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CNN Wolf Blitzer Reports

Police Subdue Suspicious Man at Capitol. Contentious Confirmation Hearing for John Bolton.

Aired April 11, 2005 - 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, CNN ANCHOR: Happening now, the search for answers after a suspicious man clad in black shows up on Capitol Hill here in Washington with two suitcases. The man is tackled, and the suitcases are blown up.
Stand by for hard news on the WOLF BLITZER REPORTS.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

Dogfight over a diplomat. Is a tough critic of the United Nations the right person to represent the United States? The Senate squares off.

SEN. RICHARD LUGAR (R), INDIANA: There are times when blunt talk serves a policy purpose.

SEN. JOSEPH BIDEN (D), DELAWARE: I'm surprised that the nominee wants the job that he's been nominated for, given the many negative things he had to say about the U.N.

BLITZER: Sharon on the spot.

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I've told the prime minister of my concern that Israel not undertake any activity that contravenes road map obligation.

BLITZER: Pressure from the president to stop settlement expansion; pressure from the settlers to stop a pull-out.

Leader or lightning rod? Are rank-and-file Republicans ready to desert Tom DeLay?

REP. CHRIS SHAYS, (R), CONNECTICUT: He's still the leader, but if I think -- but that's what I think. I think he should step down.

BLITZER: No vaccine. A rare and deadly virus ravages Africa. Will it reach America?

Tiger Woods -- he's back on top, but missing the man who helped him get there.

TIGER WOODS, PROFESSIONAL GOLFER: Every year that I've been lucky enough to have won this tournament, my dad's been there to give me a hug. And he wasn't there today.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ANNOUNCER: This is WOLF BLITZER REPORTS for Monday, April 11th, 2005.

BLITZER: Thanks for joining us. He's a blunt-spoken diplomat known for targeting the United Nations. He's also President Bush's nominee for ambassador to the United Nations. Today, John Bolton himself became the target, as senators consider his nomination. CNN's Andrea Koppel is joining us now live from Capitol Hill with details. Andrea.

ANDREA KOPPEL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, after starting at 9:30 this morning, senators here at the Foreign Relations Committee have now entered their third round of questioning of a man often described as a lightning rod of controversy.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KOPPEL: Determined to keep John Bolton out of the U.N., Democrats came out swinging.

BIDEN: Some have said that sending you to New York would be like sending Nixon to China. I'm concerned it would be more like sending a bull into a China shop.

KOPPEL: Republicans countered that Bolton, an arms control specialist known for blunt talk, is perfect to push U.N. reform.

SEN. GEORGE ALLEN (R), VIRGINIA: He'll bring a credibility to the United Nations that they sorely need.

KOPPEL: Democrats laid out evidence President Bush's choice to be U.S. ambassador to the world body has for years been a U.N.-basher.

SEN. BARBARA BOXER (D), CALIFORNIA: You can dance around it; you can run away from it; you can put perfume on it, but the bottom line is, the bottom line.

KOPPEL: Democrat Barbara Boxer confronted Bolton with a videotaped speech he gave in 1994 when he was out of government expressing open hostility.

JOHN BOLTON, NOMINEE FOR U.S. AMBASSADOR TO THE U.N.: The secretariat building in New York has 38 stories. If you lost 10 stories today, it wouldn't make a bit of difference.

KOPPEL: In his defense, Bolton told senators he believes that for the U.N. to be effective, it requires U.S. leadership.

BOLTON: My criticisms during the 1990s were in large measure because of what I'd thought was the lack of effective American leadership.

KOPPEL: Democrats also grilled Bolton about allegations he tried to intimidate intelligence analysts at the State Department who disagreed on whether Castro's Cuba had a biological weapons program. SEN. CHRIS DODD (D), CONNECTICUT: Trying to rob a bank and failing to do so is not -- is a crime, in my view. Trying to remove someone as an analyst from their job because you disagree with what they're saying I think is dreadfully wrong.

KOPPEL: Bolton denied trying to have anyone fired.

BOLTON: I thought in both cases, if I may say so, their conduct was unprofessional and broke my confidence and trust.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KOPPEL: Now, tomorrow, so far, there is only one witness, Carl Ford, the assistant secretary for intelligence and research at the State Department, who is set to testify and take questions from senators because the committee chairman, Richard Lugar, has only allowed one witness, Mr. Ford, to come before the committee.

That said, the Bolton nomination is scheduled to go to a vote on Thursday. And Wolf, at this hour, it's looking more like a confirmation of that -- of the committee vote that Bolton would be -- his vote would be sent to the Senate floor. Right now, what you have is a committee -- Lincoln Chafee, who was sitting on the fence earlier in the day, later on he told reporters that he was leaning towards putting his vote in the yes column. He said, although Bolton was not his favorite choice, he is leaning in that direction.

Wolf.

BLITZER: Lincoln Chafee, the moderate Republican from Rhode Island, a member of the Foreign Relations Committee.

Thanks very much. Andrea Koppel reporting for us.

And this note to our viewers: You have a chance to weigh in on this story. Our web question of the day is this: Is John Bolton the right choice for U.S. ambassador to the United Nations? You can vote right now. Go to CNN.com/Wolf. We'll have the results later in this broadcast.

Pleased by Israel's plans for a pullout from Gaza and parts of the West Bank, President Bush finds some of Israel's other settlement plans unsettling. He told the prime minister, Ariel Sharon, today not to take any wrong turns in following the road map to peace. The two leaders met at the president's Texas ranch. Our White House correspondent Dana Bash is joining us now live from Crawford. Dana.

DANA BASH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Wolf. Well, today was the first meeting between President Bush and Prime Minister Ariel Sharon in almost exactly a year. And the plan was really to try to focus on what will be an extraordinary move by the Israelis. In just a little more than three months, the Israeli plan is to pull out all of its settlements of Gaza Strip and a few, a handful of the West Bank. And that, as I mentioned, was sort of the plan to -- for that to be the crux of the discussions. But Mr. Bush did feel the need to say that he hopes that the prime minister doesn't expand other existing settlements.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BUSH: I told the prime minister of my concern that Israel not undertake any activity that contravenes road map obligations or prejudice final-status negotiations.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BASH: Now, at issue here is the largest West Bank settlement. This is something called Maale Adumim, and it is an area that the Israelis have for a while talked about expanding to extend to Jerusalem. And they have recently renewed that promise. And the Palestinian -- excuse me the Israeli prime minister said today that he still thinks it's important to have what he called "contiguity" there. But he also tried to make clear that this is something that they wouldn't do for a few years, and also stated that they do understand their obligations under the so-called road map -- that is to freeze all existing settlements, not to expand them. So he seemed to hint that he understands eventually down the road, he might not be able to stick to this.

Now, again, as I mentioned, the real reason why the president and the prime minister wanted to have this high-profile meeting was to put the focus on what will happen at the end of July, and that is to pull 21 settlements out of the Gaza strip, four out of the West Bank. And this is something that has been emotionally wrenching in Israel. It of course was Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's plan that he got approval for from President Bush last year. Now, President Bush says that although they didn't originally get approval from the Palestinians, because there's a newly elected leader, they've said, it's time for him to step in and help.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BUSH: I strongly support his courageous initiative to disengage from Gaza and part of the West Bank. The prime minister is willing to coordinate the implementation of the disengagement plan with the Palestinians. I urge the Palestinian leadership to accept his offer.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BASH: Now, this is something that President Bush is going to talk about at what we expect will be a meeting in Washington with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. There is no exact date set for that, Wolf, but both sides are saying that they expect it to happen sometime this spring.

Wolf.

BLITZER: Dana Bash reporting for us. Dana, thank you very much.

Lebanon's militant Hezbollah group says it flew an unmanned spy plane over communities in northern Israel today. The Israeli military confirms the overflight, and security sources are saying the aircraft flew for several minutes over Israeli territory before returning to Lebanon. Hezbollah says it acted in response to flights by Israeli jets over Lebanon. The first such Hezbollah overflight was launched in November. Israel says it believes the unmanned aerial vehicles are Iranian-made.

So can Prime Minister Sharon balance the pressure from President Bush on the one hand and angry settlers on the other? Joining us now, our world affairs analyst, the former Defense secretary, William Cohen. He's chairman and CEO of The Cohen Group here in Washington. Mr. Secretary, thanks very much for joining us.

It's a tough balancing act for the U.S. president on the one hand to encourage the withdrawal from Gaza; on the other hand, to tell Sharon, stop settlement expansion on the West Bank.

WILLIAM COHEN, CNN ANALYST: Oh, it's something, a message that has to be delivered. President Bush in the past has indicated on two occasions, two years ago, at least, that the expansion of the settlements was inconsistent with his road map plan. And the building of the wall, or the fence, as it's called in Israel, also was in adversity to his plan. So it was undermining the plan itself. So, Prime Minister Sharon indicated on both occasions that he would go forward, nonetheless.

So, now he has a problem. He's got to move forward with his pulling the settlers out of the Gaza, and also, he's got to start taking steps to make sure that he doesn't allow the settlers to expand those settlements that are currently in the West Bank. You can't go from an outpost to a settlement to a community and then be consistent with the road map itself. So he understands that. He's got settlers on the right, and they are very, very passionate about moving out of the Gaza. So, he's got a tough battle back home himself. But...

BLITZER: He's got a lot of angry Israelis who are very upset about leaving Gaza. And some of them are very, very militant. At the same time we did hear the president today reaffirm the statement that has deeply angered the Palestinians, other Arabs, that any settlement will have to take into consideration the existing population realities that exist on the West Bank, a reference many believe to the larger settlements, almost towns outside of Jerusalem, outside of Tel Aviv, which the Israelis have created over these past decades.

COHEN: I think there is a -- the reality factor involved here, what President Bush is also sending the signal to Prime Minister Sharon is, don't continue to expand them, and make it that much more difficult. But there have been changes on the ground. And I think the Palestinians for the most part understand there'll have to be compensatory measures, as they take into account what the Israelis have been done, and what can't be removed or won't be removed and still have an agreement that gives them a separate independent state that provides for their sovereignty, their dignity, their opportunity and for Israel's security. So...

BLITZER: Just as Sharon has deep anger from his flank, from the right in Israel, the settler movement, Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian leader has deep anger from Hamas and Islamic Jihad, and he's got a lot of potential problems on his side as well. COHEN: That's why all of those who have been following the Middle East for all of these years moved from expectation and sense of anticipation to depression over the years. So it takes a long, hard struggle to bring this about. But President Bush is committed to his road map. He's committed to the road map and all the parties. Mahmoud Abbas has to take greater measures to provide for security for Israel. Prime Minister Sharon has to prevent any expansion of the settlements, and continue with the desettlement as such in Gaza.

BLITZER: As Thomas Friedman of the "News York Times," told me yesterday on "LATE EDITION," not time for a victory lap yet.

COHEN: No. Not at all.

BLITZER: William Cohen, as usual, thank you very much.

COHEN: Pleasure.

BLITZER: In Iraq an American contractor was kidnapped in the Baghdad area. A U.S. Embassy spokesman says, the man was working on a reconstruction project. No other details immediately made available.

In another incident, three American Marines were wounded when their bay -- their base along Iraq's border with Syria was the target of suicide bombers. Three civilians also wounded. U.S. military officials say the attackers tried to ram two cars and a fire truck into a security checkpoint at Cape Gannon. The blast slightly damaged the camp's concrete barriers and barbed wire, as well as a nearby mosque.

When we come back, breaking rank calls for a top Republican to resign from his leadership post. We'll have details.

Also ahead...

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

WILLIAM CLINTON, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: You know, if you've got a job and you're doing it, only you can stop yourself. You can't stop it or anybody else.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: Hillary Clinton for president? Former President Bill Clinton speaks out about his wife's ambitions, and one man's campaign to stop her now.

Outbreak in Angola, a new deadly virus reemerges in Africa, spreading widespread panic, and confusion. Can it come here?

Also ahead -- a security scare at Capitol Hill. Evacuations, and a massive police response. We'll go there live for the latest.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Welcome back. Most House Republicans continue to stand besides the House Majority Tom DeLay, at least for now. But there are some signs DeLay's support could be eroding.

Lets get the latest now. Our Congressional correspondent Ed Henry joining us -- Ed.

ED HENRY, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, the sense you get from some Republicans is their concern about another shoe dropping in this case. One senior Republican aide privately acknowledged to me today, the Tom DeLay story has now turned into a feeding frenzy after Republican Congressman Chris Shays came out and said DeLay has become an embarrassment and should step down as majority leader.

But for now, party officials insist they're cautiously optimistic, because they believe criticism from Chris Shays is not unexpected. He's a moderate Republican. He's frequently clashed with GOP leaders. He's from a swing district in Connecticut, where he only won with 52 percent of the vote last November. So, they say he's under pressure to distance himself from Tom DeLay, and he did just that on camera today.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. CHRISTOPHER SHAYS (R), CONNECTICUT: I'm not asking him to step down. You're asking me if I think he should, yes, I think he should. That's just an honest answer to a question. But I'm not -- arguing, demanding that he step down. He's still the leader. But if I think -- but that's what I think. I think he should step down.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HENRY: Now, the controversy here is that Tom DeLay was rebuked by the House Ethics Committee three times last year, and is now facing new allegations that he may have violated House rules by allowing lobbyist Jack Abramoff, who's under federal investigation, to secretly pay for some of his travel. Republican Party officials know Chris Shays is no fan of Tom DeLay, though, so he's an obvious person to criticize the leader. And as one party official told me, if a movement conservative breaks ranks, then it's a problem. One such conservative senator, Rick Santorum, said yesterday Mr. DeLay has to clear up all of this. But Santorum stopped far short of actually calling for DeLay to step down.

Now, another headache for DeLay came today in a "Newsweek" story suggesting that lobbyist involved, Jack Abramoff, may be ready to cut a deal with prosecutors and may say Tom DeLay knows a lot more than he's letting on. But I can tell you, I spoke earlier to a spokesman for Abramoff's lawyer, he refused to comment on the "Newsweek" report, but he did say the trips were legal and proper. But it's clear we have not heard the last of the Abramott or DeLay story yet, Wolf.

BLITZER: Lots of reporting still to be done on this story. And you will be doing it. Ed Henry...

HENRY: That's right. BLITZER: ... thanks very much for that news.

Meanwhile, lots of buzz about a possible White House bid by New York State Senator Hillary Clinton in 2008. Clinton will only say she's focused on getting reelected to the U.S. Senate a year from November. And at the moment the numbers are in her favor. A Sienna College poll of 582 registered New York state voters says 60 percent, have a favorable opinion of her, 33 percent unfavorable.

Some Republicans are determined to see those numbers reversed. GOP consultant Arthur Finkelstein is reportedly behind a political action committee called Stop Her Now, which plans to raise millions of dollars to fight Clinton's Senate reelection and thwart a presidential campaign. Finkelstein -- who's worked with conservatives from Jesse Helms to George Pataki to Benjamin Netanyahu in Israel -- reportedly married his long-time male partner recently in Massachusetts. That prompted this reaction today from the former president Bill Clinton when asked about the "Stop Her Now" pac.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

W. CLINTON: Actually, I was sort of sad when I read it. You know, that fellow that used to work for Pataki's doing it, right. What's his name? Yes. I was sad. I mean, there were two stories. One is that he went to Massachusetts and married his long-time male partner, and then he comes back here and announces this. Which means, I thought -- I thought one of two things, either this guy believes his party is not serious, and is totally Machiavellian in its position, or, you know, as David Brach said in his brave book, "Blinded by the Right," there's some sort of self-loathing in there or something.

I was more sad for him. He can't --- you know, if you've got a job and you're doing it, only you can stop yourself. He can't stop her. Or anybody else. She could stop her. You could stop you. I could stop me. Most of life's greatest wounds are self-inflicted. And, so, I'm not too worried about it. He may get up a bunch of money and -- but he can't overcome the fact that she's got -- one of the last surveys, 49 to 36 approval rating among Republicans. And he can't erase the things she's done for upstate New York economically, totally Republican areas, no real anticipation of political benefit. Or the way she's performed. She's been great. And he can't stop it. I thought it was a sad story, really.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER (on camera): CNN tried to reach Arthur Finkelstein to get his reaction to the former president's remarks but our call was not returned. At least not yet. If he calls us back, we'll get his side of the story on the air as well.

When we come back, security scare on Capitol Hill. Coming up, why Capitol Hill Police tackled this man, and dragged him away.

Also ahead, you're paying plenty for gasoline these days. But we'll tell you where gas prices are even higher -- much higher. Could cost you $300 to fill up your tank. And Tiger Woods wins the Masters tournament. Why they're cheering his victory on Madison Avenue.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: It would have been a typically busy day on Capitol Hill if it hadn't been for a man dressed in black and his two suitcases. His bizarre behavior and the massive response from the police it triggered is part of our CNN "Security Watch." Our national correspondent Bob Franken is joining us, now, live from Capitol Hill with the latest. Bob?

BOB FRANKEN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, it was mid- afternoon, Wolf, when the story was effectively over.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

FRANKEN (voice-over): Police blew up one of the two suitcases that a man had, since shortly after noon, been holding as he refused to talk with them. In the post-9/11 security climate here, they wasted no time. They dragged him to the ground the first moment they could and hustled him away, first into an ambulance and then took him away -- took him away in a police car where they are deciding now which charges to level against him.

Where he was was an area on the west side of the Capitol that had been -- is near the offices of the Senate majority leader and minority leader, as well as the speaker of the House. Those offices were evacuated. But the rest of the Capitol was not. Police say that because the man would not communicate with them in any effective way, they decided to treat him as if he might be a suicide bomber.

CHIEF TERRANCE GAINER, US CAPITOL POLICE: He only would say at first that he wanted to speak to the president. We continued to engage him in conversation. We moved one of our tactical teams around behind him. And used the cover of the wall to -- so they could move into position.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FRANKEN (on camera): Police say that the only identification they've been able to get from him is that he is from China, and that he's only been in the United States a short time. The charges will be something equivalent to refusing to obey a police order. But it proved to be a false alarm, but a big scare. This is the area, by the way, Wolf, where the president had his inauguration on January 20th. Wolf?

BLITZER: One of the most sensitive spots of real estate in the United States. Bob Franken, reporting for us. Bob, thank you very much.

To our viewers, please stay tuned to CNN day and night for the most reliable news about your security.

When we come back, an alarming epidemic. One of the world's deadliest viruses reemerges; why health officials are so concerned about this new outbreak. Paying at the pump, Americans now paying record high prices for gasoline, but we'll show you who has it even worse, much worse.

And the man behind the legend. Why Tiger Woods' dad was absent on his big day.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Controversial mass: a U.S. cardinal severely criticized for the way he handled the church sex abuse scandal here in the United States, takes a prominent role in ceremonies to remember Pope John Paul II. We'll have details.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ANNOUNCER: From our studios in Washington, once again, Wolf Blitzer.

BLITZER: Welcome back. A deadly virus reemerges in Africa with a devastating effect. Our Jeff Koinange reports; we'll get to that.

First, though, a quick check of some other stories "Now in the News."

Despite pleas from sex abuse victims, Cardinal Bernard Law led mass today at St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican. The former archbishop of Boston now serves as an archpriest in Rome. Some American Catholics have called on Law not to play a major role in mourning ceremonies for Pope John Paul II. Records show he knowingly moved priests accused of sexual abuse from parish to parish without disclosing allegations against them.

A standoff in New Jersey continues this hour, but a woman and her baby who apparently were being held hostage have been released. Police are still negotiating with the suspect who's holed up in a car in an apartment complex. The man is said to be the woman's boyfriend and the baby's father. Police say before the standoff, the suspect shot and wounded the woman's father.

Here in Washington, emotional debate over silicone gel breast implants. Federal health officials opened hearings today on whether to lift the ban on most of the devices. Thirteen years ago the Food and Drug Administration restricted the implants to strictly controlled research studies.

One of the world's deadliest viruses has reemerged in Western Africa. It's called "Marburg virus," it's related to Ebola, and victims always almost suffer a gruesome, painful death. As CNN's Jeff Koninange reports, world health officials are warning this latest outbreak -- in Angola -- is proving harder to contain than early epidemics.

JEFF KONINANGE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Marburg fever is similar to the Ebola virus that has ravaged several African countries in the past decade. They are both hemorrhagic, viruses spread through contact with bodily fluids. They spread fast, are invariably deadly, and there's no vaccine.

Marburg fever gets its name from a German town where it was contracted from monkeys imported from Africa. Now it is remerged in Uige province, in Angola, in with devastating effect. It's claimed close to 200 lives, sparking widespread panic and confusion.

DR. PIERRE FORMENTY, WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION: This is a huge epidemic. Today we speak of 200 cases. We think the investigation is going to find more cases.

BLITZER: Isolating and trying to treat the infected is all the more difficult, because Angola has only recently emerged from 27 years of civil war.

DR. MIKE RYAN, WORLD HEALH ORGANIZATION: This is a difficult situation in the context of collapsed infrastructure in the north of Angola.

BLITZER: Experts say superstition means family members may be hiding victims for fear of being ostracized, and that may handicap efforts to stem the spread of the virus.

RYAN: It has been grossly underrecognized that the attitudes and fears of the local community will drive the process of compliance with the measures.

KONINANGE: The World Health Organization insists the virus is far from being contained.

RYAN: This outbreak is not over. It requires a deep commitment from the international and national authorities for the next four to six weeks at the very least, and probably beyond.

KONINANGE: The last recorded outbreak of Marburg killed more than 120 people in Congo, a country that has also suffered several incidents of the more lethal Ebola virus.

Jeff Koninange, CNN.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: Former President Bill Clinton has unveiled a new initiative to protect children from AIDS. His foundation will donate $10 million to help provide drugs and treatment for HIV-infected children in developing countries.

W. CLINTON: First, we've launched a pediatric program that will put 10,000 children on AIDS treatment in at least ten countries in 2005, doubling the number of children in treatment today, in developing countries outside of Brazil and Thailand. Second, we have launched a rural program to accelerate the penetration of treatment into rural areas, where most people in Africa and Asia live.

BLITZER: The former president's announcement in New York was attended by several United Nations officials.

Let's take a quick look at other news making headlines around the world.

A nine-story garment factory in Bangladesh collapsed after a boiler exploded, killing at least 17 people and trapping at least 200 others. Rescuers used welding machines to cut holes in the rubble to pump air to survivors. Dozens were pulled to safety.

Japan quakes. A strong 6.1 magnitude earthquake hit the Tokyo area, causing minor damage. There were no immediate reports of injuries. Both runways at Tokyo's Narita International Airport were shut down for about 15 minutes.

Royal photos. Britain's Prince Charles has released the first official photographs of his weekend marriage to Camilla Parker Bowles. The pictures were taken in Windsor Castle. Charles and his bride are honeymooning in Scotland.

And that's our look around the world.

Record high prices at the pump. But if you think things are bad where you are, just wait. We'll have numbers that will truly shock you.

Terrifying moment: this out of control SUV and the resulting accident caught on tape. Find out what happens next.

And Tiger Woods, incorporated, the endorsements and dollar signs surrounding the star of golf.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: For the fourth week in a row U.S. gasoline prices have hit another record high. The Energy Department says the national average price of a gallon of self-serve regular gasoline is now $2.28, that's up 6.3 cents over the last year. As high as that might seem to Americans, it's still low by European standards.

CNN's Chris Huntington is joining us now from a gas station in Manhattan. I take it the prices are pretty steep there, Chris.

CHRIS HUNTINGTON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Wolf, right I'm here at the Hess Station in Mid-town Manhattan. We're a penny over that Department of Energy national average right now. In fact, premium gasoline here, about $2.50 a gallon. Frankly, though, all the grumbling here that is typical of just about any problem that folks in New York encounter is nothing about -- nothing close to what they would do if they had to buy gas over on the continent.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

HUNTINGTON (voice-over): Imagine you and the family setting out on a European vacation in, say, a Ford Excursion. If you think gas is expensive in the United States, try filling up that full-size SUV in Holland. Topping off the 44-gallon tank near Amsterdam would cost you more than $285. Premium unleaded, which is the standard in Europe, costs $6.49 a gallon in the Netherlands. It's a bit less than that in France, Italy and Germany. But in Great Britain where petrol is nearly $6 a gallon, motorists are well acquainted with pain at the pumps.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's killing us, really, it's killing us.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's too much. I don't mind because I don't do too much mileage. But I do feel sorry for the people, you know, who have to.

HUNTINGTON: This man from Poland says Londoners have it easy.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The cost of fuel in London is not expensive. Because I've got experience in our country, and relative, we've got more expensive fuel than -- for example in Poland.

HUNTINGTON: On average across Europe, taxes account for 70 percent of the retail price of gasoline. In the United States, total gas taxes average less than 25 percent of the pump price. In fact, if you exclude all taxes, Americans actually pay more for fuel than many Europeans. Some that difference is due to the weakening dollar. In the past two years, while crude oil prices have skyrocketed, the dollar has tumbled, particularly against the euro and Japanese yen. And that has been a concern of oil exporters, particularly OPEC members.

SHARIF GOLUB, ENERGY INTELLIGENCE GROUP: Falling dollar reduces the purchasing power of the OPEC countries whose oil is denominated in dollars. So when the dollar weakens, the ability of the OPEC countries to buy goods from abroad, because of dollar income, diminishes.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HUNTINGTON: Now, the near record price for crude oil, right now, more than makes up for the decline of the dollar, so you don't have to worry about the folks at OPEC getting a fair price for their product. The main reason for the high oil and gas prices is continuing rise in demand, and nowhere, Wolf, on the planet is that demand more insistent than here in the United States. In fact, the thirst for motor gasoline in this country is seen as rising despite the high prices. And there's a growing consensus in the market that until prices get close to those European levels, you're really not going to see demand in the United States pull back in any significant way -- Wolf.

BLITZER: All right, good information, Chris. Especially for those of our viewers who might be thinking about doing a little bit of European touring this summer. Chris Huntington, good report. Thanks very much.

Lets get a look at some other stories you may have missed this past weekend.

Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, is mourning the deaths of three students. The victims died in a house fire yesterday. Two other students were injured. Authorities believe the fire was accidental.

There's plenty of cleaning up to do in Kansas after tornadoes swept across the state. More than a dozen twisters were spotted yesterday. There are no reports of injuries.

That same storm system brought parts of Colorado to a standstill. It produced blizzard conditions in Denver and other parts of the state. Almost two feet of heavy, wet snow fell on some areas, shutting down roads, snarling highway and air traffic, and knocking out power for thousands.

And some terrifying moments on an Ohio freeway. The state highway patrol released this video over the weekend, showing a vehicle losing control during a snow storm and plowing into a car and a tow truck. No serious injuries were reported.

And that's our "Weekend Snapshot."

Coming up at the top of the hour, "LOU DOBBS TONIGHT." Kitty Pilgrim filling in for Lou tonight. She's joining us live from New York with a preview.

KITTY PILGRIM, GUEST-HOST, "LOU DOBBS TONIGHT": Thanks, Wolf. We have a lot to look forward to at the top of the hour. We're going to be reporting an assault on the middle class. Wages are no longer keeping up with prices.

And the remarkable success for the Minutemen volunteers on our borders with Mexico. Even the project's organizers are surprised.

And the Mexican government is handing out Mexican government I.D.s to illegal aliens inside the United States. All that, and more coming up just a few minutes, but for now back to you, Wolf.

BLITZER: All right. Kitty, we'll be watching. Thanks very much.

When we come back, a perfect shot, an endorsement dream -- both add up to a lot of money for Tiger Woods. Our Mary Snow standing by. She's take a closer look at his awesome earning power.

Plus, father and son. Tiger Woods' inspiration, noticeably absent from his Masters win. Our Brian Todd will have that report.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Tiger Woods is back. He fought his way back on the final round of the Masters yesterday, which included an improbable shot on the 16th green. Later he sank a 15-foot putt on the first playoff hole to win his fourth Masters title and his first major championship in almost three years.

But Woods wasn't the only winner at the famed Augusta National Golf Club in Georgia. CNN's Mary Snow reports.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

MARY SNOW, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Some see a beautiful shot. Others see dollar signs. Marketers say besides a dramatic win, it was an endorsement dream for Nike. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You can't script that better. Then the Nike ball, the swoosh right on there. I mean, you couldn't miss it.

SNOW: But exposure like this doesn't come cheap for Nike. The company won't disclose their five-year deal with Tiger Woods running through 2006, but it's reportedly costing them $100 million. Nike is just one of several big names that pay to have their names linked to Tiger Woods.

Other sponsorships include American Express, Acoir (ph), Buick and Accenture -- Forbes Magazine estimates up to $70 million a year in endorsements alone. And sports marketers such as Brandon Steiner say because of Woods' longevity in golf is longer than an average athlete in most sports, he has more earning power.

BRANDON STEINER, STEINER SPORTS MARKETING: His upside is almost infinite. He probably will be the richest and biggest name in all of sports by the time his career is over, because of the length of it and because of the amount of winning he'll be able to have done.

SNOW: While marketers point out golf has a limited audience, it is known to be an upscale audience. On top of that, Woods, they say, has broad appeal.

ANDY BERNSTEIN, SPORTS BUSINESS JOURNAL: Tiger is on the radar screen of 60-year-old men. But at the same time, he's on the radar screen of probably many teenage girls. This is a guy who can appeal to the entire population.

SNOW: But despite Tiger Woods' comeback, marketers don't expect to see a surge in new endorsements since they entail time commitments.

BERNSTEIN: Tiger Woods has been fairly conservative in taking on new endorsements. I mean, his roster is pretty much full. And it's best in brand, or best in category brands pretty much throughout. So I don't think you're going to see a flurry of activity toward Tiger Woods.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SNOW: Even so, Forbes magazine points out that Tiger Woods was the highest-paid sportsman in 2004. Wolf.

BLITZER: CNN's Mary Snow reporting for us. Thank you, Mary.

An amazing win indeed for Tiger Woods, and emotional moment as he accepts his green jacket though without his dad by his side. Our Brian Todd will stand by, taking a closer look at the father behind the legend. That's coming up next.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ARON RALSTON: My name's Aron Ralston. My parents are Delma and Larry Ralston of Engelwood, Colorado.

MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: His name may not be familiar, but Aron Ralston's desperate act of survival became headline news in the spring of 2003. The 27-year-old was climbing alone in a remote Utah canyon when his right hand became pinned under an 800-pound boulder. Six days he was trapped with little food and water until he took drastic action.

RALSTON: I reached for the knife, said out loud to myself, "Here we go, Aron. You're in it now." And very calmly and collectively went about the process of thrusting the knife into my arm.

O'BRIEN: After cutting off his arm, Ralston still had to rappel down a cliff and then hike five miles to find help.

After several surgeries, and a painful recovery, he was climbing mountains just a few months later. Ralston chronicled the experience in his book "Between a Rock and a Hard Place." He is now a motivational speaker, sharing the lessons he learned.

RALSTON: Even the impossible can be overcome by courage and perseverance.

O'BRIEN: Ralston is still climbing mountains with the help of a custom climbing arm. He recently summitted Mount Aconcaqua in Argentina. He says the drive to climb the next mountain is what sustains him.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: Welcome back. With The Masters on the line yesterday, Tiger Woods rose to the challenge like a true champion. But in winning his fourth Masters title, Woods revealed a part of him few of us have ever seen. CNN's Brian Todd reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Surviving a tight finish might have been easy compared to talking about his dad.

WOODS: Every year that I've been lucky enough to have won this tournament, my dad's been there to give me a hug, and he wasn't there today. I can't wait to get home and see him, to give him a big bear hug.

TODD: Those who know and cover the game, and even Tiger Woods himself agree: This most recognizable of superstars may never have won a green Masters jacket or much of anything else if it hadn't been for Earl Woods.

WOODS: He's the one that introduced me to the game. He got me started. He got me ingrained in the fundamentals. He taught me all those things.

TODD: And he did it, according to most accounts, starting about when Tiger could walk.

LORIN ANDERSON, GOLF MAGAZINE: His father had a net in his garage, and he would go out and hit balls. And he'd bring Tiger out literally in a high chair. And his father realized fairly early on that there was some talent in his young son.

TODD: Earl Woods was stern and driven, using gamesmanship, talking or jiggling change on the boy's backswing to instill mental toughness. Earl knew something about that from two tours in Vietnam as a Green Beret, fighting alongside a South Vietnamese officer nicknamed Tiger, a man who saved Earl's life more than once. He gave the nickname to his son. The boy took to it so strongly that he legally changed his name from Eldrick to Tiger a few years back.

Earl had three children from a previous marriage, but channeled his energy, time and devotion to Tiger. Still, observers say, don't confuse this man with a stage father.

ANDERSON: He knew when to push; he knew when to pull away. He wanted Tiger to be able to do this on his own. He did not want to have to be in the background the whole time. And by the time Tiger was 20 and turned professional, Earl really had stepped aside, and Tiger was making all of his own decisions.

TODD: Now, after battling diabetes and heart disease for years, Earl Woods has prostate cancer that has reportedly spread. He'll fight this battle knowing his son, his prodigy, his best friend can do it on his own.

WOODS: This is for dad.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

TODD: Through his father's illness and beyond, observers say Tiger Woods will stay focused, compartmentalize and be tough. Wonder where he got that from, Wolf.

BLITZER: All right. Brian Todd, thanks very much. A very emotional piece.

And to our viewers, here's how your weighing in on our web question of the day. Remember, this is not a scientific poll. We'll show you the results right there -- 90,000 people voted in this poll.

Remember, you can always catch WOLF BLITZER REPORTS at this time, 5:00 p.m. Eastern. Thanks very much for joining us. I'm Wolf Blitzer in Washington. "LOU DOBBS TONIGHT" starts right now. Kitty Pilgrim -- excuse me -- Kitty Pilgrim filling in for Lou tonight.

END

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 April 11, 2005 - 17:00:00   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: Happening now, the search for answers after a suspicious man clad in black shows up on Capitol Hill here in Washington with two suitcases. The man is tackled, and the suitcases are blown up.
Stand by for hard news on the WOLF BLITZER REPORTS.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

Dogfight over a diplomat. Is a tough critic of the United Nations the right person to represent the United States? The Senate squares off.

SEN. RICHARD LUGAR (R), INDIANA: There are times when blunt talk serves a policy purpose.

SEN. JOSEPH BIDEN (D), DELAWARE: I'm surprised that the nominee wants the job that he's been nominated for, given the many negative things he had to say about the U.N.

BLITZER: Sharon on the spot.

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I've told the prime minister of my concern that Israel not undertake any activity that contravenes road map obligation.

BLITZER: Pressure from the president to stop settlement expansion; pressure from the settlers to stop a pull-out.

Leader or lightning rod? Are rank-and-file Republicans ready to desert Tom DeLay?

REP. CHRIS SHAYS, (R), CONNECTICUT: He's still the leader, but if I think -- but that's what I think. I think he should step down.

BLITZER: No vaccine. A rare and deadly virus ravages Africa. Will it reach America?

Tiger Woods -- he's back on top, but missing the man who helped him get there.

TIGER WOODS, PROFESSIONAL GOLFER: Every year that I've been lucky enough to have won this tournament, my dad's been there to give me a hug. And he wasn't there today.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ANNOUNCER: This is WOLF BLITZER REPORTS for Monday, April 11th, 2005.

BLITZER: Thanks for joining us. He's a blunt-spoken diplomat known for targeting the United Nations. He's also President Bush's nominee for ambassador to the United Nations. Today, John Bolton himself became the target, as senators consider his nomination. CNN's Andrea Koppel is joining us now live from Capitol Hill with details. Andrea.

ANDREA KOPPEL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, after starting at 9:30 this morning, senators here at the Foreign Relations Committee have now entered their third round of questioning of a man often described as a lightning rod of controversy.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KOPPEL: Determined to keep John Bolton out of the U.N., Democrats came out swinging.

BIDEN: Some have said that sending you to New York would be like sending Nixon to China. I'm concerned it would be more like sending a bull into a China shop.

KOPPEL: Republicans countered that Bolton, an arms control specialist known for blunt talk, is perfect to push U.N. reform.

SEN. GEORGE ALLEN (R), VIRGINIA: He'll bring a credibility to the United Nations that they sorely need.

KOPPEL: Democrats laid out evidence President Bush's choice to be U.S. ambassador to the world body has for years been a U.N.-basher.

SEN. BARBARA BOXER (D), CALIFORNIA: You can dance around it; you can run away from it; you can put perfume on it, but the bottom line is, the bottom line.

KOPPEL: Democrat Barbara Boxer confronted Bolton with a videotaped speech he gave in 1994 when he was out of government expressing open hostility.

JOHN BOLTON, NOMINEE FOR U.S. AMBASSADOR TO THE U.N.: The secretariat building in New York has 38 stories. If you lost 10 stories today, it wouldn't make a bit of difference.

KOPPEL: In his defense, Bolton told senators he believes that for the U.N. to be effective, it requires U.S. leadership.

BOLTON: My criticisms during the 1990s were in large measure because of what I'd thought was the lack of effective American leadership.

KOPPEL: Democrats also grilled Bolton about allegations he tried to intimidate intelligence analysts at the State Department who disagreed on whether Castro's Cuba had a biological weapons program. SEN. CHRIS DODD (D), CONNECTICUT: Trying to rob a bank and failing to do so is not -- is a crime, in my view. Trying to remove someone as an analyst from their job because you disagree with what they're saying I think is dreadfully wrong.

KOPPEL: Bolton denied trying to have anyone fired.

BOLTON: I thought in both cases, if I may say so, their conduct was unprofessional and broke my confidence and trust.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KOPPEL: Now, tomorrow, so far, there is only one witness, Carl Ford, the assistant secretary for intelligence and research at the State Department, who is set to testify and take questions from senators because the committee chairman, Richard Lugar, has only allowed one witness, Mr. Ford, to come before the committee.

That said, the Bolton nomination is scheduled to go to a vote on Thursday. And Wolf, at this hour, it's looking more like a confirmation of that -- of the committee vote that Bolton would be -- his vote would be sent to the Senate floor. Right now, what you have is a committee -- Lincoln Chafee, who was sitting on the fence earlier in the day, later on he told reporters that he was leaning towards putting his vote in the yes column. He said, although Bolton was not his favorite choice, he is leaning in that direction.

Wolf.

BLITZER: Lincoln Chafee, the moderate Republican from Rhode Island, a member of the Foreign Relations Committee.

Thanks very much. Andrea Koppel reporting for us.

And this note to our viewers: You have a chance to weigh in on this story. Our web question of the day is this: Is John Bolton the right choice for U.S. ambassador to the United Nations? You can vote right now. Go to CNN.com/Wolf. We'll have the results later in this broadcast.

Pleased by Israel's plans for a pullout from Gaza and parts of the West Bank, President Bush finds some of Israel's other settlement plans unsettling. He told the prime minister, Ariel Sharon, today not to take any wrong turns in following the road map to peace. The two leaders met at the president's Texas ranch. Our White House correspondent Dana Bash is joining us now live from Crawford. Dana.

DANA BASH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Wolf. Well, today was the first meeting between President Bush and Prime Minister Ariel Sharon in almost exactly a year. And the plan was really to try to focus on what will be an extraordinary move by the Israelis. In just a little more than three months, the Israeli plan is to pull out all of its settlements of Gaza Strip and a few, a handful of the West Bank. And that, as I mentioned, was sort of the plan to -- for that to be the crux of the discussions. But Mr. Bush did feel the need to say that he hopes that the prime minister doesn't expand other existing settlements.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BUSH: I told the prime minister of my concern that Israel not undertake any activity that contravenes road map obligations or prejudice final-status negotiations.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BASH: Now, at issue here is the largest West Bank settlement. This is something called Maale Adumim, and it is an area that the Israelis have for a while talked about expanding to extend to Jerusalem. And they have recently renewed that promise. And the Palestinian -- excuse me the Israeli prime minister said today that he still thinks it's important to have what he called "contiguity" there. But he also tried to make clear that this is something that they wouldn't do for a few years, and also stated that they do understand their obligations under the so-called road map -- that is to freeze all existing settlements, not to expand them. So he seemed to hint that he understands eventually down the road, he might not be able to stick to this.

Now, again, as I mentioned, the real reason why the president and the prime minister wanted to have this high-profile meeting was to put the focus on what will happen at the end of July, and that is to pull 21 settlements out of the Gaza strip, four out of the West Bank. And this is something that has been emotionally wrenching in Israel. It of course was Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's plan that he got approval for from President Bush last year. Now, President Bush says that although they didn't originally get approval from the Palestinians, because there's a newly elected leader, they've said, it's time for him to step in and help.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BUSH: I strongly support his courageous initiative to disengage from Gaza and part of the West Bank. The prime minister is willing to coordinate the implementation of the disengagement plan with the Palestinians. I urge the Palestinian leadership to accept his offer.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BASH: Now, this is something that President Bush is going to talk about at what we expect will be a meeting in Washington with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. There is no exact date set for that, Wolf, but both sides are saying that they expect it to happen sometime this spring.

Wolf.

BLITZER: Dana Bash reporting for us. Dana, thank you very much.

Lebanon's militant Hezbollah group says it flew an unmanned spy plane over communities in northern Israel today. The Israeli military confirms the overflight, and security sources are saying the aircraft flew for several minutes over Israeli territory before returning to Lebanon. Hezbollah says it acted in response to flights by Israeli jets over Lebanon. The first such Hezbollah overflight was launched in November. Israel says it believes the unmanned aerial vehicles are Iranian-made.

So can Prime Minister Sharon balance the pressure from President Bush on the one hand and angry settlers on the other? Joining us now, our world affairs analyst, the former Defense secretary, William Cohen. He's chairman and CEO of The Cohen Group here in Washington. Mr. Secretary, thanks very much for joining us.

It's a tough balancing act for the U.S. president on the one hand to encourage the withdrawal from Gaza; on the other hand, to tell Sharon, stop settlement expansion on the West Bank.

WILLIAM COHEN, CNN ANALYST: Oh, it's something, a message that has to be delivered. President Bush in the past has indicated on two occasions, two years ago, at least, that the expansion of the settlements was inconsistent with his road map plan. And the building of the wall, or the fence, as it's called in Israel, also was in adversity to his plan. So it was undermining the plan itself. So, Prime Minister Sharon indicated on both occasions that he would go forward, nonetheless.

So, now he has a problem. He's got to move forward with his pulling the settlers out of the Gaza, and also, he's got to start taking steps to make sure that he doesn't allow the settlers to expand those settlements that are currently in the West Bank. You can't go from an outpost to a settlement to a community and then be consistent with the road map itself. So he understands that. He's got settlers on the right, and they are very, very passionate about moving out of the Gaza. So, he's got a tough battle back home himself. But...

BLITZER: He's got a lot of angry Israelis who are very upset about leaving Gaza. And some of them are very, very militant. At the same time we did hear the president today reaffirm the statement that has deeply angered the Palestinians, other Arabs, that any settlement will have to take into consideration the existing population realities that exist on the West Bank, a reference many believe to the larger settlements, almost towns outside of Jerusalem, outside of Tel Aviv, which the Israelis have created over these past decades.

COHEN: I think there is a -- the reality factor involved here, what President Bush is also sending the signal to Prime Minister Sharon is, don't continue to expand them, and make it that much more difficult. But there have been changes on the ground. And I think the Palestinians for the most part understand there'll have to be compensatory measures, as they take into account what the Israelis have been done, and what can't be removed or won't be removed and still have an agreement that gives them a separate independent state that provides for their sovereignty, their dignity, their opportunity and for Israel's security. So...

BLITZER: Just as Sharon has deep anger from his flank, from the right in Israel, the settler movement, Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian leader has deep anger from Hamas and Islamic Jihad, and he's got a lot of potential problems on his side as well. COHEN: That's why all of those who have been following the Middle East for all of these years moved from expectation and sense of anticipation to depression over the years. So it takes a long, hard struggle to bring this about. But President Bush is committed to his road map. He's committed to the road map and all the parties. Mahmoud Abbas has to take greater measures to provide for security for Israel. Prime Minister Sharon has to prevent any expansion of the settlements, and continue with the desettlement as such in Gaza.

BLITZER: As Thomas Friedman of the "News York Times," told me yesterday on "LATE EDITION," not time for a victory lap yet.

COHEN: No. Not at all.

BLITZER: William Cohen, as usual, thank you very much.

COHEN: Pleasure.

BLITZER: In Iraq an American contractor was kidnapped in the Baghdad area. A U.S. Embassy spokesman says, the man was working on a reconstruction project. No other details immediately made available.

In another incident, three American Marines were wounded when their bay -- their base along Iraq's border with Syria was the target of suicide bombers. Three civilians also wounded. U.S. military officials say the attackers tried to ram two cars and a fire truck into a security checkpoint at Cape Gannon. The blast slightly damaged the camp's concrete barriers and barbed wire, as well as a nearby mosque.

When we come back, breaking rank calls for a top Republican to resign from his leadership post. We'll have details.

Also ahead...

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

WILLIAM CLINTON, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: You know, if you've got a job and you're doing it, only you can stop yourself. You can't stop it or anybody else.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: Hillary Clinton for president? Former President Bill Clinton speaks out about his wife's ambitions, and one man's campaign to stop her now.

Outbreak in Angola, a new deadly virus reemerges in Africa, spreading widespread panic, and confusion. Can it come here?

Also ahead -- a security scare at Capitol Hill. Evacuations, and a massive police response. We'll go there live for the latest.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Welcome back. Most House Republicans continue to stand besides the House Majority Tom DeLay, at least for now. But there are some signs DeLay's support could be eroding.

Lets get the latest now. Our Congressional correspondent Ed Henry joining us -- Ed.

ED HENRY, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, the sense you get from some Republicans is their concern about another shoe dropping in this case. One senior Republican aide privately acknowledged to me today, the Tom DeLay story has now turned into a feeding frenzy after Republican Congressman Chris Shays came out and said DeLay has become an embarrassment and should step down as majority leader.

But for now, party officials insist they're cautiously optimistic, because they believe criticism from Chris Shays is not unexpected. He's a moderate Republican. He's frequently clashed with GOP leaders. He's from a swing district in Connecticut, where he only won with 52 percent of the vote last November. So, they say he's under pressure to distance himself from Tom DeLay, and he did just that on camera today.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. CHRISTOPHER SHAYS (R), CONNECTICUT: I'm not asking him to step down. You're asking me if I think he should, yes, I think he should. That's just an honest answer to a question. But I'm not -- arguing, demanding that he step down. He's still the leader. But if I think -- but that's what I think. I think he should step down.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HENRY: Now, the controversy here is that Tom DeLay was rebuked by the House Ethics Committee three times last year, and is now facing new allegations that he may have violated House rules by allowing lobbyist Jack Abramoff, who's under federal investigation, to secretly pay for some of his travel. Republican Party officials know Chris Shays is no fan of Tom DeLay, though, so he's an obvious person to criticize the leader. And as one party official told me, if a movement conservative breaks ranks, then it's a problem. One such conservative senator, Rick Santorum, said yesterday Mr. DeLay has to clear up all of this. But Santorum stopped far short of actually calling for DeLay to step down.

Now, another headache for DeLay came today in a "Newsweek" story suggesting that lobbyist involved, Jack Abramoff, may be ready to cut a deal with prosecutors and may say Tom DeLay knows a lot more than he's letting on. But I can tell you, I spoke earlier to a spokesman for Abramoff's lawyer, he refused to comment on the "Newsweek" report, but he did say the trips were legal and proper. But it's clear we have not heard the last of the Abramott or DeLay story yet, Wolf.

BLITZER: Lots of reporting still to be done on this story. And you will be doing it. Ed Henry...

HENRY: That's right. BLITZER: ... thanks very much for that news.

Meanwhile, lots of buzz about a possible White House bid by New York State Senator Hillary Clinton in 2008. Clinton will only say she's focused on getting reelected to the U.S. Senate a year from November. And at the moment the numbers are in her favor. A Sienna College poll of 582 registered New York state voters says 60 percent, have a favorable opinion of her, 33 percent unfavorable.

Some Republicans are determined to see those numbers reversed. GOP consultant Arthur Finkelstein is reportedly behind a political action committee called Stop Her Now, which plans to raise millions of dollars to fight Clinton's Senate reelection and thwart a presidential campaign. Finkelstein -- who's worked with conservatives from Jesse Helms to George Pataki to Benjamin Netanyahu in Israel -- reportedly married his long-time male partner recently in Massachusetts. That prompted this reaction today from the former president Bill Clinton when asked about the "Stop Her Now" pac.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

W. CLINTON: Actually, I was sort of sad when I read it. You know, that fellow that used to work for Pataki's doing it, right. What's his name? Yes. I was sad. I mean, there were two stories. One is that he went to Massachusetts and married his long-time male partner, and then he comes back here and announces this. Which means, I thought -- I thought one of two things, either this guy believes his party is not serious, and is totally Machiavellian in its position, or, you know, as David Brach said in his brave book, "Blinded by the Right," there's some sort of self-loathing in there or something.

I was more sad for him. He can't --- you know, if you've got a job and you're doing it, only you can stop yourself. He can't stop her. Or anybody else. She could stop her. You could stop you. I could stop me. Most of life's greatest wounds are self-inflicted. And, so, I'm not too worried about it. He may get up a bunch of money and -- but he can't overcome the fact that she's got -- one of the last surveys, 49 to 36 approval rating among Republicans. And he can't erase the things she's done for upstate New York economically, totally Republican areas, no real anticipation of political benefit. Or the way she's performed. She's been great. And he can't stop it. I thought it was a sad story, really.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER (on camera): CNN tried to reach Arthur Finkelstein to get his reaction to the former president's remarks but our call was not returned. At least not yet. If he calls us back, we'll get his side of the story on the air as well.

When we come back, security scare on Capitol Hill. Coming up, why Capitol Hill Police tackled this man, and dragged him away.

Also ahead, you're paying plenty for gasoline these days. But we'll tell you where gas prices are even higher -- much higher. Could cost you $300 to fill up your tank. And Tiger Woods wins the Masters tournament. Why they're cheering his victory on Madison Avenue.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: It would have been a typically busy day on Capitol Hill if it hadn't been for a man dressed in black and his two suitcases. His bizarre behavior and the massive response from the police it triggered is part of our CNN "Security Watch." Our national correspondent Bob Franken is joining us, now, live from Capitol Hill with the latest. Bob?

BOB FRANKEN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, it was mid- afternoon, Wolf, when the story was effectively over.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

FRANKEN (voice-over): Police blew up one of the two suitcases that a man had, since shortly after noon, been holding as he refused to talk with them. In the post-9/11 security climate here, they wasted no time. They dragged him to the ground the first moment they could and hustled him away, first into an ambulance and then took him away -- took him away in a police car where they are deciding now which charges to level against him.

Where he was was an area on the west side of the Capitol that had been -- is near the offices of the Senate majority leader and minority leader, as well as the speaker of the House. Those offices were evacuated. But the rest of the Capitol was not. Police say that because the man would not communicate with them in any effective way, they decided to treat him as if he might be a suicide bomber.

CHIEF TERRANCE GAINER, US CAPITOL POLICE: He only would say at first that he wanted to speak to the president. We continued to engage him in conversation. We moved one of our tactical teams around behind him. And used the cover of the wall to -- so they could move into position.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FRANKEN (on camera): Police say that the only identification they've been able to get from him is that he is from China, and that he's only been in the United States a short time. The charges will be something equivalent to refusing to obey a police order. But it proved to be a false alarm, but a big scare. This is the area, by the way, Wolf, where the president had his inauguration on January 20th. Wolf?

BLITZER: One of the most sensitive spots of real estate in the United States. Bob Franken, reporting for us. Bob, thank you very much.

To our viewers, please stay tuned to CNN day and night for the most reliable news about your security.

When we come back, an alarming epidemic. One of the world's deadliest viruses reemerges; why health officials are so concerned about this new outbreak. Paying at the pump, Americans now paying record high prices for gasoline, but we'll show you who has it even worse, much worse.

And the man behind the legend. Why Tiger Woods' dad was absent on his big day.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Controversial mass: a U.S. cardinal severely criticized for the way he handled the church sex abuse scandal here in the United States, takes a prominent role in ceremonies to remember Pope John Paul II. We'll have details.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ANNOUNCER: From our studios in Washington, once again, Wolf Blitzer.

BLITZER: Welcome back. A deadly virus reemerges in Africa with a devastating effect. Our Jeff Koinange reports; we'll get to that.

First, though, a quick check of some other stories "Now in the News."

Despite pleas from sex abuse victims, Cardinal Bernard Law led mass today at St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican. The former archbishop of Boston now serves as an archpriest in Rome. Some American Catholics have called on Law not to play a major role in mourning ceremonies for Pope John Paul II. Records show he knowingly moved priests accused of sexual abuse from parish to parish without disclosing allegations against them.

A standoff in New Jersey continues this hour, but a woman and her baby who apparently were being held hostage have been released. Police are still negotiating with the suspect who's holed up in a car in an apartment complex. The man is said to be the woman's boyfriend and the baby's father. Police say before the standoff, the suspect shot and wounded the woman's father.

Here in Washington, emotional debate over silicone gel breast implants. Federal health officials opened hearings today on whether to lift the ban on most of the devices. Thirteen years ago the Food and Drug Administration restricted the implants to strictly controlled research studies.

One of the world's deadliest viruses has reemerged in Western Africa. It's called "Marburg virus," it's related to Ebola, and victims always almost suffer a gruesome, painful death. As CNN's Jeff Koninange reports, world health officials are warning this latest outbreak -- in Angola -- is proving harder to contain than early epidemics.

JEFF KONINANGE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Marburg fever is similar to the Ebola virus that has ravaged several African countries in the past decade. They are both hemorrhagic, viruses spread through contact with bodily fluids. They spread fast, are invariably deadly, and there's no vaccine.

Marburg fever gets its name from a German town where it was contracted from monkeys imported from Africa. Now it is remerged in Uige province, in Angola, in with devastating effect. It's claimed close to 200 lives, sparking widespread panic and confusion.

DR. PIERRE FORMENTY, WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION: This is a huge epidemic. Today we speak of 200 cases. We think the investigation is going to find more cases.

BLITZER: Isolating and trying to treat the infected is all the more difficult, because Angola has only recently emerged from 27 years of civil war.

DR. MIKE RYAN, WORLD HEALH ORGANIZATION: This is a difficult situation in the context of collapsed infrastructure in the north of Angola.

BLITZER: Experts say superstition means family members may be hiding victims for fear of being ostracized, and that may handicap efforts to stem the spread of the virus.

RYAN: It has been grossly underrecognized that the attitudes and fears of the local community will drive the process of compliance with the measures.

KONINANGE: The World Health Organization insists the virus is far from being contained.

RYAN: This outbreak is not over. It requires a deep commitment from the international and national authorities for the next four to six weeks at the very least, and probably beyond.

KONINANGE: The last recorded outbreak of Marburg killed more than 120 people in Congo, a country that has also suffered several incidents of the more lethal Ebola virus.

Jeff Koninange, CNN.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: Former President Bill Clinton has unveiled a new initiative to protect children from AIDS. His foundation will donate $10 million to help provide drugs and treatment for HIV-infected children in developing countries.

W. CLINTON: First, we've launched a pediatric program that will put 10,000 children on AIDS treatment in at least ten countries in 2005, doubling the number of children in treatment today, in developing countries outside of Brazil and Thailand. Second, we have launched a rural program to accelerate the penetration of treatment into rural areas, where most people in Africa and Asia live.

BLITZER: The former president's announcement in New York was attended by several United Nations officials.

Let's take a quick look at other news making headlines around the world.

A nine-story garment factory in Bangladesh collapsed after a boiler exploded, killing at least 17 people and trapping at least 200 others. Rescuers used welding machines to cut holes in the rubble to pump air to survivors. Dozens were pulled to safety.

Japan quakes. A strong 6.1 magnitude earthquake hit the Tokyo area, causing minor damage. There were no immediate reports of injuries. Both runways at Tokyo's Narita International Airport were shut down for about 15 minutes.

Royal photos. Britain's Prince Charles has released the first official photographs of his weekend marriage to Camilla Parker Bowles. The pictures were taken in Windsor Castle. Charles and his bride are honeymooning in Scotland.

And that's our look around the world.

Record high prices at the pump. But if you think things are bad where you are, just wait. We'll have numbers that will truly shock you.

Terrifying moment: this out of control SUV and the resulting accident caught on tape. Find out what happens next.

And Tiger Woods, incorporated, the endorsements and dollar signs surrounding the star of golf.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: For the fourth week in a row U.S. gasoline prices have hit another record high. The Energy Department says the national average price of a gallon of self-serve regular gasoline is now $2.28, that's up 6.3 cents over the last year. As high as that might seem to Americans, it's still low by European standards.

CNN's Chris Huntington is joining us now from a gas station in Manhattan. I take it the prices are pretty steep there, Chris.

CHRIS HUNTINGTON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Wolf, right I'm here at the Hess Station in Mid-town Manhattan. We're a penny over that Department of Energy national average right now. In fact, premium gasoline here, about $2.50 a gallon. Frankly, though, all the grumbling here that is typical of just about any problem that folks in New York encounter is nothing about -- nothing close to what they would do if they had to buy gas over on the continent.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

HUNTINGTON (voice-over): Imagine you and the family setting out on a European vacation in, say, a Ford Excursion. If you think gas is expensive in the United States, try filling up that full-size SUV in Holland. Topping off the 44-gallon tank near Amsterdam would cost you more than $285. Premium unleaded, which is the standard in Europe, costs $6.49 a gallon in the Netherlands. It's a bit less than that in France, Italy and Germany. But in Great Britain where petrol is nearly $6 a gallon, motorists are well acquainted with pain at the pumps.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's killing us, really, it's killing us.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's too much. I don't mind because I don't do too much mileage. But I do feel sorry for the people, you know, who have to.

HUNTINGTON: This man from Poland says Londoners have it easy.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The cost of fuel in London is not expensive. Because I've got experience in our country, and relative, we've got more expensive fuel than -- for example in Poland.

HUNTINGTON: On average across Europe, taxes account for 70 percent of the retail price of gasoline. In the United States, total gas taxes average less than 25 percent of the pump price. In fact, if you exclude all taxes, Americans actually pay more for fuel than many Europeans. Some that difference is due to the weakening dollar. In the past two years, while crude oil prices have skyrocketed, the dollar has tumbled, particularly against the euro and Japanese yen. And that has been a concern of oil exporters, particularly OPEC members.

SHARIF GOLUB, ENERGY INTELLIGENCE GROUP: Falling dollar reduces the purchasing power of the OPEC countries whose oil is denominated in dollars. So when the dollar weakens, the ability of the OPEC countries to buy goods from abroad, because of dollar income, diminishes.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HUNTINGTON: Now, the near record price for crude oil, right now, more than makes up for the decline of the dollar, so you don't have to worry about the folks at OPEC getting a fair price for their product. The main reason for the high oil and gas prices is continuing rise in demand, and nowhere, Wolf, on the planet is that demand more insistent than here in the United States. In fact, the thirst for motor gasoline in this country is seen as rising despite the high prices. And there's a growing consensus in the market that until prices get close to those European levels, you're really not going to see demand in the United States pull back in any significant way -- Wolf.

BLITZER: All right, good information, Chris. Especially for those of our viewers who might be thinking about doing a little bit of European touring this summer. Chris Huntington, good report. Thanks very much.

Lets get a look at some other stories you may have missed this past weekend.

Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, is mourning the deaths of three students. The victims died in a house fire yesterday. Two other students were injured. Authorities believe the fire was accidental.

There's plenty of cleaning up to do in Kansas after tornadoes swept across the state. More than a dozen twisters were spotted yesterday. There are no reports of injuries.

That same storm system brought parts of Colorado to a standstill. It produced blizzard conditions in Denver and other parts of the state. Almost two feet of heavy, wet snow fell on some areas, shutting down roads, snarling highway and air traffic, and knocking out power for thousands.

And some terrifying moments on an Ohio freeway. The state highway patrol released this video over the weekend, showing a vehicle losing control during a snow storm and plowing into a car and a tow truck. No serious injuries were reported.

And that's our "Weekend Snapshot."

Coming up at the top of the hour, "LOU DOBBS TONIGHT." Kitty Pilgrim filling in for Lou tonight. She's joining us live from New York with a preview.

KITTY PILGRIM, GUEST-HOST, "LOU DOBBS TONIGHT": Thanks, Wolf. We have a lot to look forward to at the top of the hour. We're going to be reporting an assault on the middle class. Wages are no longer keeping up with prices.

And the remarkable success for the Minutemen volunteers on our borders with Mexico. Even the project's organizers are surprised.

And the Mexican government is handing out Mexican government I.D.s to illegal aliens inside the United States. All that, and more coming up just a few minutes, but for now back to you, Wolf.

BLITZER: All right. Kitty, we'll be watching. Thanks very much.

When we come back, a perfect shot, an endorsement dream -- both add up to a lot of money for Tiger Woods. Our Mary Snow standing by. She's take a closer look at his awesome earning power.

Plus, father and son. Tiger Woods' inspiration, noticeably absent from his Masters win. Our Brian Todd will have that report.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Tiger Woods is back. He fought his way back on the final round of the Masters yesterday, which included an improbable shot on the 16th green. Later he sank a 15-foot putt on the first playoff hole to win his fourth Masters title and his first major championship in almost three years.

But Woods wasn't the only winner at the famed Augusta National Golf Club in Georgia. CNN's Mary Snow reports.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

MARY SNOW, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Some see a beautiful shot. Others see dollar signs. Marketers say besides a dramatic win, it was an endorsement dream for Nike. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You can't script that better. Then the Nike ball, the swoosh right on there. I mean, you couldn't miss it.

SNOW: But exposure like this doesn't come cheap for Nike. The company won't disclose their five-year deal with Tiger Woods running through 2006, but it's reportedly costing them $100 million. Nike is just one of several big names that pay to have their names linked to Tiger Woods.

Other sponsorships include American Express, Acoir (ph), Buick and Accenture -- Forbes Magazine estimates up to $70 million a year in endorsements alone. And sports marketers such as Brandon Steiner say because of Woods' longevity in golf is longer than an average athlete in most sports, he has more earning power.

BRANDON STEINER, STEINER SPORTS MARKETING: His upside is almost infinite. He probably will be the richest and biggest name in all of sports by the time his career is over, because of the length of it and because of the amount of winning he'll be able to have done.

SNOW: While marketers point out golf has a limited audience, it is known to be an upscale audience. On top of that, Woods, they say, has broad appeal.

ANDY BERNSTEIN, SPORTS BUSINESS JOURNAL: Tiger is on the radar screen of 60-year-old men. But at the same time, he's on the radar screen of probably many teenage girls. This is a guy who can appeal to the entire population.

SNOW: But despite Tiger Woods' comeback, marketers don't expect to see a surge in new endorsements since they entail time commitments.

BERNSTEIN: Tiger Woods has been fairly conservative in taking on new endorsements. I mean, his roster is pretty much full. And it's best in brand, or best in category brands pretty much throughout. So I don't think you're going to see a flurry of activity toward Tiger Woods.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SNOW: Even so, Forbes magazine points out that Tiger Woods was the highest-paid sportsman in 2004. Wolf.

BLITZER: CNN's Mary Snow reporting for us. Thank you, Mary.

An amazing win indeed for Tiger Woods, and emotional moment as he accepts his green jacket though without his dad by his side. Our Brian Todd will stand by, taking a closer look at the father behind the legend. That's coming up next.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ARON RALSTON: My name's Aron Ralston. My parents are Delma and Larry Ralston of Engelwood, Colorado.

MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: His name may not be familiar, but Aron Ralston's desperate act of survival became headline news in the spring of 2003. The 27-year-old was climbing alone in a remote Utah canyon when his right hand became pinned under an 800-pound boulder. Six days he was trapped with little food and water until he took drastic action.

RALSTON: I reached for the knife, said out loud to myself, "Here we go, Aron. You're in it now." And very calmly and collectively went about the process of thrusting the knife into my arm.

O'BRIEN: After cutting off his arm, Ralston still had to rappel down a cliff and then hike five miles to find help.

After several surgeries, and a painful recovery, he was climbing mountains just a few months later. Ralston chronicled the experience in his book "Between a Rock and a Hard Place." He is now a motivational speaker, sharing the lessons he learned.

RALSTON: Even the impossible can be overcome by courage and perseverance.

O'BRIEN: Ralston is still climbing mountains with the help of a custom climbing arm. He recently summitted Mount Aconcaqua in Argentina. He says the drive to climb the next mountain is what sustains him.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: Welcome back. With The Masters on the line yesterday, Tiger Woods rose to the challenge like a true champion. But in winning his fourth Masters title, Woods revealed a part of him few of us have ever seen. CNN's Brian Todd reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Surviving a tight finish might have been easy compared to talking about his dad.

WOODS: Every year that I've been lucky enough to have won this tournament, my dad's been there to give me a hug, and he wasn't there today. I can't wait to get home and see him, to give him a big bear hug.

TODD: Those who know and cover the game, and even Tiger Woods himself agree: This most recognizable of superstars may never have won a green Masters jacket or much of anything else if it hadn't been for Earl Woods.

WOODS: He's the one that introduced me to the game. He got me started. He got me ingrained in the fundamentals. He taught me all those things.

TODD: And he did it, according to most accounts, starting about when Tiger could walk.

LORIN ANDERSON, GOLF MAGAZINE: His father had a net in his garage, and he would go out and hit balls. And he'd bring Tiger out literally in a high chair. And his father realized fairly early on that there was some talent in his young son.

TODD: Earl Woods was stern and driven, using gamesmanship, talking or jiggling change on the boy's backswing to instill mental toughness. Earl knew something about that from two tours in Vietnam as a Green Beret, fighting alongside a South Vietnamese officer nicknamed Tiger, a man who saved Earl's life more than once. He gave the nickname to his son. The boy took to it so strongly that he legally changed his name from Eldrick to Tiger a few years back.

Earl had three children from a previous marriage, but channeled his energy, time and devotion to Tiger. Still, observers say, don't confuse this man with a stage father.

ANDERSON: He knew when to push; he knew when to pull away. He wanted Tiger to be able to do this on his own. He did not want to have to be in the background the whole time. And by the time Tiger was 20 and turned professional, Earl really had stepped aside, and Tiger was making all of his own decisions.

TODD: Now, after battling diabetes and heart disease for years, Earl Woods has prostate cancer that has reportedly spread. He'll fight this battle knowing his son, his prodigy, his best friend can do it on his own.

WOODS: This is for dad.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

TODD: Through his father's illness and beyond, observers say Tiger Woods will stay focused, compartmentalize and be tough. Wonder where he got that from, Wolf.

BLITZER: All right. Brian Todd, thanks very much. A very emotional piece.

And to our viewers, here's how your weighing in on our web question of the day. Remember, this is not a scientific poll. We'll show you the results right there -- 90,000 people voted in this poll.

Remember, you can always catch WOLF BLITZER REPORTS at this time, 5:00 p.m. Eastern. Thanks very much for joining us. I'm Wolf Blitzer in Washington. "LOU DOBBS TONIGHT" starts right now. Kitty Pilgrim -- excuse me -- Kitty Pilgrim filling in for Lou tonight.

END

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