The Big Story - Transcript

TRANSCRIPT: Senator McConnell Appears On FOX "The Big Story"

JOHN GIBSON, FOX NEWS ANCHOR: Saddam is out, al-Zarqawi is dead and the president says we will succeed in Iraq. Some say that success will determine the president's legacy, going so far as to call this moment the tipping point of Bush's presidency.

Let's get the Senate majority whip's opinion, Republican Kentucky Senator Mitch McConnell joins us now. He and other Senate leaders met with the president earlier today on Iraq. Do you believe, Senator, as was suggested today in the "Christian Science Monitor" that this is -- that Iraq at this moment is the tipping point for Bush's presidency?

SEN. MITCH McCONNELL (R-KY), MAJORITY WHIP: Well, I don't know about that, but I know the president was certainly upbeat in the meeting that I was in with him this afternoon. He's impressed with the new prime minister. The government is complete. We've killed al-Zarqawi, the terrorists are on the run and I think it's very important that the Congress not run at this point, cut and run and give us a chance to finish the job.

You know, the level of violence in Baghdad is completely unacceptable and I think the effort to quiet down the city is critical, but we also need to remember that a standard of absolutely no violence is a standard that couldn't be met in many of America's major cities.

It needs to be down to the level that would be expected in a city of six million people and once that's accomplished and I'm confident the new Iraqi prime minister and his government with our help will be able to do that, then it seems to me the country will be moving dramatically in the direction of normalcy.

GIBSON: You know, "The New York Times" today talking about the situation in Baghdad said too soon to be cheerful about the situation there, that we've seen these things go bad in the past. What's your reaction to that kind of attitude about this?

McCONNELL: Well it seems like "The New York Times" is always depressed if anything good happens. I mean, why can't we own a bipartisan, across the ideological divide, applaud good news when it happens. Certainly getting al-Zarqawi is good news. The new government being complete is good news. It seems to me that basic Americanism would warrant applauding good news.

GIBSON: Senator, the vice president of news of this network, John Moody, was in Tehran talking to the Iranians, just posted a piece on FOXNews.com about his talks there. And he says that the Iranians are telling him that the Americans are not noticing the outreach that they're doing, that they're sending little signals that would lead to better relations. Do you think there's an opening with the leadership in Tehran?

McCONNELL: Well look, the Iranians know that there's a structure in place with the British, the French and the Germans and now Secretary Rice has said we'll join that group to discuss Iran's nuclear future. And that issue, once settled, would be -- it would remove the major impediment that confronts Iran and having normal relations with its neighbors and with the rest of the world. But the nuclear issue needs to be settled first.

GIBSON: All right, Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky -- Senator, thank you very much. Senator McConnell just met with the president earlier today on Iraq.