[Wolf Blitzer, Host, The Situation Room:] Nancy Pelosi has praised it. John Boehner has praised it. But there are critics on the right and left who don't like various aspects. It still has to be voted on in the House of Representatives. I assume it will pass, pass the Senate and the president will sign it. And the next two years, including the mid-term election in 2014, we won't have to worry, as you point out, about another government shutdown.
[Ashleigh Banfield, Cnn Anchor:] Let me ask you this. There are a number of different polls that come out today, and it depends on to what TV network you seem to watch as to whether the president is doing better or worse. But the CNN poll that combined them all, 42 percent of Americans approve, 53 percent disapprove. Here is the question. Did the Republicans possibly see that the battle over the budget was not gaining them traction, politically speaking and that Obamacare was a debacle that they could have actually maximized and switching to the strategy of Obamacare? Because if that's the case, isn't the -aren't Obamacare numbers starting to do better, too. So that's a bit of a quandary, isn't it?
[Blitzer:] There's no doubt that on the first point, the government shutdown, most Americans blamed the Republicans. And I think most Republicans, at least privately if not publicly, will acknowledge that hurt them. The first two weeks after October 1st when the Obamacare website was rolled out, they missed an opportunity, the Republicans. They really could have gone after the president and Obamacare those first two weeks. Although the country for two weeks was focused on a government shutdown and deep concerns over the government shutdown and raising the nation's debt ceilings, which I suspect hurt the Republicans as well. I think one of the factors working on Paul Ryan to go ahead and make this deal, this compromise deal with Patty Murray, the Democratic Senator from Washington State, was because they didn't want another government shutdown. This would avoid a government shutdown. Certainly, give the Republicans, they believe, some added advantage going into next year's mid-term elections. Because if the big issue that's still a big if if the issue is still Obamacare, then the Republicans think they not only can hold on to the majority in the House but maybe even take over the Senate. That's what some of the political types are thinking about. But we shall see. It's a long time between now and next November.
[Banfield:] Yeah. Those enrollment numbers right now are nowhere near where they should be according to the government's own projections. We'll have to follow these polls as we go forward because who knows if that's going to be the winning strategy for the Republicans. Let me show you something else for a moment. I want to switch gears to something we don't often see, Wolf. Around the NEWSROOM, we were all crouched over these images that came out from the White House aboard Air Force One, a plane that few people get to ride aboard. But there's something about these pictures. This one, the president and the former president in the hallway outside of the meeting room just kicking it. It's a long flight to South Africa. And in this next one, Mr. Obama, Michelle Obama, Hillary Clinton, the deputy national security adviser, Ben Rhodes, is standing in the background. A third photo shows Hillary Clinton. This is my favorite, Wolf. It shows her smiling at what looks like a tablet or iPad of sorts, and the former President Bush is showing her his most recent artwork. Valarie Jarrett is off to the right of the photo. Susan Rice, the look on her face is great. Eric Holder standing. And in the foreground to the right, that's Mrs. Bush. And Michelle Obama just to the left of the secretary in the picture. And this shot was right before dinner, Wolf. Apparently, they were waiting for dinner. I love that they're all dressed so comfortably. They're flying together for somewhere around 16 hours to fly to Johannesburg. I just wanted you to weigh in a little bit on the culture aboard an aircraft like this, where you can almost literally let your hair down and change relationships.
[Blitzer:] It's a good opportunity to spend some good quality time because you are aboard a plane. When I was the CNN senior White House correspondent, I had the opportunity many times to fly aboard Air Force One, including on long flights. I covered President Bill Clinton. And you go into the conference room when you're invited up there and you see the president with the United States with his top aides just playing cards or with his special guests, dignitaries who might be on board or with his senior staff. And you see how close the quarters are. Even though it's a big 747, it's still pretty tight. You do have an opportunity to bond. And this was a great moment, I'm sure, for two presidents, President Obama and President Bush, to get quality time in if they wanted to chat, wanted to talk, or the first ladies or whatever. Hillary Clinton was there. Bill Clinton and Chelsea Clinton came on a separate flight. Jimmy Carter was there in South Africa. He came on a separate flight as well. But you're right. These are unique moments, historic moments, if you will. You go into that conference room on Air Force One, you sit there and get ready for dinner and you chat a little bit, that's pretty cool.
[Banfield:] I don't know why it is that I'm so fascinated by it. Could we pop the photo up again of the conference room that Wolf was referring to? They're in their sweaters. I hate to say this, but I was actually pacing it out in the office today. The conference table is huge. And the chairs are big and plush and huge. That makes it hard to believe you're onboard an air plane. But it is close quarters, isn't it?
[Blitzer:] It looks bigger in that picture than it actually is. You're aboard a big plane, a 747. The conference room is nice, but it's not huge or anything. It's
[Banfield:] Not like your office?
[Blitzer:] No, not that big, obviously.
[Banfield:] Wolf Blitzer. Thank you. Good to see you.
[Blitzer:] Thanks. You can always see Wolf Blitzer, starting this afternoon, 1:00 p.m. eastern time. Thanks, Wolf. I want to take you next to Montana. What a case. A trial of a young widow on trial for the death of her husband. Jordan Graham is accused of pushing him over a cliff. And the court hears her lies. We've heard people lie before to cover up a crime. But the extent of her lying, you have to hear it to believe it.