Donna Brazile says Al Gore possibly to make a last-minute entry

DONNA BRAZILE, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: Wolf, there is no question as a former president, he is there not just to pay his respect, but I'm sure that President Clinton is thinking about President Ford's legacy. Decent guy, he was well-liked, respected by both sides of the political aisle. He had real personal relationships with John Dingell, the former speaker, Tip O'Neill. So I'm sure that today both President Clinton and Senator Clinton are paying deep respect to a good man.
BLITZER: It was a different era, maybe we just remember the positive but I think it really was a different era where there was more collegiality here in Washington.
BAY BUCHANAN, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: Well certainly there was, Wolf, to a great extent but you also remember that was a time when within his own party, he was challenged by Ronald Reagan, and so there was that type of feelings. But he had enormous friendships up on the hill. But I think one of the things that I would like to reflect on at this time is the fact that independent of what you thought of him politically or which side you were on in those days, what a great tradition we have in this country that we honor the people who did service. It's a very difficult job to be president of the United States and so as time passes we look for the good things that they did, how Gerald Ford did unify this country making some tough decisions to do so.
BLITZER: He did some excellent things, there's no doubt about that. Within the past hour or so, we saw the current president and Mrs. Bush come over to the rotunda to pay their respects. This followed his father and mother coming by earlier. It's been a day where average Americans, by the thousands, have been going up to the capitol waiting in line in a rain, chilly here in Washington, to do what the leaders of the country are doing as well.
BRAZILE: It's a very solemn moment. Look, I live on Capitol Hill and I often walk up and down the hill and I tell you people are coming from all parts of the country to pay respect to President Ford. I saw a young man there earlier today when I was up on the hill. He had his two little kids. He said this is history, I want them to know what Gerald Ford did for the country.
BUCHANAN: And he's able to generate all of this love, having never been elected the president and also only having been president for a little over two years. It's a great country. We look for the good as we move on out of difficult periods.
BLITZER: The funeral services will continue tomorrow morning 9:00 a.m. eastern. We'll have complete coverage from right here in THE SITUATION ROOM. Tomorrow morning at the National Cathedral in Washington. Let's get on to some of the other big issues, Donna, right now. Specifically the proposal for a major troop increase in Iraq. Maybe 10,000, maybe 20,000. Some are talking 30 or 40,000 troops in the Baghdad area, the al Anbar area. But you know what, there are Republicans, members of the president's own party, who are saying not so fast. Chuck Hagel, by telling the columnist Robert Novak, "It's Alice in Wonderland... I'm absolutely opposed to sending any more troops to Iraq. It is folly." The president has a problem not only with Democrats, but with Republicans.
BRAZILE: Look, the president is coming back to a new Congress, a new attitude. And he is going to be up against not just his Republicans, but Democrats like Joe Biden that's planning to hold hearings over the next couple of weeks. Susan Collins, the senator from Maine who's up for reelection in 2008 just returned from Iraq and she is also concerned about this escalation of troops. Norm Coleman of Minnesota. Many of these senators are up in 2008 and I suspect many more Republicans will come out against a surge, escalation in our troops.
BLITZER: What do you think, Bay?
BUCHANAN: I think first of all, it is the responsibility of Congress to ask questions. They are the ones that authorized him to go to war and they are the ones who are going to fund this increase in troops. It is their job and the country expects that of them. But, secondly, it's the president's job to be the commander in chief. He has to decide how to implement this war. And if he wishes and if he thinks that it is best to raise the number of troops now, he best go for it with everything he has got. This is his last chance of actually being able to do something in Iraq. If he doesn't do it now, then he should pull everybody home.
BLITZER: But you know a lot of experts have suggested that 20,000 or even 30,000 troops probably not going to make much of a difference. If you really want to get the job done you have to have 300,000 troops or 400,000 troops in a country of 27 or 28 million people to get the job done and it's just simply going to just maybe buy a little time but it's really not going to change the fundamental picture on the ground. What do you say to that?
BUCHANAN: Well, you know there's no question. Every possible combination of things that -- have been recommended and are being debated in this country. I mean there is no question some people think we should bring them home, increase, increase by what numbers, how long should they stay? But Wolf, the bottom line is, we are now at war. This is not a debate whether we should go to war. We are at war and the president has a policy on the line. If he wishes to make certain that this policy is successful he has to take bold action now and he only has 30 to 40 to 50,000 troops. There are no two or 300 to send over there.
BRAZILE: When we reached the milestone of 3000 brave troops dead, when we reached 2000, the president said that they're going to stay until the mission is completed. Well, we're now at 3000. What is the mission? Why should we bring more troops there? For what? To be in the middle of a civil war? I think the president has to come up with a comprehensive package, something to reconcile some of the problems there, a political solution, an economic solution, but he cannot just bring in more troops because I don't believe that will solve the problem.
BLITZER: Let's talk a little bit about presidential politics 2008. We're now in 2007. So it's appropriate we can talk about the 2008 presidential -- I know both of you have been thinking about new year's resolutions for these respective candidates. Let's hear some of yours, Donna.
BRAZILE: Well I've been thinking about Hillary Clinton. She is the front runner by all of the pundits and everyone else.
BLITZER: On the Democratic side?
BRAZILE: On the Democratic side. Some would say on the Republican because she is also leading Rudy Giuliani. But I think you are going to see more of her personal side, the mother, the daughter. You know, you're going to see Hillary appear on shows where she can show who she is as a person, not just a first lady or the senator, but who Hillary Clinton really is.
BLITZER: What I hear you saying she's not going to be here in THE SITUATION ROOM? BRAZILE: Well she should come to THE SITUATION ROOM and also go on "The Daily Show" and all the other shows. I think Barack Obama will use those upcoming hearings on Iraq to beef up his resume to talk about foreign policy, to show people that he has real experience or some ideas about what to do internationally. I think John Edwards is going to take up permanent residence in the state of Iowa so that he can win those caucuses. And look I believe people like Joe Biden, Chris Dodd and others who are contemplating running will have extreme makeovers so that they can go out there and energize the party. One other person, Al Gore, once he kissed the head of that Oscar after he wins, I'm predicting that in 2007, look for Al Gore possibly to make a last-minute entry. I'm not saying he is running but I'm saying that there is every possibility that Al Gore can unite the party and be someone that can come in at the last minute.
BLITZER: All right those are good new year's resolutions. What about you Bay?
BUCHANAN: Well I think it's interesting what Donna would suggest about Hillary. Hillary is one of the people that I had on my list that she would let us know who she is. I mean we've only known her now for how many years? She was the first lady for eight years, one of the most well-known women in the nation and yet we are now going to find out who she is. So this is clearly a makeover in the making here. But I think what Hillary needs to do is make a decision. Whether she can run, not going to run and let's stick with it. Is she going to be a liberal or a centrist. And let's decide. Is she for the war or against the war? Let's stick with whatever she decides. This is a woman who is constantly changing, it's time for her to tell the American people where she stands and stay with it. As for Obama, my recommendation for a resolution for him is that he keeps smiling. That first he goes in his closet, find out everything that's there, what he's done, thought about saying, said in the last -- since he's been 10 and reviews it because the Clinton machine has got him in their targets and they love to work the personal so he best be ready to respond to anything and keep smiling because it's that smile they want to take off his face.
BLITZER: What about on the Republican side?
BUCHANAN: On the Republican side. I think with Rudy Giuliani, his resolution should be to stay out of Iowa. They will strip him of his clothes and run him out of that state if he's not careful. He'd be wise to start in New Hampshire. McCain has to take control of that Irish temper of his. Make certain -- he has done a pretty good job but in the midst of a campaign if he lets it glow the last thing Americans want is a hot and angry candidate. Mitt Romney should downgrade his quality of his clothes. He's a little too slick for Iowa and then he should move to Iowa because that's where he can make his inroads against a McCain. And I think conservatives are looking for a candidate and I think you're going to see some candidates out there and they all, my recommendation to them is they should think Iowa because that is where a conservative can make a difference.
BLITZER: All right, good new year's resolutions and good analysis as usual guys. Thanks very much. BRAZILE: We predict that Wolf will continue to be one of the sexiest men alive. Don't you think?
BLITZER: Absolutely. Thank you very much.
BRAZILE: Tell your wife don't get mad at me.
BLITZER: Donna Brazile and Bay Buchanan as all of our viewers know, are part of the best political team on television. Very, very astute observers as well.
And remember, for the latest political news at any time, check out our political ticker, simply go to cnn.com/ticker.
Coming up, a timeline of Saddam Hussein's execution. And how he was taunted by guards before his death. We're going to take you through it step-by-step. That's coming up in the next hour. And that somber new milestone for U.S. troops. More than 3,000 dead in Iraq. We'll get the take of that toll from the Pentagon. Stay with us. You're in THE SITUATION ROOM.
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BLITZER: Check back with Mary Snow for a closer look at some other important stories making news. Mary?
MARY SNOW, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, the United Nations' new secretary-general is getting ready to get to work. South Korea's Ban Ki-Moon was sworn in last month. He actually took over today. But he'll spend his first day on the job tomorrow. So far the U.N.'s eighth secretary general has kept his agenda under wraps. He faces far-reaching issues including carnage in Sudan, peacekeepers in 18 countries and tensions in the Middle East.
New statistics suggest that New York City may be getting safer but not across the board. The NYPD has released year-end crime figures showing that overall criminal complaints for 2006 dropped about 4-1/2 percent. Now that includes everything from rape to robbery. On the flip side however, murders in the big apple were up by about 5 percent. The police department says crime was down in high-impact zones and that includes Times Square. Speaking of Times Square, the big ball isn't the only thing that drops in New York the last day of the year. Today, city workers are swarming over Times Square where an estimated million plus people rang in the new year last night. Mayor Michael Bloomberg promised that the 3 1/2 tons of confetti and other debris would be gone by morning.
And the New Year's Day tradition with a new twist. The 118th annual Tournament of Roses Parade in Pasadena, California had a "Star Wars" theme. Flower laden extravaganza called "Star Wars" Spectacular featured characters from the hit movie series, including 200 white helmeted storm troopers. "Star Wars" creator George Lucas was the parade's grand marshal. Wolf, looks like they had a good time.
BLITZER: A lovely parade indeed. Thanks Mary for that. Still to come, are U.S. Supreme Court justices and federal judges earning enough money? The chief justice apparently doesn't think so. We're going to discuss that controversial question, that's coming up.
And we're also going to take you back live to the U.S. capitol to see who else might show up to pay their respects to President Gerald R. Ford. That's coming up in our next hour, right here in THE SITUATION ROOM.
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BLITZER: The Chief Justice of the United States John Roberts issued a year-end report today slamming the U.S. Congress for failing to raise federal judicial salaries. Roberts described the state of affairs as a, quote, constitutional crisis. For some context, let's bring in our senior producer and legal analyst Alex Wellen. And first of all Alex, what sort of salaries are we talking about here?
ALEX WELLEN, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: Well federal judges are making about $165,000. That's about the same as most members of Congress. $175,000 for the federal court of appeals judges and associate justices making about $203,000 and Justice Roberts is bringing in about $212,000.
BLITZER: So what is the fear that the chief justice is expressing? What is his problem?
WELLEN: The argument goes that over the last 25 years they haven't been able to keep up with the percentage increase of the average American worker. So the fear is, and he says, that it threatens the strength, independence and quality of the federal judiciary. The point being that they won't get the cream of the crop. They want to make sure that they get the very best judges and that they compensate them properly.
BLITZER: What does he think would happen if that doesn't go forward? What would he think would be a fair amount of money, for example?

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