Interview with John McCain; Christie Signs New Jersey Dream Act
BLITZER: Backed by Latino leaders and immigration reform advocates, the New Jersey governor, Chris Christie, today signed the state's Dream Act, granting in-state tuition rates to undocumented immigrants. Governor Christie said it sends a message.</s>GOV. CHRIS CHRISTIE (R), NEW JERSEY: Unlike what happens in Washington, the government can actually work for you. That things can actually get done. That agreements can be reached and that commitments can be kept.</s>BLITZER: But does the signing also show that Governor Christie may be able to swing some Hispanics away from Democrats if, if he runs for the White House in 2016? Let's bring in our chief national correspondent John King and our CNN political reporter Peter Hamby. Peter, you were there at that signing, at that event today. What did it say to you about Governor Christie and a potential run for the Republican presidential nomination?</s>PETER HAMBY, CNN NATIONAL POLITICAL REPORTER: Well, talking specifically, Wolf, about the Republican nomination, what it says to me is in this is another example of Chris Christie leaning -- you know, putting both feet firmly on the establishment side of the Republican primary contest. Look, look at the names of people who might run for president. Marco Rubio, Rand Paul, Ted Cruz, Rick Santorum, Rick Perry. You know, they cross different ideological lines within the party but a lot of them sort of lean more to the right. And Christie I think is making a bet that he is going to be a candidate who can win in a general election, you know, primary be damned. He'll see what happens within the primary. He's going to piss off some people, sure, in a primary. But hey, his people say, we don't need to win every single Republican primary voter. To win these primaries, you only need 25 percent, 30 percent, 20 percent in these states. Remember, John McCain, champion of comprehensive immigration reform in 2007, ended up being the Republican nominee for president. He won the state of South Carolina, a notoriously conservative state. So you can win the Republican nomination even while signing pieces of legislation that may rankle the Republican base -- Wolf.</s>BLITZER: So, John, is this beginning of the Christie stump speech out there?</s>JOHN KING, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: I think it's part of the Christie stump speech. It's part of him saying I'm a different kind of Republican like Bill Clinton was a different kind of Democrat. That I'm willing to reach a bit to the middle on some issues. I'm willing to be a pragmatic conservative, not a rigid ideological conservative. Look, he just got 51 percent of the Latino vote in his reelection bid. That's a great thing for him to carry around the country. Now it's not fair in some ways, he didn't have a strong Democratic opponent. However, it's still better than any other Republican thinking about running for president has done with the Latino vote. And so here's the thing. It guarantees you if he runs, that as Peter just noted, McCain's support was an issue in 2008, even McCain moved to the right on his own bill during that campaign to a degree. In 2012, we saw this again, Mitt Romney so trying to get to the right of Rick Perry on immigration he used the famous line, well, they'll self- deport, which hurt him in the general election without a doubt. Here's Christie saying I think we can win this argument and I'm willing to have it as a Republican. It guarantees immigration will again be a dividing line, a flash point in the Republican primaries assuming he's in. And it sure looks like he is.</s>BLITZER: It certainly does. All right. Thanks very much. John King, Peter Hamby, guys, appreciate it. This news, by the way, just coming into THE SITUATION ROOM. A U.S. Air Force helicopter has crashed in the United Kingdom. Video from the scene just coming in. Local police say four people are believed to be dead. The Pentagon does not yet have the official status of those on board. We're going to get more information and will provide it to you as it comes in. Other stories we're monitoring right now in THE SITUATION ROOM, the Russian research ship stranded since Christmas Eve in the Antarctic ice is free and is heading for open waters, according to its captain. Fifty-two scientists, journalists, tourists, crew members were safely rescued from the ship by helicopter last week. Another icebreaker which got stuck during a rescue attempt is also now free. The government has announced a $1.7 billion settlement with JPMorgan Chase over business dealings linked to the convicted Ponzi scheme mastermind Bernie Madoff. Prosecutors accused the global firm of ignoring warnings about Madoff's crimes and turning a blind eye to his massive fraud. They say they'll use the money to help compensate victims. JPMorgan says it doesn't believe any employee knowingly assisted in the notorious scheme. The reigning Olympic and World Cup skiing champion Lindsey Vonn is pulling out of next month's Winter Olympic Games in Sochi, recently announcing on her Facebook page recent knee troubles are too much for her to overcome in time. Vonn, who's dating the golfer Tiger Woods, underwent reconstructive surgery after hurting a right knee nearly a year ago, then aggravated the problem during a crash in November. Just ahead, will House Republicans follow the Senate's lead, vote to extend unemployment benefits for more than one million Americans? I'll ask the head of the Republican National Committee. There he is, Reince Priebus. He's standing by to join us live here in THE SITUATION ROOM. Plus, Dennis Rodman talks exclusively to CNN from inside North Korea and -- unleashes a rant.</s>RODMAN: No, no, no, no, I'm just saying -- no, I don't give