Will Kerry Send Team to Iraq?
KELLI ARENA, CNN ANCHOR: The current star of the Democratic race is in Mississippi, where he'll attend church in Jackson and speak at a historically black college. Mississippi is one of four states holding a primary on Tuesday. The political plot thickens with today's word that Senator Kerry might send his own team to Iraq to assess of situation there. Kerry spoke about it in an issue of "Time" magazine which comes out tomorrow. Perry Bacon is a reporter with "Time," and he joins us live from Washington with more details. Good morning.</s>PERRY BACON, REPORTER, "TIME" MAGAZINE: Good morning, good to be here.</s>ARENA: So what have you heard? What does this team hope to accomplish in Iraq?</s>BACON: We asked the senator in an interview, what he would do in Iraq, what his exit strategy was. And he told us that he didn't have a lot of details right now. He wants to make sure Iraq is viable and stable and democratic. But he couldn't spell out what he would do yet. And what he said was he would send a group of people, his own delegation, to see the situation there and assess it on the ground, and to see what they should do next. He mentioned Senator Joe Biden, a good friend of his, as someone in the Senate who might go over there. He mentioned people on his campaign staff as well he might send over there.</s>ARENA: Well, Perry, obviously, at this point, there were still some security issues. As you know, I talk to the FBI a great deal in my work, and even they, their team has to stay within the green zone, and can't really go out and do the work they want to do. Are we talking in a week, a few weeks, months?</s>BACON: We're talking several months, probably. He didn't have a lot of details of this. He was sort of almost talking out his idea. He wants to be sure he can make a good assessment. He didn't sort of know how security would work or any sort of detail on that level. He was just talking about the need to sort of personally have some people go over there to see just so he could make his own. He wants to make sure he has as detailed a plan about Iraq as the president does, because this is an important issue in the election. And that's what he was sort of suggesting.</s>ARENA: Well, let's talk about how Iraq, as we move forward, will continue to shape this campaign. What are the expectations?</s>BACON: I think it's going to be such an important issue because it is what President Bush has done, as much as anything else, it's his decision that was one of the most important in the presidency, and I think Senator Kerry is going to talk about it a lot. Senator Kerry's view on it is the president made a mistake by angering our allies by not spending enough time on the U.N. process. He's going to mention that every day, essentially. He's going to talk about that a lot, how President Bush has run a, the words he uses are reckless, inept, and ideological foreign policy. Senator Kerry's going to talk about criticizing President Bush a lot about that.</s>ARENA: Perry, you spent a lot of time, obviously, on the plane with John Kerry. Tell us, what are your impressions?</s>BACON: He's very well versed. We interviewed him for 45 minutes on foreign policy. He's pretty well versed on the issues. He definitely is very interested in foreign policy issues. One of the advisers I talked to this week compared him in some ways to the first President Bush, someone who on some level probably talks and knows a little bit more, has more of a passion in foreign affairs even than domestic policy. That's something he is definitely interested in talking about, and very interested in arguing that President Bush hasn't done it correctly. The general impression of him is that he is a pretty friendly guy on the plane. He has a good rapport with the reporters, very comfortable with himself, able to be friendly with the reporters and staff following him.</s>ARENA: All right. Perry Bacon joining us. Thank you.</s>BACON: Thank you very much.</s>ARENA: From "Time" magazine. Well, coming up at the top of the hour, it's "INSIDE POLITICS SUNDAY". Kerry campaign press secretary, Stephanie Cutter, and Bush/Cheney campaign press secretary, Terry Holt, face off for the first time. That's ahead at 10:00 eastern.</s>RENAY SAN MIGUEL, CNN ANCHOR: While we're talking about political theater, the award for the political plot twist of the year could go to Howard Dean. The Democrat who quickly grabbed the spotlight was first forced into an understudy role and then exited stage left, as he dropped out of the race having met none of his winning predictions. Now, a special edition of "CNN PRESENTS" looks at the many days of Dean.</s>JOE TRIPPI, FORMER DEAN CAMPAIGN MANAGER: It's the people, stupid, that is the subject line. It is the subject line. Do not change the subject line. I just said it. It's the people, stupid.</s>HOWARD DEAN, FORMER DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: 1992, Bill Clinton said, it's the economy, stupid. This time, it's the people, stupid. Washington's going to change, and we're going to change it. Thank you very much.</s>TRIPPI: He said Clinton said in '92 -- yes. People don't go with that, they're out of their minds. That's what the campaign's about. It's the people, stupid. Has anybody used it? He's been saying it the last two stops. That's the message. Don't we deserve, at least, get our message out. Here is the attack, what's your response. Here is the attack, what's your response. Here is the attack, what's your response. And when you get through all that, you have no message.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Seems like the other candidates are closing in.</s>TRIPPI: We'll see on Monday. We don't see that. We're going to win. How's the blog handling all this? You know, the polls saying it's a dead heat, all that kind of stuff. How are they reacting?</s>UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Some are getting the sky falling, some are saying it's not about the sky is not falling. You have to be positive. The people -- there is definitely a freaking out attitude.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The real story is John Kerry, he is 25- points...</s>TRIPPI: Kerry, 25, us, 19, Gephardt, 19. You know what I think, if we get into a back and forth with Gephardt who benefits from that? Not either one of us, not this late.</s>UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Edwards.</s>TRIPPI: Kerry or Edwards. I don't know, can you get me -- Now.</s>FELIX SCHEIN, REPORTER, NBC NEWS: There are too many glitches at this stage in the game, here. Went down to five days before the Iowa caucus, the campaign seems to be lacking in structure.</s>TRIPPI: Does anybody why headquarters isn't answering the phone.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don't know, but neither is the hotline. The hotline's not answering, either.</s>SCHEIN: There's not a good understanding of how to deal with the press. The governor himself hasn't been on lately, tinkering with his message and style.</s>TRIPPI: Next time, when you pick him up, turn to the cameras and pick him up. Thank you very much, you are wonderful. Thank you. Vote for Dean.</s>SCHEIN: Governor Dean complained that the Joe Trippi was getting more press than Dean was getting. Trippi may even be bigger than Governor Dean in some circles.</s>SAN MIGUEL: And you can catch that special, "CNN PRESENTS" tonight. "True believers, life inside the Dean campaign" airs at 8:00 p.m. eastern, 5:00 pacific, right here on CNN. One other program note for you, former presidential candidate Wesley Clark will be a guest on CNN's "LATE EDITION WITH WOLF BLITZER," today. That's beginning at noon eastern. Suspended coach Gary Barnett is feeling the heat about issues with his football program and recruiting. But is the issue bigger than just one team and one school? We look closer when CNN SUNDAY MORNING returns.