Immigration Battle; Blair's U.S. Visit; Subway Bomb Plot
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning. Welcome, everybody. Welcome to Thursday. I'm Soledad O'Brien.</s>MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Miles O'Brien. Here's a look at what is happening this morning, Thursday, May 25. The Senate plan to fix illegal immigration likely to pass today, setting the stage for an intra-Congress battle of the bills. The Senate bill includes a guest worker program and a path to citizenship for illegals. The House bill would make illegal immigrants felons forcing mass deportations.</s>S. O'BRIEN: There's a new development in the investigation into the NSA's domestic spying program. According to "Roll Call" magazine, top lawmakers will now face questioning from the FBI on whether they need details about that top secret program. The Justice Department denies it is investigating House Speaker Dennis Hastert. The denial follows an "ABC News" report that Hastert is being investigated in connection with the Jack Abramoff corruption case. Hastert has asked for a full retraction. ABC says it's standing by its story.</s>M. O'BRIEN: Vice President Dick Cheney might be a star witness in the trial of his former chief of staff. Lewis "Scooter" Libby indicted for perjury after he divulged the name of a CIA agent to reporters, an apparent effort to undermine a harsh critic of the Iraq war. A special council says Cheney is a logical witness. Just back from Iraq, British Prime Minister Tony Blair pays a visit to the White House today. Blair and President Bush to discuss the new Iraqi government and a possible timetable for withdrawing U.S. and British troops from Iraq.</s>S. O'BRIEN: And a deadline today for Martha Stewart, she has to respond to the SEC's civil lawsuit against her on insider trading charges. The case is connected to her sale of ImClone stock back in 2001. Brings us right to a check of the forecast and Chad Myers who is at the CNN Center this morning. Hey, Chad, good morning.</s>CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Good morning, Soledad. Good morning, Miles.</s>S. O'BRIEN: Nice Memorial Day weekend we've got.</s>MYERS: Yes.</s>S. O'BRIEN: I am so excited about that. All right, Chad, thanks.</s>MYERS: You're welcome.</s>S. O'BRIEN: Sweeping immigration reform bill expected to pass the Senate today. It's got three major components, border security, including funding for 370 miles of fencing along the Mexican border; a guest worker program that would allow somewhere between one and three million workers already in this country illegally to be eligible for work visas and a path to citizenship for about seven million people, if they stay employed, pass background checks, pay fines and taxes and learn English. The bill, though, a very long way from becoming law because there are some major differences with legislation that's already been passed by the House. Correspondent Tara Mergener is live for us in Washington, D.C. Tara, good morning.</s>TARA MERGENER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Soledad. Well the Senate could pass this bill as early as this afternoon, paving the way for a showdown with the House.</s>TARA MERGENER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The sweeping immigration proposal being pushed by the White House includes a guest worker program and tougher border security and possible roads to citizenship for many of the 12 million people here illegally.</s>SEN. BILL FRIST (R), MAJORITY LEADER: Not everybody is going to agree with it, not a perfect bill, but the best of what our legislative body can do addressing very real issues that are out there.</s>MERGENER: Today's vote on the Senate bill follows weeks of protests, debate and political wrangling. Many lawmakers expect it to pass and set up a battle with House conservatives who say the measure provides amnesty for lawbreakers. But some are optimistic a deal can be reached.</s>SEN. JOHN MCCAIN (R), ARIZONA: I've seen some good comments out of the House, and there's no reason why we shouldn't sit down and be able to work something out.</s>MERGENER: The House version of the immigration bill contains no guest worker program and would expose those who cross the border illegally to felony charges. It passed last year.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's important that we get some things done here and get an immigration bill done.</s>MERGENER: And that the House and the Senate will have to merge their separate bills before a final version is sent to President Bush. Live in Washington this morning, I'm Tara Mergener. Soledad, back to you.</s>S. O'BRIEN: Tara, a quick question for you. And you say they've got to merge these bills before it goes to President Bush, which is a huge if, I think it's fair to say. If the president does get the bill and signs it, could be good for him, could be disaster, though, for the Republicans as they face midterm elections, right?</s>MERGENER: Well, certainly. This could be a big victory for President Bush. He has been pushing for immigration reform. But this is a much milder version than the House originally passed in December. That could anger the conservative base, and they are the ones who turn out to vote in the midterm elections.</s>S. O'BRIEN: Tara Mergener for us this morning. Tara, thanks -- Miles.</s>M. O'BRIEN: Just back from Iraq, British Prime Minister Tony Blair comes calling at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue today. The president's closest ally in the Iraq war there to talk about the new government in Baghdad and a possible timetable for withdrawing British and U.S. troops. CNN's Paula Newton is in London. Paula, we know the president here is under pressure to bring troops home. I assume it's the same for Tony Blair, if not more so.</s>PAULA NEWTON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It is, certainly. And the majority polls have shown that always the majority of Britons have been against this war effort. There are about 8,000 British troops in Iraq right now, and they have been taking some heavy casualties. You know Tony Blair's fortunes have kind of gone the way of President Bush. He's down in the polls and he is doing all he can to detract from what's going on in Iraq. For this meeting coming up, we're not expecting to hear anything specific from either side about troop withdrawals. They are really lowering expectations on that. What Tony Blair wants to convince George Bush of, though, is that he can and that they should support more of a U.N. role, even a humanitarian role there, and try and elevate the status of this being more of an international effort in Iraq and take the heat off Britain and the U.S., even just a smidge.</s>M. O'BRIEN: Paula, how politically firm is Tony Blair's position domestically right now? And how much does that dictate what he does right now?</s>NEWTON: You know there's been a lot written in the papers here just about how he is a lame duck. And you know we're very familiar to hearing that in the United States. What he wants to do, though, is try and again deflect from any Iraqi issue right now. He was out here just a few minutes ago, Miles. He refused to take questions about his trip to Washington, said he'd discuss it later. You know, Miles, the press conference will be live here at 12:30 in the morning. Most Britons will be in bed or watching other things on TV. It will deprive the networks here of being able to run that live coverage, and that's exactly what Blair's people wanted. They really want to get onto the domestic agenda here and get away from the entire Iraqi issue -- Miles.</s>M. O'BRIEN: OK, Paula Newton there at 10 Downing Street, thank you very much. CNN will have live coverage of the Bush-Blair news conference 7:00 p.m. Eastern Time here in the United States. A special edition of "THE SITUATION ROOM" with Wolf Blitzer will be followed by the news conference at 7:30, precisely. And a special edition of "</s>PAULA ZAHN" 8: 30 Eastern right here on CNN -- Soledad.</s>S. O'BRIEN: CNN "Security Watch" now. A Pakistani national is now facing life in prison after he was found guilty in a plot to blow up a New York City subway station. More from Sandra Bookman of our New York affiliate WABC.</s>SANDRA BOOKMAN, WABC-TV REPORTER (voice-over): Shahawar Matin Siraj sat expressionless as the jury returned its unanimous verdict, guilty on all four counts. The end of a saga that began nearly two years ago. Twenty-three-year-old Shahawar Matin Siraj was arrested on the eve of the 2004 Republican National Convention on charges he had plotted to attack a subway station in Herald Square. The government alleged he had planned to put the bombs inside backpacks to blow up the station. During the four-week trial, the prosecution introduced secretly recorded conversations it claimed showed Siraj methodically planning the bombings.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Are you going to do it?</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Am I going to do 34th?</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.</s>BOOKMAN: But the defense countered that the digital recordings merely showed a paid police informant luring Siraj into a phony bomb plot, essentially entrapping him. Taking the witness stand in his own defense, Siraj testified he had never had a violent thought before he met the informant, Osama Eldawoody. But the jury believed the prosecution and convicted Siraj. While prosecutors declined comment on their victory, the defense attorney talked about his client's obvious disappointment.</s>MARTIN R. STOLAR, DEFENSE ATTORNEY: I'm not sure that he gets all the consequences of what this means for him other than the fact that he remains in jail. But of course he is not happy with the verdict, as we are not happy with the verdict either.</s>S. O'BRIEN: That report from Sandra Bookman of New York affiliate WABC. Sentencing is set to take place in October. You want to stay with CNN day and night for the most reliable news about your security -- Miles.</s>M. O'BRIEN: Also happening in America this morning, testimony resuming in the D.C. sniper trial today. Sniper John Muhammad, acting as his own lawyer, grilled his accomplice in the shooting spree, Lee Malvo, yesterday. Malvo said Muhammad indoctrinated him. Muhammad is on trial for six murders in Maryland back in 2002. A tempest brewing beneath the Capitol Dome. Lawmakers in the House say the FBI crossed a line when it searched the office of Congressman William Jefferson who is the target of a bribery investigation. Lawmakers say it is a violation of the constitutional separation of powers. Members of Congress asking the Justice Department to return the seized documents. A wild chase near the Mexican border. San Diego police in hot pursuit, speeds reaching triple digits. It ended with a crash. The driver, Yohab Casito (ph) arrested. Police say they found a gun and a lot of cash, mostly hundred dollar bills, inside that SUV. A show of support for the Duke men's lacrosse team from the other Duke lacrosse team. Members of the women's lacrosse team plan to wear sweatbands with the word innocent written on them when they play in the national semifinals tomorrow. Duke administrators canceled the season for the men's team after an exotic dancer accused three players of rape at a party. Two Iraqi children with life-threatening conditions in New Jersey now ready for free heart surgery. U.S. military and Iraqi doctors first contacted Deborah Heart and Lung Center eight months ago to bring a 5-year-old boy and a 15-year-old girl to the U.S. And we wish them well this morning.</s>S. O'BRIEN: Gosh, we sure do. Well guess what, the new "Idol" has been crowned. Listen.</s>M. O'BRIEN: Drum roll please.</s>RYAN SEACREST, HOST, "AMERICAN IDOL": The winner of "American Idol" season five is Taylor Hicks.</s>S. O'BRIEN: Soul Patrol beat out McPheever last night. More than 63 million votes were cast, many of them, of course, most likely from Taylor Hick's hometown of Birmingham, Alabama. The winner was announced in a two-hour finale, which featured performances from Prince and Meat Loaf and Mary J. Blige.</s>M. O'BRIEN: I've got to say, Meat Loaf with Katharine McPhee was my moment of the evening. My kids are going who is that guy? He seems like he's shaking, daddy. Anyway.</s>S. O'BRIEN: Guess what, they're all going to be on Larry King.</s>M. O'BRIEN: Boy, good.</s>S. O'BRIEN: Here's your big chance to talk with the new "American Idol" and the runner-up, Taylor and Katharine. They are going to sit down, along with Ryan Seacrest. They've got their first live prime time interview, the first of many, my guess is.</s>M. O'BRIEN: You think?</s>S. O'BRIEN: Yes. Randy Jackson, too. They're all going to be taking the calls. That's tomorrow, 9:00 p.m. Eastern on "</s>LARRY KING LIVE." M. O'BRIEN: I wonder if Larry is one of Randy's dawgs, you know.</s>S. O'BRIEN: Dawgs, yes.</s>M. O'BRIEN: You know, dawg.</s>S. O'BRIEN: Yes. Yes.</s>M. O'BRIEN: My dawg, dude, dawg.</s>S. O'BRIEN: Yes.</s>M. O'BRIEN: All right, still to come on the program, two teenagers charged with trying to shake down myspace.com. We'll have details of their brazen plan.</s>S. O'BRIEN: Also, maybe there's a reason this little town is called Hercules. We'll hear why residents are so intent on fighting the world's largest retailer.</s>M. O'BRIEN: Then gently (ph) flooding in Thailand. Seventy-five thousand homes destroyed. The worse may be yet to come. Carrie Lee with a preview. Good morning, -- Carrie.</s>CARRIE LEE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Miles and Soledad. Two major legal settlements to talk about today. The first with a major radio star and his former employer, the second from the maker of a once big diet drug. We'll have that coming up on</s>AMERICAN MORNING. S. O'BRIEN: Great.