MSNBC Interview - Transcript

Interview

MS. MITCHELL: John Thune, the Republican senator from South Dakota. Thanks so much for joining us, Senator.

I'm wondering about the strategy of John McCain. He's been taking shots at Barack Obama back and forth on foreign policy issues. Would he better off focusing on the domestic economy and try to make that the contrast this week while Barack Obama is abroad?

SEN. THUNE: I think he is doing that, Andrea. He's talking about energy today. We're talking about energy -- lot of Republican members of Congress -- and what the Democrat leadership is doing to block proposals that would increase domestic production in this country.

I think what's happening in Europe and on this trip is a lot about photo ops. There's a lot of adoration of foreigners. But at some point Barack Obama does have to come home. At some point he does have to engage in the issues that are on Americans' minds. And at some point the American people are going to make a decision about whether or not they want a celebrity in the White House or whether they want a commander in chief. And I think that's the contrast that benefits John McCain extremely well.

MS. MITCHELL: Well, that's the way you clearly would define it, because you would like to minimize the foreign policy experience or skill of this particular Democratic nominee. But didn't he prove in Jerusalem and in the West Bank that he could navigate pretty adeptly through that kind of tough terrain?

SEN. THUNE: Well, again, I -- I really think the trip -- and if you look at what Barack Obama was saying -- he made his announcement about his policy before he left. They call this a fact-finding trip, but when he gets over there, it really is more photo ops. There are a lot of important issues that are -- that are going on here at home. But if you look purely at the whole foreign policy component of this, he made up his mind before he went and now has gone so far as to say after all the good progress we've seen in Iraq, after the suggestions of our commanders on the ground, that he still would have opposed the surge. The surge is what's led to the effectiveness, the outcome there, the reduction in civilian casualties and the progress that's been made in Iraq, and Senator Obama just doesn't want to acknowledge that. And it was Senator McCain's leadership that precipitated a lot of that progress. And I think it does present a clear contrast on foreign policy issues.

And I think there's going to be plenty of contrast on domestic policy too. When he -- (audio break) -- the people in America are going to have to make a decision about what kind of a leader they want in the White House. And I think an experienced leader with the -- the type of background and history and personal qualities that Senator McCain brings to the ticket is going to present a great contrast for -- with Senator Obama.

And obviously he draws big crowds, and more power to him. But Europeans don't vote in American elections. It's going to be about American politics and American issues.

MS. MITCHELL: One of the things that he's clearly trying to achieve is to look presidential. We just looked at some pictures from him earlier today with Angela Merkel, the German chancellor. Let me read to you something that Joe Klein of Time magazine wrote. He's calling this McCain's -- "John McCain's Foreign Policy Frustration." He writes, quote, "McCain's greatest claim to the presidency, his overseas expertise, now seems squandered. He has appeared brittle and inflexible, slow to adapt to changes on the ground, slow to grasp the full implications not only of the improving situation in Iraq but also the worsening situation in Afghanistan and especially Pakistan. McCain has straitjacketed himself," wrote Klein, "in an ideology focused more on enemies, real and imagined, than any opportunities."

Let me ask you to respond to that, since that's clearly --

SEN. THUNE: (Chuckles.) Okay.

MS. MITCHELL: -- (chuckles -- a fairly negative take, but have at it.

SEN. THUNE: Well, it's -- sure. I mean, it's -- well, absolutely. I mean, again, what I would come back to -- if you look at whose leadership on the issue of Iraq has made a difference -- I was actually with Senator McCain in Iraq in 2006 in Anbar province, when the counterinsurgency was starting to take hold. He listened to our commanders. He made recommendations that we need more troops on the ground, based upon the recommendations he was getting from our commanders. We did that. It has worked. It has led to stability and progress in Iraq.

Now Senator Obama's talking about the very same strategy in Afghanistan. He's saying even though he opposed the surge in Iraq, didn't vote to fund it and now says that he still wouldn't have voted for it -- now he's talking about a similar type surge in Afghanistan. I think John McCain is always going to lead the debate when it comes to national security issues.

MS. MITCHELL: Well --

SEN. THUNE: There is a huge gap there.

MS. MITCHELL: Well --

SEN. THUNE: Sorry. I'm -- go ahead. Go ahead, Andrea.

MS. MITCHELL: Senator, the gap may be closed today. I'm just interrupting you because Barack Obama has taken the stage.

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