Speaker 1: Once again, Mr Vice President of Thrill, and an honor
Speaker 1: to have you with a sir, Well, good afternoon Russian.
Speaker 1: All right, Um, first thing, we just had a call
Speaker 1: leads me into my first question for you about the economy.
Speaker 1: Caller was frustrated that the Party UH at large doesn't
Speaker 1: seem to be getting the news out about how good
Speaker 1: the economy is. And indeed, the economic statistics are fabulous unemployment,
Speaker 1: middle class, wage growth, dal Jones industrial average flirting with
Speaker 1: the twelve. Yet we're told that people don't feel uh,
Speaker 1: this economy is good. Why do you think that is
Speaker 1: if it's true, and how how do you all plan
Speaker 1: to use the economy the next three weeks of the campaign? Well,
Speaker 1: I think, first of all, you're absolutely right, Rush, the
Speaker 1: economy is very good. Been involved in a lot of
Speaker 1: campaigns going back nearly forty years, and I'm hard to
Speaker 1: put to find a time when things were as good
Speaker 1: as they are now for the Party UH. From from
Speaker 1: our perspective, um, and you've cited all the data. We've
Speaker 1: got over six point six million jobs, we've ad in
Speaker 1: a little over three years now, we home ownerships in
Speaker 1: an all time record high, stock markets at a high,
Speaker 1: You know, everything's really kicking along in great shape, and
Speaker 1: the deficit was times to drive that point through to
Speaker 1: the public. But uh, and I think a lot of
Speaker 1: the press coverage, you know, focuses on specific problems. Gasoline
Speaker 1: prices go up and everybody gets upset and takes that
Speaker 1: as sort of a lead indicated for the economy. But
Speaker 1: our gasoline prices are coming down. Um, natural gas prices
Speaker 1: are coming down. Heating bills are going to be lower
Speaker 1: this winter. So I think it just takes time for
Speaker 1: it to think in well, the It's interesting the gas
Speaker 1: price run up was was hailed as a uh failure
Speaker 1: of the Bush administration's economic policy. Now that gas prices
Speaker 1: are coming down, the focus seems to be on what
Speaker 1: is it you all are doing to manipulate the market
Speaker 1: before the election? Also, you know, wanted to mention to
Speaker 1: you that the deficits been cutting half three years early. Uh,
Speaker 1: it is it really, it really is stunning news. But
Speaker 1: it's a it's a large drive by media megaphone to
Speaker 1: overcome Is there is there a is there coordinated effort
Speaker 1: within all these candidates that are running for reelection to
Speaker 1: stress the economy. Well, we're trying. I've got two major
Speaker 1: subjects I address when I'm out on the road. One
Speaker 1: is to talk about tax policy and what that's done
Speaker 1: for our economy, and the other is to focus on
Speaker 1: the global war on terror present. In the last week,
Speaker 1: when we had the good news on the depth sit
Speaker 1: as we closed out the fiscal year, was out publicly
Speaker 1: talking specifically about that point, trying to take advantage of
Speaker 1: the opportunity to get the idea across everybody that we
Speaker 1: did hit our target three years early in terms of
Speaker 1: depthsit reduction, but again that was primarily as a result
Speaker 1: of our tax policy and the fact that we've supported
Speaker 1: the pro growth policies and it hasn't generated more economic
Speaker 1: activity and more jobs and ultimately more revenue for the
Speaker 1: federal government. When you're out there, are you encountering uh
Speaker 1: any ampathy? Are you encountering engaged citing? What's the mood
Speaker 1: you're running and I know you're speaking to mostly Republican audience,
Speaker 1: How do you assess them? Sure? Well I did. Yesterday.
Speaker 1: For example, I was down in Louisville, Kentucky for a Congressman,
Speaker 1: Jeff Davis, who was a great member by the way,
Speaker 1: I think get reelected. I also stopped it for Campbell
Speaker 1: and and thank members of the hundred first Airborne for
Speaker 1: all their good work they've been doing in the Middle East.
Speaker 1: But the mood that I find in terms of the
Speaker 1: people I'm talking with is very positive. Now. Of course,
Speaker 1: I'm probably not going to see a lot of Democrats
Speaker 1: coming to Republican fundraiser, so I don't want to misread
Speaker 1: the situation, but I think I find a far more
Speaker 1: positive attitude out there than one would be led to
Speaker 1: believe just by reading the national press. Do you get
Speaker 1: frustrated when you see Republicans speculating on how many House
Speaker 1: seats are gonna lose? Well, I think it's a natural,
Speaker 1: normal situation at this stage. But I really think we're
Speaker 1: going to do reasonably well. And uh, I think we'll
Speaker 1: hold the Senate. And I also think we've got a
Speaker 1: goot got holding the House. And I've done a hundred
Speaker 1: and fourteen campaign so far this cycle. I've been all
Speaker 1: over the country, um, seeing all kinds of candidates and
Speaker 1: all kinds of races. But I think the key will
Speaker 1: be you know, who goes to the polls on election day,
Speaker 1: And certainly it's always tough when you're in the mid
Speaker 1: term of your second presidential term in office. Historically those
Speaker 1: are the most difficult elections for the incumbents in the
Speaker 1: White House. But I think the basic fundamental facts in
Speaker 1: terms of national security, in terms of five years of
Speaker 1: of defeating the terrorists and their efforts to try to
Speaker 1: launch another attack against the United States. I think the
Speaker 1: overall healthy economy. I think progress we're making in all
Speaker 1: those areas all argues that in fact, when the American
Speaker 1: people have to make a choice between us and the Democrats,
Speaker 1: I think they'll come down on the side of supporting
Speaker 1: the President and Republican candidates. The war Rock, national security,
Speaker 1: war on terror, it's it's all combined into one issue
Speaker 1: now as far as the election is concerned. And when
Speaker 1: you h but I saw the President last night say
Speaker 1: that acknowledges that there's some frustration on the part of
Speaker 1: the American people regarding a rock because we all want
Speaker 1: to win. And uh, it's we can't declare victory yet. Um.
Speaker 1: The President signed the Military Detainee Act today, the Tribunal Act. Uh.
Speaker 1: And it's it's clear to me anyway that you and
Speaker 1: the White House are not changing policy on this at all.
Speaker 1: That the operating policy here is victory. Um is the
Speaker 1: is the perception that victory is possible strong enough? Is
Speaker 1: is that is that possibility being laid out in strong
Speaker 1: enough terms of the American people that they think it's possible.
Speaker 1: Are they beginning to doubt that it can happen? Well,
Speaker 1: I think there's some natural level of concern out there
Speaker 1: because in fact, you know, it wasn't over instantaneously. It's
Speaker 1: been a little over three years now since we went
Speaker 1: into Iraq, So I don't think it's surprising that people
Speaker 1: are concerned. On the other hand, this government has only
Speaker 1: been in office about five months, five or six months now. Um,
Speaker 1: they're off to a good start. Uh. It is difficult,
Speaker 1: no question about it. But we've now got over three
Speaker 1: hundred thousand Iraqis trained and equipped as part of their
Speaker 1: security forces. They've had three national elections with higher turnout
Speaker 1: than we have here in the United States. H If
Speaker 1: you look at the general overall situation, Um, they're doing
Speaker 1: remarkably well. It's still very very difficult, very tough, and
Speaker 1: nobody should underestimate the extent to which we're engaged there
Speaker 1: with This is sort of at present the major front
Speaker 1: in the War on Terra. That's what Osama bin Lawton says,
Speaker 1: and he's right. It's very important that we prevail there.
Speaker 1: But we're engaged on a really on a global basis.
Speaker 1: We're very active in Afghanistan. We've got UH continuing activities
Speaker 1: in Pakistan. We've captured and field more alcide in Pakistan
Speaker 1: probably than any place else. We're active working with the
Speaker 1: saudiast and many others in that part of the world.
Speaker 1: So it's a major conflict. It's going to run for
Speaker 1: a long time, UH, and everybody needs to understand that.
Speaker 1: Campaign I look on as an opportunity to remind everybody
Speaker 1: what's at stake here and UH in this particular instance,
Speaker 1: it's especially important to point out to people that the
Speaker 1: terrorists can't beat us in a stand up fight. They
Speaker 1: can only win if we lose our will, and they're
Speaker 1: betting we will. They're betting we don't have the stomach
Speaker 1: for the fight. And I don't think that's true. And
Speaker 1: I faced with that basic fundamental choice, I think the
Speaker 1: American people understand that it's having gone on offense, I
Speaker 1: havn't gotten aggressive going after the terrorists, closing those training
Speaker 1: camps in Afghanistan, and working to take down the regimes
Speaker 1: like Saddam Hussein and to the stand up democracy is
Speaker 1: in their place, as well as tough measures here at home.
Speaker 1: So what's kept us safe for five years? And it's
Speaker 1: the reason why there hasn't been another attack like nine
Speaker 1: eleven on the US. Well, I there's no question the
Speaker 1: American people respond to leadership in in times like this. Uh.
Speaker 1: And it's let me let me put it to you
Speaker 1: this way. I I um was reading something today a
Speaker 1: writer don't remember who was speculating on increase terrorist attacks
Speaker 1: in a rock attempting to demoralize the American people as
Speaker 1: we get up to the election. And I read that
Speaker 1: It made sense to me and I interpreted this is
Speaker 1: that the terrorists are actually involved and want to involved
Speaker 1: themselves in our electoral process, which must mean they want
Speaker 1: to change. Now. I know you can't comment politically on
Speaker 1: on the point that I make, but do you expect uh?
Speaker 1: And is there preparation for it? But one of the
Speaker 1: things I read was that there's been noted plots to
Speaker 1: actually try to blow up the Green Zone. We one
Speaker 1: was aborted and discovered recently, but some major attacks being
Speaker 1: planned for right up until the election, which could be
Speaker 1: devastating if they happen in terms of the American people's morale. Sure, well,
Speaker 1: I think there's no question of what this is A
Speaker 1: sophisticated crew who understand the impact on public opinion. And
Speaker 1: as I say, I think, well, they say as much
Speaker 1: what they're banking on. They harked back to Somalian or
Speaker 1: Beirute three when after Americans were killed, our response was
Speaker 1: to withdraw our forces. So I think they're very sensitive
Speaker 1: to that kind of thing. And as I say, they
Speaker 1: clearly don't have the military capability to defeat us, but
Speaker 1: they believe they can break our will. And so you
Speaker 1: look at something like our elections here and I think
Speaker 1: they're probably I don't have any proof, but I think
Speaker 1: they're probably very sensitive to that. We saw what they
Speaker 1: did in Spain a few years ago. I remember, right
Speaker 1: as in our supported US very aggressively, and shortly before
Speaker 1: the elections in Spain they launched an attack on the
Speaker 1: trains that set off several bombs and killed a bunch
Speaker 1: of people shortly before the election, and they probably did
Speaker 1: have that impact. There was a story in the Washington
Speaker 1: Post yesterday or earlier in the week that was they were.
Speaker 1: The reporter was amazed that the President and Karl Rove
Speaker 1: remained quote inexplicably upbeat unquote about the outcome of the elections.
Speaker 1: And there is no land for if Republicans lose the
Speaker 1: House and or the Senate. Can you tell us why
Speaker 1: the upbeat attitude in the White House? Well, because you know,
Speaker 1: we're out there working hard in connection with this campaign.
Speaker 1: Because I think we feel like we've got some great candidates. Um.
Speaker 1: I've got great confidence in Carl and Ken Melman up
Speaker 1: at the r n C. These are two of the
Speaker 1: best in the business in terms of understanding this process.
Speaker 1: And I think our candidates are well financed. We're doing
Speaker 1: everything humanly possible to succeed in this election. And of
Speaker 1: course we tracked polls as everybody else does too. And
Speaker 1: I think it's easy to sit in Washington and sort
Speaker 1: of absorb the vibes coming from the national media. Um,
Speaker 1: but that doesn't represent necessarily what's going on out there
Speaker 1: around the country. And when you get out on the
Speaker 1: ground talking with real people about real problems, their hopes
Speaker 1: and desires for their families and for the nation, as
Speaker 1: well as their appreciation for what we've been able to
Speaker 1: accomplish over the last six years. One final, one final question.
Speaker 1: You guys are fighting so hard to uh defeat the
Speaker 1: terrorists in and around this country and around the world.
Speaker 1: Do you have any reactions to the lenient sentence that
Speaker 1: Lynn Stewart received yesterday in New York. Well, I was
Speaker 1: I was surprised. I of course, it's not for me
Speaker 1: to uh substitute my judgment for a judge, but I think,
Speaker 1: of course the prosecution had asked for much different sentence.
Speaker 1: And this was somebody who has been supposedly convicted or
Speaker 1: pled guilty to being a key intermediary for a major terrorist. Uh.
Speaker 1: And you know that's significant. I think we need to
Speaker 1: make certain that when we find somebody who is indeed
Speaker 1: in bed with a terrorists, that they are appropriately brought
Speaker 1: to justice. Mr Vice President, thanks very much for your time.
Speaker 1: I I know you gave us a couple of minutes
Speaker 1: extra than you had on your schedule, and I appreciate
Speaker 1: it and we look forward to the next time. Best
Speaker 1: to you. Well, Rush, You've got a great show. It
Speaker 1: is always and it's good to talk to you. Thank you, sir.
Speaker 1: Vice President Dick Cheney