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The Situation: Tuesday, November 29

Editor's Note: The Situation Report is a running log of dispatches, quotes, links and behind-the-scenes notes filed by the correspondents and producers of CNN's Washington Bureau. Watch "The Situation Room" with Wolf Blitzer on CNN 4 p.m. ET to 6 p.m. ET and 7 p.m. ET to 8 p.m. ET weekdays.

US to respond to secret CIA prison charges

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^{Posted 6:15 p.m. ET
From Elise Labott, CNN State Department unit}

Amid growing European outrage over allegations the CIA is running secret prisons for terror suspects in Europe, the US is prepared to respond to formal requests from the European Union for clarification, the State Department said Wednesday.

State Department Spokesman Sean McCormack said Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice received a two-paragraph letter from British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw seeking clarification about reports the CIA has detained and interrogated terrorist suspects in secret Soviet-style prisons in Eastern Europe and engaged in overflights of terror suspect within European airspace. Britain currently holds the rotating EU presidency.

Europe has stepped up the pressure on the Bush administration about the allegations, first reported by the Washington Post earlier this month. On Tuesday German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier pressed Rice for answers, saying the issue was causing a lot of concern among European publics and parliaments.

So far the Bush administration has refused to confirm or deny the allegations about secret prisons. But as a result of the increased pressure, the US will "endeavor to respond to this letter to the best of our ability, in a timely and forthright manner," McCormack said.

McCormack said it was unclear what the US response would consist of, and would not offer a timetable for a US response. But the topic is sure to be high on the agenda when Rice travels to Europe next week. She is scheduled to visit Romania, which has been named by Human Rights Watch as a likely site for one of secret prisons. Rice will also visit with EU leaders in Brussels and meet with new Germany Chancellor Angela Merkel in Berlin.

The Morning Grind

_{Posted: 9:54 a.m. ET}_{From Mark Preston, CNN Political Unit}

Democratic infighting

New Hampshire Democrats will announce a proposal today to preserve the states' first in the nation status, but prominent Democrats are panning the idea even before it is officially unveiled. Iowa and New Hampshire are vigorously fighting to remain the first caucus and primary states, and feel threatened by suggestions to plug in as many as four states between these two presidential proving grounds in 2008.

A Democratic National Committee commission is currently considering adding states early in the process to increase minority participation in the selection process. Both Iowa and New Hampshire have predominantly white populations. The commission will meet next month to offer its own plan.

Kathy Sullivan, chair of the New Hampshire Democratic Party, said her state will propose extending the pre-window after Iowa and New Hampshire to include more states before the regular window opens.

"When I look at jamming five caucuses in eight days by the middle of January in 2008, we are on the verge of snatching defeat from the jaws of victory because we would have a Democratic nominee in place," she said. "If you do that, you're ceding to the Republicans six weeks, eight weeks or 12 weeks of publicity because no one is going to pay attention to the Democratic side. Everyone will focus on the Republicans and Democrats won't be involved in the debate."

And Sullivan added, "You don't get true diversity by jamming a bunch of caucuses into eight days."

Even though the Granite State plan is being touted as a way to "increase diversity and decrease frontloading," one commission member charged this not a compromise.

Tina Flournoy, a commission member and senior adviser to DNC Chairman Howard Dean, said the New Hampshire proposal is "insulting to black and brown people."

A Democratic strategist familiar with the commission said there are many other people who don't view the New Hampshire plan as a compromise, because "it's a carbon copy of the 2004 calendar."

"At the end of the day, New Hampshire will find very little support for their proposal," said the strategist, who spoke on the condition of anonymity. "Part of (New Hampshire's) urgency is motivated by their knowledge that there's little support for them -- some would argue that that's why they are so aggressively making this case in public."

While Democrats are divided over how to address the 2008 Democratic primary calendar, the DNC has decided to hold its spring meeting in New Orleans. Dean announced plans to bring national Democrats to the Crescent City April 20 through April 22, and declared that his party is "committed to rebuilding the Gulf Coast" region. Some Democrats are suggesting the party seriously consider holding its 2008 presidential convention in New Orleans. Holding the convention in the city might help Democrats regain a political foothold in the South, said some Democratic strategists, who spoke on the condition of anonymity. President Bush easily carried Louisiana, 57 percent to 42 percent, in his victory over U.S. Sen. John Kerry (D-Massachusetts) last year.

But New Orleans must overcome some serious hurdles before Democrats could seriously consider it as the convention host.

"There are logistical requirements and only a few cities can do it," said a Democratic source, who asked not to be named. "If I had to guess right now, (New Orleans) would probably be in the final running. But there is an enormous amount of work to be done and it is less than three years away. That is a significant hill to climb."

Josh Earnest, a DNC spokesman, said the national party has a site selection process in place, but added, "We would be delighted to receive a bid from a rebuilt and resurrected New Orleans."

Democrats head to Phoenix later this week for its fall meeting that was cancelled after Hurricane Katrina.

Meanwhile, candidates are lining up in Southern California for a special election to succeed U.S. Rep. Randy "Duke" Cunningham (R), who pleaded guilty Monday to taking more than $2 million in bribes from defense contractors. California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has 14 days to schedule a special election for the San Diego area seat. Two Republicans, ex-state Assemblyman Howard Kaloogian and state Sen. Bill Morrow, have already announced their intentions to run, as has Democrat Francine Busby. Other Republicans said to be eyeing the race include ex-U.S. Rep. Brian Bilbray, businessman George Schwartzman and businessman Alan Uke. Despite Cunningham's admission of guilt, Republicans are likely to hold onto this seat. Bush beat Kerry, 55 percent to 44 percent, in this district last year. (Full Story)

Even though Congress remains in recess, Senate and House Republican leaders as well as senior White House staff will huddle at St. Michaels in Maryland on Wednesday to begin two days of policy and political meetings. U.S. House Speaker Dennis Hastert (R-Illinois) and U.S. Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-Tennessee) will be present as well several of their elected lieutenants. Former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-Texas), who was forced to temporarily step down from his leadership position to fight charges that he broke Texas campaign laws, will not attend. Republicans will discuss strategy on how to wrap up the first half of the 109th Congress and talk about what agenda path the party should pursue next year, several Republican sources said.

And if you are looking to tickle your funny bone Wednesday night, Dean is scheduled to appear on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno, while U.S. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-California) will be on the Daily Show with Jon Stewart.

Political Hot Topics

_{Posted 9:54 a.m. ET}_{Compiled by Julie Hofler, CNN Washington Bureau}

AP: BUSH TRYING TO HELP GOP CANDIDATES - Despite his low standing in the polls, President Bush is working to help Republican House and Senate candidates build their campaign war chests while promoting his own troubled agenda. The president is expected to assume the campaign role more often in the coming months as the 2006 congressional election year begins. The president's Monday appearance for GOP Sen. Jon Kyl was expected to bring in at least $1.4 million for the Republican incumbent. On Tuesday, Bush was slated to appear at a fundraising luncheon for Republican Rep. Marilyn Musgrave in Denver at the end of a two-day swing to pitch his immigration reform proposal.

WASH. POST: CONGRESSMAN ADMITS TAKING BRIBES, RESIGNS - Rep. Randy "Duke" Cunningham (R-California) resigned from Congress yesterday after tearfully confessing to evading taxes and conspiring to pocket $2.4 million in bribes, including a Rolls-Royce, a yacht and a 19th-century Louis-Philippe commode. His plea marks the second conviction in a week to emerge from a wave of federal investigations into the cozy -- and potentially illegal -- relationships between leading members of Congress and lobbyists and contractors working to curry legislative favors.

CNN: BUSH TALKS TOUGH ON IMMIGRATION - President Bush launched a new push to crack down on illegal immigration from Mexico, promising to "harden" the southern U.S. border while reviving his proposal for a guest-worker program critics say is a form of amnesty. "The American people should not have to choose between a welcoming society and a lawful society," Bush told an array of customs, immigration and border patrol officers at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base. "We can have both at the same time." After spending the Thanksgiving holiday with family at his Crawford, Texas, ranch, the president hit the road to sell his immigration policy, with a stop in El Paso, Texas, scheduled for Tuesday.

WSJ: BUSH TO HAIL IRAQI ARMY STRIDES, BUT FISSURES WIDEN - The Bush administration is stepping up its efforts to persuade Americans that Iraq's nascent security forces will soon be able to defend the country on their own, a move designed to shore up domestic support for the Iraq war while setting the stage for a reduction in U.S. military troops next year. President Bush, in an address at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, Wednesday is expected to emphasize progress in training Iraqi troops. But the administration's endorsement comes as Iraqi forces increasingly are operating as sectarian militias, targeting Sunnis on behalf of their Shiite political patrons and raising the possibility of all-out civil war.

WASH. POST: '86 ALITO MEMO ARGUES AGAINST FOREIGNERS' RIGHTS - As a senior lawyer in the Reagan Justice Department, Samuel A. Alito Jr. argued that immigrants who enter the United States illegally and foreigners living outside their countries are not entitled to the constitutional rights afforded to Americans. In an opinion that offers insight into the Supreme Court nominee's view of an area of law that has gained new significance with the Bush administration's policies to combat terrorism, Alito gave his approval to an FBI effort in the 1980s to collect from Canadian authorities fingerprint cards of Iranian and Afghan refugees living in that country.

MANCHESTER UNION LEADER: NH DEMS AIR PLAN TO KEEP PRIMARY FIRST - New Hampshire State Democrats today will publicize their plan to keep New Hampshire's first-in-the-nation presidential primary in its traditional slot eight days behind the Iowa caucuses and at least a week ahead of any other similar contest. A Democratic National Committee-appointed commission is considering adding several small-state caucuses to the early nominating contest lineup between Iowa and New Hampshire. New Hampshire Democratic leaders strongly oppose the idea. The party's calendar commission is expected to decide on December 10 on a specific plan to recommend to DNC Chair Howard Dean.

NYT: CASE REOPENS ABORTION ISSUE FOR JUSTICES - When the Supreme Court meets on Wednesday to hear its first abortion case in five years, the topic will be familiar: a requirement that doctors notify a pregnant teenager's parent before performing an abortion. The court has upheld such laws for years, even in its more liberal days, and nearly all states now have them. But in the current climate, with the court in transition and the abortion debate as raucous as it has ever been, there is no such thing as just another abortion case. As reflected in dozens of briefs filed on both sides, interest in this new case, from New Hampshire, is extremely high.

CNN: VOTE TOPPLES CANADIAN GOVERNMENT - After months of political instability, the government of Canadian Prime Minister Paul Martin fell Monday evening when three opposition parties united to topple him with a no-confidence vote in the House of Commons. Martin's center-left Liberal Party had been dogged by a corruption scandal. It will now face voters in an expected January election that could end 12 years of Liberal rule in America's largest trading partner -- after a campaign over the Christmas holidays that the prime minister argues most Canadians don't want.

AP: DEMS TO HOLD MEETING IN NEW ORLEANS - The Democratic National Committee plans to hold a meeting of about 400 people in New Orleans early next year as a way to express confidence in the city's future after Hurricane Katrina, officials said. "We are deeply committed to the resurgence of New Orleans. And we've been looking for ways to help in tangible ways," said DNC chairman Howard Dean. The meeting is scheduled for April 20-22, the weekend of the French Quarter Festival. It is the DNC's first major meeting before the midterm elections. Presidential candidates probably will be invited.

BOSTON GLOBE: GOVERNOR TO ASSUME HIGH-PROFILE CHAIR - Governor Mitt Romney launches a new phase of his political career today when he travels to California to become chairman of the Republican Governors Association, a high-profile but potentially high-risk role that could color his presidential chances in 2008. Romney's trip will take him away from Massachusetts for nearly a week, as the state awaits his announcement on whether he will run for re-election. The governor has been under fire from Democrats for spending too much time out of state.

CHRISTIAN SCIENCE MONITOR: DEATH ROW: DOES PERSONAL REFORM COUNT? - Exactly 229 death-row inmates have been granted clemency since the United States reinstated capital punishment in 1976, and the list of reasons is short. The 16 governors who have given such pardons cited just three reasons: lingering doubt about guilt, a governor's own philosophical opposition to the death penalty, and mental disability of the accused. Starkly absent from the list - notable because of a high-profile clemency request now pending in California - is character reform of the guilty. A high-profile clemency decision also immediately confronts Virginia Gov. Mark Warner (D).

WASH. TIMES: NO MORE 'HOLIDAY' TREES AT CAPITOL - House Speaker J. Dennis Hastert has told federal officials that the lighted, decorated tree on the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol -- known in recent years as the "Holiday Tree" -- should be renamed the "Capitol Christmas Tree," as it was called until the late 1990s. "It was known as the 'Holiday Tree' for several years and just recently was changed back to the 'Capitol Christmas Tree.' This was a directive from the speaker," said Capitol architect Matthew Evans. "The speaker believes a Christmas tree is a Christmas tree, and it is as simple as that," said Ron Bonjean, spokesman for the Illinois Republican.

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