The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer

Motorist hits moose, forgets collision

hburgarella — Wed, 16 May 2012 16:25:52 +0000

What moose? Amnesia induced by a moose after incredible crash. CNN's Jeanne Moos chases an amazing moose tale.

Uranium found at Kodak facility

hburgarella — Wed, 16 May 2012 16:23:39 +0000

CNN's Brian Todd reports on nuclear material found at a Kodak facility in Rochester, New York.

Facebook co-founder "defriends" U.S.

hburgarella — Wed, 16 May 2012 16:19:31 +0000

Days before Facebook's IPO, news emerges that one of its founders is giving up his U.S. citizenship. Mary Snow reports.

BLITZER'S BLOG: Will Bain Capital attacks on Romney work?

sbmarx — Tue, 15 May 2012 19:20:58 +0000

By CNN's Wolf Blitzer

(CNN) - President Barack Obama and his campaign supporters have gone to the Rick Perry and Newt Gingrich playbook big time to try to weaken Mitt Romney.

At issue is Romney’s tenure at Bain Capital, the venture capital firm.

Like Perry and Gingrich camps, the president’s re-election campaign and the pro-Obama super PAC are pointing to the loss of jobs at some companies purchased by Bain Capital. The stories of the people who suffered are painful and dramatic.

This strategy has a long history of being used against Romney. It has a mixed record.

It helped the late Ted Kennedy in 1994 when he faced a Senate challenge from Romney. Kennedy, the Democrat, highlighted those heartbreaking stories in the Massachusetts general election.

But it didn’t work so well for Perry and Gingrich during the Republican primary season.

The question now is whether it will work for Obama over the next six months.

Anyone who watches the pro-Obama videos of the workers who suffered can’t help but be moved.

But Romney and his supporters point to the other side of the story - the many successful companies that Bain Capital helped get off the ground.

Tens of thousands of people are now employed by those companies, including Sports Authority, Staples, Domino’s Pizza and Bright Horizons, a child care company.

Still, by putting Romney on the defensive, the pro-Obama camp hopes to shift the focus of the campaign.

Republican strategists say they understand what the pro-Obama team is trying to do. For Obama, they say, it’s better to force Romney to defend his record at Bain than force the president to defend his record at the White House.

In the end, all this probably will be a sideshow. The real battle between Obama and Romney will be over the economy and how they plan to deal with it. I’m already looking forward to their three presidential debates in October.

Follow Wolf on Twitter: @WolfBlitzerCNN

RELATED ARTICLE: Pawlenty defends Romney against Bain criticism

Town issues heavy fines for jaywalking

sbmarx — Mon, 14 May 2012 23:35:42 +0000

In a move to crackdown on distracted pedestrians, one town is giving out tickets for jaywalking. CNN's Mary Snow reports.

Cruise ship doesn't help stranded boater

sbmarx — Mon, 14 May 2012 23:17:43 +0000

Brian Todd reports on a stranded boater who says a major cruise liner passed by him without stopping to help.

BLITZER'S BLOG: Cuba vs. U.S. over Alan Gross – what’s going on?

sbmarx — Mon, 14 May 2012 20:03:41 +0000

By CNN's Wolf Blitzer

(CNN) – I’ve been receiving some very positive reaction to our coverage in “The Situation Room” of the case of Alan Gross, the American being held in a Cuban prison.

Many viewers and readers thanked me for bringing this case to their attention and putting both sides of the story out there.

The San Francisco Chronicle went further. In an editorial titled “Free Alan Gross,” the newspaper called on the Cuban government to release Gross, who has already served 2 1/2 years of his 15-year prison sentence. A Cuban court found Gross guilty of “acts against the independence or territorial integrity” of Cuba because he brought unauthorized cell phones and laptop computers to members of the island’s tiny Jewish community.

“On the plus side,” the editorial said, “the Castro regime deserves credit for allowing Gross to use his weekly phone call to contact CNN and make his case. On the down side, the news coverage serves to remind the world of the repressive policies of President Raul Castro.”

The editorial added: “Every country has a right to uphold its sovereignty. Havana certainly had a right to sanction Gross for misusing a tourist visa to transport laptops and other devices. Even still, Cuba’s use of Gross as a pawn – for the crime of trying to put Cubans onto the Internet – shows how truly vulnerable Castro’s hold on Cuba must be.”

In an interview with me, a high-ranking official of the Cuban Foreign Ministry said the ball was now in the United States’ court. Josefina Vidal, speaking to me from Havana, said the Cuban government is ready to discuss Gross’ case with the Obama administration.

The Cubans would clearly like to link Gross’ case to the case of five Cubans serving prison sentences in the United States for spying. U.S. officials say that kind of linkage is a nonstarter.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, in an interview with CNN, said flatly it’s long past time for the Cubans to release Gross.

Publicly, there may be a diplomatic stalemate between Havana and Washington right now, but I suspect there may also be some movement behind the scenes. We shall see soon enough.

Follow Wolf on Twitter: @WolfBlitzerCNN

WWII plane wreckage found 70 years later

sbmarx — Mon, 14 May 2012 17:20:33 +0000

Wreckage of a WWII plane that crashed 70 years ago is found in the Sahara Desert. CNN's Barbara Starr reports.

RELATED ARTICLE: Crashed WWII fighter plane intact in desert

JP Morgan Chase loss

sbmarx — Mon, 14 May 2012 17:18:05 +0000

JP Morgan Chase announces a $2 billion loss this quarter. CNN's Mary Snow examines.

Prince Charles the weatherman?

sbmarx — Fri, 11 May 2012 15:19:05 +0000

Prince Charles the weatherman on the telly? It's raining royalty. CNN's Jeanne Moos reports on celebs doing the weather.