GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS
(Off-camera) And we are back now with Senator John Kerry.
Welcome back.
SENATOR JOHN KERRY
(FOREIGN RELATIONS COMMITTEE)
Glad to be back. Thank you.
GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS
(Off-camera) You heard the President. He said the Democrats like you who want a fixed timetable for withdrawal from - from Iraq are waving the white flag of surrender in the war on terror.
SENATOR JOHN KERRY
(FOREIGN RELATIONS COMMITTEE)
That's reprehensible. It's a lie. The Administration has lied in the walk up to the war, they've lied in the conduct of the war and they have made America less safe. And the President just mislead America again in that interview. I heard him talk about al Qaeda disrupting Iraq. Al Qaeda is not the problem in Iraq, Mr. President.
GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS
(Off-camera) They are there. There are al Qaeda elements -
SENATOR JOHN KERRY
(FOREIGN RELATIONS COMMITTEE)
There are a few al Qaeda elements there but the CIA will tell you they're somewhere in the very little numbers, not the consequence of what's happening. The violence in Iraq today George, which the President ought to understand and talk to America about and not mislead them, is between Shia and Sunni. This is a civil war. Donald Rumsfeld said our soldiers will not be caught in a civil war. George Bush said we will not tolerate North Korea having a nuclear weapon. Both are happening. And they're just sitting there with the same old same old. This - this Administration doesn't have a policy. Their policy is stay the course. The President said, again he mislead America there...
GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS
(Off-camera) You have a -
SENATOR JOHN KERRY
(FOREIGN RELATIONS COMMITTEE)
He said we won't stay the course. He said we'll stay the course again and again and again.
GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS
(Off-camera) You do have -
SENATOR JOHN KERRY
(FOREIGN RELATIONS COMMITTEE)
You have to set a date because it's the only way to get Iraqis to respond. And a year from now -
GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS (ABC NEWS
(Off-camera) But that's what I want to ask you about. That's what I want to ask you about.
SENATOR JOHN KERRY
(FOREIGN RELATIONS COMMITTEE)
Sure. Absolutely. I'm sorry.
GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS (ABC NEWS
(Off-camera) What if they don't respond?
SENATOR JOHN KERRY
(FOREIGN RELATIONS COMMITTEE)
Well you get there George but the date is not a date in a vacuum I mean I'm not stupid. I don't think that people are sitting here saying how do we find a greater disaster out of an already existing disaster. We need to find a way to be successful. And what the President's doing is not successful. And the President keeps misleading America and the world about it and therefore he loses the credibility to be able to go in and do the diplomacy necessary.
GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS
(Off-camera) But what's your plan B? Let's say you start to pull out.
SENATOR JOHN KERRY
(FOREIGN RELATIONS COMMITTEE)
Let me tell you what plan A because plan A can work and it's the only way to do this. I mean just the other day the President committed an enormous blunder. He has a conversation with Mr. Maliki, the Prime Minister, and he comes out and he brags to everybody publicly what I told him was he doesn't have to worry Americans are going to stay there. Well every time you say to them Americans are going to stay there and you don't have to worry and you know we'll stay as long as it takes -
GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS
(Off-camera) Well he did say in this interview his patience won't last forever.
SENATOR JOHN KERRY
(FOREIGN RELATIONS COMMITTEE)
Well I think you have to be more blunt. I think you have to say no young American is going to die and give their life or limb for Iraqi politicians who refuse to compromise. They have to want democracy for themselves as much as we want it for them. And if you read 'State of Denial", which the President ought to read because it would tell him something about his own Administration and what's happening that he obviously doesn't know. If you read 'State of Denial," Newt Gingrich sat down with Paul Wolfowitz and they discussed how dates were essential to making something happen. If it was essential for an election it's essential for the transfer of power. Now, you know, you also - the date is not in a vacuum. The date is linked to a major summit where you bring the parties together, particularly the neighbors who are Sunni who have an interest in the 20% Sunni population of Iraq not being oppressed by the Shia, and you involve everybody as General Anthony Zinni suggests in a new security arrangement for the region.
GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS
(Off-camera) But presumably you'd have to be - you're talking about Saudi Arabia, you're talking about Egypt I presume -
SENATOR JOHN KERRY
(FOREIGN RELATIONS COMMITTEE)
Yes.
GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS
(Off-camera) - but you'd also have to -
SENATOR JOHN KERRY
(FOREIGN RELATIONS COMMITTEE)
I'm talking about Jordan, I'm talking about the Gulf states -
GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS
(Off-camera) You'd have to also include Syria -
SENATOR JOHN KERRY
(FOREIGN RELATIONS COMMITTEE)
I'm talking about Syria and I'm talking about Iran.
GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS
(Off-camera) Well that's what I want to ask you. What interest do they have in a stable, pro-US Iraq?
SENATOR JOHN KERRY
(FOREIGN RELATIONS COMMITTEE)
They don't have a - it's not a question of pro-US. I think after what's happened there this is not going to be a question of pro-US. It's going to be pro Iraq. It's going to be pro the Middle East. And what we need to recognize is that the President's policies have really disrupted America's ability to have the kind of impact we had. We've been set back years in the Middle East because of the President's policy. And you don't have a real policy. I mean you have Jim Baker saying maybe we're going to change. Then you have the Vice President coming out and say things are going remarkably well in Iraq.
GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS
(Off-camera) He actually in 'Time" magazine today we're looking for victory. Do you think victory is possible?
SENATOR JOHN KERRY
(FOREIGN RELATIONS COMMITTEE)
It has to be completely redefined what it's going to be. And then you have John McCain of all people saying what you've got to do is put 100,000 more troops in which is a fantasy when you look at the fact that in the last few days they put more troops in, 15,000, they brought more troops from Kuwait, they concentrated those troops in Baghdad and they have failed miserably. Our own generals tell us the solution in Iraq is not military. If it's not military don't talk as John McCain does about putting more troops in, talk about how you resolve the political and diplomatic dilemma and sectarian -
GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS
(Off-camera) But they also say that -
SENATOR JOHN KERRY
(FOREIGN RELATIONS COMMITTEE)
Dilemma between Shia and Sunni and the region.
GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS
(Off-camera) They also say that pulling out those troops, the threat of pulling out those troops right now is going to create chaos.
SENATOR JOHN KERRY
(FOREIGN RELATIONS COMMITTEE)
It does - a year from now that's not an abandonment. Are you telling me that a year from now after all that this Administration has said about standing up and while they stand up we'll stand down. That was a lie. They said as they stand up we'll stand down. Well we're now at about 320,000 troops trained. That's not going to make the difference. Either they resolve the political differences within this year because they want to or they don't want to. If they don't want to there's nothing American troops can do. If they do resolve it so much the better and our troops can withdraw. Setting the date for a year from now is not waving a flag of surrender. And I resent the President of the United States suggesting that. It is in fact the best way to protect our troops. It's the best way to solve the problem. It's the best way to regain our moral authority in the region. It's the best way to be successful. It's the best way to protect America's security. And the fact that the - I mean this Administration has set America's security back in North Korea, set it back in Iran. Iran is delighted with what's happening in Iraq. They've set us back in Iraq itself. They've set back the Middle East peace process. We can't do anything in Darfur. And they're the only nation in the world that denies global climate change.
GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS
(Off-camera) Some say -
SENATOR JOHN KERRY
(FOREIGN RELATIONS COMMITTEE)
Let's debate security George.
GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS
(Off-camera) Some are suggesting that the White House actually is thinking about a radical change in strategy but they're going to wait until after the elections.
SENATOR JOHN KERRY
(FOREIGN RELATIONS COMMITTEE)
Well there you go. That's a really beautiful thing.
GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS
(Off-camera) Do you agree?
SENATOR JOHN KERRY
(FOREIGN RELATIONS COMMITTEE)
While young Americans are on the line -
GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS
(Off-camera) Do you think that's happening?
SENATOR JOHN KERRY
(FOREIGN RELATIONS COMMITTEE)
And their lives - I think it's immoral to have the lives of young Americans being put on the line waiting for an election day event or strategy. If you've got a better strategy Mr. President, we deserve to have it now. And that fact is that for three and a half years we've been sitting here with a strategy that many of us have said again and again and again will not work. It will not work. Our own generals have said there's no military solution. What are we doing? We're pursuing the same old same old. And the President, contrary to what he said in the interview, has said again and again we're going to stay the course. And he keeps playing this demagogue card that somehow it's a white flag of surrender in the United States of America to suggest a way to actually get the job done. We don't have to sit around and be bullied by a bunch of people who have misled America, lied to America and in fact have made America less safe. And I'm not going to stand for it.
GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS
(Off-camera) Let me move on to the midterm elections. You're actually getting some heat from Democrats. There's a web site that came up this week called HeyJohn.org. I want to show our viewers.
SENATOR JOHN KERRY
(FOREIGN RELATIONS COMMITTEE)
I saw it.
GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS
(Voiceover) Well I want to ask - they say that in - they want you to give more money to Democrats. They say 'in 2004 over 171,154 Americans donated $328,479,000 and countless hours of time to help John Kerry
get elected President. Now two years later Democrats have a real opportunity to regain a majority in both chambers of Congress. John Kerry?
He's still hanging on to more than eight million dollars of our money while Democratic candidates in competitive districts are short on funds."
GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS
(Off-camera) Will you be donating more of that money to Democratic candidates?
SENATOR JOHN KERRY
(FOREIGN RELATIONS COMMITTEE)
Let me tell you what I've been doing George. Those - first of all those facts are incorrect. We have been - and I'm very proud of what I've been doing. I've been traveling all over the country to some 34 states, many of which have absolutely nothing to do with the Presidential political schedule. I've been campaigning with candidates and for candidates. I've been raising money for candidates and have given money to candidates. I have raised and given over $11 million to candidates, three and a half million to my Senate colleagues alone, two and a half million I think to the House candidates, millions of dollars to party members and others. And it costs money to do that. We have to - we're spending down, unlike some folks who are out there raising money for themselves out of cycle, I have not been doing that. I have been spending down in order to be able to go out and help people. And I'm going to continue to do that. I'll continue to raise money. I'll continue to give money.
GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS
(Off-camera) You also said that you're going to be making your decision on running for President again in the next few weeks. Are you saying that the outcome of the midterms is going to determine what you do?
SENATOR JOHN KERRY
(FOREIGN RELATIONS COMMITTEE)
I don't think I said in the next few weeks. I said sometime -
GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS
(Off-camera) You did last weekend.
SENATOR JOHN KERRY
(FOREIGN RELATIONS COMMITTEE)
After - well after the election is what I've said. After the midterm election when I hope Democrats are - regain control. My concern, look I think we have a tremendous chance here but we've got to win some big races. Jim Webb I believe can win in Virginia. I hope he does win. He has the right view on the war in Iraq. And George Allen is suddenly running for cover, running away from his beliefs you know that he's been out there, out front on. Chet Culver, you know in Iowa has a chance to win the governorship. We have a great group of congressional candidates, Paul Hodes and Carol -
GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS
(Off-camera) You're doing a lot of guys here - let me just ask you -
SENATOR JOHN KERRY
(FOREIGN RELATIONS COMMITTEE)
Well I want these people to win because they will change the direction. They will hold this line accountable. If you want to hold it accountable, if Americans are fed up and I hope they are and they've had enough, then vote for Democrats in this election and we'll change -
GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS
(Off-camera) Let me ask you one final question about 2008. Your colleague Senator Barack Obama has also said he's thinking of running for President. And you gave him his big break back in 2000 -
SENATOR JOHN KERRY
(FOREIGN RELATIONS COMMITTEE)
I'm glad I did. I think my confidence in him has been obviously -
GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS
(Off-camera) Are you -
SENATOR JOHN KERRY
(FOREIGN RELATIONS COMMITTEE)
- ratified. I like what he's doing.
GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS
(Off-camera) Are you okay with the idea of running against him?
SENATOR JOHN KERRY
(FOREIGN RELATIONS COMMITTEE)
Whatever he wants to do. Look this is a free country. If he thinks he's ready to run for President and wants to run and I've made the decision -
GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS
(Off-camera) Do you think he's ready?
SENATOR JOHN KERRY
(FOREIGN RELATIONS COMMITTEE)
And I've made a decision to run then we'll go out and have a great contest. If I'm not in it, good luck to those who are. We'll see what happens.
GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS
(Off-camera) Do you think he's ready?
SENATOR JOHN KERRY
(FOREIGN RELATIONS COMMITTEE)
The bottom line is - I think he's a very interesting and very powerful communicator with a great deal of skill. I wouldn't have picked him if he didn't. And I'm really pleased to see the way in which the country is ratifying my judgment on that.
GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS
(Off-camera) Very gracious of you. Senator Kerry thanks very much.
SENATOR JOHN KERRY
(FOREIGN RELATIONS COMMITTEE)
Thanks.