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The Situation Room
NASA To Land Shuttle in Florida; Robert Gates Heading Home From Iraq And Preparing To Brief President Bush On His Trip; New Census Report Shows Louisiana Has Lost So Many People Since Hurricane Katrina It Might Lose Seat In U.S. Congress
Aired December 22, 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, we're watching several major developments, including those rape charges. The rape charges against members of the Duke lacrosse team are dropped. Defense lawyers had plenty to say about it only a few moments ago. You saw it live here on CNN. We're going to bring you some of the dramatic developments and the reaction.
Also, a winter whiteout has holiday travelers seeing red. Many fliers across the nation and beyond are in a weather induced limbo, including the space shuttle crew. We're going to have a live update on Discovery's landing options and the storefront that's causing some chaos.
Also this hour, President Bush visits soldiers wounded in Iraq and he prepares to sit down with his war team, including his new defense secretary, who's heading back from Baghdad right now.
How soon will the president finalize a new Iraq strategy?
And is the military draft about to make a come back?
We're going to look at the latest political wrangling over an idea being pushed by Democratic Congressman Charles Rangel.
Are any Republicans now on board?
I'm Wolf Blitzer and you're in THE SITUATION ROOM.
But we begin now with a developing story -- the landing time, location for the Space Shuttle Discovery still very much up in the air right now. NASA nixed a landing opportunity only moments ago at Florida's Kennedy Space Center because of clouds and possible rain.
Now they're reviewing the weather once again and they're reviewing all the various landing options, whether in Florida, California or even in New Mexico.
CNN's John Zarrella is joining us now from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida with the very latest -- I take it, John, this is a very fluid situation but critical, because these guys have got to come down very soon.
JOHN ZARRELLA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, that's absolutely right, Wolf. And it is fluid, as you mentioned it. It is literally changing by the minute. Just about 10, 15 minutes ago, NASA looked like they were leaning toward landing at Edwards Air Force Base.
Crosswinds out at Edwards were coming down, which would have meant that they were back within limits so they could land at Edwards. Other than the crosswinds, it's a beautiful day out in California at the high desert location.
But now, at the last minute, the winds are not acceptable any longer at Edwards, so immediately NASA changed course and decided that they would perhaps make an attempt to come in here to the Kennedy Space Center on this opportunity, as well. They have the training aircraft flying around as we speak, piloted by Steve Lindsey, the chief astronaut, giving real time weather data back to mission control in Houston. They are concerned about rain showers in the area here.
And, of course, the third option they have is out at White Sands, at the missile range out there. There are some clouds out there in the area, but of the three landing sites, White Sands may still be the best option.
Now, the plan right now is that they have a de-orbit burn that would be scheduled at 4:19 Eastern time if they were to go to Edwards or to White Sands; a 4:26 de-orbit burn if they were to come here to the Kennedy Space Center, putting landing time between 5:27 and 5:32 Eastern time.
They could still waive off this attempt. And there is another attempt at 7:00 Eastern time and 7:02 Eastern time at Edwards and White Sands. Florida would no longer be in the picture.
So right now they are counting down the minutes and the seconds. They've got to make a decision here, Wolf, in the next 10 minutes or so as to whether they're going to do the de-orbit burn and come to one of the three sites on this revolution of the shuttle.
So real time calls coming up very shortly -- Wolf.
BLITZER: And the reason that during the 7:00 p.m. hour they could land out West is it would still be daylight out there, whereas it would be dark in Florida, is that right?
ZARRELLA: Well, they could land here in the darkness, as well. But certainly they would prefer daylight opportunities. And that is one consideration out there and where they would be also within the orbit, coming around the Earth makes it more optimum to go to one of those two landing sites and not here to Florida after dark -- Wolf.
BLITZER: All right, John, we're going to be checking back with you throughout this hour and the next hour, as we said earlier.
This is a very fluid situation. We'll watch it closely together with you. John Zarrella. He's covered a lot of these landings over the years.
Shuttle missions, as all of you know, are a lot more than just space and technology. There are crew members on board Discovery right now no doubt eager to get home for the holidays.
The master astronauts include these individuals.
Mark Polansky, he's the commander. He's 50 years old.
William Oefelein, he's the pilot. He's 41.
Robert Curbeam, Jr. He's 44.
Joan Higginbotham, 42 years old.
Nicholas Patrick, 42 years old.
Christopher Fuglesang. He's Swedish. He's a Swedish astronaut. He's 49 years old.
And there's a hitchhiker on board, German astronaut Thomas Reiter. He's 48 years old. He's hitching a ride home on Discovery from the International Space Station.
NASA's Sunita Williams, 41 years old, isn't coming home on Discovery. She's staying on the space station for the time being.
As I said, we're going to get a lot more on this story. We'll let you know where it's going to land, whether in Florida, California or New Mexico.
Let's bring in our meteorologist, Reynolds Wolf.
He's tracking the weather conditions that clearly could affect this shuttle -- Reynolds, what do we know?
REYNOLDS WOLF, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Well, I'll tell you, I don't think it's going to be Cape Canaveral. I mean, I'm telling you, we've got those showers in the area. Here's the landing strip. On any other day, it might be OK. But today is not going to be that day. Overcast conditions, the temperature is at 75.
So with this one knocked out, you've got two more options, one of those being at Edwards Air Force Base out in the high desert of California. And conditions there, Wolf, are actually pretty good. Visibility is at 45 miles in that dry, thin air. We're looking at temperatures this time at the shuttle landing strip that are fairly nice. Not bad at all. We've got those mainly for you in the 40s and 50s in many spots. Wind direction out of the west-northwest.
And option number three, the one they're trying to avoid, would be in White Sands, New Mexico. We're going to zoom in on this one. And I'll tell you what, right now we're seeing conditions there that really aren't that bad either. We've got winds that are light this time, temperature around 46 degrees. Some thin clouds, but, for the most part, again, not a bad option.
However, if I were a betting guy, I'd say they're probably going to go for Edwards Air Force Base. That's how it looks.
BLITZER: Well, we should know in the next hour or so what their decision is going to be. We're going to stay on top of it.
Talk a little bit, Reynolds, about nationwide weather, because there's been some nasty weather out there, especially in the last few days, and it's clearly affecting a lot of our viewers who want to get home to see grandma for Christmas.
(WEATHER REPORT)
BLITZER: Right now, the Denver airport is open once again, after a two day blizzard shut it down. But that's just starting to ease the backlog of stranded passengers there and the ripple effects across the nation.
Our meteorologist, Rob Marciano, is joining us now from Denver.
You're in the airport, probably not necessarily things going all that well yet -- Rob, what's the latest?
ROB MARCIANO, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Well, people are at least moving now, Wolf, which is -- you couldn't say that for the past 48 hours. As you mentioned, the airport reopened at 12:00. The first flight up was a FedEx flight and now it's been passengers getting off the tarmac and at least getting a start on their way home.
Two runways are open right now out of six. They hope to have four open by the time the sun-goes down. They're all north to south runways. They'll all be taking off in the same direction, off toward the south. And they hope to get a lot of these people off and running.
But as you can imagine, the backlog is amazing. And the amount of people here, not just the ones that were stranded the past couple of days, but now the ones trying to get on a flight -- I mean look what's going on behind me.
They're -- it's -- I don't know how they keep track. This line right here are for people who actually theoretically have a ticket to -- on a plane today, but have to check in and potentially check their bags. Those are the lucky ones. And then below them are the security people -- people going through security. They're the happiest of them all because they're actually going to get themselves on a plane likely within the next hour and hopefully on their way home.
And there are other lines around this airport. There are lines over three hours long for people whose flights have been canceled and they're just hoping to talk to a ticket agent that might be able to rebook them on a flight -- well, the best case scenario, today.
This line behind me, by the way, is the United flight. That -- the United line. That's three hours long for people who want to get rebooked. Today would be great. If they're very lucky, tomorrow would be OK. Some of these people, Wolf, might not get on a plane until after Christmas. It's -- and the ripple effect, as you mentioned, just continues to go on and on.
A tremendous amount of tarmac to clear as far as snow and you had over two feet of snow, in some cases, nine or 10 foot drifts. This was a big storm and it's a big airport. It's a big problem. But they're getting on top of it now -- Wolf.
BLITZER: All right, and I guess everybody is just going to have to be patient.
Rob, we're going to get back to you a little bit.
Rob is on the scene for us in Denver.
Let's bring in our Internet reporter, Abbi Tatton.
She's monitoring air traffic and travel delays in real time online -- Abbi, what are you seeing?
ABBI TATTON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, the FAA Web site, real time information at Denver airport, airports across the country, you can see there that there's an -- it's an orange sign. That's a ground delay. But it's a lot better than the black sign at Denver we were seeing for almost 48 hours. Delays are about an hour-and-a-half going -- arriving planes at Denver right now.
So this site tracking the airports across the country. If you want information on individual flights, the sight Flightaware is looking at those flights across the United States, monitoring the situation at Denver here. It will tell you exactly what is taking off. And for the latest information we now are seeing that flights are taking off from Denver from this site every couple of minutes, also -- Wolf.
BLITZER: Thank you, Abbi, for that.
We'll stay on top of this story.
By the way, it's not just U.S. travelers who are facing weather problems. For the fourth day in a row, hundreds of flights were canceled at London's Heathrow Airport. That's the busiest airport in Europe.
At this hour, tens of thousands of travelers are stranded. But relief may be in sight. Forecasters say the fog should begin to lift in the next few hours. And British Airways says it hopes -- hopes to resume most of its service at Heathrow tomorrow.
Jack Cafferty has the day off.
Coming up, Defense Secretary Robert Gates heads home after his trip to Iraq. Our Jamie McIntyre is the only TV correspondent traveling with the secretary. His report coming up.
And tomorrow, Gates meets with the president.
What did he learn in Baghdad and will he give the president a green light to beef up the number of U.S. troops in Iraq?
Plus, the president plans to increase the size of the U.S. military.
But can that be done without a draft?
There are new developments on this very, very sensitive issue.
Stick around. You're in THE SITUATION ROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: Right now, the defense secretary, Robert Gates, is heading home from Iraq and preparing to brief President Bush on his trip. Before leaving, he gave no indication whether he'd recommend more U.S. troops to be sent to Iraq in the coming weeks.
Our senior Pentagon correspondent, Jamie McIntyre, is the only network TV correspondent traveling with Gates.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JAMIE MCINTYRE, CNN SENIOR PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Defense Secretary Robert Gates wrapped up his three day tour of Iraq and headed back to Washington armed with conflicting military assessments about the advisability of a surge of additional U.S. forces to bring violence here in Baghdad under control.
ROBERT GATES, INCOMING SECRETARY OF DEFENSE: The situation here in Baghdad, obviously, is difficult. Yesterday I told Prime Minister Maliki that we are committed to the success of the Iraqi government.
MCINTYRE: Gates found popular support for the idea from a select group of low-ranking U.S. soldiers who serve on the front lines. And CNN has learned at least some mid-level commanders support the idea, as well.
One American Army general told CNN in private: "It would make a real difference in Baghdad. It would help set conditions for a political solution."
The officer, who commands troops in Baghdad, said the option currently getting serious consideration calls for five U.S. brigades and three Iraqi brigades to be sent into Baghdad early next year. That would provide a surge of roughly 30,000 troops, including the several thousand Iraqi Army troops.
The most senior commanders here continue to express reservations about the concept, fearing unless a surge is linked to a clear military objective that helps Iraq take control, it will only be a temporary success and ultimately counter-productive.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM PRESS CONFERENCE) MCINTYRE: Mr. Secretary, as you were talking now, we can hear the crackle of gunfire in the distance, the sound of explosions, war planes roaring overhead.
Do you believe that a surge of additional U.S. forces in the short-term could help bring some of this violence under control?
GATES: I'm quite confident that what I've heard from the (AUDIO GAP) of their plans this week that we will be able to -- that together and with them in the lead -- we will be able to make an improvement in the security situation here in Baghdad.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MCINTYRE: Gates says he never discussed specific troop numbers with Iraq's prime minister, Nouri Al-Maliki, and insists he has not made up his mind if a surge is the way to go. But Gates will be able to report to President Bush that opposition to the surge option is not universal among U.S. commanders and that if he adopts it, the president can say what he's doing is what some generals think is best.
Jamie McIntyre, CNN, Baghdad.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BLITZER: On the eve of his briefing with Secretary Gates, President Bush paid a visit to wounded troops over at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center here in Washington. It was a reminder of the lives on the line as Mr. Bush considers his next critical moves in Iraq.
Let's get more from our White House correspondent, Suzanne Malveaux.
Walk us through the process, Suzanne, what we expect -- the president meets with Gates, other top advisers.
Then what?
SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf, it's certainly an enormous task that he is faced with over the holiday season.
President Bush, as you know, tomorrow is going to be -- he's already at Camp David, but tomorrow, that is when he's going to meet with his new defense secretary, Bob Gates. And Gates, essentially, is going to brief him on what he has found from his discussions with top commanders as well as the troops on the ground, what he thinks is best.
Is it really a rare weekend meeting at Camp David. Also, he is going to be discussing the Iraq policy, the strategy, with his top security team, Secretary Rice, National Security Adviser Stephen Hadley.
They're going to hold another top level meeting, as well, after Christmas. That is going to take place at Crawford, Texas, the ranch there. We have been told that these are strategy sessions, Wolf, consultations, that no decisions have been made.
But, of course, one thing that they are thinking very seriously, that is the possibility of this troop surge temporarily to get Baghdad under control while the Iraqi government tries to get its political house in order.
Now, all of this under tremendous pressure for the president to demonstrate and show the U.S. mission in Iraq was essentially worth it. He was trying to convey that message when he visited today. That was, of course, the Walter Reed Army Medical Center.
There, he was wrapping Christmas gifts with Girl Scouts and children to give them to wounded soldiers. He also visited with 38 patients, many of them amputees with serious injuries from the Iraq War. He awarded 16 Purple Hearts. There, he expressed his sympathy and his gratitude.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I want all our fellow citizens to understand that we're lucky to have men and women who have volunteered to serve our country like those who wear our uniform. We're lucky to have their families support them so strongly. We owe them all we can give them, not only for when they're in harm's way, but when they come home, to help them adjust if they had wounds or help them adjust after their time in service.
We owe a huge debt of gratitude for the incredible men and women.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MALVEAUX: And, Wolf, President Bush is going to be back at the White House the 1st of January, the new year. We are told by many sources to expect some sort of address to the nation, either the first week -- it may slip into the second week -- to talk about this new Iraq strategy -- Wolf.
BLITZER: And if it slips much further, it's going to slip into his State of the Union address, which we expect at the end of January.
Suzanne, thanks very much for that.
We'll check back with you.
Coming up, a legal bombshell this afternoon. Rape charges dropped against members of the Duke lacrosse team. We're going to have the details coming up.
Plus, are Americans already starting to sour on the Democrats even before they take over Congress?
Our new poll numbers may surprise you.
Stick around. You're in THE SITUATION ROOM. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANNOUNCER: This is CNN breaking news.
BLITZER: They've made a very important decision involving the Space Shuttle Discovery.
Let's go back to the Kennedy Space Center and John Zarrella, our man on the scene -- John.
ZARRELLA: Wolf, just moments ago, the mission managers at Johnson Space Center gave the crew of the Shuttle Discovery the go ahead for de-orbit burn at 4:26 Eastern time. That means Discovery is coming home and is coming here to the Kennedy Space Center.
Again, they will be landing at the Kennedy Space Center here at about 5:32 Eastern time, Wolf.
Again, de-orbit burn has been given -- they've been given the go ahead for that coming up here in just a minute or two -- Wolf.
BLITZER: So we assume the weather is decent enough for them to be able to make that landing, is that right?
ZARRELLA: Yes, decent, Wolf. It's not great, that's for sure. Very cloudy here, very windy. But the wind is coming straight down the runway, so that's OK. We don't have to worry about crosswinds. The rain showers that were in the area are expected to be dissipating, not getting any worse.
So they went ahead and decided they're coming home here -- Wolf.
BLITZER: The Kennedy Space Center was their first choice; California second; New Mexico-third. They're going to go for Florida. We'll watch every step of the way, John, together with you.
And we'll bring that landing in live right here in THE SITUATION ROOM.
Thanks very much for that.
Still to come, from the war in Iraq to the mid-term elections, it was a tough year for President Bush.
But do our brand new poll numbers give him any, any good news?
That's coming up.
Also, President Bush wants to beef up the military.
But can he add more troops without reinstating the military draft? And is there any support for such a move on Capitol Hill?
There are new developments on this front today. We'll tell you what's going on here 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.
Breaking news -- NASA just deciding it will bring the space shuttle in for a landing about an hour from now in Florida. A touchdown opportunity a short while ago at Kennedy Space Center was scrapped because of possible rain and cloudy conditions. But NASA now giving the green light to land there at approximately 5:32 p.m. Eastern. We'll have that landing live right here in THE SITUATION ROOM.
Holiday travelers in Denver eager to get off the ground right now. The airport there is open once again, after a two day blizzard shut down. But holiday air travel still a mess there and at numerous other airports across the nation.
And President Bush paid a holiday visit to wounded troops over at the Walter Reed Medical Center, as he prepares to meet with his war team and revise his Iraq strategy.
Defense Secretary Robert Gates will be at the meeting at Camp David tomorrow, fresh from his visit to Baghdad.
I'm Wolf Blitzer and you're in THE SITUATION ROOM.
The Space Shuttle Discovery is going to land in Florida in about an hour. The weather had caused a delay, some serious potential problems.
Let's bring in Reynolds Wolf.
He's joining us with more.
What's the weather like?
I suspect you were a little surprised they made this decision to come into Florida.
WOLF: Completely bewildered by this. I mean I -- I'll be honest with you, the people that make these decisions are a hell of a lot smarter than I'll ever be.
But I would think that the criteria of this which would, you know, you're supposed to have about a 30-mile circle around the landing site of pristine landing conditions and we're seeing showers and storms forming out to the west southwest of the site. And I would think when the shuttle is scheduled to land I would think we would have some of these cells moving into that perfect circle.
So again, they've made the decision. They're going to try to make that landing there. You've got the winds coming out of the north and out of the northeast. You've got the showers coming in. But we're just going to have to watch and see. Back to you.
BLITZER: Seven astronauts onboard that space shuttle as it comes in. Let's hope it's a clearly a picture perfect landing.
We'll watch it together with you, Reynolds, and John Zarrella, he is on the scene for us. We'll bring it to the viewers live once we get sight of the space shuttle Discovery coming in, we will watch every step of the way together with you.
Other news we're following. President Bush heading into 2007 with lots of political baggage. Much of it, of course, stemming from Iraq. And it's weighing down his poll numbers big-time. Let's turn to our senior political analyst Bill Schneider. He has got the results of our brand new survey. Bill?
WILLIAM SCHNEIDER, CNN SR. POLITICAL ANALYST: Wolf, when President Bush looks back on 2006, will he bid a fond farewell? More likely, he'll say forget about it!
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SCHNEIDER (voice-over): What kind of a year has it been for President Bush? Don't ask. OK, we asked. His party lost Congress. He acknowledged Iraq is not going well.
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We're not succeeding nearly as fast as I wanted.
SCHNEIDER: And his image has taken a tumble. Character played a big role in the 2000 campaign.
BUSH: So when I put my hand on the Bible, I will swear to not only uphold the laws of our land, I will swear to uphold the honor and the dignity of the office to which I have been elected, so help me God!
SCHNEIDER: For his first five years in office most Americans regarded President Bush as honest and trustworthy. Now most don't. The values issue was central to Bush's reelection in 2004.
BUSH: Most families do not look to Hollywood as a source for values.
SCHNEIDER: But most Americans no longer believe President Bush shares their values. After 9/11, President Bush established an image of resolve.
BUSH: And the people who knocked these buildings down will hear all of us soon.
SCHNEIDER: But resolve has come to look like stubbornness in Iraq. Most Americans no longer regard President Bush as a strong and decisive leader.
Most damaging? Only 37 percent of Americans say President Bush inspires confidence. That's only half as many as felt that way after 9/11.
BUSH: I'm not going to make predictions about what 2007 will look like in Iraq.
SCHNEIDER: Democrats are not holding back on their predictions.
REP. NANCY PELOSI (D-CA), INCOMING HOUSE SPEAKER: We are pledging to uphold the highest ethical standards, the most honest, most open Congress in history.
SCHNEIDER: Does the public share that optimism? Yes, but the excitement has diminished a bit since the election last month.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SCHNEIDER (on camera): Can President Bush regain the confidence of the American people? Well, sure. President Clinton did after 1994, which was annus horribilis, or terrible year. It takes hard work, good luck, and the ability to change direction without being worried about being called a flip-flopper -- Wolf.
BLITZER: Bill Schneider reporting for us. Bill, thanks for bringing us those new poll numbers.
Meanwhile, new questions are now being raised about the prospects of reinstating the draft. Even as President Bush makes plans to expand the overall size of the army and the Marine Corps. The Selective Service system confirmed today plans to conduct a comprehensive test of its draft procedures. It maintains the exercise is routine.
Still, the move and some controversial remarks by the veterans affairs secretary Jim Nicholson are now putting the draft debate, once again, back in the spotlight. Let's bring in our congressional correspondent Dana Bash who is following this story for us.
Dana, what going on? Because it would seem after Charlie Rangel raised this issue a few weeks ago, he's been raising it for a while, the administration was rejecting it but there is new controversy today.
DANA BASH, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: There is controversy given the news you just reported, Wolf but I talked this afternoon to top aides, to Democrats about the take over the House and the Senate and they all said the chances are slim to none the draft will be reinstated any time soon. Even with the new bipartisan push to expand the military pretty much everyone believes that it should be done with all-volunteer military the one in place since the draft ended in 1973.
Now one senior Democrat Charlie Rangel did publicly call for reinstating the draft last month but his party leaders from incoming speaker Nancy Pelosi on down said that was not in the cards. Now, there was a brief question about whether the White House was maybe lifting its long-standing opposition to reinstating the draft when yesterday, veterans affairs secretary Jim Nicholson told reporters, quote, "Our society would benefit from a draft" but then he later reportedly issued a statement to clarify saying he does not support reinstating the draft. Now as you mentioned the Selective Services system is confirming it wants to test their procedures. That did create some buzz about the controversial topic of the draft, but they took pains to say the exercise they're doing just routine and the bottom line is the White House opposes the draft, most Republicans and Democrats on Capitol Hill do, too. One Democratic leadership aide I talked to today said no way, no how will it be reinstated -- Wolf.
BLITZER: Dana, thank you for that. Dana Bash, our congressional correspondent reporting the draft is making a comeback, at least for our debate or at least our discussion right now in our strategy session.
Joining us is CNN political analyst and Democratic strategist Donna Brazile and Terry Jeffrey, editor of "Human Events." Guys, thanks very much for coming in. Here is what is new about all of this talk about reviving the military draft.
It comes only days after the president of the United States made a major announcement saying he wants a bigger army, a bigger Marine Corps, rejecting, in effect, repudiating six years of Donald Rumsfeld who wanted a lean, mean fighting machine but a small one. Now the president says, you know what? It's not good enough. So, all of a sudden, we're getting word that the Selective Service, the draft, they're going to have this major test to see how their doing. What do you make of this?
DONNA BRAZILE, DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST: This is like testing the fire alarm. I think it's part of their routine to test the system to see if it works. You want to unify Democrats and Republicans bring up the draft because we're all opposed to reinstating the draft, many of us are.
BLITZER: Charlie Rangel is not opposed to it. He thinks it would be good for the country.
TERRY JEFFREY, EDITOR, "HUMAN EVENTS": I think Charlie's argument, which doesn't address the size of the military but the composition of it is wrong, Wolf. The Heritage Foundation has done an excellent study that shows military recruits even since the war in Iraq are a little bit wealthier and a little bit better educated than the typical American in their peer group and come to tend more from the South than from urban areas.
I agree with Donna. Republicans and Democrats I think are united on this and anything the country needs is a bipartisan foreign policy in a country where the people are behind the foreign policy of the country. I don't think a draft help us get there.
BLITZER: The Jim Nicholson comments caused a little but of a stir, what he said on Thursday.
Today -- what he said originally he said, "I think if we bring back the draft there should be no loopholes for anybody who happens to be drafted. I think that our society would benefit from a draft, yes sir." Then he quickly corrected that. He said, "Today, some comments I made about my experiences in Vietnam during that war may have been misconstrued. Let me clear. I strongly support the all-volunteer military and do not support returning to a draft.
So both of you agree this would be a bad idea, it would not be in the national interest to revive Selective Service?
BRAZILE: I agree also with Charlie Rangel that we need to find a way for people to serve their country and to give something back to their country but I also believe that reinstating the draft is a bad policy move and that is the president is looking at options for enlarging the army and the air force and the armed forces. Perhaps Democrats can work with him and see what we can all do.
BLITZER: Let's move on and talk about this uproar that resulted from Congressman Virgil Goode's comments in Virginia. He is a Republican. He wrote a letter back on early December. He said, "If American citizens don't wake up and adopt the Virgil Goode position on immigration, there will likely be many more Muslims elected to office and demanding the use of the Koran."
He was reacting to Keith Ellison. The first Muslim to be elected to the United States Congress ever and in his private, personal ceremony he wants to be sworn in on the Koran. What do you make of this because yesterday, Virgil Goode, he didn't want to apologize, he didn't want to retract, he didn't want to change anything he said.
JEFFREY: I'm someone who lived in the Muslim world. Twenty years ago I lived in Cairo, Egypt, studied Arabic at the American University in Cairo, had Muslim roommates. I believe Cairo may be the largest Muslim city in the world. It is a city that is very peaceful and not much crime there, a great place. I know that Muslims can be good neighbors. I know they can be good neighbors and Americans here.
I do think under Virgil Goode's concern, there is something Americans should think about. America is a culture I think is basically rooted in the Judeo-Christian civilization of the West. Egypt is a country that is rooted in the civilization of Islam. I think history has shown where you have countries that are divided between those two civilizations it causes friction we don't want to have in the United States and I think that's a legitimate concern for immigration policy.
BLITZER: You think we should block Muslims from coming into this country?
JEFFREY: I think we need to have a immigration policy to make sure the immigrants we bring in are assimilated into our culture and become fully Americans.
And I think quite frankly right now we have a situation where we've had too many immigrants come in legally and illegally and the at the same time the engines of assimilation in the United States have been broken down by multiculturalism.
I think we need to solve that first.
BLITZER: Donna, here is what Virgil Goode said reacting to the uproar involving his original letter that he wrote. I want you to listen to this little clip.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. VIRGIL GOODE (D), VIRGINIA: I do not apologize and I do not retract my letter. The letter stands for itself and I support the letter.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BLITZER: All right. What do you think about this uproar? Given the fact that Keith Ellison is making history, becoming the first-ever Muslim elected to the U.S. Congress.
BRAZILE: I think Thomas Jefferson is probably rolling over in his grave. Thomas Jefferson who wrote and established a religious principles, freedoms in 1777, they were enshrined in our Constitution, Article VI, clause iii. There is no religious test in our country to hold public office and I think for Congressman Goode to inject this type of, you know, insensitivity and tolerance in a debate about a guy who is as American as anybody I've ever met in my life, is just unfortunate.
BLITZER: Keith Ellison was in THE SITUATION ROOM yesterday. This is what he told me when I asked him what would you tell Congressman Goode when you meet him? Listen to this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KEITH ELLISON (D), MINNESOTA CONG.-ELECT: He might want to know that Muslims, they're about five million in the country, that they're here to support and strengthen America, that they are nurses, doctors, husbands, wives, kids who just want to live and prosper in the American way. And that there is really nothing to fear.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BLITZER: All right. You want to react to that?
JEFFREY: Well, first of all, agree with Donna. We have a First Amendment right to freedom of religion in this country that applies to everybody no matter what their religion is. This man has a right to put his hand on the Koran when he is sworn into Congress.
I do believe, however, that the United States has to worry about what this country is going to be like in the future and our immigration policies have to be calibrated in a way that remain one people and one nation. I do believe it's a serious problem.
BLITZER: I don't know if you have the last word but there were many earlier debates whenever there was a new wave of immigration coming to this country whether Italians, Catholics or Jews or Irish. There were always concerns, would this change in the face of America. BRAZILE: I understand but I totally disagree. . When the members of Congress are sworn in, they're sworn in en masse. They raise right hand or their left hand. I think they raise their right hand. There is no Bible, there is no book at that moment.
I think this debate is pretty awful and I would hope that Congressman Goode would sit down with Congressman-elect Ellison who I saw yesterday on your show, he is above board and a good guy and he will find that Muslim Americans like all Americans want to protect our freedoms.
BLITZER: We'll leave it right there. I suspect that at some point, the two of them will sit down and let's hope they can resolve their differences.
BRAZILE: I hope so.
BLITZER: Appreciate it very much. Donna and Terry, always good to have both of you here in THE SITUATION ROOM. Remember, for the latest political news at any time, check out the political ticker at CNN.com/ticker.
Coming up, Katrina cleared out Louisiana and the population shift may cost the state in Congress. We're going to bring the details of a new census report.
And all eyes at NASA are focused on the weather. As Discovery is set to land at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida in the next hour. We're going to have live coverage coming up here in THE SITUATION ROOM. We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: Carol Costello is joining us from New York with a closer look at some other important stories making news. Hi, Carol.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Hi, Wolf. Hello to all of you.
A legal bombshell. Rape charges against three Duke University lacrosse players have been dismissed. It's not completely over. The players still face kidnapping and sexual offense charges stemming from that party in March.
Court documents say that an exotic dancer who initially accused the players of raping her is no longer certain what part of the players bodies was used in the assault. The D.A.'s office says that in light of this uncertainty they can no longer be is your that the offense meets the legal definition of rape. More on this story next hour here in THE SITUATION ROOM.
Just hours after charges were filed against a Kansas doctor for allegedly performing illegal late-term abortions those charges have been dismissed. The state's attorney is an outspoken abortion opponent lost reelection bid and is leaving office next month. He filed the charges earlier today. The Sedgwick County D.A. then asked that the charges be dismissed. And just a short time ago, a judge complied.
More than 17 years after the 1989 Valdez oil spill in Alaska, Exxon Mobil and 34,000 fishermen and other Alaskans are still arguing over monetary damages. A federal appeals court ordered today a $5 billion jury award for punitive damages be cut in half. Exxon argues it should have to pay no more than $25 million. The company reported more than $36 billion in earnings last year.
That's a look at the headlines right now.
BLITZER: All right. Carol, thanks very much. Carol is working on a piece that is going to be airing in the next hour on the queen and podcast, the royal family. I can't wait to see it, Carol. Thanks very much for that.
And it's adding insult to injury for the Gulf Coast. A new national census report shows that Louisiana has lost so many people since Hurricane Katrina, that the state might actually lose a seat in the U.S. Congress as well. Let's get some more from our Susan Roesgen. She is in New Orleans -- Susan.
SUSAN ROESGEN, CNN GULF COAST CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, you can see the problem right here in this empty neighborhood. U.S. census workers won't go knocking on doors four more years but the preliminary report released today shows that Louisiana has lost nearly 220,000 people. Mostly those are people who left and never came back after hurricanes Katrina and Rita.
That's bad enough right now but if Louisiana cannot regain that population, it will likely lose one of its seven seats in Congress. The state legislature would decide which Congress member would have to go. And the decision would probably be challenged in court. African- American voters would most likely challenge any loss of a minority district like the one here in New Orleans, while Democrats and Republicans, obviously, would try to keep their Congress member in.
Bottom line, Wolf, if Louisiana cannot find a way to regain population, it will lose power in Washington.
BLITZER: Susan, thanks very much. Susan Roesgen is on the scene for us on this sensitive story.
Up next, mission control says it's all systems go as Discovery is set to land at Florida's Kennedy Space Center, but will the weather hold? We're going to have live coverage as this mission tries to be resolved.
Also, just how well-known are the potential front runners in the race for the White House? And are they crowding out the rest of the field? We'll take you to the streets for answers. Stay with us. We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: We're standing by, awaiting the landing of the Space Shuttle Discovery at the Kennedy Space Center. It's supposed to land around 5:30 p.m. Eastern, a little bit more than a half hour or so from now.
Despite some clouds and some questionable weather there, the decision has been made to go ahead and land the Space Shuttle Discovery at the Kennedy Space Center as opposed to going out to California or to new Mexico where the White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico was one option and the Edwards Air Force base in California another option, but they're going forward with landing the Space Shuttle Discovery at the Kennedy Space Center. Seven astronauts on board, led by the commander, Mark Polansky, 50 years old. We are going to bring it to you every step of the way and watch it as it comes in.
In the early race for the White House, some potential candidates are better known than others and some merit the now popular comparison to rock stars. CNN's Dan Lothian considers the presidential field and what is in a name.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DAN LOTHIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Our sidewalk survey isn't scientific. But it proves a point.
Do you know who this is?
There are so many superstar potential '08 presidential candidates that it seems everyone knows their names.
(on camera): So this one. Do you know who this is?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hillary Clinton.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A guy who looks like me.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: McCain.
LOTHIAN: Do you know who this is?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Arizona senator.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Obama.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Mitt Romney.
LOTHIAN: A hundred percent. Good job. You got them all right.
(voice-over): The potential high profile roster is creating larger than ever hurdles for anybody lacking name recognition.
DAVID KING, HARVARD UNIVERSITY: There are people who have been planning runs for the presidency their entire life with the expectation they might somehow win but when you have the big names in the field, they're not going to win. The small guys not going to win.
LOTHIAN: Consider Indiana Senator Evan Bayh who recently dipped his toes in New Hampshire's presidential waters but now says he won't jump in. Long odds, he said, for a relatively unknown candidate like myself. A little bit like David and Goliath.
(on camera): If face recognition weren't already enough, experts say the likely super candidates will get the lion's share of the money and raise a record amount of cash.
KING: There it will be a tremendous amount of money spent. You'll need a lot of money to be able to compete in the early caucuses and in the primaries.
LOTHIAN (voice-over): But don't be fooled. Even at this high altitude, there is always the possibility of an upset.
KING: Well, people want to root for the underdog, so you don't want to go into the primary season looking like you're squashing all of the competition before there are any -- there really is any competition.
LOTHIAN: Dan Lothian, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BLITZER: We're standing by. We're going to be covering the arrival of the landing of the Space Shuttle Discovery. We're told now it's only about five minutes or so from reaching the outer limits of the atmosphere. We'll watch it every step of the way. It's supposed to land at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida around 5:30. We'll watch it together with you.
Also coming up, a controversial trip to Syria leaves a U.S. senator in some hot water with the White House. Senator Bill Nelson of Florida joins us live here in SITUATION ROOM. He'll tell us why he went to Damascus and what he learned.
Also, a local immigration law prompts one Web site to target Christmas. Our Internet reporter Abbi Tatton fills in the details. That's coming up as well. Stay with us. You're in THE SITUATION ROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: Once again the Space Shuttle Discovery getting very close to reentering the earth's atmosphere. Actual landing now scheduled in about a half an hour or so down in Florida at the Kennedy Space Center. We're going to watch it every step of the way.
In the meantime, a federal court is examining a controversial local law that would make it illegal to employ and rent to undocumented immigrants in Hazleton, Pennsylvania.
Meantime, one Web site has set its sites on the town's quote, "most loved illegal worker." Abbi Tatton with the story. Abbi?
ABBI TATTON, CNN INTERNET REPORTER: Wolf, a foreigner form the north. No work visa, no green card. The message on this site is clear.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He is an undocumented worker. This Christmas, tell Santa he is no longer welcome.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
TATTON: The home site is nosantaforhazelton, poking fun at the Pennsylvania town that has drawn national attention for its controversial ordinance on illegal immigration.
The sites are anonymous and our e-mails were not returned but it lists as its contact information the office of Hazleton Mayor Lou Barletta, the man behind that law.
Mayor Barletta tells us he has nothing to do with the Web site. He's even turned it over to state police to see if any laws have been broken by the Web site asking for donations.
Hazleton's law has been temporarily blocked by a federal judge after a lawsuit was brought by a group of civil rights organizations, including the Puerto Rican Legal Education and Defense Fund. An attorney for that group tells me that he has nothing to do with the site, but he admires its creativity -- Wolf.
BLITZER: Abbi, thank you very, very much.
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