National Public Radio "All Tings Considered" Interview with Senator Harry Reid (D-NV) and Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY) Subject: Iraq
Interview
NATIONAL PUBLIC RADIO "ALL THINGS CONSIDERED" INTERVIEW WITH SENATOR HARRY REID (D-NV) AND SENATOR MITCH MCCONNELL (R-KY)
SUBJECT: DEBATE OVER THE IRAQ WAR INTERVIEWER: MICHELE NORRIS
MS. NORRIS: As President Bush prepares to address the nation this evening on Iraq, leaders of both parties in Congress are preparing for another round of debate on the war. Democrats have tried and failed to pass resolutions mandating troop withdrawals or timetables. Republicans have successfully filibustered many of those attempts. Now, after testimony this week by General David Petraeus and Ambassador Ryan Crocker, lawmakers will go at it again -- taking up a number of proposals.
I spoke with the leaders of both parties in the Senate today: Republican Mitch McConnell of Kentucky and Senate Majority Leader, the Democrat Harry Reid of Nevada. I asked Reid if this week changed anything.
SEN. REID: Really not anything. The situation in Iraq is bleak and the fact that you have a man who has a Ph.D. from Princeton coming and testifying -- that is General Petraeus -- doesn't change -- take away from the fact that this is Bush's war and we're going to find out soon if it's going to be the Republican senators joining him in this war. They've said earlier on that they wanted to change course. We're going to see if there are people of their word.
MS. NORRIS: Now, you've met in committee. You've started to work on some of these proposals. What exactly do you plan to lay out in coming weeks?
SEN. REID: We're going to continue to lay out for the American people the fact that we need a change of direction in the war in Iraq. We clearly need that.
MS. NORRIS: What specifically?
SEN. REID: The mission needs to be changed! The mission needs to be changed. It needs to be changed by having American troops begin to start coming home in significant numbers and the troops that are left there be used for counterterrorism and protecting the assets we have there -- and on a very limited basis, perhaps -- and only a limited basis -- to help train Iraqis.
Remember, I say that the Iraqis have been trained and trained and trained. What we have from the president continually is: We need patience; we need patience. Well, my patience has worn out, as has been the patience of the American people.
MS. NORRIS: So you've lost patience. Some wonder why the Democrats aren't more aggressive in making their next move.
SEN. REID: Make sure that everyone understands that listens to this program that we're in the majority, but it is a very slim majority. All the votes that have taken place to this point have been with Tim Johnson being sick. As a result of that -- he's been recuperating. He's back now and we hope to have him vote with us now. But on the Iraqi issue, with Joe Lieberman -- who votes with us on virtually everything else -- voting with the Republicans, I'm in the minority. I have 49 Democrats and there are 50 Republicans. So we've been in the minority. I think we have fought very hard to have the president change course. But to think that we can bring this around -- the way that we think it should go -- with a simple majority that doesn't exist is not in keeping with logic.
MS. NORRIS: So let me ask you about some of the proposals that are actually out there now. There's reportedly growing support for an amendment by Senator Webb that would require troops to spend as much time at home as they do in Iraq. Will you bring that up again for a vote? Do you think --
SEN. REID: Absolutely.
MS. NORRIS: -- to passing?
SEN. REID: I support the Webb amendment. Most of the deaths come in multiple deployments. And I've found that after calling my families in Nevada after these deaths occur. It's only appropriate that you are out of country as long as you're in country. And what Webb has done says that and I support that. The last time this was voted on we had 56 votes. We need 60. Now, with Tim Johnson back it's 57. We need three more courageous Republicans.
MS. NORRIS: Now, when you talk about this slim majority, when you listen to the testimony on Capitol Hill this week there was clear frustration expressed by a number of Republicans. It seemed like that would be an opportunity for you to perhaps pull some support from across the aisle.
SEN. REID: (Laughs.) Talk is cheap. And I've reached out. I announced early in August that I want to work with Republicans. I want to give them a chance to keep their word. We have numerous quotes from the Republicans in the spring saying we're going to wait till September. Since September, things have not changed. So if that isn't reason for a few Republicans to change, I don't know what is.
MS. NORRIS: Senator Reid, thank you very much for speaking with us.
SEN. REID: Thank you for allowing me on your show.
MS. NORRIS: That was Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, Democrat from Nevada -- now to the Republican leader Senator Mitch McConnell from Kentucky.
Welcome to the program, Senator.
SEN. MCCONNELL: Glad to be with you.
MS. NORRIS: Now, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has said that the current Iraq plan is unacceptable and that he's going forward with efforts to force some kind of change. Are there any proposals currently being offered that you could live with?
SEN. MCCONNELL: Well, I think what the majority leader and some of his colleagues, at least, are saying is they want to surrender as fast as possible. I think that to the contrary, General Petraeus has recommended an approach here that will begin to drawdown American troops -- we'll be taking 30,000 troops out between now and the beginning of next summer -- and has not ruled out additional reductions in troops beyond that.
We don't want to precipitously withdraw overseas and invite the terrorists back onto U.S. soil. We need to be in that area over a lengthy period of time to be able to go after al Qaeda, and also be able to provide a not-so-subtle reminder to the Iranians. This kind of long-term commitment there -- you know, somewhat similar to what we've had in South Korea -- does not necessarily mean combat on a daily basis, but some ability to preposition troops so that we will be able to protect us here at home. And I hope, no matter what way the election goes next year, that that'll be our long-term policy.
MS. NORRIS: Senator, it's interesting to listen to you talk about protecting our interests at home, because when General Petraeus was asked by Senator John Warner whether the war in Iraq has made us safer here in the U.S., he said he wasn't sure.
SEN. MCCONNELL: Well, he may not be sure but there are a whole lot of other people who are. I don't think it's an accident that we haven't been attacked again here since 9/11. We know that a lot of the terrorists have been killed. Many of them are at Guantanamo, which is a good place for them. And a lot of the rest of them are busy doing their mischief in other parts of the world.
MS. NORRIS: Now, the president is spelling out his plan. There's quite a robust debate in the Senate as to how to move forward. I'd like to ask you about one particular proposal -- the Webb proposal -- that would require longer stays at home for U.S. troops. What do you think about that?
SEN. MCCONNELL: Well, there will be a number of different proposals next week -- similar to Iraq debates we've had in the past. The Democrats will have several different proposals; we'll have several different proposals. Exactly which ones are likely to pass or whether none of them will pass, as has been the case in the past, I really couldn't tell you.
MS. NORRIS: There are some Republicans who are actually considering working with the Democrats on a compromise measure that could force the White House to make at least modest changes in strategy. If enough of them signed on, it could overcome the threat of a GOP filibuster.
SEN. MCCONNELL: Yeah.
MS. NORRIS: What kind of pressure are you putting on those members of your party?
SEN. MCCONNELL: Well, as you know, there are eight or nine Democrats who are working with Senator Alexander on a proposal to basically implement the Iraq Study Group -- a recommendation that envisions a long-term deployment in the Middle East. So you could safely sum it all up by saying that there are a lot of senators talking to a lot of other senators across party aisles to see where we ought to be next week and we'll find out when the votes are counted.
MS. NORRIS: And some of those senators, though, in your party that are working with the Democrats are not necessarily working the best interest of the White House. The president might not be happy with some of those proposals. Are you going to be putting pressure on those members of your party to pull back from that table?
SEN. MCCONNELL: Well, I know Senator Reid has been pressuring the nine Democrats that are on the Iraq Study Group proposal trying to get them off of that. We are less into these kind of high-pressure tactics on our side. We have not, you know, had to do anything other than argue the facts to our members. And I think most of our members are comfortable with where General Petraeus is, you know, suggesting that we go, or pleased at the drawdown of 30,000 troops before next summer. And I think there's a high degree of confidence in General Petraeus and likelihood that we'll be supporting his proposal.
MS. NORRIS: Senator McConnell, thank you very much for speaking with us.
SEN. MCCONNELL: Thank you.
MS. NORRIS: That was Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky. We also spoke with Majority Leader Democrat Harry Reid.
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