MTP Transcript for Jan. 28, 2007

MR. POLLACK: It certainly is possible, and this is one of the things that we need to confront when we’re thinking about Iraq. And I think that all the Democratic candidates need to be thinking about that is, “Where do we wind up if there is a Democratic president taking over the White House in January of 2009? Is the situation better or worse?” You know, the problem with the situation that we’ve gotten ourselves into right now is that we have a tiger by the tail, and it’s terrible to be on the tiger’s back and it’s also terrible to let go of the tiger’s tail. But we’ve got to figure out how do we get to a position where we can at least deal with the problems that we’ve unleashed in Iraq. As we say, our hope is that some kind of containment strategy might offer a reasonable alterative. It will not be good for the Iraqi people. We need to keep that in mind. It will be a tragedy for the Iraqi people.

MR. RUSSERT: Mi—I’m sorry. Michael Gerson, some have suggested that the president just wants to buy time, hold on in Iraq, and then pass it off to the next president.

MR. GERSON: I don’t think that’s fair. I think the president has always been interested in victory, and he still talks about it in, in this case. I think victory—the standards of victory probably are a little lower right now. It—it’s avoiding the worst. It’s Ken—you know, Ken’s approach.

MR. RUSSERT: When you see John Warner, the former chairman of the Armed Services Committee, begin to distance himself from the president’s policy, if the surge doesn’t work, can you envision a time in the fall where Republican senators go to see the president and say, “Mr. President, it didn’t work. It’s over”?

MR. GERSON: Well, I think even General Petraeus in his testimony talked about late summer as a very important point, break point. And I think that’s what we’re likely to see. The problem will come on the Republican side when it comes, and it—there has to be serious progress.

MR. RUSSERT: How will the president respond to that?

MR. GERSON: Well, I—you know, I—the president’s a very determined man, as I—as I know. I think he’ll try to do what’s in the interest of the country, but it—it’s gong to be a difficult moment if this plan, which I think in many ways is a final plan, doesn’t get traction.

MR. RUSSERT: What will happen?

SEN. SCHUMER: Well, I think the bottom line is that the president will have no choice but to begin a withdrawal come this summer or fall of 2007. And that’s why I think the 2008 election, Tim, is going to turn on a positive platform. That’s what I’ve written...

MR. RUSSERT: Not Iraq.

SEN. SCHUMER: Not Iraq. I think we do have to discuss how to deal with the war on terror in the future. But I think that the president has shown so little veering from this plan, which is a disaster, that by 2000--early 2008, even he is going to be forced to withdraw troops from Iraq.

MR. RUSSERT: We shall see. Chuck Schumer, the book is “Positively American.” Thank you, and to the Baileys. Senator Vitter, thank you, Ken Pollack, Michael Gerson. And we’ll be right back.

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MR. RUSSERT: That’s all for today. Next Sunday our MEET THE CANDIDATES series returns for 2008. The Democratic vice presidential candidate in 2004, John Edwards, who is leading the crowded field in recent Iowa polls, will be our exclusive guest. That’s John Edwards, right here next week.

If it’s Sunday, it’s MEET THE PRESS.

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