FOX NEWS CHANNEL "FOX AND FRIENDS" INTERVIEW WITH REP. PHIL GINGREY (R-GA); REP. JAN SCHAKOWSKY (D-IL)
MR. KILMEADE: The top U.S. commander in Iraq, General David Petraeus, expected to tell Congress that progress is being made in Iraq and the surge should be given a little bit more time. His progress report is due out next month. Let's hear from two members of Congress just back from Iraq, differing points of view, Georgia Congressman Phil Gingrey and Illinois Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky.
Now, first off, Congresswoman, you were kind of down. You didn't see much of a change in what you saw, correct?
REP. SCHAKOWSKY: No. In fact, what we -- what I heard from General Petraeus is that he expects that we're going to be in Iraq for nine to 10 years.
MR. KILMEADE: And did you -- does that surprise you?
REP. SCHAKOWSKY: Oh, absolutely. The American people are done with this war. We know that we should not be in the middle of what is really a civil, religious and tribal war in Iraq, where our young men and women are being killed everyday, including the day that we were there in Iraq --
MR. KILMEADE: Right.
REP. SCHAKOWSKY: -- and that it's time to withdraw.
MR. KILMEADE: Congressman, what did you see?
REP. GINGREY: Well, I'm surprised. Of course, we were led by Congresswoman Schakowsky, a great member. It was a good bipartisan team, including Thelma Drake from Virginia and Jeff Miller from Florida, Tom Allen from Maine, Jack Kingston from Georgia -- my colleague.
But I saw it a little differently. I truly believe, after listening to General Petraeus and Ambassador Ryan Crocker at a working lunch, that the new way forward is indeed working; that the number of attacks are down; the al-Anbar Province is under control; we're doing much better in and around Baghdad. And honestly, this is exactly what the Iraq study group, that bipartisan 10-member group led by Lee Alexander and Jim Baker, suggested that we do.
And this is what Congress asked for -- their report. And I think we're following through on it and I think, indeed, it is working.
MR. KILMEADE: Fifty-percent decline in major al Qaeda attacks over the last six months; 23,000 tips a month -- that's four times as big as 2006 -- and a lot of it has to do with what happened simultaneously with the al Anbar Province coming into fray where the Sunni tribal sheikhs said, "You know, I've had it with al Qaeda," so --
REP. GINGREY: Exactly. Exactly.
MR. KILMEADE: -- it is fortuitous for the General to be there with the surge at the same time.
REP. SCHAKOWSKY: Well --
MR. KILMEADE: Now I wanted to get a perspective from both of you on the resignation of Karl Rove. Congresswoman?
REP. SCHAKOWSKY: Well, I'd like to think that the president realized that Karl Rove is leading this country into a disastrous situation in terms of the war in Iraq, in terms of spying on American citizens, in terms of opposing the child health insurance program that we have, but I doubt it. I doubt it.
MR. KILMEADE: No, but I think he takes great pride in all those things. Yeah.
Congressman, how do you -- can you picture President Bush without Karl Rove?
REP. GINGREY: Of course I can. Karl Rove is a political advisor. He gave the president great political advice in Texas as two-term governor, and I think, initially, good advice in his first term as president. Let's face it, it's time for a change, and I tip my hat to Karl Rove and let him go back to Texas.
But he's not advising the president on what we need to do in stopping this global Islamic jihadism. And I think the president will go down in history, maybe 25 years from now, as the guy that had the guts to stand strong and give victory a chance. And I commend him for that.
We owe that to the patriotic men and women, our warriors, who are over doing the fighting and the dying on behalf of us so they can keep us safe.
MR. KILMEADE: Congresswoman Schakowsky, the last word?
REP. SCHAKOWSKY: Yeah. I certainly agree that the troops are brave, but they're on the wrong battlefield in Iraq. We met with the deputy prime minister, who said that there is not going to be political reconciliation which, of course, was the reason for the surge -- to give space for the people of -- the politicians of Iraq to come together. That is far from happening.
The Sunnis have pulled out. The day we were there, he announced that Alawi, the former prime minister's party, had pulled out. We're moving backward on political reconciliation. He said it's not going to happen by this September. It's not going to happen by next September. This is an endless war.
MR. KILMEADE: All right. Gotcha. Congresswoman, you know, you mentioned Alawi. That might be the ticket. When things absolutely have to change, sometimes they do. And let's see, politically, if that can happen because certainly, militarily, things are turning.
Congressmen Gingrey, Schakowsky, thanks so much. And I'm glad you're back from the trip safe.