Harriet Miers Nomination Splitting Conservative Republicans
LIN: Hundreds of police, extra police are patrolling New York subways and Yankee Stadium tonight. In about two hours, the Yankees square off against the Angels in the playoffs amid concern the city could be a terror target. CNN's Keith Oppenheim is live in Time's Square. Keith, today was a big day, but so far so good. Nothing's happened?</s>KEITH OPPENHEIM, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's true. And you know, Carol, if there ever was a time for New Yorkers to live up to their reputation for being tough in the face of possible danger, this may be it. But in a sea of somewhat confusing messages about the seriousness of a security threat on New York's subways, we're finding that commuters, tourists and residents are all taking the trains. Earlier this afternoon, we went down into the Times Square station, and we found that ridership seemed to be about normal for a Sunday night. And city officials are hoping, and perhaps expecting that ridership will continue to be normal throughout the week. The news of a terror threat, as you may recall, originated in Iraq. The information according to our sources that New York subways were to be targeted with explosive is possibly this past Friday or today, Sunday. And we spoke to one rider, a former New Yorker, now living in Hong Kong, and she expressed her sense of defiance to terrorists who would do anything to change the New York way of life.</s>UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Only response I can have to have something to say about the situation would be -- the only response I can have for me would be to get on the subway. Because if I change what I do, than that gives empowerment to the people who are manipulating the situation.</s>OPPENHEIM: Once a tough New Yorker, always a tough New Yorker, I guess. And earlier, Carol, you were talking about the ball game tonight. Baseball fans know that the game was rain-delayed last night. And it's Yankees versus Angels at Yankee Stadium tonight. What they may not know is there are increased security patrols at the ballpark, in part because of the security threat. And the number one cop for New York City, Ray Kelly, is saying that he's got not going to back down, that he will continue to have fairly high security patrols at the subway stops, this despite the fact that there is different information coming from federal agencies, from the Department of Homeland Security, those officials casting doubt on the credibility of the subway security threat -- Carol.</s>LIN: All right. Keith, the day's not over yet. Let's see what happens. We're going to have more on this story throughout the night. Be sure to stay tuned to CNN day and night for the most reliable news about your security. Topping the news this hour, 20,000 people confirmed dead, certain to be more: that is the latest government figure in the south Asia earthquake zone. Pakistan, India and Afghanistan: international aid supplies and equipment are arriving in Pakistan by the hour. And Turkey responsed quickly to the bird flu. Poultry at two farms are being slaughtered after the country confirmed its first case of bird flu. A two-mile area has been quarantined and military police have set up road blocks. If your willing to help smoke out terrorists, the FBI might not care what you've smoked. It's thinking about making it easier for those who have smoked marijuana to join the FBI, but not as special agents. Right now you can't work for the FBI if you've used pot in the past three years or more than 15 times ever, but who's counting? Coming up at the top of the hour, a special "CNN Presents" you do not want to miss. They are the children of the storm. Kids uprooted by Hurricane Katrina showing remarkable resilience in new hopes, new schools and new lives. "That's Children of the Storm," a special edition of "CNN Presents." Former President Bush is wrapping up a second day in the Gulf Coast. Mr. Bush, seen here yesterday, is touring hard-hit Louisiana and Mississippi, Alabama and Texas. He's taking suggestions on how to spend $100 million he and former President Clinton have raised to help hurricane victims. In the meantime, it's pay back time for some of the looters who ransacked stores after Hurricane Katrina. Authorities have arrested at least six people in the Louisiana and mississippi. Police say, the break came when they spotted two men pretending to be FEMA contract workers towing a trailer with a stolen all-terrain vehicle. Altogether, authorities believe they have recovered about $100,000 worth of stolen goods. In the meantime, AMTRAK in New Orleans, well, AMTRAK's city of New Orleans rolled in this weekend for the first time since Hurricane Katrina. So let's go to New orleans and to CNN's Lisa Sylvester. What was it like, Lisa?</s>LISA SYLVESTER, CNN CORRESPODNENT: Well Carol, I got to tell you, here in New Orleans, the word that we keep hearing over and over today is normalcy. Officials are very eager to get the city back to the way it was before Hurricane Katrina hit. And one way of doing that is by resuming train service to connect the city with other parts of the country.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All aboard!</s>SYLVESTER (voice-over): The first two trains to leave New Orleans since Hurricane Katrina hit had fewer than 50 passengers on them.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Right this way, folks.</s>SYLVESTER: But the numbers didn't matter, only that the trains left on time. A sign of a city beginning to return to normal.</s>UNIDNETIIFED MALE: For me, it symbolizes hope and that New Orleans will be able to come back from this.</s>SYLVESTER: Wendy Holsenthal (ph) and her two children came to New Orleans to check on their battered house and in Slidell, Louisiana. They head to Jackson, Mississippi to stay with relatives.</s>UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This one loves trains. So, we have taken a fun trip, because we've had a hard month.</s>SYLVESTER: Normally, there are four routes operating in and out of New Orleans. Surface north to New York and to Chicago has been restored. But it will be months before trains roll east towards Mobile, Alabama or west towards Houston. AMTRAK officials are were eager to get even partial service running again.</s>JEROME LAMB, AMTRAK EMPLOYEE: We have more than 350 employees base heard in New Orleans. And by putting these two routes back in service we're able to recall more than 150 of them.</s>SYLVESTER: For some of these passengers, this is a one-way ticket. Willard Kelhammer (ph) has had I enough of hurricanes.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I got to give Louisiana up. 23 years been here, huh-uh. Got to go. Our roof looked for me on the house. We was renting it. I mean, it's a -- we lost everything. And it's kind of hard.</s>SYLVESTER: And we have also heard stories of people who are vowing to stay in the city. Now, we should tell you though, that even though there is train service operating out of here, there are no taxis or buses out of this terminal. So AMTRAK officials are adivsing people to make sure that they make their own arrangements for service after -- once they arrive into the city -- Carol.</s>LIN: Lisa, thank you. Cities across the country are reassessing their emergency plans in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. Richmond, Virginia, for example, a city that is no stranger to disaster, could serve as a valuable model for preparedness. So, we sent CNN's Kathleen Koch there.</s>KATHLEEN KOCH, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): August 2004, Tropical Storm Gaston duped 14 inches of rain on Richmond and officials found they had no way to get the word out to everyone in the path of the rushing water. But it was Hurricane Katrina that taught city leaders there and around the country a harder lesson.</s>BENJAMIN JOHNSON, RICHMOND EMERGENCY MANAGER: You will be primarily on your own until the federal government gets there. And we do know that we don't know how long that will be.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The fire marshall has ordered a one-square mile radius in proximity to city hall be evacuated immediately.</s>KOCH: So, the city has created a reverse 911 system to call every phone within an affected area if an evacuation is needed.</s>BILL HOBGOOD, RICHMOND PUBLIC SAFETY: The quickest that you can possibly get a notification out to the poem people that are going to be affected, the chances are they you're going to save some lives. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE; This book tells you how do your homes. Tape your windows, doors.</s>KOCH: Richmond has printed emergency preparedness guides. Community leaders like Cora Hayes are eager to distribute, after what they saw happen in New Orleans.</s>CORA HAYES, FAIRFIELD COURT TENANT COUNCIL: The first thing that I thought of is I don't want our residents to to be in that predictment.</s>HAYES: Bed linens, other clothes for three to five days.</s>KOCH: Her neighbors are still haunted by the image of residents trapped in the battered city.</s>REV. MARY H. JONES, FAIRFAX COURT RESIDENT: I wake up at night thinking about that. That could happen to me. KOCH; Richmond plans to use city and school buses to evacuate its needy citizens along newly designated evacuation routes. And it signed mutual aid agreements with four nearby cities to help one another in case of an emergency.</s>JOHNSON: In this, we're kind of cutting to the chase and saying, if we need help help, it's here, and you guys can bring it and vice versa. We will be able to bring help and assistance at a moments notice.</s>KOCH (on camera): In Washington, Congress will be evaluating what cities like Richmond are doing.</s>REP. MIKE MCCAUL, (R) TEXAS: We are going to be looking at plans across the country to see which ones work better, and which ones don't.</s>KOCH (voice-over): Because everyone's learned that once disaster strikes, it's too late. Kathleen Koch, CNN, Washington.</s>LIN: Supreme Court nominee Harriet Miers attended two church services today in her home state Of Texas. But some conservative Republicans say Miers' Christian background is not enough to win their support. They want to know more about her views, specifically where she stands on abortion. Sp. with the latest on the Miers debate, we're going to go live to the White House and CNN's Suzanne Malveaux -- Suzanne.</s>SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, Carol, Harriet Miers spent the weekend in Dallas, of course, to collect records on her accomplishments as well as her time in the Dallas city countil. All of this, of course, the big question now is whether or not Miers and the White House campaign can satify those conservatives who do not believe that she is qualified.</s>MALVEAUX (voice-over): While Supreme Court nominee Harriet Miers was attending Sunday morning church services in Dallas, in Washington, conservatives were declaring all-out war over her nomination, directing much of their anger at the president.</s>PAT BUCHANAN, CONSERVATIVE COMMENTATOR: Much of the conservative movement is at war with their own president.</s>GARY BAUER, AMERICAN VALUES COALITION: The problem that we have is that when you make a mistake with a Supreme Court appointment, it's a 20-year mistake.</s>MALVEAUX: As some conservatives ratcheted up their rhetoric, calling for Miers to withdraw her nomination, others urged their fellow Republicans to cool down, saying Miers would be faithful to Mr. Bush's agenda.</s>RICHARD LAND, SOUTHERN BAPTIST CONVENTION: If someone is disloyal -- if someone betrays a trust in Texas, they're right down there with child molesters and ax murderers.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think what the president wants a vote that reflects his point of view. You know, some of these great, brilliant scholars go off the reservation.</s>MALVEAUX: One of the first issues the Senate Judicial Committee will tackle is whether the White House provided anyone with information about how Miers might vote on hot button social issues like abortion, gay marriage and the roll of religion. Conservative activist James Dobson created a stir on his Wednesday radio broadcast when after being briefed about Miers by Mr. Bush's top political aide, Karl Rove, Dobson suggested he had special insights.</s>DR. JAMES DOBSON, CONSERVATIVE RADIO SHOW HOST: When you know some of the things that I know that I probably shouldn't know, that take me in this direction, you will understand why I have said with fear and trepidation why I have said that I believe Harriet Miers will be a good justice.</s>MALVEAUX: Since then, in meetings with Senate committee members, Miers has tried to clear up the controversy.</s>SEN. PATRICK LEAHY, (D) VERMONT: So we at least start with the fact that she says she has not told anybody or assured anybody how she would vote.</s>MALVEAUX: But senators say they are still considering calling on Dobson and Rove to testify before their committee.</s>SEN. ARLEN SPECTER, (R) JUDICIARY CHAIRMAN: If there were back room assurances and back room deals and if there is something which bears upon a precondition as to how a nominee is going to vote, I think that's a matter that ought to be known by the Judiciary Committee and the American people.</s>MALVEAUX: And of course it's considered that it's going to be quite difficult getting information. And it is widely anticipated that there's a going to be battle with the White House over releasing those documents -- Carol.</s>LIN: All right. More on that in just a moment. Thanks very much Suzanne. Because we're going to talk with our Bill Schneider. How will Miers win over Republicans who are suspicious about her conservative convictions? Political dilemas affecting the GOP and all sorts of business to talk about with CNN Political Analyast Bill Schnider. Bill, good to see you.</s>BILL SCHNEIDER, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: Good to see you, Carol.</s>LIN: Let's address that question first about Harriet Miers. What is the president going to have to do in order to satisfy some of her critics? There's some talk, perhaps, that he may have to give up or some of the private documents given that she was White House counsel for a number of years and so close with the president, perhaps the only record of her legal thinking?</s>SCHNEIDER: It's hard to see how the president can give up some of the documents without giving up just about all of those documents because the Democrats are going to say, well, you know we want to see the documents that we're interested in as well. I think the important assurances are going to have to be given by the nominee, by Harriet Miers. Her hearings are going to be crucial. Far more crucial than John Roberts, because she has to convince the committee, particularly the Republicans on the committee, that she has deeply held constitutional convictions. Something that Roberts obviously did have. They're worried that if she doesn't have those kinds of convictions, once she gets on the court, she'll drift to the left, like Justice Souter did after he was named by the first President Bush. They want to know if she has reliable views, at least philosophy, about the constitution.</s>LIN: So, what does that mean in terms of the question about abortion? If they directly ask her what are your beliefs about abortion and Row versus Wade, is she going to have to answer specifically as John Roberts did not have to?</s>SCHNEIDER: No. She's going to say exactly what he said, that she's not going to address issues that are likely to come directly before the court. She can talk about her general judicial philosophy. She will not, Democratic nominees did not, John Roberts did not. They won't answer specific questions. But what I said was, she has to elaborate her judicial philosophy. Because what she lacks that Roberts had was a kind of intellectual stature to convince members that what the president said was true. He said in this news conference on Tuesday, I can guarantee you that in the next 20 years she's not going to change her views or her philosophy. And Republicans are going to say, how do we know that?</s>LIN: Right. So, what are you looking for when the confimation hearings begin?</s>SCHNEIDER: We're going to be looking for her to give a reassuring performance to her critics, left and right, that she's a woman of intellectual standing. After all, she broke through a lot of barriers and became a leading attorney in Dallas and in Texas. She obviously has a lot going for her, but she has no record, no written record, no record of argumentation. She's going to have to make up for that in her hearings.</s>LIN: Right. And so far, no political base.</s>SCHNEIDER: That's right.</s>LIN: Let talk about Karl Rove. This is going -- close adviser to the president, testifying before a grand jury for the fourth time with no guarantee that he may be indicted in this whole investigation of who leaked the name of a CIA operative. What's the Republicans' reaction to what's going on here?</s>SCHNEIDER: Fear and trembling. They're worryed that Karl Rove or someone else high in the White House could be indicted. And that would of course be a terrible blow to the Bush White House which is suffering from blows on all sides: in Iraq, the reaction to hurricane katrina, anger over government spending, over his nomination of Miers, on every side things aren't going well. The last thing he needs is for someone high up in the White House to be indicted. And Fitzgerald, the special prosecutor, Patrick Fitzgerals seem to be casting a very broad net. Not just a narrow statute that you deliberately leaked the name of a CIA agent, or perhaps a conspiracy charge or an obstruction of justice charge. That could be just as serious.</s>LIN: Yeah, casting the net but tightening the noose. I mean, the fourth time before the grand jury. What -- does that indicate that the prosecutor has something very specific, perhaps damning to ask Karl Rove?</s>SCHNEIDER: It indicates to me, remember, Karl Rove volunteered to testify, that he's worried about an indictment. And he feels that it's less of a risk for him to testify and open himself up to all kinds of questions than to face an indictment. So, he wants to lay it all out there in front and make his case as elaborately as he can. It's a very risky move but the bigger risk is to get indicted.</s>LIN: Exciting times. Bill Schneider, thank you.</s>SCHNEIDER: Sure.</s>LIN: In the meantime, former education secretary William Bennett remains unapologetic for his controversial comments linking crime and race. Many people were outraged when bennett said last month to reduce crime you could, quote, "abort every black baby in this country." He went on to say that would be, quote, "a ridiculous and morally reprehensible thing to do but your crime rate would go down." Well, yesterday in Bakersfield, California, protesters gathered outside a business convention where Bennett was speaking. And inside, Bennett defend his remarks are blamed the media for the uproar.</s>WILLIAM BENNETT, FRM. EDUCATION SECRETARY: Although, I cannot apologize for what I said and meant, which when understood in context ought not to be objectionable, I regret that people have misrepresented my views so that they have been the cause of hurt and controversy and confusion.</s>LIN: William Bennett says he was just sending up a bad argument in order to knock it down. And he claims the media took his comments out of context. It is the media's fault. Well, this next story brings the idea of choking on your lunch to a whole new level. Ahead, snake versus alligator in the Florida Everglades with some disturbing results. And this incident has wildlife officials, you might say, pretty concerned.