This is Wolf Blitzer in the Situation Room. And we have BREAKING NEWS. Three more Republican congressmen have said the Benghazi investigation is a sham created just to bring down Hillary Clinton. Live with reaction is Reince Priebus, chairman of the Republican National Committee. Mr. Priebus...
Priebus: Wolf, I'm here to talk about the next Republican debate at the Venetian Hotel in Las Vegas, not to comment on the upcoming Benghazi hearings. I didn't even know...
Blitzer:But this is BREAKING NEWS. Here on CNN. So you won't answer questions about these three members of Congress? Yet, you at the RNC, along with the Chamber of Commerce and special interests, backed their election. Congressman Trey Gowdy says these three have a low IQ.
Priebus:Their IQ is within range of the caucus. I support all Republican officials, regardless of IQ, marital infidelity, sexual orientation, or anything else. We are a big tenth. I mean, tent. And don't forget Ronald Reagan's Eleventh Commandment.
Blitzer:CNN legal analyst Jeffrey Toobin may have more to say tonight about whether recent court decisions permit us to talk about commandments. What about Republican Congressman Richard Hanna who said the Benghazi investigation is political?
Priebus:My position is the MSNBC debate should be limited to five hours, and three more candidates added.
Blitzer:Nancy Pelosi says you're blacklisting Hanna because he voted for the Violence Against Women Act. I'm giving you the opportunity, right now on the Situation Room, to deny the existence of the Republicans' War Against Women.
Priebus:Let's get real, Wolf. We at the RNC have an affirmative action program to enable more females to join the BCC.
Blazer:The BBC? Why not NPR?
Priebus:No the BCC. The Beltway Consultant Class. We want women to have as much opportunity as men to rip off our donors with inaccurate polling and ineffective media ads.
Blitzer:But what about paid family leave for the BCC? And will pregnant vendors get equal treatment from the RNC?
Priebus:The real issue is Planned Parenthood. Its president makes more than I do.
Blitzer:We're out of time, but thanks Chairman Priebus for being with us, for taking time away from your raising money from the Koch brothers. We know you have a choice, and you could have been at Fox. Very quickly, we have DNC Chairman Debbie Wasserman Schultz. Or, Chairwoman, or should I say, ma'am?
Schultz:Don't call me ma'am. You're not covering the Pentagon. I am Chair, Wolf. I am DNC Chair. Just like Barbara Boxer who wanted to be called senator, I worked hard to get this title of Chair.
Blitzer:To be with us live on the Situation Room, you stepped out of a major fundraiser in Hollywood with Barbra Streisand and major Jewish backers of President Obama. What are you telling them about Israel?
Schultz:Nothing, Wolf. They could care less about Israel. They believe the greatest threat to Jews is Global Warming.
Blitzer:You heard this here first, on the Situation Room. Jews are more concerned about Global Warming than Israel. When you came out for the Iran deal, you cried. Why?
Schultz:Wolf, those were tears of happiness.
Blitzer:Thank you for clarifying. We've covered on the Situation Room many times John Boehner crying, presumably because his father was a bartender, or maybe because he can't control his Republican Caucus. Any reaction, Chair Schultz, to what Chair Priebus, I mean Chairman Priebus, said?
Schultz:I agree with him.
Blitzer:What!?!
Schultz:I take the same view of unity in our party. I support all Democrats in Congress, regardless of mediocrity or ethical lapses. Chairman Priebus and I are committed to a vibrant two-party system.
Blitzer:So, here on the Situation Room we've found a common ground between the Republican Chairman and the Democratic Chair.
Schultz:Not so fast. Reince heads a political party that is against women and would prohibit divorce unless initiated by the husband; against the poor by incarcerating them for exploitation labor, below the minimum wage, against people of color who will be conscripted for unpopular wars, even with no draft, and against seniors who will lose their social security if they live beyond actuarial tables.
Blitzer:Chair Schultz, I wonder if anyone has observed that you and Rand Paul have similar hairstyles. But your political philosophy is quite different, as I'm sure you'll agree. We've seen this tonight with the battle lines drawn for 2016. Reince Priebus did not say anything new, but you've thrown down the gauntlet.
Gergen:Wolf, hear-hear, I think it's important to keep this dialogue civil.
Blitzer:Words of wisdom from long-time CNN contributor and former-everything, David Gergen. Thanks, David, for reminding us that we're all Americans who can find a happy compromise between socialism and capitalism and still have a dialogue. On that note, let's turn to our panel, but first, we have BREAKING NEWS. Donald Trump is boarding his campaign plan five minutes late. Let's cut now to watch him wave as he enters his costly, large private aircraft. Mr. Trump, can you hear me? This is Wolf Blitzer in The Situation Room.
Trump: Are we in a crisis? Are you underneath the White House?
Blitzer: No, my program is called The Situation Room.
Trump:I don't need to know the rooms until I move in. They'll keep changing the names, anyway. Have to go. Wolf. You want ratings tonight? Put me Out Front with Erin Burnett. I love being out front with women, and women love me out front.
Blitzer:Well, Mr. Trump can't hear us, but we'll wait until the door closes and keep the camera on that aircraft. Now to our panel, while viewers can continue to watch the plane and the door on our split screen. Van Jones, a former Obama Administration official and CNN contributor is here Van, you can see Mr. Trump's plane taxiing on the runway.
Jones:Donald Trump is a master showman. He no doubt planned for the plane to run five minutes late. Wolf, he knew exactly what would trigger CNN coverage. But the media is not covering substantive issues, like when Mr. Trump called Marco Rubio a "boy." If Mr. Trump is not a racist, he is clearly insensitive and thus unqualified.
Begala:Wolf, I should not be saying this, because this is brilliant strategic insight, proprietary and totally confidential, but Hillary would carry all fifty states if Donald Trump were the nominee. People high up in my own party will criticize me for revealing this.
Blitzer:All fifty states. You heard it here first on The Situation Room. That's Paul Begala talking, former adviser to Bill Clinton who was always overshadowed by former CNN contributor James Carville, until now.
Jones:Wolf, I disagree. Trump could win. He appeals to blacks who resent illegal aliens, I mean, "aspiring Americans, " who take their jobs. Also, I want to say to Chair Wasserman-Schultz, if she is listening, the Koch brothers are not evil. Their criminal justice reform group paid me a nice honorarium to speak at their conference.
Blitzer:Van, will you say that even if Chair Wasserman- Schultz is not listening?
Jones:Yes, the Kochs are not stereotyped white Republicans who stereotype people.
Blitzer:Van, I have to ask you: do black lives matter to the Koch brothers?
Jones:Unfortunately, they say "all lives matter."
Blitzer:There you have it, from Van Jones. Charles Koch and David Koch say, "All lives matter." Maybe that plays well in Wichita, but what about Detroit? How many blacks are in Wichita? Others may see this as a right-wing extremist position. Let's turn to our house-Republican. I mean, not in the House of Representatives, but former Nixon aide, former Ford aide, former Reagan aide, and even former Bill Clinton aide. David Gergen, is there a common ground here?
Gergen:Most lives matter.
Blitzer:Thank you, David for being so concise. But I don't think your name was on the screen long enough. Our viewers can readily understand why four presidents relied on you, David Gergen, to repudiate their respective base. Let's turn next to former Gore campaign manager Donna Brazile.
Brazile:People of color will unite behind the Democratic nominee, no matter who he or she is. I don't care if it's a transsexual KKK-er. The Democratic party stands for something. Now, on what we're talking about. Wolf, black lives matter, but so do Mexicans.
Blitzer:How about Nicaraguans? Let's turn to Ana Navarro, friend of George Bush, but backer of Marco Rubio. I meant friend of Jeb Bush, sorry, Ana.
Navarro:For the record, I'm proud to be a friend of George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush, but as Jeb Bush would say, "Here's the deal." I am a friend of Marco Rubio, but I'm backing Jeb.
Blitzer:Thank you, Ana for setting the record straight, on the record, in The Situation Room. Let me ask registered pundit and lobbyist Hilary Rosen...
Rosen:That's former registered lobbyist and now pundit.
Blitzer:Thank you, CNN contributor Hilary for correcting the record. We pride ourselves on "former" people whom no one will hire. I think most of our viewers remember you for saying in 2012 that Ann Romney "has never worked a day in her life." But since then, Hilary, you've apologized, lost weight and improved your appearance. Are we seeing a new Hilary Rosen? And are you, Hilary, for Hillary?
Rosen:Wolf, there is a Republican war against men and women. I know because my lesbian partner and I have adopted twins, a boy and a girl.
Blitzer:You do have an unusual perspective, Hilary. But we're running short on time. We're fortunate to have CNN legal analyst Jeffrey Toobin. He is clueless about politics, has never run a campaign, and his predictions are way off. But we ask him, anyway, because he had a publicized long running affair with Casey Greenfield, daughter of former CNN senior analyst Jeff Greenfield, who is a qualified pundit. So, we're keeping it all in the CNN family. And, Jeffrey, Donald Trump just tweeted reacting: "Paul Begala had terrible ratings as a Crossfire host. I would have fired him. He just talks and talks. CNN is in the tank. Paul, you are stupid and could never negotiate with China. I will carry all fifty states, and the District of Columbia."
Toobin:As a member of the JournoList group of left-leaning bloggers, I have a real understanding of the Republican Party. Trump is leading because he is a racist, while his other opponents keep their racism hidden.
Blitzer: Very insightful. Jeffrey Toobin, CNN legal analyst, you can't learn that in law school. And now, BREAKING NEWS. Donald Trump is calling from the campaign plane. Mr. Trump, Donald, how is your flight going?
Navarro:I'm for Jeb Bush, as you know, but I'm a friend of Marco Rubio. Wolf, I don't mean to sound like a sourpuss, but you don't take calls from Jeb or Marco.
Trump:Jeb is low-energy, he would not call in. You would have to call him. When Marco gets his own plane, he can call in. Look at him. He's a boy.
Blitzer:Mr. Trump, I see a highly agitated Van Jones wants to ask a question.
Jones:Mr. Trump, we know the sinister implications. You're calling a U.S. Senator a boy because he is Latino.
Trump:No, it's because he only shaves once a week, and he owes money on his credit cards. Other than that, he's one of the good ones.
Blitzer:Van, whether you agree with Mr. Trump or not, he has directly answered your question. He doesn't hold back. Sen. Rubio shaves less frequently than other men, and he carries a balance on his credit card. But, for the record, he has paid off his student loans. Mr. Trump, you have to give him credit for that. Or maybe getting credit is a problem for him. David Gergen, former adviser to four former presidents, do you want to weigh in on whether Sen. Rubio is a deadbeat?
Gergen:No.
Blitzer:Thank you, David. Our viewers can see that you are a man of few words, and you make them count. Next is Anderson Cooper360. Anderson, what can we look forward to, tonight?
Cooper:How should I know? Are you going out to eat at a new trendy restaurant, Wolf? But on Anderson Cooper 360, we're focusing on the Mideast. Our show is: "Do Gay Lives Matter?"
Blitzer:Anderson, you bring a unique perspective on this issue. What should our viewers be looking for?
Cooper:I'm going to be interviewing a ranking Likud party member, an ultra-Orthodox Jew with thirteen children, who is coming out of the closet on Anderson Cooper 360, and he will confront a gay, secular Palestinian from Gaza who wants to live at the Al Aksa Mosque. The two men will bridge the great divide tonight. And at the end of the show, we're having a Saudi Arabian transvestite wearing a burka to tell us why he is breaking with official Saudi policy and is supporting the Iran deal. He prefers to be called she, and we'll respect that, of course, here on CNN. She also supports Iranian stoning of gays and says it's wrong to condemn ISIS for throwing homosexuals off buildings. Wolf, he condemns American reaction to the ISIS drowning of gays as unacceptable Western arrogance and despicable cultural imperialism. You won't want to miss this.
Blitzer:"Do Gay Lives Matter?" Only on CNN. Anderson Cooper 360 tonight.
(This is a slightly different version of what I previously posted at the American Spectator --
http://spectator.org/articles/64388/situation-room-wolf-blitzer.)