MTP Transcript for Nov. 5

MR. TIM RUSSERT: Our issues this Sunday: This is it. Only 48 hours to go, just two days, until the midterm elections. Will the Democrats recapture control of the House? With us: the chairs of the House campaign committees, Republican Tom Reynolds and Democrat Rahm Emanuel. Will the Republicans hold control of the Senate? With us: the chairs of the Senatorial campaign committees: Republican Elizabeth Dole and Democrat Chuck Schumer. All four campaign chairs, only on MEET THE PRESS.

But first, earlier this morning the Iraqi high tribunal of five judges found Saddam Hussein guilty of crimes against humanity for the deaths of more than 148 Shiite men and boys from the town of Dujail in 1982.

This was the scene as Saddam was ordered to stand and receive his sentence of death by hanging: Saddam shouting, “Hell to the occupiers, God is great.” NBC’s Richard Engel was in the courtroom, and he joins us this morning.

Richard, as we watch Saddam this morning, he also was there seen holding, clutching, waving the Quran around, in defiance. So Saddam, when he governed, was not a religious man. What kind of symbols it—was Saddam trying to communicate this morning?

MR. RICHARD ENGEL: Saddam realizes this is a—an image that is going to last in the minds of many Iraqis who, today, are, are even grasping to understand that this really took place. Saddam wants to leave the impression that he is a pious leader, a religious man and a nationalist. In addition to holding the Quran he kept saying, “Long live Iraq. God is greatest. Long live the Iraqi people.” He’s hoping that is the message they’re going to, to keep. But according to the street protests we saw today, people celebrating and firing guns in the air, it is certainly not the impression that most Iraqis have of their—of the former dictator.

MR. RUSSERT: His lawyer said he will appeal. What does that mean?

MR. ENGEL: There is an automatic appeal that should take place in about 30 days. That appeal is a nine-judge panel. It is open-ended, but according to Iraqi prosecutors, it might only take several months for the appeals court to uphold this death sentence. If, in fact, that is what’s happened, and the, and the verdict is upheld, then the Iraqi government has 30 days to carry out the, the punishment. Most analysts here expect that it will happen some time in the spring of ‘07.

MR. RUSSERT: There were two different reactions in Iraq today. First, this was the scene in the Shiite neighborhoods: celebration, jubilation. And then what happened in the Sunni neighborhoods? Protests, pledging revenge for having done this to Saddam. Will this verdict only encourage the sectarian violence?

MR. ENGEL: According to the prime minister, no. He believes this will help—a Shiite prime minister—help heal some of the wounds. However, Sunni leaders have made it clear they do not accept this verdict. They say it was imposed on Iraq by the United States. They would have liked to have seen this trial postponed until after the end of American occupation, after all troops have left. That is what Sunni leaders have made it clear. Members of the Baath Party that make up quite a large portion of the resistance groups here in Iraq, as they call themselves, have vowed to carry out attacks, but so far they have—those threats have not been, been, been—they’ve been taken seriously, but they have not amounted to much violence, at least today so far.

MR. RUSSERT: And finally, Richard, the timing of this sentencing. A suggestion’s made that it was scheduled just two days before the midterm elections. Iraqis deny that. What are you hearing? What can you report?

MR. ENGEL: U.S. officials and Iraqi government officials both come out repeatedly telling us that this was not timed to coincide with the U.S.  elections. However, Saddam’s main lawyer today again repeated that allegation, saying that this was clearly politically timed to help the United States. He said that it was politically rushed so that it would give America an exit strategy out of Iraq. However, both U.S. and Iraqi court officials deny that. Tim:

MR. RUSSERT: Richard Engel, thank you again for joining us, as always, and please be safe.

Now back to politics here at home, an exclusive grouping of four people charged with overseeing their party campaigns across the country: the chairs of the Senatorial Campaign Committee, Republican Elizabeth Dole, Democrat Chuck Schumer; the chairs of the House Campaign Committee, Republican Tom Reynolds, Democrat Rahm Emanuel. Welcome all.

Senator Schumer, this sentencing of Saddam Hussein to death by hanging, are you suspicious of the political timing?

SEN. CHUCK SCHUMER (D-NY): Not really. I mean, look, Tim, he was a brutal, evil dictator, he’s getting the punishment that he deserves. And I don’t think the timing makes much of a difference. And frankly, I don’t think his conviction makes much of a difference in this election, even though it’s a very good thing that it happened. I think when Dick Cheney says we’re staying the course this week, when the president refuses to rule out finding a new defense secretary and firing Donald Rumsfeld, that’s going to have far more of an effect on the election than this. So I don’t think the timing matters.

MR. RUSSERT: Do you think this will have an effect on the elections, Senator Dole?

SEN. ELIZABETH DOLE (R-NC): You know, I think what this shows is that the Iraqis are putting their past behind them, the establishment of the rule of law. I feel that, you know, this, this will mean they’re moving forward.  Certainly, a madman who had, in his focus, the preparation of nuclear weapons, this will, I think, be received as the right thing, and you know, I don’t expect that it’s going to, to have that much effect one way or the other.

MR. RUSSERT: Congressman Reynolds?

REP. TOM REYNOLDS (R-NY): They’re moving towards democracy in Iraq and Saddam Hussein is getting his justified punishment.

MR. RUSSERT: Congressman Emanuel?

REP. RAHM EMANUEL (D-IL): I think it’s good that he’s behind bars and getting his—the justice that he deserves. But I would also like to remind that about three years ago, when he was caught—and he’s been in jail for three years—about 800 Americans were dead at that point. Today, there’s little over 2800 Americans who’ve died. It won’t change the facts on the ground there and it won’t impact the election here. And as Chuck said, and I agree with him, we’re still, you know, at that time, when he was caught, the president said we had turned the corner in Iraq. And after three years, three and a half years, $380 billion, nearly 3,000 American lives, that was a slogan then, like “Mission Accomplished,” and we haven’t really accomplished much in Iraq. And even our own defense says—secretary—not defense secretary, general on the ground, says we’re on the brink of civil insurrection. The needle at the Pentagon points towards chaos. It means we need a new direction to our Iraq policy.

MR. RUSSERT: We’ll talk a lot more about Iraq later, but let’s first turn to these elections and go through some of the horse races. Three political newsletters have come out with their final projections. Here’s the Cook Political Report. They say Democrats gain 20 to 35 House seats, four to six Senate seats. The Rothenberg Political Report puts it at 34 to 40 House seats for the Democratic Party; Senate gain five to seven. The Evans and Novak Political Report say Democrats gain 20 seats; in the Senate, five.

Congressman Reynolds, in all those, the Democrats with significant gains in the House, do you agree?

REP. REYNOLDS: No, actually, those numbers, I guess, kind of consistent by most of what has been up there. What I look at is there’s about three dozen hotly contested races across the country. They’re in the margin of error, and right now, the 72-hour efforts by the Republicans to turn their vote out will make the difference of what it looks like on Election Day.

MR. RUSSERT: Glen Bolger, Republican pollster involved in these races, says this is the worst political atmosphere for Republicans since Watergate. Why?

REP. REYNOLDS: Well, there’s wind to our face in the second term, midterm election of a president, the party in power. I think we all, from the Republican side, went into the election understanding that. The reality is we are now, with about three dozens races that are very close, and the margin of error in the House, that will be determined on who comes out to vote.

MR. RUSSERT: Congressman Emanuel, you see those projections. Do you agree?

REP. EMANUEL: Well, here’s what—I’m going to give you four quick points and snapshots around the country. The Morning Register this morning says an open Republican seat, that Democrat Braley’s up by 21 points; in New Hampshire, in Charlie Bass’ seat, the University of New Hampshire has consistently the Democrat up by 9. Down in Florida, Ron Klein against Clay Shaw, an incumbent, has Ron Klein up by 10. And Albuquerque Journal has Patsy Madrid against Heather Wilson in Albuquerque up by 4. One thing consistent: Democrats across the board are growing in their margins in each of these races, four contested Republican districts. There’s one to two Democratic seats that I am concerned about, with about 48 Republican seats that we are contesting. And I like those margins and those numbers going in.

MR. RUSSERT: So you’re confident of a Democratic takeover?

REP. EMANUEL: I’m confident that we have put—that we are playing offense across this country in every region of this country.

And let me say one other thing, Tim. You go to history, in ‘58, there was a big election; ‘66, a big election, 1974 a big election, 1982 a big election, in 1994 a big election. Every decade, the American people have a big election where they say no to the status quo and yes to a new direction. And this election is a yes to a new direction, which is what Democrats are offering.

MR. RUSSERT: And let me turn to the U.S. Senate.

Senator Schumer, two states that you must hold that currently have Democratic senators, are New Jersey and Maryland. Here is our latest poll on New Jersey:

Menendez, the Democratic candidate, 48; Tom Kean Jr., 41. In Maryland, the Democrat, Ben Cardin 47; Michael Steele, the Republican, 44. How concerned are you that in those two Democratic states you may get upset?

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