Press Stakeout Following Republican Senate Policy Luncheon with: Senator Rick Santorum and Senator Mike Dewine
September 21, 2004 Tuesday
HEADLINE: PRESS STAKEOUT FOLLOWING REPUBLICAN SENATE POLICY LUNCHEON WITH: SENATOR RICK SANTORUM (R-PA); AND SENATOR MIKE DEWINE (R-OH)
LOCATION: THE CAPITOL, WASHINGTON, D.C.
BODY:
SEN. SANTORUM: Let's-maybe if I get started we'll get some people gathered around.
Let me say we had a-as always, a very engaging policy lunch. And we talked about a whole host of things. One of the things that obviously is on the agenda for this week is the nomination of Porter Goss for the head of the Central Intelligence Agency. And to talk about that is Mike DeWine.
Mike?
SEN. DEWINE: Well, as you all know, the Intelligence Committee today reported Porter Goss's nomination out by a vote of 12 to 4 to 1, and we anticipate that he'll be on the floor within the next several days.
Porter Goss I've known for a number of years. I've worked on a lot of legislation with him. Porter Goss I think is going to do a great job. He brings to the job experience from the CIA, over a decade of work in the CIA, plus he's had the opportunity for the last few years to be the chairman of the intelligence committee in the House of Representatives. So I think he really understands what reforms are needed and he understands that changes need to be made, clearly, in the CIA and in the entire intelligence community.
Over the years, candidly, Porter has been someone who when I wanted to know what was really going on inside the CIA, I picked up the phone and called him, and he's never disappointed me. I think Porter understands how big a job that he has. He has the job of reforming the CIA, reforming the intelligence community, at the same time will carry on the war on terrorism.
I think he will be the right person at the right time in history; someone who can walk into the president and tell him the truth. It's a tough job because the director of the Central Intelligence Agency not only has to run that agency, but he is the person who has to brief the president every morning; therefore, he has to develop a very close working relationship with the president. And yet he also has to be the one person who can tell the president every day things that the president simply does not want to hear. I think Porter has the guts to do that, and I think he has the integrity to do that. I think he will be confirmed by the Senate, and I think he will do a great job.
SEN. SANTORUM: Any questions on the Goss nomination before I move on?
Yeah?
Q Yes. Did this go kind of the way you expected? And how do you expect it to play out when it --
SEN. DEWINE: Yeah, I think it-look, I mean, he had tough questions.
He was asked questions that you would have expected him to have been asked. Can he put aside any partisan comments that he's made? Can he assume the role of the person who can tell the president what the facts are? I thought he had good answers, candidly.
He said: Look, I've spent most of my life in a nonpartisan position. It's only in the recent years that I've been in a partisan position, but before that I was in the CIA, and that certainly was not partisan. Most of my life I've not been in a partisan position. I'm not going to have any trouble getting back into a much more comfortable role.
So I think the hearings went as we would-expected them to have gone. I think the vote was pretty much what we expected. And I think we now move on. And I think it's very important that we get him confirmed, get him on the job. This is-you know, this is a tough time. It's a serious time in our history. And I think the fact that Congress is going to move very quickly is a good indication that we all understand that.
Q You don't think-does that happen this week?
SEN. DEWINE: I think it will.
Q Is that tomorrow or --
SEN. DEWINE: Well, you'd have to check with the leader, but my understanding-it's going to come very shortly.
Q Do you think you'll have one day of debate?
SEN. DEWINE: I can't speculate on that.
Q (Off mike.)
SEN. DEWINE: We;'re going to try to get a time agreement.
SEN. SANTORUM: Okay. Let me --
SEN. DEWINE: Thank you all very much.
SEN. SANTORUM: Thank you.
Just to let you know about what we have planned for the rest of the week. As you know, today Senator Enzi and I came forward and asked for unanimous consent agreements on the CARE Act and the Workforce Investment Act, two very important issues for people in need in our society and for those who would like to get the education and training they need to keep up with the job skills for this new economy. Both are being blocked by Senate Democrats. Both are comprehensive pieces of legislation that require conference. These are not little minor adjustments that can be made by bantering (sic) copies of bills back and forth. But again, the Democrats are not interested in product. What they're interested in is blocking any kind of accomplishment here for the president on very important issues in-to the president.
Obviously, the CARE Act, the charitable giving bill, faith-based initiative, whatever you want to call it, is something the president has staked a lot of time and energy on. Unfortunately, this is, I think, more about politics than it is about trying to get something done for the people who are in need in our society.
The rest of the week-as you mention, we-Mike DeWine mentioned, we'd be hopefully dealing with the Goss nomination. We would like to get a time agreement on that.
We'd like to move forward with the extending-the -- (inaudible) -- make the tax cuts permanent. We're working through that right now and hope to get a bill on the floor and voted by the end of the week. This is an important piece of business that we have to do before we leave here. We cannot let these tax provisions expire. This is money in the hands of working families in America.
The marriage penalty would snap back into place.
None of this is, I would argue, controversial. The president has asked for a very modest bill-a permanent extension, plus the AMT relief, which I think everyone realizes is problematic-that we have to deal with long-term, but this is at least a short-term fix. There may be a few other things that members would want to get on it, but again, I'm hopeful that it will be a very narrow bill, and that just has extenders of one sort of another, and then we move on from there.
Beyond that, we're going to try to do our appropriations work, and we have-we passed one yesterday. We're working on another one today, and we're trying to work with the chairman of the Appropriations Committee to see if we can get other bills up this week, and even possibly next week, as we deal with the intelligence reform legislation next week. There may be pockets of time that we can put in appropriations bills and get time agreements to be able to move some of these bills through the Senate.
With that I'll be happy to take questions.
Q Are there any other domestic issues outside appropriations -- (off mike) -- period -- (off mike) -- next week or two that we have -- (off mike) -- try to bring up?
SEN. SANTORUM: You know, to me the issues are what we can do to help this economy. And this tax provision, I think, is a very, very important one. The Workforce Investment Act is another important one. We were working on IDEA. I think we're now looking like we either have an agreement or we're very close to an agreement on IDEA. We're trying to work on Head Start. I know that Judd Gregg has been working diligently on trying to move that piece of legislation.
So there are a whole lot of other things that we're working through, but we need cooperation. And it's-we're down to the last two or three weeks of the session. Nothing passes here without cooperation. There are a lot of high-priority issues that many of us would like to see done. They can improve our economy, improve education, can improve the situation for those in need in our society, and it's simply a matter of getting people to allow us to get our work done instead of obstructing and blocking here on the floor of the Senate.
Q One of those issues is the asbestos bill, and there have been negotiations going on. Do you know what the Republican response is to Senator Daschle --
SEN. SANTORUM: You know, this is the same old thing that we see from Senator Daschle, over and over again. All the promises in the world of good faith, and then when you get into these internal discussions, just monkey wrench after monkey wrench, diversionary tactic after diversionary tactic.
Instead of trying to work in good faith, we see in private bad faith, and in public, you know, crocodile tears that we don't get things done, or even potential crocodile tears that somehow or another that, you know, we're pointing the finger at him unfairly. The fact of the matter is, he is the obstructionist in chief here in the United States Senate and continually goes out and says one thing on the floor of the Senate, something else in private, and a third thing in South Dakota. That to me is just unconscionable.
He has taken a bill that I know Senator Frist has worked with as hard as any piece of legislation I've seen him work on, on this asbestos bill, and he has put personal time and effort to make this happen. And unfortunately, you can't reach-you cannot reach a compromise with someone who doesn't want to get there, from someone who is sitting at table but ultimately doesn't want to get to a compromise.
And from my perspective, I'm hopeful that, you know, we'll-the leader will look at this and come back with something that can pass the United States Senate and get signed by the president and do something that's positive for folks in South Dakota and all across the country who are suffering from-not from asbestos exposure but suffering from this ridiculous tort system that awards people who aren't sick and people who are sick, and people who are dying from this disease get nothing or get pennies.
Q So what's wrong with his latest offer?
SEN. SANTORUM: Well, I'm not going to get into the details. You can talk to Senator Frist about that.
Q Did you mention any timing on Labor-HHS approps and the overtime eligibility?
SEN. SANTORUM: All I would say is that we are trying to move as many appropriation bills as possible in the couple of weeks that we have. And, you know, obviously, with this short of period of time, an omnibus looks like a likely vehicle for some of the major bills that are left.
Q And that would be then stripped out, do you think, in the --
SEN. SANTORUM: I'm not going to comment on what's going to be in or stripped out of a appropriations bill.
Q But you would prefer that it not be in it?
SEN. SANTORUM: I think the House has very strong opinions on that, and so does the president.
Q And your opinion?
SEN. SANTORUM: I'll-I'm not going to say anything about my colleague. He's entitled to put in his bill what he wants to put in his bill.
Q Well, I'm asking you.
SEN. SANTORUM: Well, yeah, I would just say that, you know, we're going to try to work and see if we can get something passed and signed by the president, and that may be a problem in getting that done.
Q Senator, where are the votes -- (inaudible) -- earlier-where are the votes on Goss?
SEN. SANTORUM: Well, I think Mike DeWine reported what the vote was in committee. It was a strong bipartisan vote. My guess is it will be a strong bipartisan vote on the floor of the United States Senate.
Q Do you see any delaying tactics coming up?
SEN. SANTORUM: I would hope not. I mean, I think it's fairly obvious he has the votes to pass. And, you know, we have a lot of other work that we can be doing here on the United States Senate floor. I think a good debate would be healthy. But all next week we're going to spend on the issue of intelligence and intelligence reform at least a good part of the week, so I don't see any reason why we don't get the man who's ready to take the job, to get him on the job as quickly as possible.
Q And if I could follow, in the caucus, what was the vote on Dan Rather? (Laughter.)
SEN. SANTORUM: Well, I mean, I just think it's a very sad-sad situation that you have someone who has obviously devoted his whole career to reporting the news, and at least maintaining to do it in an unbiased way, and to see this happen at the end of someone's career-it may be the end because of his age, may be the end for other reasons-but this was unfortunate.
But I think it shows more than anything else that what the media tells politicians is absolutely right, and that is if you make a mistake, the worst mistake is to lie that you made a mistake in the first place. It's to own up to the problem that you have, own up to the issue before you, and you create a lot more problems for yourself when you try to hide it and lie about it than when you just confront the problem that you have. And politicians fail to learn that lesson over and over and over again. And what we find out is that the people who lecture us on this have failed to learn the lesson too. Sometimes you worry more about your own image than you worry about the truth, and you get caught up in a very nasty game.
Q Senator, do you think that Dan Rather-you often hear his name invoked when people talk about bias and things in the press. Do you think, though, that some on the right have sort of enjoyed this opportunity to beat up on him?
SEN. SANTORUM: I-I can't speak for some on the right. I mean, all I can say is, personally I find it to be a very unfortunate situation. I think it shows the internal workings of the CBS news department to be one that is hardly non-partisan. And-when you see them working and conversing, the news directors working and conversing with the Kerry campaign. That to me is hardly a non-partisan atmosphere. I could not possibly image, if the shoe were on the other foot-you know, calling-trying to-calling Ken Mehlman and telling Ken Mehlman about documents that CBS News had had, that they might want to use it against the Kerry campaign. I mean, this is-this is-again, what a lot of folks have said about the internal workings of the people in these news departments is just sort of-just showing its ugly head in a very profound way here, and I'm hopeful that it's a lesson that all news departments will learn. It --
You know, all the American public wants, I can tell you all Republicans want, is just-just play it straight, just be honest, be fair brokers. I mean, hammer us, yes, but hammer the other side and be fair about it. We're not asking for anything more. We certainly don't expect anything more. We actually expect a lot less, because that's what we've been getting for a long time, and I think this is a snapshot view of when an offense-the hand got caught in the cookie jar. And the question is, how many other times this happens when the hand isn't caught in the cookie jar, how many other doc-how many other stories are floated that we don't know about this kind of cooperation or coordination that goes on on the other side and with organizations out-that may be hostile to conservatives or Republicans. And, you know, I'm not saying-I'm not accusing anybody, because I don't know. I'm just saying, you know, we know in this case it did happen because the issue became the story instead of the documents. And that's an unfortunate-unfortunate-for me, a very chilling view of how the national news media, at least some elements of it, work.
Q (Off mike) -- the arguments have been made with Fox News, that sometimes it's considered to be conservative on the other side, and the history of the Bush relative being in the control room on election night and things like that. Is that the same --
SEN. SANTORUM: All-all-I would-I would say this, period, that all we're looking for is a-is fair treatment. I don't want-I don't want-I want people to be as tough on me as they are on the other side. I just-just play it down the middle. I mean, be-be fair, don't cavort with either side. Play it down the middle and report the facts and try to be fair about what-you know, the position you take on these issues. And it's obviously not been the case.
Q Senator Lugar and some of your Republican colleagues were saying that it might be time to reassess the situation in Iraq, the administration -- (off mike) --
SEN. SANTORUM: I think Senator McCain and Senator Lugar in particular have come out and-and been very strong and-in talking about the importance of maintaining our commitment to finish the job here. There are concerns-I have concerns-about tactics and decisions that were made. I think you'd find a lot of Republicans who are very willing to second-guess our tactics in Fallujah, for example.
But that was a decision made by the military commander, in consultation with the Iraqi government, and they made the call. And in my opinion, it was not the right call, but you know what? That's not my decision.
One of the things I think we learned from the Vietnam War is you don't have political generals making decisions about where to deploy our troops or how to take action; that you have to trust the people in the field. That doesn't mean that all the people in the field are going to make the right call every time, and in fact, they won't. War is an imperfect science, and so people are going to make bad decisions.
The point that Senator Kerry makes, and others, is that we have to listen to the generals and trust the generals. Well, I would strongly argue that this war was basically fought by the generals. If they don't like it, they should take it up with the generals; they shouldn't take it up with people who have done the right thing in deferring to them.
Q (Off mike) -- conference might step forward and say that -- (off mike) --
SEN. SANTORUM: I don't think any member of the conference is going to step forward and do anything but support what they voted for, which is to prosecute this war fully and to win the peace, and understanding that the job ahead of us would be a difficult one. I can show you speeches I gave and that Joe Biden gave and people on both sides of the aisle gave about how difficult the peace-winning the peace would be versus winning the war. Yet we predict all of this, and when it happens, we're somehow surprised by it. This is a very tough environment, but it's a fight worth fighting and it's a fight we must win. And this idea that somehow or another by second- guessing and Monday-morning-quarterbacking that we're helping the cause-we may be helping political, potentially, although I don't believe it will help politically-I don't think it certainly helps the cause of victory.
Q Senator, last week you and Senator Specter said that you would be willing to meet with those (four ?) union representatives --
SEN. SANTORUM: Yeah, we tried-I know Senator Specter had a conference call with them this morning. We're trying to arrange one ourselves.
Yeah. Thank you all very much.