ANNOUNCER:   On the left, James Carville and Paul Begala. On the right, Robert Novak, and Tucker Carlson. In the CROSSFIRE, Saddam Hussein is out of circulation. But is Iraq any safer? And how soon until the Iraqis can handle their own country? Plus, Tucker Carlson's live update on his day in Baghdad. Today, on CROSSFIRE. Live from the George Washington University, Paul Begala and Robert Novak. 
BEGALA:   Hello, everyone. Welcome to CROSSFIRE. Before we get to today's debate, we want to get the very latest on a breaking news story. A federal judge has ruled that John Hinckley Jr., the man who shot President Reagan and his press secretary Jim Brady in 1981, can be allowed unsupervised visits with his family. With details on this breaking news is CNN Justice Department correspondent Kelli Arena. 
KELLI ARENA, CNN JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT:   That's right. A federal judge did grant John Hinckley Jr. unsupervised visits. This is for the first time since he was admitted to St. Elizabeth's Hospital after attempting to assassinate President Reagan in 1981. Hinckley will be allowed six day visits with his parents within a 50-mile radius of Washington, D.C. That to be followed by two overnight visits also, within that same 50-mile radius. Now, this is not the first time that Hinckley's been out in public. He's gone on several trips with hospital staff to places like malls and movies. The visits do have certain conditions, though. His parents must submit an itinerary. Hinckley will not be allowed out of his parents' sight for even a minute. Hinckley's not allowed to contact the media and he's not allowed any contact with a woman that he was involved in a several-year-long relationship with. Hinckley had asked for unsupervised visits to his parents' home in Virginia, which the judge denied. But hospital staff has told the court that these visits are part of his ongoing rehabilitation, that Hinckley does not pose a danger to himself or the public at this time. The judge apparently agreeing to go along, at least incrementally, at this point. Back to you. 
NOVAK:   Thank you very much, Kelli. You know, Paul, this is an absolutely terrible decision and it was made by one of the left-wing judges, one of the many left-wing judges that Bill Clinton imposed on this country -- Paul Friedman. And that's why it's so important to get some conservative judges on the federal bench. 
BEGALA:   Nothing partisan about this, Bob. I think you're right that it's a wrong decision. I think   to make it a partisan issue. I'm not for anybody harming any of our presidents or ever walking free. The guy should never walk the streets again. I think you're right, it's a bad decision but it's got nothing to do with politics. 
NOVAK:   Today we're debating whether Iraq is safer with Saddam Hussein under lock and key with no unsupervised visiting rights with anyone. But first, the best little political briefing in television, our CROSSFIRE "Political Alert." Why are Democratic politicians so downcast about the capture of Saddam Hussein? Take a look at the CNN/USA Today Gallup poll released today. It shows President Bush's approval rating has soared to 63 percent. But how does the president do against the Democratic front- runner Howard Dean? Very well, thank you. It's 60 percent for Bush, 37 percent for Dean. A mammoth lead of 23 percentage points. Now Democrats may say not to worry, things may get a lot worse in Iraq. Is the world's oldest political party reduced to hoping and praying for bad news for America to defeat George W. Bush? 
BEGALA:   No. What we're hoping and praying for is a plan to succeed in Iraq. Capturing Saddam Hussein is a wonderful thing but it is not a plan for internationalizing the conflict, bringing allies in there to fight alongside us, and then ultimately winning and setting up a stable Iraq, which the polls today also show, the "New York Times" poll, that the American people don't believe Mr. Bush has a plan to do any of those things. 
NOVAK:   Oh, you're a smart politician and you know you're on the wrong side of this issue. The American people are really admiring the way President Bush has handled a very difficult situation. You better talk about the minimum wage or some baloney like that. 
BEGALA:   This is a temporary spike. You shall see. Well, Vice President Dick Cheney has bitterly attacked what he called, quote, "cheap shot journalism" and accused reporters of not getting the real facts on Halliburton. Mr. Vice President, here are the real facts. Fact: Dick Cheney was the CEO of Halliburton from 1995 through the year 2000. Fact: Mr. Cheney's company had contracts worth $73 million with Saddam Hussein's bloody regime in Iraq. Fact: one key executive says Mr. Cheney was, quote, "definitely aware," unquote, of the business dealings with Iraq. Fact: the same corporation that considered Saddam Hussein a valued customer when Dick Cheney was its CEO was awarded a multi- billion-dollar-no-bid government contract in Iraq, now that Dick Cheney is our vice president. Those, sir, are the facts. Mr. Cheney, if you want to dispute them, you're always welcome here in the CROSSFIRE. 
NOVAK:   You know, your colleague, Mr. James Carville on this program, made exactly the same point. And that's because you cannot talk about any issues. All you can do is harp on Dick Cheney. There goes the bankruptcy of the left wing court right now. If you thought no amount of name calling would bother Howard Dean, think again. First, look again at this TV ad. 
UNIDENTIFIED MALE:   Howard Dean cannot compete with George Bush on foreign policy. It's time for Democrats to think about that. And think about it now. 
NOVAK:   Dean's campaign manager, Joe Trippi, fired off a letter to the other Democrats running for president. He called the ad, quote, "the kind of fear mongering attack we've come to expect from Republicans." End quote. It's an ad that was put on the air by Democrats. He asked that it be taken off the air. This from a candidate who suggested President Bush had advanced warning of 9/11, and Joe, this ad is just a hint of what's coming if Dr. Dean is actually nominated. 
BEGALA:   Well, it's absolutely true. Howard Dean cannot compete with George W. Bush. Right. He can't compete with Bush misleading us about wars. He can't compete with George W. Bush about getting us stuck in a quagmire, he can't compete with George W. Bush in alienating allies. In all of the things Mr. Bush has failed on, Howard Dean or any of the Democrats would be a lot better. Well, the Federal Elections Commission has determined that Attorney General John Ashcroft's campaign violated federal law by accepting illegal campaign contributions. Mr. Ashcroft was also excoriated yesterday by a federal judge for violating a gag order and making comments that threatened the fairness of a criminal trial. Now why would President Bush keep a law-breaker as attorney general? Well, cynics might conclude it has something to do with Mr. Ashcroft's thus far fruitless investigation into the Bush administration official who betrayed the secrecy of an undercover CIA agent. Well, perhaps Mr. Ashcroft is good at covering up more than just naked breasts on statues at the Justice Department. 
NOVAK:   Let me see if I got the Democratic agenda correct. You're very, very tough on nit picking little problems with campaign finance, which never bothered you certainly with Bill Clinton and Al Gore. But you're very soft on terrorists? Is that about right? 
BEGALA:   I'm not very soft. I want George Bush to go back to Afghanistan and finish the job there. Bush was soft on terrorism, not me.  Well, now that Saddam Hussein is in custody and being interrogated, are our troops in Iraq any safer? Those questions and more just ahead. And then later, Tucker Carlson in Baghdad, which, of course, means there's still at least one very dangerous dude still walking around the Iraqi capital. We'll check in with our brave and intrepid co-host in a live report in a few minutes. Stay with us.
