David, so far they seem to be getting the White House, the administration, some pretty good grade on this specific issue, the terror plot at Times Square. Should they be getting good grades?
DAVID GERGEN, CNN SR. POLITICAL ANALYST: They deserve higher marks on this. You know, John Kennedy once said that victory has many fathers. So, there are others here as well. The local law enforcement officers in New York, the FBI, but particularly the vendors on the ground who stopped this before it blew up.
But among those who should get credit are President Obama and Eric Holder and Janet Napolitano and their teams because this was a very well-coordinated effort. After the attack, they got this guy before he got away to Dubai and they hold them down. They got some arrest going on. I think they can deserve high marks for that based on what we know so far.
GLORIA BORGER, CNN SR. POLITICAL ANALYST: Wolf, I was -- I was speaking with somebody who has been briefed about what occurred and one thing that this source said to me is that, as David was saying, intelligence, law enforcement, Department of Homeland Security are what he called lashed up together right now. Since the last event, which occurred at Christmas with Abdulmutallab where there was a great degree of criticism, you'll recall, that the agencies were not coordinating, that they were not consulting with each other. And this time, it's very clear that there's been an awful lot of communication between them. And that's why we see such a great deal of success.
The one question, though, Wolf --
BLITZER: Yes.
BORGER: -- that these folks seem to have is: how did he wind up on the airplane if he was indeed on a no-fly list? And that's something they have to really look at.
GERGEN: I think that's one question. The other question to me, Gloria, would be: how did he get naturalized?
BORGER: Right.
GERGEN: Was there any sense of this, and his waywardness back then and what are the processes here? Who vouched for him? Somebody has to vouch for him.
BORGER: Yes.
BLITZER: I've noticed that all day today, and at least most of the day yesterday, David, the top administration officials have not avoided using the word terror and terrorist. They've openly been calling this a terror plot. You heard the news conference with Eric Holder and Janet Napolitano today.
What does that say to you?
GERGEN: Well, I think they finally -- you know, they've been reluctant to use that word because of this outreach to the Islamic community and everything like that. But I think, you know, when you're the president, you got to call it as it is. And I'm glad they're finally using the language. I -- some people think it's cynically political to use "terror," or they want to make sure they're seen as muscular on terror and everything like. You know, forget that, I just think they're doing the right thing.
BORGER: You know, Wolf, here's another thing they're doing is -- the last time with, we recall, with Abdulmutallab, there was a great deal of criticism from some corners about whether they should have mirandized him, read him his rights.
And today, it was clear at this press conference you're showing that they spoke about the fact that they had questioned Shahzad, they've questioned him, they've mirandized him. They continue to get information from him after mirandizing him. They made that clear.
And then, as you point out, they're not holding this hearing today. They're still clearly interviewing him.
BLITZER: They're presumably getting useful information. You heard Allan Chernoff.
BORGER: That's what they're saying.
BLITZER: Tell us the breaking news. He's, quote, "singing." He may not even be formally brought to the courthouse in Manhattan tomorrow if he continues to, quote, "sing." Let's see how much useful information he can provide.
Guys, thank you very much.
GERGEN: Thank you.
Transcript from The Situation Room aired May 3, 2010