Treatment Transcripts

 

Web Text Treatment Text

Republican/Democratic Webpage Criticism

Sunday Talk Show Roundup – Focus Iraq

WASHINGTON – Jan. 23, 2006 by Timothy G. McCaughan

President Bush (search) is preparing separate speeches this week to update the nation on Iraqi efforts to train its security forces while its leaders build a democratic government. The move comes as Iraqi Army soldiers and about 1,000 U.S. troops began conducting counterterrorism operations targeting insurgents in Iraq's volatile Anbar province, which has been a hotbed for insurgency.

Anticipating the Bush Administration’s renewed public focus on Iraq, the future of that nation was the primary topic on the Sunday morning political talk shows. [Republican/Democratic] senators appearing on Sunday news shows advocated getting U.S. forces out of Iraq to avoid a Vietnam-like quagmire.

[Nebraska Sen. Chuck Hagel/Delaware Sen. Joseph Biden]  (search) argued that the United States needs to develop a strategy to leave Iraq. [Hagel/Biden] scoffed at the idea that U.S. troops could be in Iraq four years from now at levels above 100,000, a contingency for which the Pentagon is preparing.

"We should start figuring out how we get out of there," [Hagel/Biden] said on "This Week" on ABC. "I think our involvement there has destabilized the Middle East. And the longer we stay there, I think the further destabilization will occur." [Hagel/Biden] said "stay the course" is not a policy. "By any standard, when you analyze almost three years in Iraq ... we're not winning," he said.

Appearing on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” [Sen. Richard Lugar/Sen. Evan Bayh] (search), an Indiana [Republican/Democrat], said "What I think the White House does not yet understand -- and some of my colleagues -- the dam has broke on this policy."  Echoing [Hagel/Biden], [Lugar/Bayh] added. "The longer we stay there, the more similarities (to Vietnam) are going to come together."

Republican/Democratic Webpage Praise

Sunday Talk Show Roundup – Focus Iraq

WASHINGTON – Jan. 16, 2006 by Timothy G. McCaughan

President Bush (search) is preparing separate speeches this week to update the nation on Iraqi efforts to train its security forces while its leaders build a democratic government. The move comes as Iraqi Army soldiers and about 1,000 U.S. troops began conducting counterterrorism operations targeting insurgents in Iraq's volatile Anbar province, which has been a hotbed for insurgency.

Anticipating the Bush Administration’s renewed public focus on Iraq, the future of that nation was the primary topic on the Sunday morning political talk shows. [Republican/Democratic] senators appearing on Sunday news shows advocated remaining in Iraq until the mission set by Bush is completed.

[Sen. George Allen/Sen. Joe Biden (search), R-Virginia/D-Delaware], appearing on ABC’s “This Week,” said a constitution guaranteeing basic freedoms would provide a rallying point for Iraqis. "I think this is a very crucial time for the future of Iraq," said [Allen/Biden], also on ABC. "The terrorists don't have anything to win the hearts and minds of the people of Iraq. All they care to do is disrupt." [Allen/Biden] added that unlike the communist-guided North Vietnamese who fought the U.S., the insurgents in Iraq have no guiding political philosophy or organization.

Speaking on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” Indiana [Republican Sen. Richard Lugar/Democratic Senator Evan Bayh] (search) said the U.S. is winning in Iraq but has "a way to go" before it meets its goals there. "I do think we, the president, all of us need to remind people why we have made this commitment, what is being done now, what progress we are making," [Lugar/Biden] said. “The mission is not an easy one, but few worthwhile things are easy.”

Video Treatment Transcripts

Republican Criticism Video Transcript

GONZALEZ: The terrorist surveillance program is necessary, it is lawful.

REPORTER: That’s been the administration’s line since the secret program was exposed and the Attorney General stuck with it, backing his boss all the way.

GONZALEZ: He is absolutely determined to do everything that he can, under the Constitution and the laws of this country, to prevent another September 11th from happening again.

REPORTER: Surprisingly, some of the administration’s harshest criticism in the hearings came from members of the president’s own party as Republicans took the gloves off, questioning whether the eavesdropping overextended the president's war authority

SPECTER: You think you're right. But there are a lot of people who think you're wrong. As a matter of public confidence, why not take it to the FISA Court? What do you have to lose if you're right?

DeWINE: This country would be stronger and the president would be stronger -- if he did so, if he did come to the Congress

GRAHAM: Taken to its logical conclusion, it concerns me that it could basically neuter the Congress and weaken the courts.

GONZALES: I don't believe that's where we're at right now.

GRAHAM: That's where you're at with me.

SPECTER: I hope you will give weighty thought to taking this issue to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court. And the Al Qaida threat is very weighty, but so is the equilibrium of our constitutional system.

GONZALES: I agree, Senator.

SPECTER: And security is very weighty, but so are civil rights.

REPORTER: That hearing was just the warm-up, Terry; there are at least two more hearings to come.

Democratic Criticism Video Transcript

GONZALEZ: The terrorist surveillance program is necessary, it is lawful.

REPORTER: That’s been the administration’s line since the secret program was exposed and the Attorney General stuck with it, backing his boss all the way.

GONZALEZ: He is absolutely determined to do everything that he can, under the Constitution and the laws of this country, to prevent another September 11th from happening again.

REPORTER: It came as no surprise that some of the administration’s harshest criticism came from across the aisle as Democrats took the gloves off, questioning whether the eavesdropping overextended the president's war authority.

LEAHY: And you're saying that you were told by members of Congress we couldn't write a law that would fit it, and now you tell us that the committee that has to write the law never was asked.

GONZALES: We had...

LEAHY: Does this sound like a CYA on your part? It does to me.

FEINGOLD: You wanted this committee and the American people to think that this kind of program was not going on. But it was and you knew that. And I think that's unacceptable.

BIDEN: What's really at stake here is the administration's made assertions in the past where their credibility has somewhat been questioned. And so it's not merely the constitutional reach you have; it is: What is actually happening, what is actually going on?

FEINSTEIN: This program is much bigger and much broader than you want anyone to know.

REPORTER: That hearing was just the warm-up, Terry; there are at least two more hearings to come.

Republican Praise Video Transcript

GONZALEZ: The terrorist surveillance program is necessary, it is lawful.

REPORTER: That’s been the administration’s line since the secret program was exposed and the Attorney General stuck with it, backing his boss all the way.

GONZALEZ: The president is duty-bound to do everything he can to protect the American people. He took an oath to preserve, protect and defend the Constitution. In the wake of 9/11, he told the American people that to carry out this solemn responsibility, he would use every lawful means at his disposal to prevent another attack.

GRASSLEY: If that is true, is it in some sense incredible to you that we're sitting here having this discussion today about whether the president acted lawfully and appropriately in authorizing a program narrowly targeted at communication that could well lead to a disruption or prevention of such an attack?

REPORTER: It came as no surprise that members of the president’s own party were among his strongest supporters, defending the program as vital in the struggle to prevent another terrorist attack on American soil.

SESSIONS: I think there's been a remarkable unanimity of support for the inherent power of the president to do these kind of things in the interest of national security.

GRASSLEY: I always want to remind people in the United States that what we're talking about here today is to make sure that September the 11th doesn't happen again. We ought to remember that it happened in Madrid, it happened in London, it happened in Amman, it happened in a resort in Egypt, it happened in Bali twice. And it has happened here; it can happen again. And it seems to me that what you're trying to tell us is the president's determined to make sure that it doesn't happen in the United States again and that's what this surveillance is all about.

GONZALES: Senator, he is absolutely determined to do everything that he can, under the Constitution and the laws of this country, to prevent another September 11 from happening again.

REPORTER: That hearing was just the warm-up, Terry; there are at least two more hearings to come.

Democratic Praise Video Transcript

GONZALEZ: The terrorist surveillance program is necessary, it is lawful.

REPORTER: That’s been the administration’s line since the secret program was exposed and the Attorney General stuck with it, backing his boss all the way.

GONZALEZ: The president is duty-bound to do everything he can to protect the American people. He took an oath to preserve, protect and defend the Constitution. In the wake of 9/11, he told the American people that to carry out this solemn responsibility, he would use every lawful means at his disposal to prevent another attack.

GRASSLEY [Identified as Kohl]: If that is true, is it in some sense incredible to you that we're sitting here having this discussion today about whether the president acted lawfully and appropriately in authorizing a program narrowly targeted at communication that could well lead to a disruption or prevention of such an attack?

REPORTER: Surprisingly, some of the administration’s strongest support in the hearings came from across the aisle as Democrats defended the program as vital in the struggle to prevent another terrorist attack on American soil.

SCHUMER: Like everyone else in this room, I want the president to have all the legal tools he needs as we work together to keep our nation safe and free, including wiretapping.

GRASSLEY [Identified as Kohl]: I always want to remind people in the United States that what we're talking about here today is to make sure that September the 11th doesn't happen again. We ought to remember that it happened in Madrid, it happened in London, it happened in Amman, it happened in a resort in Egypt, it happened in Bali twice. And it has happened here; it can happen again. And it seems to me that what you're trying to tell us is the president's determined to make sure that it doesn't happen in the United States again and that's what this surveillance is all about.

GONZALES: Senator, he is absolutely determined to do everything that he can, under the Constitution and the laws of this country, to prevent another September 11 from happening again.

REPORTER: That hearing was just the warm-up, Terry; there are at least two more hearings to come.

Republican/Democratic Webpage Criticism

Sunday Talk Show Roundup – Focus Iraq

WASHINGTON – Jan. 23, 2006 by Timothy G. McCaughan

President Bush (search) is preparing separate speeches this week to update the nation on Iraqi efforts to train its security forces while its leaders build a democratic government. The move comes as Iraqi Army soldiers and about 1,000 U.S. troops began conducting counterterrorism operations targeting insurgents in Iraq's volatile Anbar province, which has been a hotbed for insurgency.

Anticipating the Bush Administration’s renewed public focus on Iraq, the future of that nation was the primary topic on the Sunday morning political talk shows. [Republican/Democratic] senators appearing on Sunday news shows advocated getting U.S. forces out of Iraq to avoid a Vietnam-like quagmire.

[Nebraska Sen. Chuck Hagel/Delaware Senator Joseph Biden]  (search) argued that the United States needs to develop a strategy to leave Iraq. [Hagel/Biden] scoffed at the idea that U.S. troops could be in Iraq four years from now at levels above 100,000, a contingency for which the Pentagon is preparing.

"We should start figuring out how we get out of there," [Hagel/Biden] said on "This Week" on ABC. "I think our involvement there has destabilized the Middle East. And the longer we stay there, I think the further destabilization will occur." [Hagel/Biden] said "stay the course" is not a policy. "By any standard, when you analyze almost three years in Iraq ... we're not winning," he said.

Appearing on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” [Sen. Richard Lugar/Sen. Evan Bayh] (search), an Indiana [Republican/Democrat], said "What I think the White House does not yet understand -- and some of my colleagues -- the dam has broke on this policy."  Echoing [Hagel/Biden], [Lugar/Bayh] added. "The longer we stay there, the more similarities (to Vietnam) are going to come together."

Republican/Democratic Webpage Praise

Sunday Talk Show Roundup – Focus Iraq

WASHINGTON – Jan. 16, 2006 by Timothy G. McCaughan

President Bush (search) is preparing separate speeches this week to update the nation on Iraqi efforts to train its security forces while its leaders build a democratic government. The move comes as Iraqi Army soldiers and about 1,000 U.S. troops began conducting counterterrorism operations targeting insurgents in Iraq's volatile Anbar province, which has been a hotbed for insurgency.

Anticipating the Bush Administration’s renewed public focus on Iraq, the future of that nation was the primary topic on the Sunday morning political talk shows. [Republican/Democratic] senators appearing on Sunday news shows advocated remaining in Iraq until the mission set by Bush is completed.

[Sen. George Allen/Sen. Joe Biden (search), R-Virginia/D-Delaware], appearing on ABC’s “This Week,” said a constitution guaranteeing basic freedoms would provide a rallying point for Iraqis. "I think this is a very crucial time for the future of Iraq," said [Allen/Biden], also on ABC. "The terrorists don't have anything to win the hearts and minds of the people of Iraq. All they care to do is disrupt." [Allen/Biden] added that unlike the communist-guided North Vietnamese who fought the U.S., the insurgents in Iraq have no guiding political philosophy or organization.

Speaking on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” Indiana [Republican Sen. Richard Lugar/Democratic Senator Evan Bayh] (search) said the U.S. is winning in Iraq but has "a way to go" before it meets its goals there. "I do think we, the president, all of us need to remind people why we have made this commitment, what is being done now, what progress we are making," [Lugar/Biden] said. “The mission is not an easy one, but few worthwhile things are easy.”