Transcript for March 26

SEC’Y RICE: And it’s also a far cry from the Taliban. This is a country that has come an enormous way in four years, where, yes, the issues of the Constitution are going to be debated in this very traditional society that is trying now to move to a modern political system. I would just ask people to remember how hard this was for us.

Tim, I am, I hate to say, 51 years old, but it’s in my lifetime that black Americans were guaranteed the right to vote. Who are we to be so, so insistent that people must do this overnight? We’re working with the Afghan government. They’re moving in a democratic fashion. It’s going to be hard. But when something arises, as with Mr. Rahman, it is the obligation of the international community and of the United States—and there has been support across Europe for this—that the Afghans be reminded that in their own Constitution they have enshrined the universal declaration on human rights which guarantees certain religious freedoms. We didn’t have that Constitution with the Taliban to work with.

MR. RUSSERT: So Christians should be able to worship. People should be able to convert to Christianity in Afghanistan.

SEC’Y RICE: Of course, Tim. That our—the universal declaration of human rights is, is clear on this. But I would be the first to say that Afghans are going to have to work through some of the difficulties and contradictions.

MR. RUSSERT: But it can’t be done on a case-by-case basis. It has to be ensured.

SEC’Y RICE: They will have to work through court cases, as we have, to interpret the Constitution. They will have to work through individual cases, and I’m quite certain that the evolution of Afghan democracy is going in the right direction. But I would just remind people that four years ago the Taliban was executing people wantonly in stadiums for playing music. This is a country that has come a very, very long way, and women were not being educated at all. It was punishable to educate women. This is a place that has come a long, long way. Let’s support them in their quest to become a modern democracy.

MR. RUSSERT: You mentioned you’re 51 and I’m curious if it’s time for a career change. We’ve discussed future options for you on this program. Here is the headline all across the paper: NFL Commissioner Paul “Tagliabue Step Down in July.” And here’s our conversations in 2001, ‘02, ‘03, and ‘04 on this subject.

(Videotape):

MR. RUSSERT: In your next life, you want to be commissioner of the NFL?

SEC’Y RICE: Right.

(End videotape)

(Videotape):

SEC’Y RICE: I think the NFL is really a terrific institution.

I’d love to be associated with it someday.

MR. RUSSERT: Another first.

(End videotape)

(Videotape):

SEC’Y RICE: Tim, I’m going off to be commissioner of NFL, remember?

(End videotape)

(Videotape):

SEC’Y RICE: I think Paul Tagliabue is doing a fine job as NFL commissioner, but I look forward to the day that he decides to retire and I, I very much think that the, the best job in America’s got to be NFL commissioner.

(End videotape)

MR. RUSSERT: You just announced your candidacy.

SEC’Y RICE: I still think the best job in America maybe NFL commissioner. It’s a little too soon for me. I’ve got lots to do as secretary of state. I think if my ship came in, it’s going to have to leave the port without me.

MR. RUSSERT: So you’re not interested?

SEC’Y RICE: No, not interested.

MR. RUSSERT: Now, Fred Barnes, a reporter, has close ties to the—sources to the White House, wrote this in The Wall Street Journal the other day, “Third Term for Bush. The president’s most spectacular move would be to anoint a presidential successor. This would require Vice President Cheney to resign. His replacement? Condoleezza Rice, whom Mr. Bush regards highly.”

SEC’Y RICE: We’ve got a great vice president of the United States in Vice President Cheney. He is doing a fantastic job for the president and for the country. He is really one of the strongest supporters that I’ve drawn on from time to time, and he’s doing a great job. I think I better try to be secretary of state. You just gave a whole list of things that I have to work on as secretary of state.

MR. RUSSERT: But if the president, if the president came to you and said, “Dick Cheney’s going to resign, I want you to be my vice president because I want you to run in 2008,” you wouldn’t say no?

SEC’Y RICE: Tim, I think we’ve been through this conversation about 2008. Not, not going to—I’m not going to do that, that’s not what I want to do with my life.

MR. RUSSERT: Laura Bush said you’d make an excellent president, and, “I don’t think we can talk her into running.”

SEC’Y RICE: Well, that’s—I really appreciate that the first lady, who I admire very much, thinks that, but the last part of that’s right.

MR. RUSSERT: Will not happen.

SEC’Y RICE: I don’t think it’s going to happen.

MR. RUSSERT: Madam Secretary, as always, we thank you for sharing your views.

SEC’Y RICE: Thank you very much.

MR. RUSSERT: Coming next, David Broder, Elisabeth Bumiller, Charlie Cook, John Harwood interpret the Washington political landscape, tackle the issue of immigration, and look at the midterm elections in 2006 right here on MEET THE PRESS.

(Announcements)

MR. RUSSERT: The politics of immigration, Iraq and the midterm congressional elections. David Broder, Elisabeth Bumiller, Charlie Cook, John Harwood, our roundtable after this station break.

(Announcements)

MR. RUSSERT: And we are back. Welcome all.

Immigration. Look at these scenes and these pictures from Los Angeles. Five hundred thousand people, according to police estimates, turned out to protest some of the immigration reforms that are being discussed, debated, perhaps legislated in Washington.

David Broder, how big of a political issue is immigration, and what are the potential pitfalls for politicians as they try to navigate the issue?

MR. DAVID BRODER: It started as a border issue in the states that have common boundaries with Mexico particularly. It has now become a national issue. Talking to Republican governor of Minnesota, it’s a big issue in his state; suburban Illinois districts now find large Hispanic populations. It has become a much tougher issue for politicians of both parties, but particularly I think for Republicans.

MR. RUSSERT: The polling we have seen with the Wall Street Journal/NBC, 88 percent say it’s a serious problem; 62 percent say that illegal, illegal, immigrants should not be allowed to become citizens, and 60 percent say that we shouldn’t even give them guest-worker status to come here temporarily.

Elisabeth Bumiller, you wrote a piece in The New York Times. Quote, “Bush is facing a difficult path in immigration,” talking about the joint pressures on President Bush. From the business community we need these people to work, because Americans won’t do the jobs, and the conservative community is saying, “Illegal immigrants: get ‘em out.” What does he do?

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