Sign InRegister

The Situation: Thursday, February 16

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.

The Morning Grind

On CNN TV

Watch the 'The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer' 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. ET and 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. ET

Gallery: CNN Security Council panelists

• Read Wednesday's Situation Report

SEND YOUR COMMENTS

Name:

E-mail:

Hometown:

Comment:

YOUR E-MAIL ALERTS

_{Posted: 9:45 a.m. ET
From Mark Preston, CNN Political Unit}

A New York president?

Two New York political rivals with nationwide name recognition lead potential opponents in hypothetical match-ups for their respective party's 2008 presidential nominations, a new CNN/USA Today/Gallup poll shows.

Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton holds a commanding 2-to-1 advantage in the race for the Democratic presidential nomination, with 39 percent of Democrats saying they would support her in 2008. Sen. John Kerry (D-Massachusetts), who registered 15 percent, came in a distant second to Clinton in the nationwide poll of 1,000 adult Americans conducted over the weekend. Former Vice President Al Gore, who lately has been critical of President Bush, came in third place with 13 percent of the vote. And former Virginia Gov. Mark Warner, who represents the conservative wing of the Democratic Party, registered 5 percent support.

Across the aisle, 33 percent of Republicans said they would vote for former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, who bested Sen. John McCain (R-Arizona) by 5 percentage points in the hypothetical race for the GOP presidential nomination. Sen. George Allen (R-Virginia), who is widely seen as the "Inside-the-Beltway" choice for the nomination, received 7 percent, while Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-Tennessee) came in at 6 percent. The poll indicates that while Allen and Frist are well known in Washington, they must do more to increase their name recognition beyond the Potomac.

With the first caucus two years away, political analyst Stuart Rothenberg describes these early results as a "test of name identification and celebrity status." On the Republican side, Rothenberg suggests that if Giuliani chose to make the race, "he becomes evaluated in a completely different way," by Republican primary voters who tend to be conservative and would disagree with his moderate social views.

"It would be very difficult for him to win the nomination," said Rothenberg, a columnist for Roll Call. As for Clinton, Rothenberg said "a lot Democrats see her as the kind of Democrat they would like to nominate." But he added, "The one thing about the Democratic numbers is they understate people like Mark Warner, although presumably quite electable, is still at this point relatively unknown by Democrats."

The poll also indicated there is a strong anti-incumbent mood this year among Americans, but it is not specifically directed at one particular party. When asked what party had a "clear plan for solving the country's problems," 26 percent said Republicans, while 23 percent responded Democrats.

Still, 59 percent of Americans indicated they are "angry about the way things are going in the country," while 61 percent said Bush did something that made them angry. CNN's Bill Schneider notes in the mid-1990's a similar anti-incumbent sentiment helped Republicans seize control of Congress, but now that they are in the majority this mood is likely to hurt them.

"If angry voters are voting Democratic, it's not because they have confidence in the Democrats," Schneider said. "They're voting to throw the bums out. An old American tradition."

This morning, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-California) will announce she is leading a CODEL to Africa, with stops in Sudan, Cape Verde, Ghana, Liberia and South Africa.

"The purpose is to assess the ... the situation in Darfur and discuss security, economic, health, and hunger issues with regional leaders," said Jennifer Crider, Pelosi's spokeswoman. Expect the Minority Leader to unveil more details of this trip at her 10:45 a.m. ET on-camera Capitol Hill news conference.

Pelosi is one of eight Democrats listed in a question in a recent Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee survey that asks "Which Democrats do you view as Party Leaders?" Raging Cajun strategist James Carville is the only non-elected Democrat named in the question in the survey that asked recipients their opinions on a mixture of political and policy issues. Also making the cut were Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean, Sen. Harry Reid, Rep. Nancy Pelosi, Sen. Barack Obama, former Vice President Al Gore, Rep. Rahm Emanuel and Sen. Hillary Clinton. Notably absent were Sen. John Kerry and former Sen. John Edwards, the 2004 presidential and vice presidential nominees. The DCCC did provide a space for a write in candidate giving Kerry and Edwards an opportunity to collect some votes.

But alas, we will never know the outcome. A DCCC spokeswoman said there is no plan to release the results at this time, but noted "the results that are in thus far tell us what we have all known all along, that Americans are most concerned about the healthcare crisis, the struggling economy, and skyrocketing energy and prescription drug prices."

Meanwhile, President Bush will help add another $1.5 million to the Republican National Committee's war chest, when he attends a 12 p.m. ET fundraising lunch for 80 contributors at Evermay. At 1:10 p.m. ET, Bush drops by the Department of Health and Human Services to participate in a panel on Health Care Initiatives and at 3:40 p.m. ET meets with the President of Colombia in the Oval Office.

Political Hot Topics

_{Posted: 9:45 a.m. ET
From Stephen Bach, CNN Washington Bureau}

"I AM THE GUY WHO PULLED THE TRIGGER": Vice President Dick Cheney took responsibility Wednesday for shooting a friend during a weekend hunting trip but dismissed criticism he waited too long to disclose the incident publicly. "I am the guy who pulled the trigger and shot my friend," Cheney told Fox News in an interview broadcast Wednesday evening. "That is something I will never forget... Ultimately, I am the guy who pulled the trigger and fired the round that hit Harry. You can talk about all the other conditions that existed at the time, but that's the bottom line," he said. "It's not Harry's fault. You can't blame anybody else." CNN: Cheney: 'One of the worst days of my life'

CHENEY CLAIMS AUTHORITY TO DECLASSIFY INTEL: Vice President Dick Cheney, whose former chief of staff is reported to have testified to a grand jury that his superiors authorized him to disclose classified information, said on Wednesday that he had the power to declassify material. "There is an executive order that specifies who has classification authority and obviously focuses first and foremost on the president but also includes the vice president," Mr. Cheney said in an interview on Fox News. He said he had participated in decisions to declassify information, but he declined to say whether he had ever declassified information on his own. New York Times: Vice President Says He Has Authority to Declassify Items

RICE LAYS OUT IRAN PLAN: The Bush administration will "walk a fine line" in seeking punitive international sanctions against Iran's Islamic government over its disputed nuclear program, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said Wednesday. The Bush administration's top diplomat detailed a two-track approach to Iran -- concerted international pressure to deter Tehran from building a bomb, and a newly robust attempt to seed democratic change inside the country with $75 million for broadcasts and aid to dissidents. Even so, Rice got a mixed reception from the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. She ran into tough questions from lawmakers of both parties about Iran, Iraq, the Palestinians and other issues, but also won praise for accomplishments including a new alliance of world opinion against Iran's nuclear ambitions. AP via Yahoo! News: Rice Outlines U.S. Approach on Iran

A "DIFFICULT AND TRAUMATIC" EXPERIENCE FOR CHERTOFF: Calling Hurricane Katrina "one of the most difficult and traumatic experiences of my life," Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff says he is fixing failures in his department before next storm season. "There are many lapses that occurred, and I've certainly spent a lot of time personally, probably since last fall, thinking about things that might have been done differently," Chertoff told the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. His testimony on the government's response to the Aug. 29 storm that devastated much of the Gulf Coast came Wednesday as a House panel released a scathing report concluding that deaths, damage and suffering could have been reduced if the White House and federal, state and local officials had moved more urgently. AP via Yahoo! News: Chertoff Acknowledges Lapses in Response

JEFFERSON'S SEAT IN JEOPARDY? Around Washington, Rep. William J. Jefferson nurtured a reputation as a serious, even wonkish, lawmaker, a grade-school dropouts' son who graduated from Harvard Law School and was elected Louisiana's first black congressman since Reconstruction. Then came the allegations last August that Jefferson had orchestrated a corruption scheme. Federal investigators are targeting the Democratic congressman, 58, for allegedly demanding cash and other favors for himself and relatives, in exchange for using his congressional clout to arrange African business deals... Depending on Jefferson's fate, his central New Orleans district...could face a rowdy special election. The political scene is so chaotic that Republicans believe they could win the gerrymandered Democratic seat. Washington Post: The Legal Woes Of Rep. Jefferson

SWANN STAYED HOME A LOT: When Lynn Swann votes for himself in the May Republican primary, it will be a rare springtime trip to the polls. Despite once saying that the right to vote should never be taken for granted, Swann missed 20 of the state's 36 elections in the last 18 years - including 13 of his party's primaries, records show. In that period, Swann missed elections for governor, U.S. senator and president, while also skipping a chance to vote on a dozen statewide referendums, including a 1989 question on property-tax reform - now a centerpiece of his campaign. Swann, who was unanimously endorsed by the state GOP last weekend, was not available for comment yesterday. But his campaign spokeswoman, Melissa Walters, said: "He regrets not voting, and he should have voted. He encourages all Pennsylvanians to vote, and he feels that it is an important duty." Philadelphia Inquirer: Swann sat out on most election days

RENDELL LEADS BY 12: Democratic Gov. Ed Rendell holds a double-digit lead over his only GOP challenger, former Pittsburgh Steelers star Lynn Swann, and Republicans are split over whether Swann has the experience to be governor, according to a poll released Wednesday. The poll was conducted Feb 8-13, a stretch during which Swann was constantly in the news: His last two GOP opponents dropped out, the Steelers won the Super Bowl, and the Republican State Committee endorsed him for the nomination. The Quinnipiac University poll showed Rendell leading Swann 48 percent to 36 percent. AP via Yahoo! News: Pa. Gov. Rendell Leads Challenger Swann

ARNOLD PLANS TO RAISE $120M FOR CAMPAIGN: Trailing in the polls and facing friction inside his own Republican Party, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has set a fundraising goal of more than $120 million for the November election. The sum rivals the amount raised and spent by the entire field of candidates in the 2002 governor's race. If Schwarzenegger succeeds, the money raised -- along with tens of millions of dollars that Democrats are likely to spend -- would shatter state and national campaign finance records. "We think it's doable and necessary," said Rob Stutzman, a strategist for the state Republican Party. He cited the battering the governor took in last year's special election, when opponents spent more than $100 million to defeat four Schwarzenegger-backed ballot initiatives. "There's no reason to think that much can't be spent again, if not more, to try to beat the governor." Los Angeles Times: Gov. Plans Massive Fund Drive

Story Tools

Subscribe to Time for $1.99

Home Page

Get up-to-the minute news from CNN

CNN.com gives you the latest stories and video from the around the world, with in-depth coverage of U.S. news, politics, entertainment, health, crime, tech and more.

Home Page

Get up-to-the minute news from CNN

CNN.com gives you the latest stories and video from the around the world, with in-depth coverage of U.S. news, politics, entertainment, health, crime, tech and more.