
(LAUGHTER)
WATTS: So...
PRESS: Well, that shows how smart she is.
(LAUGHTER)
PRESS: I got to tell you, Wolf, you know, there are still nine Democrats in the race. Hillary Rodham Clinton is still the strongest.
In that "Newsweek" cover today, the cover story in "Newsweek," the poll they didn't print shows that Hillary Rodham Clinton today beats McCain, beats Giuliani, beats Romney, and really smacks down Barack Obama.
BLITZER: Here is the problem for Hillary Clinton. The election is not today.
WATTS: That's right.
(CROSSTALK)
(LAUGHTER)
BLITZER: Thanks very much...
PRESS: She's not going away.
BLITZER: Thanks, guys. Thanks for coming in.
WATTS: Thanks for bringing him back to earth, Wolf.
(LAUGHTER)
BLITZER: Coming up: Democrats are choosing the backdrop for their yet-to-be-decided 2008 presidential nominee. Will they head to the Big Apple or opt for the Mile High City? I know where I want to go.
(LAUGHTER)
BLITZER: You're in THE SITUATION ROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: We're standing by for a news conference from Mount Hood -- the search continuing for those two missing climbers, Brian Hall, 37 years old, of Dallas, Jerry Cooke, 36 years old, of New York City -- the search continuing. We're going to get the very latest at the top of the hour. We will bring you that news conference and what is going on today. That's coming up.
In the meantime, Democrats are on the brink of announcing where they will crown their 2008 presidential nominee. In the process, many party members are looking west to the Mile High City.
That's where our congressional correspondent, Dana Bash, is standing by in beautiful Denver.
What is the latest from there, Dana?
DANA BASH, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf, Democrats here are quick with this fact: Denver has not hosted a political convention since 1908, 100 years ago, when William Jennings Bryan was nominated. Now, its rival city, New York City, has hosted a convention, Democratic Convention, five times. And it's already a blue state. So, Democrats here in Colorado say it is becoming more and more -- more blue, and the way to really push it over the edge is to host a convention here.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BASH (voice-over): Denver, Colorado, a long way from New York City -- Democrats here say, that's the point.
(on camera): Why should the Democrats have their convention here?
ELBRA WEDGEWORTH, DENVER COUNCILWOMAN: Because we really feel that the pathway to the presidency is through the West. And...
BASH (voice-over): Denver Councilwoman Elbra Wedgeworth says the choice between her city and New York for the Democrats' 2008 convention should be a no-brainer.
WEDGEWORTH: New York is a great city, but been there, done that, you know? I mean, I think people want to think out of the box. They want to stretch the map. And stretching the map is coming to Denver.
BASH: Democrats agree, the most powerful argument for a Denver convention is to seize on recent success in the West.
In 2002, just four years ago, all eight Mountain West governors were Republican. Now Democratic governors have taken five of those states. In the Senate, Montana Democrat Jon Tester just beat the GOP incumbent, joining Colorado's Ken Salazar, who won two years ago.
JOHN W. HICKENLOOPER (D), MAYOR OF DENVER, COLORADO: That momentum continues. Those are crucial electoral votes.
BASH: Denver's mayor is so proud of his city...
HICKENLOOPER: Give us the exact point where is one mile high.
BASH: He measured to find the mile high mark, drew it on the wall of his office. Still, he says, a Denver convention would be sponsored by the entire Mountain West and help change the party's image.
HICKENLOOPER: The chance for people all over the country to rethink what being a Democrat is, because Democrats out here are -- come in all different stripes and sizes.
BASH: Local officials are trying to allay party leaders' deep concerns about their ability to host a convention, promising Denver has more than enough hotel rooms for the expected 35,000 visitors, has the public transportation and security.
But the biggest question is whether Democrats here can raise the estimated $55 million needed for a convention. WEDGEWORTH: As you see, this is downtown over here.
BASH: Not a problem, says Councilwoman Wedgeworth. Big corporations, even local Republicans, are pledging money. Everyone here knows Denver is the underdog, but they're betting on a Rocky Mountain high.
WEDGEWORTH: This is where the next president of the United States will be nominated, at the Pepsi Center in the Mile High City of Denver, Colorado.
BASH (on camera): You heard it here.
WEDGEWORTH: You heard it here first.
(LAUGHTER)
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BASH: And it is now down to the wire. Democratic sources say they are taking the final look at the bids from both New York City and Denver, and that an announcement could come as early as tomorrow.
And there is really no guarantee, Wolf, that, just because a state or a region holds a convention in an area, that is at least going their way politically that that will actually lead to victory.
But consider this. If John Kerry had won three Mountain states that were very close in 2004, Nevada, New Mexico and this state of Colorado, he would be president -- Wolf.
BLITZER: All right, Dana, thanks very much -- Dana in the Mile High City, Denver.
Dana Bash and, as you saw earlier, John King, Bill Schneider, Suzanne Malveaux, 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.
Coming up: Jack Cafferty considers the spouse factor in Senator Hillary Clinton's possible presidential bid. The question: Would former President Bill Clinton help or hurt his wife's potential run for the White House?
Also coming up: floating and folding in space. Discovery astronauts throw in another unplanned space walk for good measure.
Also, remember, we're standing by for that news conference from Mount Hood. That's coming up at the top of the hour as well -- the latest on the search for those two missing climbers.
Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK) BLITZER: Let's check in with Carol Costello for a closer look at some other important stories making news.
Once again, hi, Carol.
COSTELLO: Hi, Wolf.
Hello to all of you.
An impromptu fourth space walk today for the crew of the space shuttle Discovery. Astronauts Robert Curbeam and Christer Fuglesang are trying to fold up a stuck accordion-like solar array on the International Space Station. Discovery is scheduled to land Friday, after a 13-day mission.
And you saw that basket-brawl, didn't you? Well, the top scorer in the NBA has now been ordered to sit out the next 15 games, after Saturday night's brawl between the Denver Nuggets and the New York Knicks. Commissioner David Stern came down hard on Carmelo Anthony and six other players involved in a fistfight. Both teams have been fined $500,000.
But, Wolf, Isiah Thomas, coach of the Knicks, he escaped. There was word he might be punished, too, but, no.
BLITZER: Well, you know, David Stern is a stern guy. And that is what he does. He punishes these guys when they do wrong.
Thanks, Carol, for that.
Jack Cafferty standing by.
Also, at the top of the hour, the news conference from Mount Hood -- the latest in the search for those two missing climbers.
We will be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: Let's check in with Jack Cafferty for "The Cafferty File" -- Jack.
CAFFERTY: The question this hour is: Would former President Bill Clinton help or hurt his wife's potential run for the White House? It looks like now she is definitely going to run, according to Bill's former chief of staff.
Jenny writes from New York: "Bill Clinton would help Hillary. I know people who would vote for her only to see him in the White House. By any means necessary. If she wasn't Bill Clinton's wife, she wouldn't even be in the running."
Tim in Ohio writes: "Jack, please, let's compare Lewinsky to Iraq. Now, how could Bill Clinton be a liability to Hillary?"
Robert in Staten Island, New York: "Bill Clinton would be a great help in Hillary's run for president -- for the Republicans, that is."
W.R. in Florida: "Jack, are you trying to tell me you're so dense that you don't see a vote for Hillary as a reelection vote for Bill? Hillary couldn't get elected dog-catcher if her old man wasn't the former golden boy of the liberals. This is simply a way for the Democrats to skirt the election laws."
Buddy writes from Gardner (ph): "He would certainly help. And is it possible for this country to get over Monica Lewinsky? We're four years into the Middle East disaster. We're a nation divided, going broke, with a delusional cowboy at the helm. Fred Flintstone would help Hillary."
And Dan in Los Angeles: "Can you pick a more irrelevant question to ask? It's not even Christmas 2006. You're already hyping the 2008 elections. We have got a war, a broken army, a goofball president, and astronauts struggling on a multibillion-dollar space station today, and you're asking about 2008? Hire a new news producer, or just get your snout out of the eggnog, Jack."
(LAUGHTER)
CAFFERTY: Wolf.
BLITZER: All right, Jack, thanks for that.
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