MTP Transcript for Oct. 8

(Videotape, Thursday):

MR. TONY SNOW: The Woodward book is, is going to be interesting in the sense that it’s fascinating to everybody here in the beltway. But there’s also—there are a lot of single-sourcing problems. And, you know, I mean, there are going to be a lot of back and forth—I talked to Andy Card today, for instance, who says he was quoted accurately but out of context. I talked with the aide to General Abizaid, who said that although General Abizaid is quoted a couple of times, he was never contacted, there was—they never ran quotes by them, they didn’t talk to them. They didn’t talk to Kissinger, he’s quoted in the book. They didn’t talk to Brent Scowcroft, he’s quoted in the book.

(End videotape)

MR. RUSSERT: Did you talk to Kissinger?

MR. WOODWARD: Sure. Of course.

MR. RUSSERT: On the record?

MR. WOODWARD: On the record. Again, I was doing Ford work, but I asked about this. I mean, again, my only agreement with Kissinger is that I would check quotes, but this is on the record, October 19^th, 2005, in his office in New York. I, I said “This’ll be on the record,” he said “Fine.” Check quotes.  I hope he won’t mind if I’m checking some quotes here on the air. I asked about the meetings with Bush, with Cheney, particularly about Bush, and he said, “Yeah, maybe a little more with the president,” more than every two or three months. Went on for pages discussing those meetings.

MR. RUSSERT: Did you, did you talk to Brent Scowcroft?

MR. WOODWARD: Yes.

MR. RUSSERT: Now, Mr. Scowcroft issued a statement which seems to conflict with that.

MR. WOODWARD: Well, parse it, please.

MR. RUSSERT: He says, “I did not agree to be interviewed for this latest book. There are statements in the book, directly or implicitly attributed to me, that did not and never could have come from me. I never discuss any personal conversations that I may have with President [George] H.W. Bush.”

MR. WOODWARD: He’s, he’s not denying what’s in the book is correct, he’s saying it couldn’t have come from him. Look, this is—what you do in a book—and the, and the opportunity The Washington Post gives me is years to find out what happened and do as deep reporting as possible. Anyone who knows, I mean Jeff Goldberg of The New Yorker wrote a piece about Scowcroft’s agony and what’s going on here. People know what’s going on, and I’m trying to say, “Look, here’s a reality.” For instance, in, in all of this, Scowcroft and Bush Sr., the president’s father, former president.

MR. RUSSERT: But you spoke to Scowcroft on the record for the book?

MR. WOODWARD: No, I spoke to Scowcroft—I mean, he says he never talked to me—I mean, during June 30^th, 2004, November 29^th, 2004, October 5^th, 2005.

MR. RUSSERT: Condi Rice, you say, shrugged off a briefing that George Tenet gave her about—on July 10^th, 2001, about a potential attack on an American city—American interest. The September 11 commission commissioner Richard Ben-Veniste, he said that Tenet said that she did not shrug it off. Who’s right?

MR. WOODWARD: I’ve been working on 9/11 for five years, since 9/11. And again, I’m trying to go deep into this. As I report in the book, this extraordinary meeting, the CIA director hops in his car and calls from the car and says, “I have to meet with the national security adviser”? I’ve never heard of that happening in any other instance at all.

MR. RUSSERT: What’s the most important fact in this book?

MR. WOODWARD: I mean, look, this is a reporter’s chronicle, what Carl Bernstein and I used to call “the best obtainable version of the truth.”

MR. RUSSERT: To be continued. Bob Woodward is the author, “State of Denial” is the book. Thank you very much.

MR. WOODWARD: Thank you.

MR. RUSSERT: And we have to leave it there.

Before we go, we’d like to say goodbye to Johnny Apple, who died this week at the age of 71. For 43 years, he wrote for The New York Times with brio and clarity. Over the years, he appeared on MEET THE PRESS 81 times, providing moments like this.

(Videotape, September 12, 1974):

MR. R.W. “JOHNNY” APPLE: Now, suppose Mr. Nixon were to decide on a running mate besides Mr. Agnew. Who else is there that would be acceptable to conservatives if Mr. Agnew were off the ticket?

MR. RONALD REAGAN: Oh, I don’t think—haven’t you got another question on your list there?

MR. APPLE: They all cover the same subject.

(End videotape)

RUSSERT: R.W. “Johnny” Apple, one great writer, one very unique character.

R.W. “JOHNNY”

APPLE

1934-2006

MR. RUSSERT: And we’ll be right back.

(Announcements)

MR. RUSSERT: That’s all for today. We’ll be back next week. Our Senate Debate series continues with another closely watched race: Minnesota. Mark Kennedy, the Republican; Democrat Amy Klobuchar. If it’s Sunday, it’s MEET THE PRESS. Go Bills, beat the Bears!

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