President Prepares for Next Big Fight
BLITZER: To our viewers, you're in THE SITUATION ROOM. Happening now, high seas standoff -- Somali pirates still holding a U.S. captain hostage off Africa. The U.S. Navy is on the scene watching closely -- what surveillance video is now showing. A big blunder by the head of counterterrorism in the U.K. -- the secrets he accidentally revealed and the operation that had to be rushed. And a big surge on Wall Street -- the Dow closing up this day 246 points, hitting its highest level in two months. Analysts say strong profits announced by banking giant Wells Fargo fueled the rally. I'm Wolf Blitzer. You're in THE SITUATION ROOM. We're getting word from the White House the president of the United States pushing forward with comprehensive immigration reform, trying to keep a campaign promise. Let's go to our senior political correspondent, Candy Crowley. He certainly has a lot on his plate right now. Add one other major issue.</s>CANDY CROWLEY, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: Absolutely. But let's call this sort of pushing forward. The immigration issue, both legal and illegal, did make its way into "The New York Times" headline today and the White House Briefing Room. White House Spokesman Robert Gibbs said immigration reform remains a priority. But with an economy in crisis and a soaring jobless rate, critics think the administration is simply playing politics -- trying to nail down the Latino vote.</s>CROWLEY (voice-over): For several years, it brought outrage to the streets...</s>CROWLEY: ...ignited town hall meetings...</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And when is the Republican Party going to come out and say we've got to do what's right for the country?</s>CROWLEY: ...and dominated radio talk shows.</s>UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I want only legal citizens in my country. I want illegal immigrants out of my country.</s>CROWLEY: It's played a role in elections -- both won and lost -- and it's never been resolved. Now the White House has let it be known a comprehensive immigration bill remains a priority.</s>ROBERT GIBBS, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: Well, obviously it's a -- it's an issue out there -- a big issue out there that the previous administration and Congress worked to try to address. And it's something the president is committed to addressing as he said throughout the campaign trail.</s>BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Buenos tardes.</s>CROWLEY: As a candidate, the president promised immigration issues would be a priority in year one. He won 67 percent of the Latino vote. Fierce critics of his plan say that's exactly what this is about.</s>DAN STEIN, FEDERATION FOR AMERICAN IMMIGRATION REFORM: There's no way the American people are going to understand a move -- a big move for an immigration amnesty now is anything other than a naked party power grab of putting party interests above public interests.</s>CROWLEY: The president said throughout the campaign that, among other things, he wants better border security and reform of the immigration bureaucracy. But what has stoked the opposition and has made this issue so divisive is illegal immigrants. The president proposes what supporters call a pathway to citizenship and critics call amnesty.</s>OBAMA: We also need reform that finally brings to 12 million people who are here illegally out of the shadows. Requiring them to take steps to become legal citizens, putting them on a pathway to citizenship.</s>CROWLEY: The both sides of the debate fired up press releases and offered up interviews, there is time yet.</s>ROBERT GIBBS, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: Obviously, there are a lot of things on his plate and a lot of pressing issues relating to the economy. I don't think he expects that it will be done this year.</s>CROWLEY: Immigration, it appears, is a lesser priority.</s>CROWLEY: In fact, it would probably be more advantageous for the White House to push for an immigration bill this first year, which is traditionally a pretty popular time for presidents and certainly so far for this one. But this year or next, it's an uphill climb for immigration reform, which ignites pretty passionate debate from the streets and on the air waves. Wolf?</s>WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: All right, Candy. Thanks very much. Let's discuss this and more with Democratic strategist and CNN political contributor, Donna Brazile, and Republican strategist, the former White House press secretary, Dana Perino. Dana, President Bush, he tried his best for comprehensive immigration reform. He had Senator Kennedy, Senator McCain working together. Couldn't do it. You think this president could do what President Bush couldn't do?</s>DANA PERINO, REPUBLICAN STRATEGIST: Well, Wolf, I think that one of the things is I'm not so much concerned that President Obama has bitten off more than he can chew, but he might have bitten off more than the Congress can chew and get through this year. And I think one of the things from a communications standpoint, maybe it was playing politics a little bit but actually it could have been actually floating a trial balloon just to see where the opposition is. Remember, during the immigration debate the President Bush led in 2007, it was mostly the GOP that was fighting amongst itself and the Democrats weren't drawn out. So you don't exactly know where those Democrats fall down on this issue. And we weren't....</s>BLITZER: And the economy was a lot better in 2007 than it is...</s>PERINO: That's right. And it's going to be harder because people -- the main issue came down to people are concerned that their jobs are going to be taken by those who are illegally in our country.</s>BLITZER: Totally different economic environment right now. Take a look at these 12 major issues. We recently did a CNN Opinion Research Corporation poll, whether these issues were extremely important for the president and Congress to deal with in this current year. It came out 10th out of 12 issues. If you take a look at the economy, terrorism, healthcare, immigration is all the way down near the bottom of that list.</s>DONNA BRAZILE, DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST: Wolf, but I think everyone would agree that our immigration system is broken and that it needs to be fixed and I think it's time that Congress as well as the president learns how to walk and chew gum at the same time and tackle many of these concerns. I think it's important that we have strict boarder controls and have incentives to ensure that those who are here...</s>BLITZER: But to Dana's point, the president may have a full appetite to try to do all these things. Congress's appetite is more limited.</s>BRAZILE: Well, maybe we need to increase the appetite to do more because this is an issue that we continue to put off year after year and the president has said it's time to have a discussion. May not pass it this year but he is read to have a conversation later on this year.</s>PERINO: If I could add one other thing on that.</s>BLITZER: All right. Let's -- go ahead.</s>PERINO: I do -- I believe that we would have had a bill in 2007, May 2007, if Senator Reid would have kept the Congress in and the Senate in that weekend, but they all -- he let them go home and the political hammer came down from everybody and they all scattered. With a Democrat in the White House and the Democrats controlling Congress, maybe they have a better chance but I think it's a really tough battle ahead.</s>BLITZER: All right. Well, we're going to have more on this in the next hour as well. But I want to move on to some controversy involving the president when he was in Europe last week. He met with the king of Saudi Arabia. We got a picture there. I think we also have some video as well. He appears to bow when he met with King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia. And the White House press secretary Robert Gibbs had this exchange with our Dan Lothian over at the White House briefing earlier.</s>DAN LOTHIAN, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: It does appear that the president actually bowed to King Abdullah. Did he bow or didn't he?</s>GIBBS: I think he bent over with both to shake -- with both hands to shake his hands. So I don't...</s>LOTHIAN: To show one hand...</s>GIBBS: No. I...</s>LOTHIAN: Did he bow or didn't he?</s>GIBBS: No. But I think this meeting was like a week ago, right?</s>LOTHIAN: That's right, but this is something that a lot of people are still talking about today.</s>GIBBS: I can only imagine it is of great cause and concern for many people struggling with the economy.</s>BLITZER: All right. Clearly trying to play down the issue. The "Pittsburgh Tribune Review" editorial said this, Donna, "In the least, it was an embarrassing protocol faux paus. Mr. Obama is not the king's subject but his equal. But the bow," in quotes, "actually was worst than that, it's a troubling metaphor for a deferential presidency." He's getting a lot of criticism from the right.</s>BRAZILE: Well, you know, they criticized Michelle Obama, the first lady, for supposedly touching the Queen, so I don't know if it was a bow, a nod or that was his way of saying -- you know (speaking foreign language), I don't know what the greeting was, but look, the fact is that he was just showing his friendship and his kindness to a country that we hope remains a strong ally in the Middle East.</s>BLITZER: Big deal or little deal?</s>PERINO: I think it's a little deal if they would have let it be a little deal but I think that they have perpetuated this story for several days because if you look at the tape, just from the plain face of it people can look at it and go, oh gosh, that kind of looks like a bow. But I think they could have handled it differently. Look, when President Bush did the cultural and customary thing of grabbing the king of Saudi Arabia's hand, we saw the Democrats play that card over and over again.</s>BLITZER: He went further. Take a look at -- turn around, you can see the video we have. If you turn around, Dana, right behind you. But he went further, he actually gave him a kiss.</s>PERINO: Well, that's the customary thing to do. And you get your State Department memo, you left that protocol and you want to do the right thing.</s>BLITZER: But you can imagine if President Obama...</s>PERINO: But no American bows to anybody else.</s>BLITZER: ... would have kissed King Abdullah...</s>PERINO: But America -- our whole country is based on the fact that we're not the subject of anybody else and we're not supposed to bow. That's probably why this is a controversy. I think the White House probably could have blown this off earlier if they would have just said thought that that was the protocol, trying to be kind. You know, move on. Instead, now it's like four days later and we're still talking about it and you're showing the videotape.</s>BLITZER: All right.</s>BRAZILE: Look, I just think he was just trying to show just some -- just show mutual respect.</s>BLITZER: On a totally different matter, we have the first lady of the United States saying this on an intriguing subject. Listen to this.</s>UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: When are you going to get it?</s>MICHELLE OBAMA, FIRST LADY: Soon.</s>UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: How soon?</s>OBAMA: Soon. .</s>OBAMA: When is the question.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Look in this last row.</s>UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: OK. Come on.</s>BLITZER: Talking about the little dog that's coming into the White House. Maybe a big dog, we don't know.</s>BRAZILE: Well, look, and I'm sure the dog is getting trained as we speak to be able to salute the president.</s>PERINO: All I can say is that the Obama children are very patient because they were told on January 20th they were going to get this dog and I admire them for holding strong and waiting.</s>BLITZER: Good things happen to those who wait.</s>PERINO: Yes, I'm sure it'll be a great dog.</s>BLITZER: Didn't your mother once tell you that? Didn't every mother wants...</s>PERINO: I'm a huge dog fan, I think it will be great.</s>BRAZILE: I'm a huge dog fan as well.</s>BLITZER: We remember Barney. He was a cute little dog, too.</s>PERINO: He was a very cute little dog.</s>BLITZER: That's right.</s>BRAZILE: I have a beagle still one at home, too, named Tutu.</s>PERINO: Me too, Henry.</s>BLITZER: I have a dog growing up in Buffalo. All right, guys, thanks very much. From President Obama's inner circle, a rare, optimistic forecast for the economy. Details of what a top economic adviser is saying. Plus, the first lady plants her fruit and vegetable garden over at the White House with a little help from some friends.