Q&A: John McCain on White House, Iraq

Douglass: There was also some controversy around Governor Romney's answer that if he felt it was necessary to engage in a military strike on Iran, and he was asked then would he feel it necessary to consult the Congress, he said he would first consult lawyers. Now he was attacked by Giuliani for that, some people say it would be a legal question. What is your thought on that?

McCain: Well, he said, now is the time to call in lawyers. That's not the time to call in lawyers, when you have a national security crisis. Look, it just showed the inexperience that Governor Romney has on national security issues. And frankly, Mayor Giuliani the same thing. At a time like that, you either act immediately because the situation warrants it when you have to uphold your oath to protect the people of this nation, or you call in members of Congress if you have time to do so. And start working with, get in cooperation with Congress. It's certainly long past the time your working out the legalism of it.

By the way, it was very interesting last night, getting back to the taxes thing, Mayor Giuliani bragged about how he had fought and defeated the line item veto. I was one of the prime sponsors of line item veto. It still is constitutional if it's written right, it was written wrong. Forty-three governors out of 50 in America have the line item veto. If you're ever gonna reduce spending in America in the Congress, pork barrel and earmark spending, you need a line item veto for the president. So there's a very sharp difference of view between, I think, economic conservatives in our base of the party that feel the line item veto is vital if we're ever going to exercise fiscal discipline.

Douglass: But are you also saying, back to the national security issue, that Mayor Giuliani is also inexperienced in that area?

McCain: Well he's been mayor of New York City, and I think he did a great job uniting the nation after 9/11. Mayor Giuliani was part of the Iraq Study Group and had to leave because he didn't attend. So I respect him, I admire both he and Governor Romney, but I'll match my qualifications up to almost anyone's.

Douglass: Now, why do you think that all of the Republican candidates, and maybe you fall into this category, seem to be so eager to take on Hillary Clinton?

McCain: The only times I have said anything critical of Senator Clinton, who is probably going to be the nominee in the view of most people, is when I have had a policy disagreement. I am respectful of her, we have a working relationship on the Senate Armed Services Committee, and we have a cordial relationship, it's just that she's a liberal Democrat and I'm a conservative Republican. But when she says she's against free trade, I have to say I disagree and I'm for free trade. These are legitimate policy differences.

Douglass: You heard the Christian conservatives complaining about the field of Republicans from which they have to choose, and some even talking about breaking off and forming a third party. How important do you think the issues that matter so much to them, abortion and same sex marriage, are going to be in this campaign of 2008?

McCain: You know Linda, I don't know the answer to that, because you know I don't have any ideas as to what is going on there, but I know that one of the fundamental principles of the Republican Party is to protect the rights of the unborn. But I don't know and I will say I intend to respect the process, whoever the nominee of the party is. That's the process we go through, and I'm a loyal Republican.

Douglass: Well what do you say about the idea that the Christian conservatives might actually break off and try to find another candidate in another party? Is that damaging to the Republican Party? What's your reaction to that?

McCain: Well they are an important part of the Republican Party, but I don't tell anybody what they should do with their political allegiances and I'm not going to tell them. I can only speak for myself and that is we'll have given the voters of our party a very good opportunity to examine the candidates and I respect the process.

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