American Morning - Transcript

CNN

SHOW: AMERICAN MORNING 07:00

September 21, 2004 Tuesday

Transcript # 092104CN.V74

HEADLINE: Controversy Over Bush's Speech to U.N. General Assembly; Interview with Delaware Senator Joseph Biden

COLLINS: Yes, that's for sure.

All right, Richard Roth, thanks so much for that.

Delaware Senator Joe Biden is the ranking Democrat on the Foreign Relations Committee.

He is with us this morning from Wilmington to talk more about the president's diplomatic offensive at the U.N. and the war of words on the campaign trail.

Senator Biden, good morning to you.

Thanks for coming on AMERICAN MORNING.

SEN. JOSEPH BIDEN (D-DE), FOREIGN RELATIONS COMMITTEE: Good morning, Heidi.

COLLINS: I want to ask you, over the weekend you actually said that the administration's stance when it comes to the United Nations is "like wonderland."

What did you mean by that?

BIDEN: Well, I wasn't just referring to the United Nations. I was referring to the characterization of the situation on the ground in Iraq. And Dick Lugar was on that program with me, along with other leading Republicans this weekend, and we all know the situation on the ground is not the way the president is painting the picture. And so, I was referring to this notion that, you know, it's kind of like that old calypso song, you know, don't worry, be happy.

We can win. We must win the peace in Iraq. But we must not stay the course, we must change the course. And it's not just Joe Biden the Democrat saying that or John Kerry, the presidential candidate. It's leading Republicans and everyone who's basically informed.

COLLINS: All right, well, let's listen for one moment to something that John Kerry said yesterday on this very same issue, Iraq.

Listen for one minute and I'll get to you on the back side here.

BIDEN: Sure.

OK.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. JOHN KERRY (D-MA), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: George Bush has not told the truth to the American people about why we went to war and how the war is going. I have and I will continue to do so. I believe the invasion of Iraq has made us less secure and weaker in the war on terrorism. I have a plan to fight a smarter, more effective war on terror that actually makes America safer.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COLLINS: As I'm sure you know, Kerry laid out the four point plan for Iraq. And one of those proposals talking about getting more international help in Iraq. But some analysts are saying, you know, that's easier said than done. In fact, take a look at this from Anthony Cordesman. He's working at the Center for Strategic & International Security.

He said: "The reality is that whoever is president, we're not going to get other countries to play a major role in the ongoing insurgency."

What are the chances, Senator Biden, that Kerry can actually mobilize the international community?

BIDEN: As John Kerry said in this speech, they dim every day as a consequence of the wrong decisions being made by this administration. They were real a year and a half ago. They were available a year ago. They're less available now.

Tony Cordesman is a first rate guy. He has a blistering criticism of the president's position in Iraq and he is right. As a consequence of these awesome failures in strategy on the part of the civilians in this administration, no one wants to get involved. But even...

COLLINS: But what will Senator Kerry do?

BIDEN: Well, what Senator Kerry will do is exactly what he said. For example, he would make sure that we were fundamentally have a training program and equipping the Iraqi military. The secretary of defense said we've trained 210,000 people. And then he said no, it's 95,000 people. In fact, it's nowhere near that.

He would, in fact, instead of at the U.N. talking about whether we should or shouldn't have gone into Iraq, be in there saying to the U.N. Security Council, you voted for a resolution several months ago committing force to protect the U.N. so the General Assembly could send in-so the secretary general could send in people to set up the election. Now it's time to do it.

He should be talking-I mean, look, the irony here is that the president has misled. He has miscalculated and he's mismanaged.

COLLINS: All right, Senator Biden, let me go ahead and get a quote also from President Bush here and get your comment on the back side of this, as well.

Listen in for one moment.

BIDEN: OK.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH ®, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Incredibly, he now believes our national security would be stronger with Saddam Hussein in power, not in prison. Today he said, and I quote, "We have traded a dictator for a chaos that has left America less secure."

He's saying he prefers the stability of a dictatorship to the hope and security of democracy. I couldn't disagree more and not so long ago, so did my opponent.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COLLINS: President Bush says John Kerry is twisting in the wind, that he actually has a habit of doing that.

Your thoughts?

BIDEN: What the president is doing is twisting John Kerry's words. John Kerry said that Saddam Hussein should be in prison, should be in hell, for that matter. John Kerry said that as a consequence of the way the president went about dealing with this issue has made us less secure.

Had we gone the way that not just I said, or John Kerry said, but I said, that Dick Lugar and many other professionals said, we would be in a much better position. Saddam Hussein would be gone. We would not be alone.

COLLINS: All right...

BIDEN: There would not be this continued playing here. All I ask you to ask the administration next time, one fact that John Kerry mentioned, is it incorrect? Are there 95,000 people trained? Have we only spent 5 percent in rebuilding Iraq of the $18 billion we gave them 10 months ago? And the list goes on.

COLLINS: All right, Senator Joe Biden, we certainly appreciate your time so much this morning.

BIDEN: Thank you very much.