What Does Hillary Really Want?; Maryland Drug Raid Gone Wrong
CAMPBELL BROWN, CNN ANCHOR: Hi, everybody. Tonight, there is, again, buzz about Hillary Clinton. What is she really doing and what does she really want? Is she truly doing all she can to support Barack Obama, or does she really have something very different in mind? With the Democratic Convention now just two weeks away, these questions are gaining real urgency. And it's not just her. What about Bill Clinton? Will he even show up at the convention? And are they laying the groundwork for a future Hillary Clinton campaign? We are going to look at why everybody is once again wondering about the Clintons. Also tonight, the true story behind one of the most down and dirty political attack ads we have ever seen. An African-American candidate tries to link her Jewish opponent to the Ku Klux Klan. And, then, later, a story that everybody is talking about, why the police smashed into the home of the town mayor. Before it was over, the mayor was restrained on the floor; the family's dogs were shot dead. Well, now it's a political mess. The unthinkable story of a high-profile drug raid gone bad. All of that tonight here in the ELECTION CENTER, no bias, no bull. But the big buzz today, it's all about the Clintons and the convention. Hillary Clinton says she's supporting Barack Obama, and she's campaigning for him in Las Vegas tomorrow. In fact, in a Web chat today, she said -- quote -- "I'm completely committed to helping Senator Obama become the next president of the United States." But listen to what she told her supporters in this video that recently surfaced on YouTube.</s>SEN. HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON (D), NEW YORK: What will happen at the convention in respect to, you know, my putting my name in nomination, a roll call vote, and the usual kind of process that occurs at conventions...</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Vice president.</s>CLINTON: Well, you know, we're trying to work that out with the Obama campaign and with the DNC. I know just from what I'm hearing, that there's just this incredible pent-up desire. And I think that, you know, people want to feel like, OK, it's a catharsis, we're here, we did it, and then everybody get behind Senator Obama.</s>BROWN: So, is Hillary Clinton angling to have her name placed in nomination? And how much of a headache will all of this be for Barack Obama? Candy Crowley has been talking to sources. She is just off the phone with the very latest details -- Candy.</s>CANDY CROWLEY, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, I can tell you this. For sure, this is something that the Obama campaign doesn't want to have happen. Obviously, they are working out the details. It could still happen. But, on his plane tonight, Barack Obama certainly indicated this is not what he would like to have happen.</s>SEN. BARACK OBAMA (D-IL), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I'm letting our respective teams work out the details. I don't think we're looking for catharsis. I think what we're looking for is energy and excitement about the prospect of changing this country. And I think that people who supported a whole range of different candidates during the primary are going to come out of that convention feeling absolutely determined that we have got to take the White House back.</s>CROWLEY: Now, this is sort of one of those, on the one hand, on the other hand, Campbell, because you do have supporters of Hillary Clinton who say she deserves to have her name put into nomination, her delegates should have the chance to vote for her, because it's history. On the other hand, I have talked to some Clinton people tonight who say, you know, it's just not a good idea. The idea is to go to the convention, vote for Barack Obama. Everybody knows he's the one that's going to win and move on from there. They think it will bring about disunity. So, they have got these two kind of competing issues that they're going to have to try to come together on. Again, this is not something the Obama campaigns sounds like it wants to have happen, but it is clearly something that has not yet been resolved.</s>BROWN: All right, Candy Crowley for us tonight -- Candy, thanks. So, now the party line is still all about unity and that everything will be smoothed over in time for the convention, but will it, really? I want to talk about that with our political panel tonight. Paul Begala, CNN contributor and Democratic strategist with us tonight, Lars Larson, radio talk show host, conservative radio talk show host, and Dana Milbank, correspondent and national political correspondent for "The Washington Post." Welcome, guys. Dana, you heard what Senator Clinton said in that YouTube video a little earlier, that her supporters just need a cathartic moment, and then they are going to get 100 percent behind Senator Obama. What do you think about that?</s>DANA MILBANK, CNN POLITICAL CONTRIBUTOR: To Obama, this much really look like some sort of a poltergeist. Each time he thinks he has finally finished off Hillary Clinton, she keeps coming back. And I'm struck by they're sort of saying the right words, but if you look at this joint statement that came out, it's sort of like one of these joint communiques during nuclear negotiations with the Soviet Union. There's no warmth in there. And I think we have reached a point where they're just not going to get to that warmth. There's a fundamental conflict here. And that is, it's in Hillary Clinton's interests if she wishes some day to be the president for Obama not to be the president. That's the fundamental conflict here.</s>BROWN: Lars, what's really going on here?</s>LARS LARSON, RADIO TALK SHOW HOST: I have got to tell you, he's thinking of the movie "Poltergeist"? I'm thinking of "Fatal Attraction." And I'm waiting to find out when the bunny turns up in the stew pot. I mean, this woman, she's committed to Obama? How deep in his back does she need to drive a knife? She wants this nomination. And I think she still sees a chance to get it. He's only ahead of McCain by four points. And I think she thinks she might be able to talk the convention into giving it to her anyway.</s>BROWN: Paul, she's not knocking this idea down of putting her name in contention. She was asked about it again today in this Web chat with supporters. And you know her well. What's going on? What is it that she's really after here?</s>PAUL BEGALA, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: Well, first off, she should be after more decent treatment from the media than this clown who was just own comparing her to a movie character who is a murderer. I mean, give me a break. It is the tradition in the Democratic Party and the Republican Party to place the candidates' names in nomination. Senator Kennedy had that privilege when he ran for president, lost against Jimmy Carter. Senator Hart, Gary Hart, from Colorado had that happen when he ran for president. It's a common practice. It's not contesting the fact that Barack Obama won. And I don't even know that she's going to do it. I don't know that she ought to do it. But it's interesting that the rules are different for Hillary. I don't remember anybody complaining about Gary Hart putting his name in nomination, or Teddy Kennedy fought his nomination all the way to the floor of the convention.</s>LARSON: Hold on a second. Paul, you made the movie comparison. I just decided that it was just appropriate.</s>BEGALA: I didn't make any movie comparison.</s>LARSON: This "Poltergeist," this movie isn't about -- this business isn't about that. It's about the fact that this woman believes the presidency is owed to her. It's very clear that she still wants it.</s>BEGALA: And you can peer into her soul how? The AM radio transistor that you broadcast on allows you to peer into another woman's soul, see what is in her heart and on her mind? Give me a break.</s>BEGALA: Can we have a serious consideration?</s>BROWN: Well, I do -- but, Dana, maybe you can address Paul's point, because he does make a fair point. Historically, it's not like she's asking for something that her predecessor, if she were in a similar situation, didn't also ask for.</s>MILBANK: Right. But -- that is absolutely true, but you also have to think of the examples that Paul brought up, and we think of the Teddy Kennedy and then we think of Gary Hart. In both cases, the Democrats went on to lose that race. Certainly, Hillary Clinton is entitled to this, and maybe it will be cathartic for her supporters. But Obama still has not consolidated all of Hillary's supporters behind him. He is lagging behind congressional Democrats, particularly with the low-income white voters. To have this -- the longer this is protracted, the further Obama's problems go in this respect. That's why he's having so much trouble breaking away from McCain in a very favorable year.</s>BROWN: OK. Hold tight, guys. A lot more on this story, and we're about it after the break. Barack Obama's biggest headache actually might not be Hillary Clinton, but her husband. He's coming up next. Also still to come, this Maryland mayor wants answers. Why did a SWAT team break into his house, tie him on the floor and shoot his two dogs? The shocking story. And the controversial mayor of Detroit, at this moment, he's not in city hall. Instead, he's in jail. We are going to have details in a minute.