CNN The Situation Room-Transcript

Interview

CNN The Situation Room-Transcript

BLITZER: McCain is also a leading supporter of the president's plan to boost troop levels in the conflict right now.

Republican Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina is just back from a recent trip to Iraq. He supports President Bush's troop increase.

Senator Graham is joining us now from Capitol Hill.

Senator, thanks very much for coming in.

SEN. LINDSEY GRAHAM (R), SOUTH CAROLINA: Good to be with you, Wolf.

Thank you.

BLITZER: I'll give you some numbers that we had in our latest CNN/Opinion Research Corporation poll. We asked this question of the American people: "Who are you more likely to side with in the Iraq dispute between President Bush and the Congress?"

Sixty percent said Democrats in Congress, 37 percent said President Bush in this debate over troop funding and timetables.

Why is the administration's stance, which you support, having such a rough time with the American public?

GRAHAM: Well, to be honest with you, I look at Iraq in terms of a global perspective, not a polling moment.

My whole point here is to -- my colleagues in the Senate and people back home in South Carolina is what happens if we lose Iraq? What are the consequences for our country? What happens if Iraq becomes a failed state? Does the war end or does it get larger?

What happens if al Qaeda can legitimately claim victory in Iraq? How does that affect our long-term national security interests?

John McCain is right. We've, for three years now, had the wrong strategy. We never had enough troops to secure the country. We've got a new general with a new strategy. We are showing signs of progress, particularly in Anbar Province.

So what I'm urging my fellow citizens to think about is what happens if we lose Iraq?

BLITZER: But, Senator, it seems the United States, we want to secure Iraq more than the Iraqi politicians want to secure Iraq. They have hundreds of thousands of troops. We've given them a lot of money and a lot of training, four years.

Why can't they step up to the plate and get the job done?

GRAHAM: A good question. The Maliki government is about a year old. The Iraqi people have been liberated from a dictator for four years. They've had four governments in four years. Their constitution is about a year old.

Why did it take us 13 years to write our constitution? Why did we go to war with each other in our own civil war?

All I can tell you is that the biggest mistake the Bush administration has made is to have expectations that were unrealistic.

We've had really unrealistic expectations of what could be accomplished out of the ashes of a dictatorship.

I do expect the Maliki government to make progress on political fronts, including sharing the oil and allowing local elections. But the truth is democracy is hard, especially when you're getting shot at.

It's really difficult to bring people together politically when your families are being murdered. It's very difficult to administer the rule of law when the judges are being assassinated.

We need better security. With better security, we'll have better political reconciliation.

Be patient. Look at our own history.

BLITZER: The campaign of your good friend, Senator John McCain, is having some troubles. A lot of people suggest largely because of his outspoken support of this new strategy in Iraq.

Is that the biggest problem he has right now?

GRAHAM: Now we're Republicans. Republicans want to win. Rudy Giuliani is a -- an American hero frozen in time, the mayor of New York during 9/11, who did a wonderful job. He's been in the mid-30s, John's been in the mid-20s.

At the end of the day, I do believe that the Republican Party is going to choose the most conservative candidate they can find, who's electable in November 2008, who can be commander-in-chief, who can lead our party back to where we need to be when it comes to spending.

At the end of the day, John is the most reliably conservative candidate available who can win a general election, who has the credibility and credentials to be commander-in-chief.

The poll that matters is when you begin to vote in January next year. I wouldn't trade places with anybody in the field.

BLITZER: I know you supported him the last time and you're a strong supporter of him this time.

GRAHAM: And we got beat, too. And we got beat...

BLITZER: He's lucky...

GRAHAM: ... right (UNINTELLIGIBLE).

BLITZER: He's lucky to have a good friend like you, though.

All right, let me switch gears briefly. Alberto Gonzales, not only Democrats, but increasingly some Republicans, are expressing their irritation, their concern that he can no longer be effective.

Where do you stand? Should he stay or should he go?

GRAHAM: Well, the truth is can he be effective?

Right now, his credibility with many members of the Senate is very low. I'm willing to work with him to see if we can repair the damage.

The question for the administration is can this attorney general sell the policies of this administration?

It is up to him to repair the damage that's been created by mismanagement of the firing of the eight U.S. attorneys. And I don't believe he did anything with malice in his heart, but I sure do believe he let it get way out of control and the jury is still out, to be honest with you...

BLITZER: How much...

GRAHAM: ... he's got to...

BLITZER: ... time does he have?

GRAHAM: Well, I think he's got a matter of weeks or months, not much longer, simply because the administration has got 18 months left. The question for the president is do you have an attorney general who can deliver the goods, who can sell your agenda?

I'll leave that up to the president. You know. You've seen the problems the attorney general has faced with our committee. And I'm willing to hear him out and give him a chance. BLITZER: Lindsey Graham, Republican senator from South Carolina.

Thanks for coming in.

GRAHAM: Thank you very much.

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