Biden Condemns Israeli Decision; New Allegations Against Massa; Education in the U.S.
WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: Happening now, Vice President Joe Biden condemns a new move by Israel only hours after meeting with Israeli leaders, this hour why the U.S. is feeling snubbed and what all this means for Middle East peace. Also, conservatives have a new and unlikely hero, at least some conservatives. But will they change their minds about former Congressman Eric Massa. Now, wait until you hear the odd things the Democrat is saying about new allegations against him. And in this era of red hot partisanship, can Democrats and Republicans find common ground for the sake of America's children? The Obama Education Secretary Arne Duncan and a former Reagan Education Secretary Bill Bennett, they're teaming up for a rare and provocative discussion. I'm Wolf Blitzer. You're in THE SITUATION ROOM. Vice President Biden is not mincing any words at all. He's boldly, publicly condemning Israel's new plan to build hundreds of homes in a disputed area of Jerusalem, saying it undermines trust. This is a major new thorn between Israel and the United States even as Biden visits Jerusalem, hoping to promote Middle East peace. Our White House correspondent Dan Lothian is standing by with details. Pretty important story, Dan, and the timing is very significant.</s>DAN LOTHIAN, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: That's right. I mean not good timing at all, Wolf. You know, the settlement issue has really impacted the relationship between the United States and Israel, so the vice president going to Israel, a chance to essentially polish that relationship, if you will, to kick-start the peace talks there, but then this announcement is made, and the vice president then putting out a statement with very strong language saying in part that I condemn the decision by the government of Israel to advance planning for new housing units in East Jerusalem. He went on to say that we must build an atmosphere to support negotiations, not complicate them. This announcement underscores the need to get negotiations under way that can resolve all the outstanding issues of the conflict, strong language also coming from White House spokesman Robert Gibbs today who says that the U.S. had no advance knowledge that this announcement would be made while the vice president was on the ground. Take a listen.</s>ROBERT GIBBS, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: Neither the substance or the timing is particularly helpful and I think runs counter to the very productive talks that the vice president was having in the region.</s>LOTHIAN: And that's the irony there because the White House pointing out that these talks were very productive, the vice president, again, reassuring Israel that it's there ready to stand behind it during peace talks to support them on security issues. In particular, Iran, which is a big concern for Israel so talking about that support for Israel being consistent, but at the same time some disappointment, Wolf, that announcement happening while the vice president was in Israel.</s>BLITZER: Yes, as you point out, Dan, these words are very precise. They weren't expressing concern. They were condemning. I mean I condemn the decision by the government of Israel, Biden says and then he says this is the kind of step that undermines the trust we need right now. Those words are pointed, and I think it's in part because Biden was there, he was talking to the Israelis, and the U.S. -- the Obama administration clearly feels blind-sided.</s>LOTHIAN: They do, and again, having no advance warning that this was going to be done, and those strong words coming not only from the vice president but again reiterated by Robert Gibbs at the briefing here today. I mean this was really seen as a chance to get things moving forward, and now language like this, this announcement only complicates things.</s>BLITZER: The day after George Mitchell announces the resumption after a year-long effort to get those proximity talks between the Israelis and the Palestinians off the ground. This announcement clearly irritating the Obama administration right now. We'll see the impact on U.S./Israeli relations. Thanks very much for that. Let's get to the political controversy here in Washington. An allegation surrounding a former congressman named Eric Massa a day after he resigned. This story is getting stranger and stranger. The Democrat is responding to new reports he's been under investigation by allegations he groped male staffers working in his office. "The Washington Post", which first reported the allegations, say they go back at least a year. Let's bring in our congressional correspondent Brianna Keilar. She's been working on this story for us. Brianna, he's speaking out publicly now and he's making some startling statements, Massa.</s>BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, he was on Glenn Beck's show today, Wolf, and he said that there was no sexual misconduct, and he gave a rather bizarre explanation for why it might have been perceived that he was groping male staff members. Here's what he said.</s>ERIC MASSA (D), FORMER U.S. CONGRESSMAN: Now they're saying I groped a male staffer. Yes, I did. Not only did I grope him, I tickled him until he couldn't breathe and then four guys jumped on top of me. It was my 50th birthday. It was kill the old guy. You can take anything out of context.</s>KEILAR: Now Wolf, this was a somewhat different explanation than we had heard over the weekend when he was on a local radio station in his former district. He said basically this weekend that he had said something inappropriate and then tussled the hair of a male staffer at a wedding that he went to. But this explanation of this tickle fight, I got to tell you this is serious water cooler fodder here on the Hill and certainly across Washington.</s>BLITZER: He also, Brianna, made the point in the last few days that this was all a conspiracy, a plot by the Democratic leadership, including Rahm Emanuel, the White House chief of staff, to get him out because he was going to vote against the Democrats' health care plan.</s>KEILAR: And he said today, Wolf, something different. He said that he was taking responsibility and he said that he was not forced out because he was going to vote no to break with Democratic leaders and vote no on health care. This is different from what we heard over the weekend. This weekend he said that he was "set up". That is a quote. From the beginning he said that Democratic leaders wanted to, quote, "get rid of him", so you can see that there is certainly a change in what he said from this weekend to today.</s>BLITZER: Brianna Keilar is up on the Hill working this story. This important programming note to our viewers, our own Larry King will try to sort through some of Massa's surprising and conflicting remarks. Later tonight the former congressman is Larry's guest tonight 9:00 p.m. Eastern only here on CNN, "LARRY KING LIVE". The big push is on for health care reform, today it landed at a Washington hotel where hundreds of activists protested against health insurance executives, accusing them of corporate crimes. Also a runaway Toyota Prius takes its owner for a harrowing ride. And the U.S. education system in crisis, could it come down to drastic cutbacks and four-day school weeks? Stay with us. You're in THE SITUATION ROOM.