Spence
09-09-2003, 01:13 PM
I thought some of you might be interested in the views of Senator Chuck Hagel, Republican from Nebraska and a highly-decorated veteran of the Vietnam War. Read on...
HARRY SMITH: Now, for a view from the Republican side, let's turn to Nebraska Senator Chuck Hagel.
Good morning, sir.
SEN. HAGEL: Good morning.
MR. SMITH: The president wants $87 billion for this continuing war in Iraq and partly for Afghanistan. Should he get it?
SEN. HAGEL: He will get it, but not (until) after having to answer some tough questions. The Congress, the American people, deserve to understand where this money is going, how it's going to be spent, what are our plans, how do we include additional allies, what are those responsibilities, and additional questions that were never really asked, certainly never answered up to this point. But they will be demanded, answers now. But he will get the $87 billion.
MR. SMITH: The country asks a lot of the people we send to Iraq. Deployments now, as we reported this morning, up to a year and even more for some of these reservists. Did the administration miscalculate the difficulty of this war?
SEN. HAGEL: Yes, they did miscalculate it. I think they did a miserable job of planning for a post-Saddam Iraq. They treated many in the Congress, most of the Congress, like a nuisance. When we asked questions, we wanted to be helpful; we wanted to participate. And now they are finding out that reality is dominating.
The fact is, this is difficult. This is complicated. This is dangerous. This is uncertain. And many of us, long before we went into Iraq, called for the United Nations and many allies to be with us, knowing that the real difficult part would be right now where we are -- who is going to govern Iraq, who is going to pay for it, what are the consequences, not just in Iraq but in Afghanistan and the entire Middle East.
MR. SMITH: The president has had the support of the American people for this war thus far. But if Congress has to start choosing, say, between a prescription drug benefit for Medicare and the cost of this war, who's going to win?
SEN. HAGEL: Well, those are priority questions that we're going to have to sort out. But right now we need to keep this debate on the high ground. This is about the national security interests of this country. They should not be, these arguments, politicized. I think both parties understand that.
This is very, very important for the future of this country and the stability of the Middle East, and that's the way we should approach it. We have other needs. We have other priorities. You mentioned a couple. We have more than that. And so we'll have to work this out.
It is troubling that we're going to be talking about a $2 trillion budget deficit over the next five years. That means we have to grow the economy, and we have to all make some tough decisions.
MR. SMITH: Senator Chuck Hagel from Nebraska, thank you so much this morning; do appreciate it.
SEN. HAGEL: Thank you.
HARRY SMITH: Now, for a view from the Republican side, let's turn to Nebraska Senator Chuck Hagel.
Good morning, sir.
SEN. HAGEL: Good morning.
MR. SMITH: The president wants $87 billion for this continuing war in Iraq and partly for Afghanistan. Should he get it?
SEN. HAGEL: He will get it, but not (until) after having to answer some tough questions. The Congress, the American people, deserve to understand where this money is going, how it's going to be spent, what are our plans, how do we include additional allies, what are those responsibilities, and additional questions that were never really asked, certainly never answered up to this point. But they will be demanded, answers now. But he will get the $87 billion.
MR. SMITH: The country asks a lot of the people we send to Iraq. Deployments now, as we reported this morning, up to a year and even more for some of these reservists. Did the administration miscalculate the difficulty of this war?
SEN. HAGEL: Yes, they did miscalculate it. I think they did a miserable job of planning for a post-Saddam Iraq. They treated many in the Congress, most of the Congress, like a nuisance. When we asked questions, we wanted to be helpful; we wanted to participate. And now they are finding out that reality is dominating.
The fact is, this is difficult. This is complicated. This is dangerous. This is uncertain. And many of us, long before we went into Iraq, called for the United Nations and many allies to be with us, knowing that the real difficult part would be right now where we are -- who is going to govern Iraq, who is going to pay for it, what are the consequences, not just in Iraq but in Afghanistan and the entire Middle East.
MR. SMITH: The president has had the support of the American people for this war thus far. But if Congress has to start choosing, say, between a prescription drug benefit for Medicare and the cost of this war, who's going to win?
SEN. HAGEL: Well, those are priority questions that we're going to have to sort out. But right now we need to keep this debate on the high ground. This is about the national security interests of this country. They should not be, these arguments, politicized. I think both parties understand that.
This is very, very important for the future of this country and the stability of the Middle East, and that's the way we should approach it. We have other needs. We have other priorities. You mentioned a couple. We have more than that. And so we'll have to work this out.
It is troubling that we're going to be talking about a $2 trillion budget deficit over the next five years. That means we have to grow the economy, and we have to all make some tough decisions.
MR. SMITH: Senator Chuck Hagel from Nebraska, thank you so much this morning; do appreciate it.
SEN. HAGEL: Thank you.