Break in Salmonella Probe; Obama Visits the War Zone; McCain May Have Ally in Popular Evangelical
WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: To our viewers, you're in THE SITUATION ROOM. Happening now, Barack Obama gets a close look at the war zone, as Iraqi leaders seem to be moving closer to his timetable for withdrawing combat troops. But is John McCain the one who's been right when it comes to fighting the war? We'll speak about it with a potential Democratic vice presidential candidate, Senator Evan Bayh. John McCain has had some tough going with some Christian conservatives, but there are signs a key evangelist is softening his stance toward the Republican nominee-in-waiting. And as you just heard from CNN's Chad Myers, the Texas coast now under a hurricane watch. How hard could it be hit? We're tracking Tropical Storm Dolly with the director of the National Hurricane Center. He's standing by to join us live. I'm Wolf Blitzer. You're in THE SITUATION ROOM. But first this developing story we're following. Investigators call it a significant break in the probe into that nationwide salmonella outbreak that sickened more than 1,200 people. They just announced that the bacteria has now turned up on a jalapeno pepper at a Texas food distribution center. Let's go to Carol Costello. She's working this story for us. She's getting these late-breaking developments. What are we learning -- Carol?</s>CAROL COSTELLO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right. The FDA found the salmonella bacteria on one jalapeno pepper in that McAllen, Texas distribution center. The FDA knows that pepper was grown in Mexico, but it doesn't know if it was contaminated on that farm, Wolf, or contaminated along the way to the distribution center. So, the FDA is telling you not to eat fresh jalapeno peppers. I know you're wondering about tomatoes. Well, tomatoes are not completely exonerated either, because jalapenos and tomatoes often go hand in hand in things like salsa. So they're asking you to exercise caution when it comes to eating tomatoes. As far as what supermarkets/grocery stores this distribution plant in Texas sends its jalapeno peppers to, that information has not been made public. But the distribution center says it will voluntarily recall those jalapeno peppers at the grocery store. But it's safe to say don't eat fresh jalapeno peppers anywhere.</s>BLITZER: Anywhere across the United States, even if this is just limited to Texas?</s>COSTELLO: I wouldn't. I mean the FDA is saying they don't know exactly where this pepper became contaminated along the way. They don't know if it was really contaminated in Mexico. All they know is they found this one pepper at the distribution center in Texas that was infected with the salmonella bacteria.</s>BLITZER: All right, Carol...</s>COSTELLO: So it's like better safe than sorry.</s>BLITZER: I think that's good advice. Thanks very much. Carol is working the story. We'll check back with her. Senator Obama, the would-be commander-in-chief, got a look today at the war he has vowed to end. He got a briefing and a bird's eye view of the battle zone from the U.S. military commander there, General David Petraeus. And he also met with Iraqi government leaders, some of whom now seem to have a much closer view -- a much closer position, as far as he's concerned, to his timetable for a U.S. troop withdrawal. Let's go live to Baghdad. CNN's Frederik Pleitgen is standing by. He's watching the story for us. I guess a lot of people are asking, is Obama on the same page now with Nuri Al-Maliki, the prime minister -- Fred?</s>FREDERICK PLEITGEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf, the two certainly don't seem to be very much at odds. After Obama had had that meeting with Nuri Al-Maliki today, we were actually told by the Iraqi government that they have a vision to see almost all U.S. combat troops out of Iraq by mid-2010. Now, of course, that sounds a lot like the withdrawal timetable that Barack Obama has been putting forth in his campaign. Let's just see how the day unfolded here.</s>QUESTION: Senator, how is the trip?</s>SEN. BARACK OBAMA (D-IL), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Great so far. Thank you.</s>PLEITGEN (voice-over): The presumptive Democratic presidential nominee in Iraq. Barack Obama met with top Iraqi officials in Baghdad, including Prime Minister Nuri Al-Maliki. Maliki's office said he and Obama discussed the overall situation in the country. If elected president, Obama has pledged he would withdraw most U.S. combat troops from Iraq by mid-2010. But officially, this is a Congressional fact-finding mission, not a campaign visit. And Obama is trying to make clear he has come to listen. Like in this meeting with Iraq's vice president, Tariq al-Hashimi. After the meetings, no comment.</s>OBAMA: Thank you.</s>OBAMA: I have had a -- I have had a wonderful visit so far and excellent conversation.</s>PLEITGEN: Somewhat surprisingly, Senator Obama's first stop in Iraq was a visit to the southern city of Basra -- an area with predominantly British forces on the ground. But he also met with U.S. and Iraqi commanders. Later, he and Senators Chuck Hagel and Jack Reed, traveling with him, took a helicopter tour with commanding General David Petraeus. At least one Iraqi politician had a favorable impression of the senator.</s>TARIQ AL-HASHIMI, IRAQI VICE PRESIDENT: Well, well, he's precise. He's specific. I'm very much interested for the dialogue that has taken place with him. He's very much aware about Iraqi issues.</s>PLEITGEN: And, now, Wolf, I was at that meeting between Obama and the Iraqi vice president. And it seemed as though Obama was almost a little bit nervous and certainly very cautious to not let this look like a campaign photo-operation, to really make this look like a Congressional delegation. You know, we tried to corner him after he came out of that meeting with Tariq al-Hashimi. And we asked him, have you in any way, Senator, changed your position -- changed your assessment of the situation since you've gotten here? And he just got into his car and left and wouldn't have any of it -- Wolf.</s>BLITZER: He'll be speaking plenty in the days to come about what has happened. Frederik Pleitgen, thanks very much for that. A key Evangelical leader has softened his stance against John McCain. And that's a rather significant step, given the Republican candidate's problems in attracting some support from Christian conservatives. Let's go to senior political analyst, Bill Schneider. He's working this story for us. So what are we seeing right now -- Bill? How would we define what's going on?</s>WILLIAM SCHNEIDER, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: Well, we're seeing something like a flip-flop. But this time, it's not by a candidate.</s>SCHNEIDER (voice-over): John McCain and Evangelicals have had an off again/on again relationship. It was off in 2000, after McCain labeled certain Evangelical leaders...</s>SEN. JOHN MCCAIN (R-AZ), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: The agents of intolerance, whether they be Louis Farrakhan or Al Sharpton on the left, or Pat Robertson or Jerry Falwell on the right.</s>SCHNEIDER: It seemed to stay off this year, when religious broadcaster James Dobson, founder of Focus on the Family, said he would not vote for president if McCain is the Republican nominee. But after reading a 2006 speech in which Obama urged religious voters to defend their views on abortion in terms of universal values, Dobson said...</s>JAMES DOBSON, FOCUS ON THE FAMILY: Now that's a fruitcake interpretation of the constitution.</s>SCHNEIDER: Meanwhile, McCain has been seizing opportunities to distinguish his views from Obama's.</s>MCCAIN: And he voted against a ban on partial birth abortion. So there's a clear choice between myself and Senator Obama.</s>SCHNEIDER: So now the relationship is on again -- sort of. In his Monday broadcast, Dobson said he is reconsidering because McCain is closer to his views than Obama, "by a wide margin."</s>DOBSON: I have to take into account the fact that Senator John McCain has voted pro-life consistently and that's a fact. And he says he favors marriage between a man and a woman. I believe that.</s>SCHNEIDER: After concluding that an election is always a choice between two flawed individuals -- who knew? -- Dobson came out with a resounding maybe.</s>DOBSON: While I am not endorsing Senator John McCain, the possibility is there that I might.</s>SCHNEIDER: If that is a flip-flop, Dobson said, then so be it.</s>SCHNEIDER: Dobson says he still doesn't trust McCain. He seems to enjoy frustrating conservatives, Dobson said. But he finds Obama more threatening -- particularly after Obama's efforts to outreach to Evangelical voters -- Wolf.</s>BLITZER: Bill Schneider is working this story for us. Thanks, Bill, very much. John McCain and Barack Obama appearing on stage together, but it's not a debate. The two candidates will take part in a forum hosted by the influential Evangelical Pastor Rick Warren. Let's go to Jessica Yellin. She's working this story for us -- all right, Jessica, what do we expect to see?</s>JESSICA YELLIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf, we'll see Barack Obama and John McCain briefly appear together. It will most likely be their first time on stage together since they became their party's presumptive nominees.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They've seen the face of -- the passionate conservatism and the face of compassionate liberalism and what we have in common is compassion.</s>YELLIN (voice-over): That's the Reverend Rick Warren, pastor of a mega church in California and author of the best's selling spiritual self-help guide, "The Purpose-Driven Life". Now he's doing what no one else has been able to do -- bringing John McCain and Barack Obama together on the same stage. The two will take part in a forum on August 16th at Warren's Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, California. In a statement, Warren says that: "This is a critical time for our nation and the American people deserve to hear both candidates speak from the heart, without interruption, in a civil and thoughtful format." Getting the two candidates together is something McCain's been trying to do since the end of the primary. He challenged Obama to weekly town hall style debates from the middle of June until the political conventions in late August.</s>MCCAIN: I want Senator Obama to accept my invitation. I'll fly around this country with him. I'll reserve one day a week. And let's have town hall meetings and hear from the American people.</s>YELLIN: Those debates are not happening. And each campaign blames the other for the breakdown in negotiations.</s>YELLIN: Now, Wolf, the candidates won't face-off at this forum. Warren will just question them individually for an hour each. And it will probably be the last time we see both Senators Obama and McCain together until the presidential debates in late September and October.</s>BLITZER: And there will be three of those, one vice presidential debate. That's the schedule right now. Jessica, thanks very much. Let's go back to Jack. He's got The Cafferty File -- Jack.</s>JACK CAFFERTY, CNN ANCHOR: While John McCain goes on and on about the surge and winning in Iraq -- whatever that means -- Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri Al-Maliki says Barack Obama has the right idea -- get U.S. troops out of his country within 16 months. Talk about a blow to President Bush and John McCain. President Bush wants everything to be up to him. He's "the decider," remember. And John McCain says we could be in Iraq for a hundred years. Nuri Al-Maliki told the German magazine "Der Spiegel" that he'd like U.S. troops to withdraw "as soon as possible," adding that Barack Obama's talk of 16 months "would be the right time frame for a withdrawal." The Bush administration immediately said well, that can't be right, this statement was out of context, that was mistranslated, that isn't what he meant blah, blah, blah. The translator for the interviewer with the German magazine was Nuri Al-Maliki's translator. And Al-Maliki brought the subject of Barack Obama's timetable up on his own -- voluntarily. He wasn't asked it. "The New York Times" got a copy of the audio recording in which Nuri Al-Maliki stated clear support for Obama's ideas for ending the war. The German magazine says it stands by its interview. This follows the capitulation by President Bush late last week in agreeing to talk to Iran about its nuclear program -- something the president said he would never do unless they stopped enriching uranium. McCain, of course, goes along with President Bush when it comes to Iran. But Obama has said all along, hey, we ought to talk to them. What could it hurt? Here's the question: What does it mean when the Iraqi prime minister endorses Barack Obama's schedule for getting U.S. troops out of Iraq? Go to CNN.com/caffertyfile and post a comment on my blog. What it might mean -- what it could mean is that Nuri Al-Maliki thinks Obama might win. And it's never too early to start sucking up to the guy who's going to have the job next.</s>BLITZER: I suspected that right away, as soon as I heard it.</s>CAFFERTY: Oh.</s>BLITZER: But then again, you know, I'm sort of cynical when it comes to these kinds of matters.</s>CAFFERTY: Really?</s>BLITZER: Yes. So many times.</s>CAFFERTY: I thought that was my job.</s>BLITZER: You're cynical...</s>CAFFERTY: You seem to be a pretty reasonable, measured sort of a fellow.</s>BLITZER: Thank you. Thank you, Jack.</s>BLITZER: Stand by. Barack Obama -- he's in Iraq right now. You might be surprised at the reaction elsewhere in the Middle East some everyday people are giving him. We'll talk about that and more with a top Obama supporter, possible vice presidential running mate, Senator Evan Bayh of Indiana. Also, the Texas coast being warned to watch out for a possible hurricane. We're going to get an update on Dolly from the director of the National Hurricane Center. And a South American mystery -- why are hundreds of penguins washing up dead thousands of miles from home? Stick around. You're in THE SITUATION ROOM.