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CNN Wolf Blitzer Reports

News; International

Aired January 29, 2004 - 17:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


WOLF BLITZER, HOST: Happening now: a horrible explosion in Afghanistan. Huge fallout for American forces there.
Also, the double spear facing Israel: terror on a bus and a growing threat involving abductions.

Stand by for hard news on WOLF BLITZER REPORTS.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER (voice-over): Clinton weighs in. Democrats get some campaign advice from the master. And the gloves are off.

BILL CLINTON, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: It's a recipe for disaster.

BLITZER: Republicans on a retreat, but their chairman goes on the attack.

ED GILLESPIE, CHAIRMAN, REPUBLICAN NATIONAL COMMITTEE: His a long record in the Senate is one of advocating policies that would weaken our national security.

BLITZER: Afghan explosion. U.S. troops suffer a devastating blow.

Massacre and mass release. A suicide strike in Jerusalem as Israel frees hundreds of prisoners.

Case crumbling? Martha Stewart's lawyers take the shine off the government's star witness.

ANNOUNCER: This is WOLF BLITZER REPORTS for Thursday, January 29, 2004.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: "We're very fired up." The words of a Senate Democrat after a meeting with Bill Clinton today.

Clinton huddled with Senate Democrats on Capitol Hill and minced no words in offering tips on the best way to defeat President Bush in November. And he praised Senator John Kerry, the frontrunner in the race for the Democratic presidential nomination. And with that, frontrunner status attacks from the Republicans under way. A top official took am at Kerry directly today. We'll have much more on that in just a moment.

First, though, the Clinton strategy session.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CLINTON: I'm here seeing my friend...

BLITZER (voice-over): Former President Bill Clinton is also taking the globes off, telling his fellow Democrats to hit President Bush and other Republicans hard on the bread and butter issue of the economy.

CLINTON: All I know is, when I was trying to reverse 12 years of what we've had for the last four, where we were taxing less and spending more. It's fun in the short run but it's a recipe for disaster.

BLITZER: He was referring to the 12 years Ronald Reagan and the first George Bush were in the White House. Clinton beat that Bush in 1992 by focusing on his main campaign theme: It's the economy, stupid.

He's still arguably his party's best politician. That explains why Senate Democrats invited him to a rare closed-door meeting to plot strategy for winning if November.

CLINTON: I gave them a few little ideas. I don't know if they're any good.

BLITZER: One idea, according to a source inside the room: frame the political debate by asking whether the country needs tax cuts or solvency for Social Security and securing your children's future.

Around the time Clinton was huddled with the Democrats, President Bush was strongly defending his series of tax cuts.

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We believe that when people have more money to spend, to save or invest, the economy will grow and people will be more likely to find work.

The tax relief we passed was essential to get the economy growing.

BLITZER: A source at the Clinton Senate meeting said the former president urged the Democrats to read the recently published book by his '92 campaign strategist and current "CROSSFIRE" host, James Carville. The title of the brook "Had Enough? A Handbook for Fighting Back."

The former president has not endorsed any of the Democratic presidential candidates, but a source close to him says he certainly likes the current frontrunner, Senator John Kerry.

CLINTON: I don't think it's fair to say he can't be elected or that he's too far to the left.

BLITZER: The source said Clinton also admires John Edwards for his energetic campaign style.

Clinton, the source added, is no fan of Howard Dean, who has often criticized the centrist new Democrats, which Clinton used to lead.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: And now that John Kerry has replaced Howard Dean as the Democratic presidential frontrunner, he also appears to be replacing Dean as the major target of Republican attacks.

Republican National Committee Chairman Ed Gillespie took aim at Kerry today in a speech.

CNN's Jennifer Coggiola has details.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JENNIFER COGGIOLA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Republicans' latest target, the liberal from Massachusetts.

GILLESPIE: John Kerry's record of service in our military is honorable. But his long record in the Senate is one of advocating policies that would weaken our national security.

COGGIOLA: In a speech Thursday at the Republican National Committee's annual retreat, Chairman Ed Gillespie offered a time line on Senator Kerry's record, from nuclear spending to gay marriages, painting the Massachusetts Senator as a liberal.

GILLESPIE: He voted for the use of force in Iraq, then later tried to say it was a vote to threaten the use of force and then ultimately declared himself an anti-war candidate.

COGGIOLA (on camera): If this strategy sounds familiar, it should. It worked for former President George Bush in 1988 when he branded then Massachusetts Governor Mike Dukakis as being a liberal, as well.

GEORGE H.W. BUSH, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: He said, "I am a strong liberal Democrat," August, '87. Then he said, "I am a card-carrying member of the ACLU." That was what he said. He is out there on -- out of the mainstream.

COGGIOLA: So will President Bush play the same card?

WILLIAM SCHNEIDER, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: It's going to be tougher if the nominee's John Kerry, because John Kerry will fight back. Michael Dukakis didn't fight back.

The Democrats have this tradition of nominating liberal whose don't fight back. Kerry gives every indication that the White House cannot push him around. COGGIOLA: When asked after his New Hampshire victory Thursday about the label, Kerry said, "Bring it on."

SEN. JOHN EDWARDS (D-MA), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: If balancing the budget is called liberal in America, let's go. You can go ahead and call me that.

If taking care of our schools and kids and really keeping your promise to fund reform in education is considered liberal, go ahead and call me that.

COGGIOLA: Jennifer Coggiola, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: Senator Kerry's in South Carolina, gearing up for a debate tonight with his six main rivals. All have their eyes on Tuesday's South Carolina primary, just one of the contest in seven states that day.

But Kerry is the only one with a jackpot endorsement today.

Our national correspondent, Kelly Wallace, is covering the Kerry campaign in Greenville.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KELLY WALLACE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: John Kerry heads into tonight's debate as the undisputed frontrunner, which means he could be the target of attacks from some of his Democratic opponents.

One challenge for Kerry is how he handles any such attacks. Another challenge, trying to build an organization in support here in South Carolina, a state he has not visited since early September.

Kerry wants to prove that he can win in the South and in the West, not just in Iowa and New Hampshire.

And on that note, he got a major boost earlier today, winning the backing from Congressman Jim Clyburn of South Carolina, the state's most popular African-American lawmaker.

Kerry's advisers hopes this endorsement helps Kerry appeal to African-Americans, who could make up to 50 percent of those turning to turn out to vote on Tuesday.

Kelly Wallace, CNN, reporting from Greenville, South Carolina.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: With two devastating defeats already under his belt and facing serious money problems, the former frontrunner Howard Dean now says he does not have to win Tuesday to keep his presidential bid alive.

We get more now on Dean's change in strategy from our senior political correspondent, Candy Crowley.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CANDY CROWLEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Five days until South Carolina, Delaware, Missouri, Arizona, New Mexico, North Dakota and Oklahoma, so Howard Dean is headed to Michigan?

HOWARD DEAN (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: The election is not going to be decided by pundits, and it's not going to be decided by polls. It's going to be decided by you.

CROWLEY: Down the defiant, Dean is taking the road less traveled but not the one he wanted. Faced with the possibility of getting blanked Tuesday, he is looking elsewhere to keep hope alive and resources intact.

DEAN: We're going to have to win eventually, but the question was, do we have to win on February 3? Of course, we want to, but we don't have to. All we've got to do is amass as many delegates as we can. That's what we're going to try to do.

CROWLEY: Michigan and Washington hold caucuses a week from Saturday. Both have more delegates at stake than any of the Tuesday states.

Dean, whose high flying, well-funded campaign is down to its last couple of million, may not even put ads up in Tuesday states, saving resources where there is a chance of victory and a large cache of delegates.

Dean's reversal of fortunes has changed his strategy and his staff. During a tumultuous Wednesday, he brought in Roy Neel, a Washington insider and Gore confidant, to run the Dean campaign, which prompted the abrupt departure of campaign manager Joe Trippi, the Internet guru who both wrote and became an integral part of the Dean story.

At the same time, staffers were told they will not be paid for two weeks.

In Lancing, where overflow crowds showed up to cheer him on, it was clear that of all of the things that have changed, one thing has not: Howard Dean.

DEAN: All my opponents now in this race are talking the talk, even those who voted for the war act like they opposed it.

CROWLEY: Though it is road less traveled, Dean will still cross paths with his rival. Tonight the main roaders and Dean will be in a debate in South Carolina.

Candy Crowley, CNN, Lansing, Michigan.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: Despite the attention focused on Kerry and Dean, the other major Democratic candidates are fighting tooth and nail for the mother load of delegates up for grabs Tuesday.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER (voice-over): Vying for a win there, Oklahoma's becoming familiar ground for Wesley Clark.

GEN. WESLEY CLARK (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: What's going on in Washington is too important to America to be left to politicians in Washington.

BLITZER: Today at a pancake breakfast in Oklahoma City, he defended his lobbying ties to Axion (ph), a data analysis company.

He later traveled to Rock Hill, South Carolina, where he rallied with textile workers.

Keeping with a favored campaign theme and eyeing Oklahoma for Tuesday, Joe Lieberman shared coffee this morning with voters at a Tulsa diner.

SEN. JOE LIEBERMAN (D-CT), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Don't be pushed by what happened in Iowa and New Hampshire. Make your own choice.

BLITZER: And the Senator received a much-needed boost with today's endorsement by Arizona's largest newspaper.

It's a must win. That's what John Edwards says about his birth state, South Carolina. He's there today, rallying with supporters at a Greenville church.

SEN. JOHN EDWARDS (D-NC), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: What I give them is a candidate who can win everywhere in America, including in the South.

BLITZER: Edwards spent this morning in Missouri, another hotly contested state.

In a state where support seems strongest, Al Sharpton today rallied with voter in South Carolina. He along with the six other Democratic candidates, will participate in tonight's debate.

While the Democrats debate in South Carolina, President Bush will be raising money at a fundraiser in Greenwich, Connecticut. The event is expected to bring in more than a million dollars.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: And here's your chance to weigh in on this important story. Our Web question of the day is this: "Do presidential primary debates help you pick a candidate?"

You can vote right now. Go to CNN.com/Wolf. We'll have the results later in this broadcast.

Afghanistan explosion: seven United States soldiers killed. A developing story. We're live from the Pentagon.

Trial on hold, disputes over a key document. Is this a win for Martha Stewart's defense?

In the hot seat, like never before, CIA director George Tenet now the target of major criticism over the lack of weapons of mass destruction in Iraq.

And get this, Dear Abby, the most widely syndicated newspaper columnist in the world, will join me live. Find out what she's hearing about the Democratic presidential race from her readers. That and much more.

First, though, today's news quiz. Why did the current author of Dear Abby begin working on the column? College internship, earn allowance, gossip, practice writing. The answer, coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: There's been an awful explosion in Afghanistan. And it's taking a heavy toll among U.S. troops. Seven Americans are dead. One is missing. Three have been hurt.

Let's go live immediately to our senior Pentagon correspondent Jamie McIntyre -- Jamie.

JAMIE MCINTYRE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: And Wolf, the U.S. military is saying that the circumstances surrounding that explosion are still unclear.

What we do know is that seven U.S. soldiers from the combined forces command in Afghanistan were killed. One is missing. And three soldiers and one interpreter were injured after an explosion that happened about 3 p.m. today at a place -- location we are told is West of Gazhni.

Now, a Central Command spokesman says that an investigation into today's explosion is ongoing. It's not clear if the blast was accidental or whether it was triggered deliberately.

The soldiers were working near a weapons cache when the explosion went off.

The names of the soldiers are being withheld. And again, there is an investigation underway.

There have been a number of suicide attacks recently in Afghanistan and some regrouping of Taliban and al Qaeda remnants. But again, it's -- there's no indication at this point that this is a hostile act. But it remains under investigation -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Whatever that investigation determines, Afghanistan, like Iraq, still clearly a very, very dangerous place for American forces.

Jamie, thanks very much for that report. The commander of coalition ground forces in Iraq says last week's arrest of top al Qaeda operative Hassan Ghul is a sign the terror network is trying to establish itself in the country.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LT. GEN. RICARDO SANCHEZ, U.S. ARMY: The capture of Ghul is pretty strong proof that al Qaeda is trying to gain a foothold here to continue their murderous campaigns. Ghul's capture is great news for both Iraqis, for the coalition, and for the international communities' war against terror.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: Lt. Gen. Ricardo Sanchez says Ghul was a courier who at one point reported directly to Khalid Sheik Muhammad, an alleged organizer of the 9/11 attacks. He was arrested last year in Pakistan.

Rallying the troops, what exactly did Bill Clinton say in his strategy session with Senate Democrats? I'll ask Senator Bayh. He was inside the room.

A surprise in the Martha Stewart trial. Details of the legal twist that has the case on hold right now.

And a day in court for the Godfather of Soul. The latest on James Brown's legal troubles.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Welcome back.

An unexpected and potentially significant twist in the Martha Stewart trial unfolded today. The judge has actually put it on hold, just as the government's star witness was expected to testify against the embattled businesswoman.

CNN's Mary Snow is outside the courthouse in Manhattan. She's joining us now live with details -- Mary.

MARY SNOW, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, even Martha Stewart took a backseat to a government report.

Defense attorneys say they received it only late last night. And now the government's star witness, Doug Faneuil, won't be taking the stand for another week.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SNOW (voice-over): Doug Faneuil, the government's star witness in the Martha Stewart trial, was ready to testify, but an 11th hour document put the trial on hold.

Judge Miriam Cedarbaum delayed proceedings until Monday after defense attorneys received a trial document only late last night. Peter Bacanovic's attorney, Richard Strassberg, said the government had chutzpah for turning it over so late. Judge Cedarbaum said, "The government should have provided it earlier."

The document pertained to Faneuil's first attorney, Jeremiah Gutman. A source close to the case says the document was of an FBI interview with Gutman, and that Gutman said Faneuil told him he was instructed by Bacanovic or Waksal to pass information on to Martha Stewart about ImClone.

Bacanovic's attorney asked for the indictment to be dropped. The judge refused, but put Doug Faneuil's testimony on hold for a week.

BENJAMIN BRAFMAN, CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEY: I think in the final analysis it may not be fatal to the prosecution, but it was clearly an error in judgment.

In every case, and certainly in a case that's getting this kind of intense exposure, you want to be on your A game at all times. And this document should have been turned over, should have been, in my judgment, turned over a long time ago.

SNOW: The lead prosecutor, Karen Seymour, argued Gutman is in his 80s and it was a question of memory. Quote, "It's a question of Mr. Gutman's memory that's a memory of failure here."

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SNOW: Legal experts say today's a development is an embarrassment for prosecutors, could be good for Bacanovic's case. And it's unclear how it will affect Martha Stewart's case.

The trial is scheduled to resume on Monday. It's not clear who the first witness will be on Monday -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Mary Snow, thanks, Mary, for that report.

Our senior legal analyst, Jeffrey Toobin, has been watching all of this unfold. He's joining us now, live from New York, to give us some further perspective on this high-profile case.

Jeff, how big of a deal is this?

JEFFREY TOOBIN, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: I think it's a modest deal, to tell you the truth. And it really only affects the case against Peter Bacanovic.

But it could potentially affect it a lot. Because the whole government theory of the case is that Bacanovic told his assistant, Faneuil, to tip Martha Stewart that Sam Waksal was selling all of his stock in ImClone.

This suggests that Faneuil might have said at one point that it was Waksal who told Faneuil who tip Martha Stewart. That is potentially very helpful to Peter Bacanovic.

It really doesn't affect Martha Stewart very much, because if she got the tip, it doesn't matter what the ultimate source of it was.

BLITZER: But what's the excuse that the prosecution has, that they were only going to hand over this document last night? Whether insignificant or not, they had a responsibility under the so-called discovery rules to hand it over much earlier.

TOOBIN: That was the real shocker to me, Wolf, in court today.

Because one of the fundamental rules you learn as a prosecutor is exculpatory information, information that tends to show favorable information for the defense, must be turned over as soon as possible.

And to do it 10:15 at night, the night before the star witness is to take the stand, really struck me as totally inappropriate. And more importantly, it struck the judge as inappropriate.

And it's the kind of thing that is probably more of a hiccup of an embarrassment, but it shows that this case has really not gotten off to a strong start by the prosecution.

BLITZER: If you're a defense attorney, though, for Martha Stewart, doesn't this open the door for you to say, "What else is out there that you're not sharing with me?"

TOOBINS: Wolf, you sound like the lawyers in court today. That was exactly what they were saying.

They were saying, you know, "Well, this is bad enough, but what more are we going to get the night before someone takes the stand?"

Keep in mind -- Keep this in mind, Wolf. This trial will soon be a week hold. There's only been two minor witness who've testified. Not one of them has even mentioned Martha Stewart's name in the courtroom or, I believe, even Peter Bacanovic's name.

So there's not a lot of evidence in front of the jury, and it will be almost a week until the trial starts again until -- since opening statements.

So, you know, ultimately it may not matter that much. But certainly, this isn't the fast start that the prosecutors wanted.

BLITZER: I just want to remind our viewers, you also speak as a former federal prosecutor, so you know a lot about this business.

It's very early in the game. But you've watched them now up close for the past several weeks and months. Rate, if you will, the defense attorneys as opposed to the prosecution team. How good are these lawyers?

TOOBIN: I thought that the two opening -- of the three opening statements, the opening statement by the prosecutor, Karen Patton Seymour, and by Robert Morvillo for Martha Stewart were two of the best opening statements I've ever heard. I mean, really excellent. These are top-notch people.

I thought Richard Strassberg, who represented Peter Bacanovic, gave kind of a B, B plus opening statement.

These are really good lawyers. That's why it was so surprising that the prosecutors bought themselves this problem by turning something over so late. It was just a big surprise to me.

BLITZER: Jeffrey Toobin, as usual, giving us some important perspective on an important case that a lot of people are interested in. Thanks very much.

TOOBIN: OK, Wolf.

BLITZER: We'll continue this conversation.

A Florida teen at the center of a controversial case goes free after taking a second chance at a plea bargain. That story tops our justice report.

Lionel Tate pleaded guilty today to second-degree murder in the death of a 6-year-old playmate when he was 12.

Tate initially turned down the deal, saying the death was an accident, but he was convicted and sentenced, at age 14, to life in prison without parole. An appeals court threw out the conviction, and prosecutors offered Tate the plea deal again.

Singer James Brown has been released after being booked on a domestic violence charge.

The 70-year-old Godfather of Soul is accused of pushing his 33- year-old wife to the ground during an argument at their South Carolina home. Brown denies the charge, which could get him 30 days in jail.

There's more debate about those elusive Iraqi weapons of mass destruction. Is the CIA's George Tenet going to be the fall guy? We'll find out.

And what did Bill Clinton tell Senate Democrats specifically about the overall situation in Iraq? We'll try to find out.

And we don't have to write to Dear Abby. She'll be right here as WOLF BLITZER REPORTS continues.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Welcome back to CNN. I'm Wolf Blitzer in Washington.

Out of the shadows, the former President Bill Clinton speaking out about the weapons hunt in Iraq and the race for the White House. Hear the advice he's offering Democrats. We'll get to that.

First, though, a quick check of the latest headlines; 36 years after North Korea touched off an international furor by seizing the USS Pueblo, the commander of that ship is dead. Friends say Lloyd "Pete" Bucher died at a San Diego nursing home last night. North Korean torpedo boats seized the Pueblo in the Sea of Japan on January 23, 1968, touching off a diplomatic standoff, before Bucher and his crew were released 11 months later.

Three teenage Afghans released from the U.S. detention camp at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba have been returned to their homeland. The Pentagon says it's decided the teens are not going to be tried for any crimes and have no further intelligence information to provide and no longer pose any threat to the United States. The Pentagon has not identified their home country.

San Jose, California, Mayor Ron Gonzales is reported in fair condition today, after suffering a mild stroke while giving this speech. Gonzales, who is 52 years old, was delivering his annual state of the city address when he became ill and had to stop speaking.

A day after the former chief U.S. weapons hunter in Iraq testified that -- quote -- "We were all wrong," the fallout from those missing weapons is putting more pressure on the embattled CIA director.

Let's turn now to our national security correspondent David Ensor -- David.

DAVID ENSOR, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, on the face of it, George Tenet would appear to be in the hot seat like never before.

Not only is his own man in charge of the hunt for weapons in Iraq, as you mentioned, David Kay, charging that U.S. intelligence failed the president before the Iraq war. Now the current Democratic front-runner in this presidential election year is repeating his call for the director of central intelligence to resign. That was a comment from Senator Kerry, who said that he thought that the U.S. intelligence had failed the president before the Iraq war and that he thinks that Mr. Tenet should resign as a result.

On Capitol Hill, Democrats and others are calling for an independent probe into why U.S. intelligence may have gotten it so wrong and what role the administration played. Then, there's a Senate Intelligence Committee report due out soon, which reportedly will accuse the CIA of poor judgment in its prewar analysis that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction, and a 9/11 Commission report due in May, expected to say that the U.S. government could have and maybe should have stopped those terrorist attacks.

But remember that George Tenet is a survivor, appointed by Bill Clinton, kept on and trusted by his Republican successor.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I've got great confidence in our intelligence community. These are unbelievably hard-working, dedicated people who are doing a great job for America.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ENSOR: At the CIA, officials say Kay is premature is suggesting that no weapons will be found. A U.S. official says, there are millions of pages of documents yet to be translated, hundreds of suspect sites yet to be visited and thousands of Iraqi scientists and former officials yet to be interrogated about what they know.

The White House spokesman said this week that George Tenet retains the president's full confidence. And as for Senator Kerry saying that he should go, one official's comment on that was, that and makes it all the less likely -- Wolf.

BLITZER: David Ensor with that -- David, thank you very much.

And as we told you, our viewers, the former President Bill Clinton held a closed-door meeting with senator Democrats here in Washington today to offer his advice on political strategy. Later, he talked with reporters about the war in Iraq and about prewar intelligence reports indicating Iraq did, in fact, have weapons of mass destruction.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

WILLIAM J. CLINTON, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: At the time of September the 11th, there were officially unaccounted for stocks of botulinum, aflatoxin, V.X. and ricin, which justified, in my view, the United States going back to the United Nations and asking for the U.N. inspections, because we didn't know.

And that's what the intelligence said, that these things were unaccounted for. So -- but it's very important for you to know that that's not -- at least that cannot be -- that one piece cannot be at the fault of the intelligence community, because nobody could know what we've got with the bombs, because we didn't go in and check. We didn't get to go see.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: Evan Bayh of Indiana was among the Democratic senators who met with the former president earlier today.

Senator Bayh is joining us now to discuss President Clinton and other subjects.

You're a member of the Intelligence Committee, the Armed Services Committee. First of all, on what Senator John Kerry is saying, calling on George Tenet to resign, do you agree?

SEN. EVAN BAYH (D), INDIANA: I have a high regard for George Tenet, Wolf.

Now, having said that, there clearly has been a failure of intelligence here. And I agree with what David Kay called for yesterday, which was an independent investigation to find out what happened, why were we so wrong. And once that's done, clearly, there has to be accountability. But I would await the results of the investigation.

BLITZER: So you're stopping short from asking him to resign?

BAYH: Yes, but I do think a zealous investigation is in order.

Our national credibility is at stake, our future credibility for our intelligence, when we go to the world say, look, here's what's happening in North Korea or Iran, and we need your help. If their response is, why should we believe you, that's not helpful. So we need an investigation, not for the purposes of assigning blame so much, but for correcting going forward.

BLITZER: Give us some perspective. Bill Clinton shows up, meets with your colleagues, the Senate Democrats. You were there. What was the purpose? What was that strategy session all about?

BAYH: A combination of both policy and politics, Wolf.

And, you know, he's the only Democrat to be elected and reelected in a long time. And so that was generally it, how should we approach the upcoming campaign.

BLITZER: Did he say anything brilliant that stands out in your mind that energized you guys to go out and fight and win in November?

BAYH: Well, he said a number of things.

First, we ought to try and put a human face on the deficit. For example, go to New York City, get some of the policemen who are being laid off because of cuts in the community policing funds and say, look, they stood for us on 9/11. We need to stand for them now. Same thing with schoolchildren, etcetera. He said, on the weapons of mass destruction issue, just play it straight up.

Look, we don't know why there was a failure. We ought to get to the bottom of it, so we can do better next time. And if we're going to win, it's going to be on the economy. That needs to be our focus.

BLITZER: He ran as centrist moderate Democrat, active in the DLC, the Democratic Leadership Council. You're active in that. Howard Dean has been running as a left-of-center kind of Democrat, going after the DLC, the so-called new Democrats. Did he get into that at all, talk about, you need to be in the center?

BAYH: A little bit. A little bit, Wolf.

I think he emphasized the need to be strong on national security at a time when people are understandably concerned about that, but to have a centrist economic and fiscal policy, balancing the budget, trying to restore the fiscal health of the country. He did say one thing, though. He said, look, if Howard Dean doesn't turn out to be the nominee, we need to find somebody to appeal to all of these new young people, particularly, he's energized and keep them as a part of our cause.

BLITZER: How do you that?

BAYH: Well, by speaking to some of their concerns about the future, health care, the economy, education. They want to see the government on their side again. And I think we need to spoke to that. BLITZER: You know Senator Kerry. He's a friend of yours. He's the now the Democratic front-runner, a lot of people talking about him. Is he an old-fashioned Massachusetts liberal Democrat or is he different?

BAYH: Well, you know, I think he's different, Wolf.

There's a whole other side to John Kerry. First, start with biography. It's hard to paint a decorated war veteran as a war wimp. He's a former prosecutor. It's hard to Willie Horton-ize someone when they've sent people to prison for a long period of time. And he's proven that he can take a punch and give a punch. I don't think he's just going to stand back and let the other side pummel him.

So, clearly, they will try and do that to him. But I think he's got a case to make that he can have a more mainstream position than that.

BLITZER: Were you surprised that Ed Gillespie, the chairman of the Republican National Committee, targeted John Kerry for specific criticism, trying to paint him as an old Massachusetts tax-and-spend liberal?

BAYH: No, not really. I think they will try and tear down whoever our front-runner appears to be.

And, sadly enough, that will probably be their strategy in the fall. We need an uplifting, positive campaign to create better circumstance in this country. And I hope that Mr. Gillespie and others will do that, rather than just trying to tear John Kerry, Howard Dean or whoever our nominee happens to be down.

BLITZER: You're a member of the Intelligence Committee. We've spoken many times. You supported the president. You voted for the resolution giving him the authority to go to war.

David Kay now comes along, briefs you, briefs all of us, and says, we got it all wrong. Everyone got it wrong. How do you explain that?

BAYH: Wolf, that's what we need to get to the bottom of.

If I had to say one thing we learned from this, it's that we now understand the inherent ambiguity of a lot of the intelligence information. It's largely circumstantial. There are some gaps in the intelligence. There's some conflicting intelligence information. There was denial and deception on the part of the Iraqi government taking place. You had dual-use technologies that now appear to more benign than we thought at the time.

So, I think, going forward, there needs to be a little more reticence and humility in reaching conclusions about intelligence information than there was in the past. And we need to be dedicated, as he was saying, to a much more vigorous effort to collect human intelligence. We simply were too reliant upon the United Nations inspectors and other countries for our intelligence. We can't afford to let that happen.

BLITZER: You want to be the Democratic vice presidential running mate?

(LAUGHTER)

BAYH: No, I want to be the senator from Indiana.

BLITZER: You're running.

BAYH: I'm running.

BLITZER: For the senator, to get reelected.

BAYH: That's correct.

BLITZER: And if they offer you the No. 2 spot on the ticket?

BAYH: Oh, I don't think you say no to that kind of thing, but that's up to whoever our nominee is.

BLITZER: All right. Senator Bayh, thanks very much.

BAYH: Thank you, Wolf.

BLITZER: Celebration and sorrow in the Middle East. An historic deal between Israel and Hezbollah prompts some very different reaction.

She has her finger on the pulse of America. So what does Dear Abby think about the Democratic presidential race? You might be surprised to hear. I'll ask her. She'll join us live.

And no doubt who the top dog is in this part of the world, the story behind the K-9 climber.

Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: A day of stunning contradictions in the Middle East.

In Jerusalem, there was horror as a Palestinian suicide bomber blew up a crowded commuter bus again, killing 10 people, wounding dozens more. In the Palestinian areas and in Lebanon, there was joy, as Israel exchanged hundreds of prisoners for a kidnapped businessman and the bodies of three Israeli soldiers in a controversial deal with Hezbollah.

CNN's Matthew Chance reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Another day of bloodshed in this conflict, another bus bomb in the heart of Jerusalem. Police say this city alone has endured 28 suicide bomb attempts in 3 1/2 years. Some have been thwarted, not this time.

GIL KLEIMAN, ISRAELI POLICE: This suicide bombing was very powerful. We found parts of the roof on the bus in homes in the area, a roof of a private home. And our forensic team has had to sweep living rooms and bedrooms of homes in the area because of body parts and body fragments that were thrown into those homes.

CHANCE: As forensic teams picked through the wreckage, a Palestinian militant group, the Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigade, says it carried out the attack. The bomber, a policeman from Bethlehem, had written that he wanted to avenge killings of Palestinians in Gaza. He carefully chose this packed commuter bus in the morning rush hour.

(on camera): It is a devastating scene. The bus is now being taken away, spread debris, the explosion, over a wide area, all this on a day when Palestinian prisoners were being released from Israel's jails.

(voice-over): Released as part of a controversial prisoner swap between Israel and the Lebanese Hezbollah militia.

In the Palestinian territories, there was jubilation, as hundreds were freed. Here and in Lebanon, Hezbollah's popularity is surging. In Israel, though, the mood is anxious and somber. The ceremony is for three soldiers captured and killed by Hezbollah in 2000. They've now been returned, along with an abducted Israeli businessman and reservist.

Israel's prime minister says the exchange should not be misinterpreted.

ARIEL SHARON, ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER (through translator): The Israeli government will not allow any enemy or any terrorist organization to turn kidnapping and the taking of captives as something that we will put up with.

CHANCE: Still, many Israelis believe the prisoner swap will strengthen militant groups. The tragic events of the day will have done little to ease their concern.

Matthew Chance, CNN, Jerusalem.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: After the exchange, Hezbollah warned, it will kidnap more Israelis if necessary to secure the release of all Lebanese prisoners.

Taking the pulse of the people. I'm asking Dear Abby what's on America's mind. The ultimate advice-giver, Jeanne Phillips, joins me life. We'll get to that.

First, though, a look at news making headlines around the world.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) BLITZER (voice-over): BBC Iraq scandal. Another top scandal of the British Broadcasting Corporation has resigned. The move comes one day after a British judge condemned the network for accusing Prime Minister Tony Blair of exaggerating intelligence on Iraq's weapons of mass destruction.

Right after the ruling, the chairman of the network's board of governors stepped down. The BBC apologized for the report broadcast last year which led to the suicide of a British expert on Iraq's weapons.

Relaxing pot laws. Pot smokers are feeling a new high in Britain. Under a new law, marijuana is now in the same low-risk category as tranquilizers and steroids. And those caught smoking the weed may not be arrested. However, tough penalties remain for those growing or dealing in the drug.

KOFI ANNAN, U.N. SECRETARY-GENERAL: I am proud to accept...

BLITZER: Chief honored. The European Union has awarded its top human rights prize to U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan. Annan received the annual Sakharov prize on behalf of all U.N. staff members and in memory of U.N. Envoy Sergio Vieira de Mello, who was killed in Iraq, and other U.N. members killed in the line of duty. The prize is named after the late Soviet dissident Andrei Sakharov.

Top dog. A golden retriever has become the first dog to climb the summit of Latin America's highest peek. Decked out in K-9 boots and specially made jackets, the 2-year-old dog reached the summit of the mountain in Argentina, along with her two human companions.

And that's our look around the world.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Earlier we asked: Why did the current author of Dear Abby begin working on the column? The answer, earn allowance. Jeanne Phillips began working for her mother, the founder of Dear Abby, at age 14 to earn her allowance. She helped Pauline Phillips by answering letters from young people.

For almost half a century, if you have wanted to see what's on America's mind, you haven't had to look any further than your local newspaper and a "Dear Abby" column. Pauline Phillips started it under the name Abigail Van Buren in 1956. Today, her daughter continues to offer advice on just about any subject you can name.

Jeanne Phillips, better known as Dear Abby, is joining us now live from our L.A. Bureau.

Abby, thanks very much for joining us.

What's on the minds mostly right now of the American people you're communicating with? JEANNE PHILLIPS, "DEAR ABBY": Well, I'm hearing from people who are chronically jobless or I'm hearing from their spouses or their parents.

And they're talking about the frustration and the fear and the anxiety that people encounter when they have sent out 125 resumes and gone on 15 interviews and haven't heard a thing back. There's an embarrassment factor, too.

BLITZER: Well, I read your column every day. And I watch your advice, which almost always is excellence advice. But what do you tell these people, a man, for example, who has been searching for a year or two years, has a family to support, has been working diligently to find a job, and simply can't find one in the current job market?

PHILLIPS: I tell him not to give up hope. That's No. 1. I tell him that he may have to reorganize his priorities and look for a different kind of work than he has been looking for, accept a lower rate of pay.

I would tell people these days that they should check out a Web site called CareerOneStop.org, which is a government program that's been put together to try to address the needs of people who are jobless and try to get them resettled in different jobs.

BLITZER: This has an enormous impact on the spouse as well, the wife, let's say, of someone who's really desperately looking for work. What do you tell the spouse?

PHILLIPS: I tell the spouse to hang in there, that she has to understand that she's dealing with a husband who is probably depressed already, may have turned to some sort of a substance or be spending hours on his computer or hiding in front of a television set. I try to tell her to hang in there and to be patient and realize, this probably won't last forever.

BLITZER: I know you've been doing this for many, many years. Is it any different today than it was, let's say, five or 10 or 15 years ago, the quality, the kinds of questions you're being asked?

PHILLIPS: I deal with people's emotions. I'm the friend that they confide in.

So, they're constantly confiding in me about what's going on in their lives that they wouldn't be talking to the neighbors about or wouldn't be talking to their family about. Have the questions changed? Not to any great degree. People are constantly more open about their problems, you know, as time goes by. They're used to be subjects people didn't talk about at all that they're quite willing and open about now.

But this business of chronic joblessness is one that I find to be a particularly touchy issue, because these people blame themselves for the fact that they can't find work. And the truth is that jobs have been exported out of the country to China and to India and Mexico. And it's just very sad, because the statistics that we're reading about in the papers today, you know, that this percentage and this percentage, these are our neighbors. These are real people behind those statistics. And everybody should keep that in mind.

BLITZER: Excellent advice, as usual, from Dear Abby. Thanks so much for joining us.

PHILLIPS: Thank you.

BLITZER: Been reading your advice for years, will continue, God willing, to read for many more years to come.

PHILLIPS: Well, thank you.

BLITZER: Survivor story. Buried alive in a Canadian blizzard for 21 hours, how did they survive? We'll tell you.

And we'll also share with you the results of our "Web Question of the Day" immediately when we come back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Desperate measures help a Canadian couple cheat death. It's our picture of the day.

Look at this. Their car got stuck during a fierce blizzard and was quickly buried under multiple feet of snow. They were stranded for 21 hours and went so far as to tear the seats apart and use the cloth and foam to help stay warm. They were finally rescued when someone saw a marker they had made from the seat springs, which they tied together with shoe laces and pushed through the snow.

Here's how you're weighing in on our "Web Question of the Day." Do presidential primary debates help you pick a candidate? Forty- three percent of you say yes; 57 percent of you say no. As always, we remind you, this is not a scientific poll.

Let's get to some of your e-mail.

Doug writes this: "It's crystal clear that Saddam Hussein had and used WMD. His track record tells us he likely still had them and intended to use them again. How can we believe there were no more WMD? The WMD are there somewhere, and some day, we'll find them."

Jim writes this: "The entire world has seen the United States invade a sovereign nation halfway across the world to ostensibly rid Iraq of WMD on what seems to be groundless and erroneous information. The commander in chief bears complete responsibility. And he should acknowledge that."

A reminder, you can always catch WOLF BLITZER REPORTS weekdays at this time, namely 5:00 p.m. Eastern. I'm also here weekdays, noon Eastern.

Until tomorrow, thanks very much for joining us. I'm Wolf Blitzer in Washington. "LOU DOBBS TONIGHT" starts right now.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com







Aired January 29, 2004 - 17:00   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
WOLF BLITZER, HOST: Happening now: a horrible explosion in Afghanistan. Huge fallout for American forces there.
Also, the double spear facing Israel: terror on a bus and a growing threat involving abductions.

Stand by for hard news on WOLF BLITZER REPORTS.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER (voice-over): Clinton weighs in. Democrats get some campaign advice from the master. And the gloves are off.

BILL CLINTON, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: It's a recipe for disaster.

BLITZER: Republicans on a retreat, but their chairman goes on the attack.

ED GILLESPIE, CHAIRMAN, REPUBLICAN NATIONAL COMMITTEE: His a long record in the Senate is one of advocating policies that would weaken our national security.

BLITZER: Afghan explosion. U.S. troops suffer a devastating blow.

Massacre and mass release. A suicide strike in Jerusalem as Israel frees hundreds of prisoners.

Case crumbling? Martha Stewart's lawyers take the shine off the government's star witness.

ANNOUNCER: This is WOLF BLITZER REPORTS for Thursday, January 29, 2004.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: "We're very fired up." The words of a Senate Democrat after a meeting with Bill Clinton today.

Clinton huddled with Senate Democrats on Capitol Hill and minced no words in offering tips on the best way to defeat President Bush in November. And he praised Senator John Kerry, the frontrunner in the race for the Democratic presidential nomination. And with that, frontrunner status attacks from the Republicans under way. A top official took am at Kerry directly today. We'll have much more on that in just a moment.

First, though, the Clinton strategy session.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CLINTON: I'm here seeing my friend...

BLITZER (voice-over): Former President Bill Clinton is also taking the globes off, telling his fellow Democrats to hit President Bush and other Republicans hard on the bread and butter issue of the economy.

CLINTON: All I know is, when I was trying to reverse 12 years of what we've had for the last four, where we were taxing less and spending more. It's fun in the short run but it's a recipe for disaster.

BLITZER: He was referring to the 12 years Ronald Reagan and the first George Bush were in the White House. Clinton beat that Bush in 1992 by focusing on his main campaign theme: It's the economy, stupid.

He's still arguably his party's best politician. That explains why Senate Democrats invited him to a rare closed-door meeting to plot strategy for winning if November.

CLINTON: I gave them a few little ideas. I don't know if they're any good.

BLITZER: One idea, according to a source inside the room: frame the political debate by asking whether the country needs tax cuts or solvency for Social Security and securing your children's future.

Around the time Clinton was huddled with the Democrats, President Bush was strongly defending his series of tax cuts.

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We believe that when people have more money to spend, to save or invest, the economy will grow and people will be more likely to find work.

The tax relief we passed was essential to get the economy growing.

BLITZER: A source at the Clinton Senate meeting said the former president urged the Democrats to read the recently published book by his '92 campaign strategist and current "CROSSFIRE" host, James Carville. The title of the brook "Had Enough? A Handbook for Fighting Back."

The former president has not endorsed any of the Democratic presidential candidates, but a source close to him says he certainly likes the current frontrunner, Senator John Kerry.

CLINTON: I don't think it's fair to say he can't be elected or that he's too far to the left.

BLITZER: The source said Clinton also admires John Edwards for his energetic campaign style.

Clinton, the source added, is no fan of Howard Dean, who has often criticized the centrist new Democrats, which Clinton used to lead.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: And now that John Kerry has replaced Howard Dean as the Democratic presidential frontrunner, he also appears to be replacing Dean as the major target of Republican attacks.

Republican National Committee Chairman Ed Gillespie took aim at Kerry today in a speech.

CNN's Jennifer Coggiola has details.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JENNIFER COGGIOLA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Republicans' latest target, the liberal from Massachusetts.

GILLESPIE: John Kerry's record of service in our military is honorable. But his long record in the Senate is one of advocating policies that would weaken our national security.

COGGIOLA: In a speech Thursday at the Republican National Committee's annual retreat, Chairman Ed Gillespie offered a time line on Senator Kerry's record, from nuclear spending to gay marriages, painting the Massachusetts Senator as a liberal.

GILLESPIE: He voted for the use of force in Iraq, then later tried to say it was a vote to threaten the use of force and then ultimately declared himself an anti-war candidate.

COGGIOLA (on camera): If this strategy sounds familiar, it should. It worked for former President George Bush in 1988 when he branded then Massachusetts Governor Mike Dukakis as being a liberal, as well.

GEORGE H.W. BUSH, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: He said, "I am a strong liberal Democrat," August, '87. Then he said, "I am a card-carrying member of the ACLU." That was what he said. He is out there on -- out of the mainstream.

COGGIOLA: So will President Bush play the same card?

WILLIAM SCHNEIDER, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: It's going to be tougher if the nominee's John Kerry, because John Kerry will fight back. Michael Dukakis didn't fight back.

The Democrats have this tradition of nominating liberal whose don't fight back. Kerry gives every indication that the White House cannot push him around. COGGIOLA: When asked after his New Hampshire victory Thursday about the label, Kerry said, "Bring it on."

SEN. JOHN EDWARDS (D-MA), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: If balancing the budget is called liberal in America, let's go. You can go ahead and call me that.

If taking care of our schools and kids and really keeping your promise to fund reform in education is considered liberal, go ahead and call me that.

COGGIOLA: Jennifer Coggiola, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: Senator Kerry's in South Carolina, gearing up for a debate tonight with his six main rivals. All have their eyes on Tuesday's South Carolina primary, just one of the contest in seven states that day.

But Kerry is the only one with a jackpot endorsement today.

Our national correspondent, Kelly Wallace, is covering the Kerry campaign in Greenville.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KELLY WALLACE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: John Kerry heads into tonight's debate as the undisputed frontrunner, which means he could be the target of attacks from some of his Democratic opponents.

One challenge for Kerry is how he handles any such attacks. Another challenge, trying to build an organization in support here in South Carolina, a state he has not visited since early September.

Kerry wants to prove that he can win in the South and in the West, not just in Iowa and New Hampshire.

And on that note, he got a major boost earlier today, winning the backing from Congressman Jim Clyburn of South Carolina, the state's most popular African-American lawmaker.

Kerry's advisers hopes this endorsement helps Kerry appeal to African-Americans, who could make up to 50 percent of those turning to turn out to vote on Tuesday.

Kelly Wallace, CNN, reporting from Greenville, South Carolina.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: With two devastating defeats already under his belt and facing serious money problems, the former frontrunner Howard Dean now says he does not have to win Tuesday to keep his presidential bid alive.

We get more now on Dean's change in strategy from our senior political correspondent, Candy Crowley.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CANDY CROWLEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Five days until South Carolina, Delaware, Missouri, Arizona, New Mexico, North Dakota and Oklahoma, so Howard Dean is headed to Michigan?

HOWARD DEAN (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: The election is not going to be decided by pundits, and it's not going to be decided by polls. It's going to be decided by you.

CROWLEY: Down the defiant, Dean is taking the road less traveled but not the one he wanted. Faced with the possibility of getting blanked Tuesday, he is looking elsewhere to keep hope alive and resources intact.

DEAN: We're going to have to win eventually, but the question was, do we have to win on February 3? Of course, we want to, but we don't have to. All we've got to do is amass as many delegates as we can. That's what we're going to try to do.

CROWLEY: Michigan and Washington hold caucuses a week from Saturday. Both have more delegates at stake than any of the Tuesday states.

Dean, whose high flying, well-funded campaign is down to its last couple of million, may not even put ads up in Tuesday states, saving resources where there is a chance of victory and a large cache of delegates.

Dean's reversal of fortunes has changed his strategy and his staff. During a tumultuous Wednesday, he brought in Roy Neel, a Washington insider and Gore confidant, to run the Dean campaign, which prompted the abrupt departure of campaign manager Joe Trippi, the Internet guru who both wrote and became an integral part of the Dean story.

At the same time, staffers were told they will not be paid for two weeks.

In Lancing, where overflow crowds showed up to cheer him on, it was clear that of all of the things that have changed, one thing has not: Howard Dean.

DEAN: All my opponents now in this race are talking the talk, even those who voted for the war act like they opposed it.

CROWLEY: Though it is road less traveled, Dean will still cross paths with his rival. Tonight the main roaders and Dean will be in a debate in South Carolina.

Candy Crowley, CNN, Lansing, Michigan.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: Despite the attention focused on Kerry and Dean, the other major Democratic candidates are fighting tooth and nail for the mother load of delegates up for grabs Tuesday.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER (voice-over): Vying for a win there, Oklahoma's becoming familiar ground for Wesley Clark.

GEN. WESLEY CLARK (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: What's going on in Washington is too important to America to be left to politicians in Washington.

BLITZER: Today at a pancake breakfast in Oklahoma City, he defended his lobbying ties to Axion (ph), a data analysis company.

He later traveled to Rock Hill, South Carolina, where he rallied with textile workers.

Keeping with a favored campaign theme and eyeing Oklahoma for Tuesday, Joe Lieberman shared coffee this morning with voters at a Tulsa diner.

SEN. JOE LIEBERMAN (D-CT), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Don't be pushed by what happened in Iowa and New Hampshire. Make your own choice.

BLITZER: And the Senator received a much-needed boost with today's endorsement by Arizona's largest newspaper.

It's a must win. That's what John Edwards says about his birth state, South Carolina. He's there today, rallying with supporters at a Greenville church.

SEN. JOHN EDWARDS (D-NC), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: What I give them is a candidate who can win everywhere in America, including in the South.

BLITZER: Edwards spent this morning in Missouri, another hotly contested state.

In a state where support seems strongest, Al Sharpton today rallied with voter in South Carolina. He along with the six other Democratic candidates, will participate in tonight's debate.

While the Democrats debate in South Carolina, President Bush will be raising money at a fundraiser in Greenwich, Connecticut. The event is expected to bring in more than a million dollars.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: And here's your chance to weigh in on this important story. Our Web question of the day is this: "Do presidential primary debates help you pick a candidate?"

You can vote right now. Go to CNN.com/Wolf. We'll have the results later in this broadcast.

Afghanistan explosion: seven United States soldiers killed. A developing story. We're live from the Pentagon.

Trial on hold, disputes over a key document. Is this a win for Martha Stewart's defense?

In the hot seat, like never before, CIA director George Tenet now the target of major criticism over the lack of weapons of mass destruction in Iraq.

And get this, Dear Abby, the most widely syndicated newspaper columnist in the world, will join me live. Find out what she's hearing about the Democratic presidential race from her readers. That and much more.

First, though, today's news quiz. Why did the current author of Dear Abby begin working on the column? College internship, earn allowance, gossip, practice writing. The answer, coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: There's been an awful explosion in Afghanistan. And it's taking a heavy toll among U.S. troops. Seven Americans are dead. One is missing. Three have been hurt.

Let's go live immediately to our senior Pentagon correspondent Jamie McIntyre -- Jamie.

JAMIE MCINTYRE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: And Wolf, the U.S. military is saying that the circumstances surrounding that explosion are still unclear.

What we do know is that seven U.S. soldiers from the combined forces command in Afghanistan were killed. One is missing. And three soldiers and one interpreter were injured after an explosion that happened about 3 p.m. today at a place -- location we are told is West of Gazhni.

Now, a Central Command spokesman says that an investigation into today's explosion is ongoing. It's not clear if the blast was accidental or whether it was triggered deliberately.

The soldiers were working near a weapons cache when the explosion went off.

The names of the soldiers are being withheld. And again, there is an investigation underway.

There have been a number of suicide attacks recently in Afghanistan and some regrouping of Taliban and al Qaeda remnants. But again, it's -- there's no indication at this point that this is a hostile act. But it remains under investigation -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Whatever that investigation determines, Afghanistan, like Iraq, still clearly a very, very dangerous place for American forces.

Jamie, thanks very much for that report. The commander of coalition ground forces in Iraq says last week's arrest of top al Qaeda operative Hassan Ghul is a sign the terror network is trying to establish itself in the country.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LT. GEN. RICARDO SANCHEZ, U.S. ARMY: The capture of Ghul is pretty strong proof that al Qaeda is trying to gain a foothold here to continue their murderous campaigns. Ghul's capture is great news for both Iraqis, for the coalition, and for the international communities' war against terror.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: Lt. Gen. Ricardo Sanchez says Ghul was a courier who at one point reported directly to Khalid Sheik Muhammad, an alleged organizer of the 9/11 attacks. He was arrested last year in Pakistan.

Rallying the troops, what exactly did Bill Clinton say in his strategy session with Senate Democrats? I'll ask Senator Bayh. He was inside the room.

A surprise in the Martha Stewart trial. Details of the legal twist that has the case on hold right now.

And a day in court for the Godfather of Soul. The latest on James Brown's legal troubles.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Welcome back.

An unexpected and potentially significant twist in the Martha Stewart trial unfolded today. The judge has actually put it on hold, just as the government's star witness was expected to testify against the embattled businesswoman.

CNN's Mary Snow is outside the courthouse in Manhattan. She's joining us now live with details -- Mary.

MARY SNOW, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, even Martha Stewart took a backseat to a government report.

Defense attorneys say they received it only late last night. And now the government's star witness, Doug Faneuil, won't be taking the stand for another week.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SNOW (voice-over): Doug Faneuil, the government's star witness in the Martha Stewart trial, was ready to testify, but an 11th hour document put the trial on hold.

Judge Miriam Cedarbaum delayed proceedings until Monday after defense attorneys received a trial document only late last night. Peter Bacanovic's attorney, Richard Strassberg, said the government had chutzpah for turning it over so late. Judge Cedarbaum said, "The government should have provided it earlier."

The document pertained to Faneuil's first attorney, Jeremiah Gutman. A source close to the case says the document was of an FBI interview with Gutman, and that Gutman said Faneuil told him he was instructed by Bacanovic or Waksal to pass information on to Martha Stewart about ImClone.

Bacanovic's attorney asked for the indictment to be dropped. The judge refused, but put Doug Faneuil's testimony on hold for a week.

BENJAMIN BRAFMAN, CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEY: I think in the final analysis it may not be fatal to the prosecution, but it was clearly an error in judgment.

In every case, and certainly in a case that's getting this kind of intense exposure, you want to be on your A game at all times. And this document should have been turned over, should have been, in my judgment, turned over a long time ago.

SNOW: The lead prosecutor, Karen Seymour, argued Gutman is in his 80s and it was a question of memory. Quote, "It's a question of Mr. Gutman's memory that's a memory of failure here."

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SNOW: Legal experts say today's a development is an embarrassment for prosecutors, could be good for Bacanovic's case. And it's unclear how it will affect Martha Stewart's case.

The trial is scheduled to resume on Monday. It's not clear who the first witness will be on Monday -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Mary Snow, thanks, Mary, for that report.

Our senior legal analyst, Jeffrey Toobin, has been watching all of this unfold. He's joining us now, live from New York, to give us some further perspective on this high-profile case.

Jeff, how big of a deal is this?

JEFFREY TOOBIN, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: I think it's a modest deal, to tell you the truth. And it really only affects the case against Peter Bacanovic.

But it could potentially affect it a lot. Because the whole government theory of the case is that Bacanovic told his assistant, Faneuil, to tip Martha Stewart that Sam Waksal was selling all of his stock in ImClone.

This suggests that Faneuil might have said at one point that it was Waksal who told Faneuil who tip Martha Stewart. That is potentially very helpful to Peter Bacanovic.

It really doesn't affect Martha Stewart very much, because if she got the tip, it doesn't matter what the ultimate source of it was.

BLITZER: But what's the excuse that the prosecution has, that they were only going to hand over this document last night? Whether insignificant or not, they had a responsibility under the so-called discovery rules to hand it over much earlier.

TOOBIN: That was the real shocker to me, Wolf, in court today.

Because one of the fundamental rules you learn as a prosecutor is exculpatory information, information that tends to show favorable information for the defense, must be turned over as soon as possible.

And to do it 10:15 at night, the night before the star witness is to take the stand, really struck me as totally inappropriate. And more importantly, it struck the judge as inappropriate.

And it's the kind of thing that is probably more of a hiccup of an embarrassment, but it shows that this case has really not gotten off to a strong start by the prosecution.

BLITZER: If you're a defense attorney, though, for Martha Stewart, doesn't this open the door for you to say, "What else is out there that you're not sharing with me?"

TOOBINS: Wolf, you sound like the lawyers in court today. That was exactly what they were saying.

They were saying, you know, "Well, this is bad enough, but what more are we going to get the night before someone takes the stand?"

Keep in mind -- Keep this in mind, Wolf. This trial will soon be a week hold. There's only been two minor witness who've testified. Not one of them has even mentioned Martha Stewart's name in the courtroom or, I believe, even Peter Bacanovic's name.

So there's not a lot of evidence in front of the jury, and it will be almost a week until the trial starts again until -- since opening statements.

So, you know, ultimately it may not matter that much. But certainly, this isn't the fast start that the prosecutors wanted.

BLITZER: I just want to remind our viewers, you also speak as a former federal prosecutor, so you know a lot about this business.

It's very early in the game. But you've watched them now up close for the past several weeks and months. Rate, if you will, the defense attorneys as opposed to the prosecution team. How good are these lawyers?

TOOBIN: I thought that the two opening -- of the three opening statements, the opening statement by the prosecutor, Karen Patton Seymour, and by Robert Morvillo for Martha Stewart were two of the best opening statements I've ever heard. I mean, really excellent. These are top-notch people.

I thought Richard Strassberg, who represented Peter Bacanovic, gave kind of a B, B plus opening statement.

These are really good lawyers. That's why it was so surprising that the prosecutors bought themselves this problem by turning something over so late. It was just a big surprise to me.

BLITZER: Jeffrey Toobin, as usual, giving us some important perspective on an important case that a lot of people are interested in. Thanks very much.

TOOBIN: OK, Wolf.

BLITZER: We'll continue this conversation.

A Florida teen at the center of a controversial case goes free after taking a second chance at a plea bargain. That story tops our justice report.

Lionel Tate pleaded guilty today to second-degree murder in the death of a 6-year-old playmate when he was 12.

Tate initially turned down the deal, saying the death was an accident, but he was convicted and sentenced, at age 14, to life in prison without parole. An appeals court threw out the conviction, and prosecutors offered Tate the plea deal again.

Singer James Brown has been released after being booked on a domestic violence charge.

The 70-year-old Godfather of Soul is accused of pushing his 33- year-old wife to the ground during an argument at their South Carolina home. Brown denies the charge, which could get him 30 days in jail.

There's more debate about those elusive Iraqi weapons of mass destruction. Is the CIA's George Tenet going to be the fall guy? We'll find out.

And what did Bill Clinton tell Senate Democrats specifically about the overall situation in Iraq? We'll try to find out.

And we don't have to write to Dear Abby. She'll be right here as WOLF BLITZER REPORTS continues.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Welcome back to CNN. I'm Wolf Blitzer in Washington.

Out of the shadows, the former President Bill Clinton speaking out about the weapons hunt in Iraq and the race for the White House. Hear the advice he's offering Democrats. We'll get to that.

First, though, a quick check of the latest headlines; 36 years after North Korea touched off an international furor by seizing the USS Pueblo, the commander of that ship is dead. Friends say Lloyd "Pete" Bucher died at a San Diego nursing home last night. North Korean torpedo boats seized the Pueblo in the Sea of Japan on January 23, 1968, touching off a diplomatic standoff, before Bucher and his crew were released 11 months later.

Three teenage Afghans released from the U.S. detention camp at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba have been returned to their homeland. The Pentagon says it's decided the teens are not going to be tried for any crimes and have no further intelligence information to provide and no longer pose any threat to the United States. The Pentagon has not identified their home country.

San Jose, California, Mayor Ron Gonzales is reported in fair condition today, after suffering a mild stroke while giving this speech. Gonzales, who is 52 years old, was delivering his annual state of the city address when he became ill and had to stop speaking.

A day after the former chief U.S. weapons hunter in Iraq testified that -- quote -- "We were all wrong," the fallout from those missing weapons is putting more pressure on the embattled CIA director.

Let's turn now to our national security correspondent David Ensor -- David.

DAVID ENSOR, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, on the face of it, George Tenet would appear to be in the hot seat like never before.

Not only is his own man in charge of the hunt for weapons in Iraq, as you mentioned, David Kay, charging that U.S. intelligence failed the president before the Iraq war. Now the current Democratic front-runner in this presidential election year is repeating his call for the director of central intelligence to resign. That was a comment from Senator Kerry, who said that he thought that the U.S. intelligence had failed the president before the Iraq war and that he thinks that Mr. Tenet should resign as a result.

On Capitol Hill, Democrats and others are calling for an independent probe into why U.S. intelligence may have gotten it so wrong and what role the administration played. Then, there's a Senate Intelligence Committee report due out soon, which reportedly will accuse the CIA of poor judgment in its prewar analysis that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction, and a 9/11 Commission report due in May, expected to say that the U.S. government could have and maybe should have stopped those terrorist attacks.

But remember that George Tenet is a survivor, appointed by Bill Clinton, kept on and trusted by his Republican successor.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I've got great confidence in our intelligence community. These are unbelievably hard-working, dedicated people who are doing a great job for America.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ENSOR: At the CIA, officials say Kay is premature is suggesting that no weapons will be found. A U.S. official says, there are millions of pages of documents yet to be translated, hundreds of suspect sites yet to be visited and thousands of Iraqi scientists and former officials yet to be interrogated about what they know.

The White House spokesman said this week that George Tenet retains the president's full confidence. And as for Senator Kerry saying that he should go, one official's comment on that was, that and makes it all the less likely -- Wolf.

BLITZER: David Ensor with that -- David, thank you very much.

And as we told you, our viewers, the former President Bill Clinton held a closed-door meeting with senator Democrats here in Washington today to offer his advice on political strategy. Later, he talked with reporters about the war in Iraq and about prewar intelligence reports indicating Iraq did, in fact, have weapons of mass destruction.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

WILLIAM J. CLINTON, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: At the time of September the 11th, there were officially unaccounted for stocks of botulinum, aflatoxin, V.X. and ricin, which justified, in my view, the United States going back to the United Nations and asking for the U.N. inspections, because we didn't know.

And that's what the intelligence said, that these things were unaccounted for. So -- but it's very important for you to know that that's not -- at least that cannot be -- that one piece cannot be at the fault of the intelligence community, because nobody could know what we've got with the bombs, because we didn't go in and check. We didn't get to go see.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: Evan Bayh of Indiana was among the Democratic senators who met with the former president earlier today.

Senator Bayh is joining us now to discuss President Clinton and other subjects.

You're a member of the Intelligence Committee, the Armed Services Committee. First of all, on what Senator John Kerry is saying, calling on George Tenet to resign, do you agree?

SEN. EVAN BAYH (D), INDIANA: I have a high regard for George Tenet, Wolf.

Now, having said that, there clearly has been a failure of intelligence here. And I agree with what David Kay called for yesterday, which was an independent investigation to find out what happened, why were we so wrong. And once that's done, clearly, there has to be accountability. But I would await the results of the investigation.

BLITZER: So you're stopping short from asking him to resign?

BAYH: Yes, but I do think a zealous investigation is in order.

Our national credibility is at stake, our future credibility for our intelligence, when we go to the world say, look, here's what's happening in North Korea or Iran, and we need your help. If their response is, why should we believe you, that's not helpful. So we need an investigation, not for the purposes of assigning blame so much, but for correcting going forward.

BLITZER: Give us some perspective. Bill Clinton shows up, meets with your colleagues, the Senate Democrats. You were there. What was the purpose? What was that strategy session all about?

BAYH: A combination of both policy and politics, Wolf.

And, you know, he's the only Democrat to be elected and reelected in a long time. And so that was generally it, how should we approach the upcoming campaign.

BLITZER: Did he say anything brilliant that stands out in your mind that energized you guys to go out and fight and win in November?

BAYH: Well, he said a number of things.

First, we ought to try and put a human face on the deficit. For example, go to New York City, get some of the policemen who are being laid off because of cuts in the community policing funds and say, look, they stood for us on 9/11. We need to stand for them now. Same thing with schoolchildren, etcetera. He said, on the weapons of mass destruction issue, just play it straight up.

Look, we don't know why there was a failure. We ought to get to the bottom of it, so we can do better next time. And if we're going to win, it's going to be on the economy. That needs to be our focus.

BLITZER: He ran as centrist moderate Democrat, active in the DLC, the Democratic Leadership Council. You're active in that. Howard Dean has been running as a left-of-center kind of Democrat, going after the DLC, the so-called new Democrats. Did he get into that at all, talk about, you need to be in the center?

BAYH: A little bit. A little bit, Wolf.

I think he emphasized the need to be strong on national security at a time when people are understandably concerned about that, but to have a centrist economic and fiscal policy, balancing the budget, trying to restore the fiscal health of the country. He did say one thing, though. He said, look, if Howard Dean doesn't turn out to be the nominee, we need to find somebody to appeal to all of these new young people, particularly, he's energized and keep them as a part of our cause.

BLITZER: How do you that?

BAYH: Well, by speaking to some of their concerns about the future, health care, the economy, education. They want to see the government on their side again. And I think we need to spoke to that. BLITZER: You know Senator Kerry. He's a friend of yours. He's the now the Democratic front-runner, a lot of people talking about him. Is he an old-fashioned Massachusetts liberal Democrat or is he different?

BAYH: Well, you know, I think he's different, Wolf.

There's a whole other side to John Kerry. First, start with biography. It's hard to paint a decorated war veteran as a war wimp. He's a former prosecutor. It's hard to Willie Horton-ize someone when they've sent people to prison for a long period of time. And he's proven that he can take a punch and give a punch. I don't think he's just going to stand back and let the other side pummel him.

So, clearly, they will try and do that to him. But I think he's got a case to make that he can have a more mainstream position than that.

BLITZER: Were you surprised that Ed Gillespie, the chairman of the Republican National Committee, targeted John Kerry for specific criticism, trying to paint him as an old Massachusetts tax-and-spend liberal?

BAYH: No, not really. I think they will try and tear down whoever our front-runner appears to be.

And, sadly enough, that will probably be their strategy in the fall. We need an uplifting, positive campaign to create better circumstance in this country. And I hope that Mr. Gillespie and others will do that, rather than just trying to tear John Kerry, Howard Dean or whoever our nominee happens to be down.

BLITZER: You're a member of the Intelligence Committee. We've spoken many times. You supported the president. You voted for the resolution giving him the authority to go to war.

David Kay now comes along, briefs you, briefs all of us, and says, we got it all wrong. Everyone got it wrong. How do you explain that?

BAYH: Wolf, that's what we need to get to the bottom of.

If I had to say one thing we learned from this, it's that we now understand the inherent ambiguity of a lot of the intelligence information. It's largely circumstantial. There are some gaps in the intelligence. There's some conflicting intelligence information. There was denial and deception on the part of the Iraqi government taking place. You had dual-use technologies that now appear to more benign than we thought at the time.

So, I think, going forward, there needs to be a little more reticence and humility in reaching conclusions about intelligence information than there was in the past. And we need to be dedicated, as he was saying, to a much more vigorous effort to collect human intelligence. We simply were too reliant upon the United Nations inspectors and other countries for our intelligence. We can't afford to let that happen.

BLITZER: You want to be the Democratic vice presidential running mate?

(LAUGHTER)

BAYH: No, I want to be the senator from Indiana.

BLITZER: You're running.

BAYH: I'm running.

BLITZER: For the senator, to get reelected.

BAYH: That's correct.

BLITZER: And if they offer you the No. 2 spot on the ticket?

BAYH: Oh, I don't think you say no to that kind of thing, but that's up to whoever our nominee is.

BLITZER: All right. Senator Bayh, thanks very much.

BAYH: Thank you, Wolf.

BLITZER: Celebration and sorrow in the Middle East. An historic deal between Israel and Hezbollah prompts some very different reaction.

She has her finger on the pulse of America. So what does Dear Abby think about the Democratic presidential race? You might be surprised to hear. I'll ask her. She'll join us live.

And no doubt who the top dog is in this part of the world, the story behind the K-9 climber.

Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: A day of stunning contradictions in the Middle East.

In Jerusalem, there was horror as a Palestinian suicide bomber blew up a crowded commuter bus again, killing 10 people, wounding dozens more. In the Palestinian areas and in Lebanon, there was joy, as Israel exchanged hundreds of prisoners for a kidnapped businessman and the bodies of three Israeli soldiers in a controversial deal with Hezbollah.

CNN's Matthew Chance reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Another day of bloodshed in this conflict, another bus bomb in the heart of Jerusalem. Police say this city alone has endured 28 suicide bomb attempts in 3 1/2 years. Some have been thwarted, not this time.

GIL KLEIMAN, ISRAELI POLICE: This suicide bombing was very powerful. We found parts of the roof on the bus in homes in the area, a roof of a private home. And our forensic team has had to sweep living rooms and bedrooms of homes in the area because of body parts and body fragments that were thrown into those homes.

CHANCE: As forensic teams picked through the wreckage, a Palestinian militant group, the Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigade, says it carried out the attack. The bomber, a policeman from Bethlehem, had written that he wanted to avenge killings of Palestinians in Gaza. He carefully chose this packed commuter bus in the morning rush hour.

(on camera): It is a devastating scene. The bus is now being taken away, spread debris, the explosion, over a wide area, all this on a day when Palestinian prisoners were being released from Israel's jails.

(voice-over): Released as part of a controversial prisoner swap between Israel and the Lebanese Hezbollah militia.

In the Palestinian territories, there was jubilation, as hundreds were freed. Here and in Lebanon, Hezbollah's popularity is surging. In Israel, though, the mood is anxious and somber. The ceremony is for three soldiers captured and killed by Hezbollah in 2000. They've now been returned, along with an abducted Israeli businessman and reservist.

Israel's prime minister says the exchange should not be misinterpreted.

ARIEL SHARON, ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER (through translator): The Israeli government will not allow any enemy or any terrorist organization to turn kidnapping and the taking of captives as something that we will put up with.

CHANCE: Still, many Israelis believe the prisoner swap will strengthen militant groups. The tragic events of the day will have done little to ease their concern.

Matthew Chance, CNN, Jerusalem.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: After the exchange, Hezbollah warned, it will kidnap more Israelis if necessary to secure the release of all Lebanese prisoners.

Taking the pulse of the people. I'm asking Dear Abby what's on America's mind. The ultimate advice-giver, Jeanne Phillips, joins me life. We'll get to that.

First, though, a look at news making headlines around the world.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) BLITZER (voice-over): BBC Iraq scandal. Another top scandal of the British Broadcasting Corporation has resigned. The move comes one day after a British judge condemned the network for accusing Prime Minister Tony Blair of exaggerating intelligence on Iraq's weapons of mass destruction.

Right after the ruling, the chairman of the network's board of governors stepped down. The BBC apologized for the report broadcast last year which led to the suicide of a British expert on Iraq's weapons.

Relaxing pot laws. Pot smokers are feeling a new high in Britain. Under a new law, marijuana is now in the same low-risk category as tranquilizers and steroids. And those caught smoking the weed may not be arrested. However, tough penalties remain for those growing or dealing in the drug.

KOFI ANNAN, U.N. SECRETARY-GENERAL: I am proud to accept...

BLITZER: Chief honored. The European Union has awarded its top human rights prize to U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan. Annan received the annual Sakharov prize on behalf of all U.N. staff members and in memory of U.N. Envoy Sergio Vieira de Mello, who was killed in Iraq, and other U.N. members killed in the line of duty. The prize is named after the late Soviet dissident Andrei Sakharov.

Top dog. A golden retriever has become the first dog to climb the summit of Latin America's highest peek. Decked out in K-9 boots and specially made jackets, the 2-year-old dog reached the summit of the mountain in Argentina, along with her two human companions.

And that's our look around the world.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Earlier we asked: Why did the current author of Dear Abby begin working on the column? The answer, earn allowance. Jeanne Phillips began working for her mother, the founder of Dear Abby, at age 14 to earn her allowance. She helped Pauline Phillips by answering letters from young people.

For almost half a century, if you have wanted to see what's on America's mind, you haven't had to look any further than your local newspaper and a "Dear Abby" column. Pauline Phillips started it under the name Abigail Van Buren in 1956. Today, her daughter continues to offer advice on just about any subject you can name.

Jeanne Phillips, better known as Dear Abby, is joining us now live from our L.A. Bureau.

Abby, thanks very much for joining us.

What's on the minds mostly right now of the American people you're communicating with? JEANNE PHILLIPS, "DEAR ABBY": Well, I'm hearing from people who are chronically jobless or I'm hearing from their spouses or their parents.

And they're talking about the frustration and the fear and the anxiety that people encounter when they have sent out 125 resumes and gone on 15 interviews and haven't heard a thing back. There's an embarrassment factor, too.

BLITZER: Well, I read your column every day. And I watch your advice, which almost always is excellence advice. But what do you tell these people, a man, for example, who has been searching for a year or two years, has a family to support, has been working diligently to find a job, and simply can't find one in the current job market?

PHILLIPS: I tell him not to give up hope. That's No. 1. I tell him that he may have to reorganize his priorities and look for a different kind of work than he has been looking for, accept a lower rate of pay.

I would tell people these days that they should check out a Web site called CareerOneStop.org, which is a government program that's been put together to try to address the needs of people who are jobless and try to get them resettled in different jobs.

BLITZER: This has an enormous impact on the spouse as well, the wife, let's say, of someone who's really desperately looking for work. What do you tell the spouse?

PHILLIPS: I tell the spouse to hang in there, that she has to understand that she's dealing with a husband who is probably depressed already, may have turned to some sort of a substance or be spending hours on his computer or hiding in front of a television set. I try to tell her to hang in there and to be patient and realize, this probably won't last forever.

BLITZER: I know you've been doing this for many, many years. Is it any different today than it was, let's say, five or 10 or 15 years ago, the quality, the kinds of questions you're being asked?

PHILLIPS: I deal with people's emotions. I'm the friend that they confide in.

So, they're constantly confiding in me about what's going on in their lives that they wouldn't be talking to the neighbors about or wouldn't be talking to their family about. Have the questions changed? Not to any great degree. People are constantly more open about their problems, you know, as time goes by. They're used to be subjects people didn't talk about at all that they're quite willing and open about now.

But this business of chronic joblessness is one that I find to be a particularly touchy issue, because these people blame themselves for the fact that they can't find work. And the truth is that jobs have been exported out of the country to China and to India and Mexico. And it's just very sad, because the statistics that we're reading about in the papers today, you know, that this percentage and this percentage, these are our neighbors. These are real people behind those statistics. And everybody should keep that in mind.

BLITZER: Excellent advice, as usual, from Dear Abby. Thanks so much for joining us.

PHILLIPS: Thank you.

BLITZER: Been reading your advice for years, will continue, God willing, to read for many more years to come.

PHILLIPS: Well, thank you.

BLITZER: Survivor story. Buried alive in a Canadian blizzard for 21 hours, how did they survive? We'll tell you.

And we'll also share with you the results of our "Web Question of the Day" immediately when we come back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Desperate measures help a Canadian couple cheat death. It's our picture of the day.

Look at this. Their car got stuck during a fierce blizzard and was quickly buried under multiple feet of snow. They were stranded for 21 hours and went so far as to tear the seats apart and use the cloth and foam to help stay warm. They were finally rescued when someone saw a marker they had made from the seat springs, which they tied together with shoe laces and pushed through the snow.

Here's how you're weighing in on our "Web Question of the Day." Do presidential primary debates help you pick a candidate? Forty- three percent of you say yes; 57 percent of you say no. As always, we remind you, this is not a scientific poll.

Let's get to some of your e-mail.

Doug writes this: "It's crystal clear that Saddam Hussein had and used WMD. His track record tells us he likely still had them and intended to use them again. How can we believe there were no more WMD? The WMD are there somewhere, and some day, we'll find them."

Jim writes this: "The entire world has seen the United States invade a sovereign nation halfway across the world to ostensibly rid Iraq of WMD on what seems to be groundless and erroneous information. The commander in chief bears complete responsibility. And he should acknowledge that."

A reminder, you can always catch WOLF BLITZER REPORTS weekdays at this time, namely 5:00 p.m. Eastern. I'm also here weekdays, noon Eastern.

Until tomorrow, thanks very much for joining us. I'm Wolf Blitzer in Washington. "LOU DOBBS TONIGHT" starts right now.

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