MSNBC Live - Transcript

MSNBC Live - Transcript

NORAH O'DONNELL, MSNBC ANCHOR: Democratic Senator Jack Reed sits on the Armed Services Committee. He joins us now live from Capitol Hill.

Senator, good to see you.

U.S. SENATOR JACK REED (D-RI): Good to see you, too, Norah.

O'DONNELL: Let me press you, if I may. There is pretty much general agreement, we've heard from most Democratic senators that they're going to vote for Dr. Bob Gates to be the new defense secretary. But he said clearly today he does not support a phased

withdrawal of U.S. troops. So what changes is he going to make? And if there aren't any, why are you all voting for him?

REED: Well, I think, first, there's a tremendous change in attitude and candor and tone, which is important for the Department of Defense. I think he's going to be someone who's going to listen to his military commanders. He's going to listen to advice from across the aisle. And I think he's someone that will take that advice and not simply respond ideologically with fixed positions. He's someone that will learn and will change. And I think that's a very positive development.

O'DONNELL: He has displayed some candor today by acknowledging he doesn't think that the U.S. is winning the war in Iraq. And that is very different from what the president has been saying.

But I ask you again, was there anything specifically you heard today that Gates said he will change in Iraq?

REED: Well, he was very careful to say that all options are on the table. But I think the reality is, particularly with the impending release of the Iraqi Study Group's report, which is going to focus on several issues -- one, redeployment; two, diplomatic activity; three, training the Iraqi security forces; and the fourth, making sure that these political decisions in Iraq are being made or at least being addressed by the Iraqis -- I think that's going to move not only Dr. Gates, but the whole administration to a more realistic view.

So I anticipate change. I think if he comes back -- or I'd be surprised, let me say, that if in 30 days he comes back and says everything is fine, even though we're not winning, we're not going to change anything.

O'DONNELL: And why are you so confident of that?

REED: Well, I've had experience with Bob Gates over several years in a nonpolitical setting. He's someone, I think, whose judgment is good, who brings to this task experience. He's someone, I think, today who demonstrated candor, directness, thoughtfulness.

Those are qualities that are needed. And I think those are qualities that'll be very helpful to the administration.

O'DONNELL: To challenge you on that point, Senator Reed, let me sort of paraphrase what another one of your Democratic colleagues said in her questioning. That is Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton. She essentially asked Dr. Gates if he agreed with Rumsfeld's memo, had he read it, and he said yes.

And then she said: Well, with all candor, we've been proposing that for years, some of those ideas, and it appears that the president, who likes to call himself the decider -- those are her words -- and the vice president, have had these recommendations and yet have done nothing.

So does that give you any inclination that perhaps there have been dissenting views in this administration, but the president and the vice president have been loathe to accept those recommendations?

REED: I think that's a fairly accurate assessment based upon what I've observed over the last several years. And now it's up to Bob Gates to be able to be persuasive, with the facts, with the analysis. And he, hopefully, will use the Iraqi Study Group and other reports to do that.

But, yes, I sense that there's been a lot of denial in the White House, and that denial has to stop. They have to realistically assess the situation and make changes. And I hope Bob Gates can be an agent of that change.

O'DONNELL: And, Senator, just quickly, you are expecting to hear from the Baker-Hamilton commission and the Iraq Study Group up in your committee on Thursday. Is that right?

REED: That's right, Norah. They're coming before the committee and they will share their results, their conclusions, and give us an opportunity to question them.

O'DONNELL: Well, we'll invite you back. Thank you very much.

REED: Thanks, Norah.

O'DONNELL: Senator Jack Reed.

http://reed.senate.gov/newsroom/details.cfm?id=266397