MTP Transcript for Oct. 8

MR. TIM RUSSERT: Our issues this Sunday: Only 30 days until the midterm elections. How will the Foley congressional page scandal and the war in Iraq affect the voters? The Democrats must gain six seats to take control of the U.S. Senate. This morning, our Senate Debate series continues with another one of the most closely watched races of the year: Missouri, where incumbent Republican Senator Jim Talent faces off against Democratic challenger state auditor Claire McCaskill. The three latest polls show the race too close to call. Republican Jim Talent vs. Democrat Claire McCaskill.

Then, the new book “State of Denial.” A best seller, but not winning rave reviews at the White House. Our guest: author Bob Woodward.

But first, our Missouri Senate Debate. Republican Jim Talent, Democrat Claire McCaskill. Welcome both.

MS. CLAIRE McCASKILL: Thank you.

MR. RUSSERT: Let me start with the news that has played out all week long, Senator Talent, the resignation of Republican Congressman Mark Foley of Florida for some of the suggestive, salacious e-mails and instant messages he sent to House pages. How badly has the Republican Party been hurt by this scandal?

SEN. JIM TALENT (R-MO): Well, I think everybody needs to react the way you ought to react to this kind of a thing: a zero tolerance policy. I mean, I have a 16-year-old, that’s the age the pages are, and they need to proceed with this investigation both within the House and within the FBI, and react accordingly, and then let the chips fall where they may. And whoever was responsible is going to have to take the consequences.

MR. RUSSERT: Here’s the cover of both Time and Newsweek magazine coming out today. Time says “What a mess. Why something like this?” It says “A tawdry sex scandal may spell the end of the Republican revolution.” The Washington Times—conservative newspaper—editorialized this: “House Speaker Dennis Hastert must do the only right thing, and resign his speakership at once.  Either he was grossly negligent for not taking the red flags fully into account and ordering a swift investigation, for not even remembering the order of events leading up to last week’s revelations - or he deliberately looked the other way in hopes that a brewing scandal would simply blow away.” Should the speaker of the House resign?

SEN. TALENT: Well, I think that’s what this investigation’s going to tell us, Tim. I mean, we need to find out who knew what, we need to have a zero tolerance policy for this, and then let the chips fall where they may. And I presume that’s what the investigation is about. And I think the elections around the country are going to be about the people running in the elections.  I mean, I’m—offer Missouri a record that shows I’ve made the system in Washington work on behalf of the people in Missouri in areas like ethanol and biodiesel—we’re entering a renewable age in the country and its because of legislation I passed—the Combat Meth Act, which has reduced the meth labs around the country; legislation to restrict predatory payday lending against our servicemen and women. I think that’s what the elections around the country are going to be about: who’s made the system work in Washington for their people.

MR. RUSSERT: But you’re comfortable with Dennis Hastert as the number two man in line to become the next president of the United States in the line of succession?

SEN. TALENT: Oh, no. I mean, I’m comfortable the investigation moving forward, finding out what happened, and then the people who were responsible taking the consequences. And if that’s up to and including the speaker, and up to and including resignation.

MR. RUSSERT: Should the investigation results be released before the election?

SEN. TALENT: Well, whenever, whenever the results are completed and they feel certain about it, sure. I mean, it could even affect...

MR. RUSSERT: But shouldn’t voters know the facts before the election?

SEN. TALENT: Yeah. I mean, if they get the investigation done and they, and they know who did what, yeah, that’s the whole point of the investigation.  Absolutely. Look, there needs to be a zero tolerance policy for this. This, this is something that transcends politics. This is a question of protecting these pages and making sure their parents and the public have confidence in the system.

MR. RUSSERT: Ms. McCaskill, Speaker Hastert said this: “The people who want to see this thing blow up are ABC News and a lot of Democratic operatives, people funded by George Soros,” who’s given millions and millions of dollars to Democratic causes. Have any Democratic operatives been involved in spreading this information?

MS. McCASKILL: Tim, as a former prosecutor, I had to handle dozens and dozens of heartbreaking cases where children had been sexually abused, where predators had been doing their work. I know this: that when a 50-year-old man is asking a teenage boy on the Internet for his picture, the response needs to be something other than, “I better go tell the chairman of the Republican Campaign Committee.”

Clearly what has happened here is an arrogance of power. It is about holding onto power instead of doing the right thing. And Washington is not working.  This shouldn’t be about power. This should be about protecting kids and calling the authorities, calling the Ethics Committee. They didn’t even tell the Democrats on the Page Committee. This was about a cover-up.

I think it’s wrong. I think it is a great example of how out of touch Washington is, and how they’ve got their priorities all wrong.

MR. RUSSERT: Should the speaker resign?

MS. McCASKILL: Yes.

MR. RUSSERT: Should the investigation be reported before the election?

MS. McCASKILL: Yes.

MR. RUSSERT: And do you have any information that Democratic operatives may have been spreading this information?

MS. McCASKILL: Absolutely. I—I’m from Missouri. I’m not really in contact with Democratic operatives in Washington, D.C. I know as a former prosecutor and also the mother of teenagers, like Jim, that I know that if my child was that page and I found out they called the head of the Campaign Committee instead of the Ethics Committee and the authorities, I’d be hopping mad.

MR. RUSSERT: Let me turn to Iraq and the war on terror. This was President Bush on Monday. Let’s watch.

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