CBS "Face The Nation" Host: Bob Schieffer Guests: Senator Joseph Biden (D-DE); Senator LIndsey Graham (R-SC)

Interview

CBS "FACE THE NATION" HOST: BOB SCHIEFFER GUESTS: SENATOR JOSEPH BIDEN (D-DE); SENATOR LINDSEY GRAHAM (R-SC)

MR. SCHIEFFER: And we're back now with Senator Lindsey Graham who joins us from Clemson, South Carolina. He's just been in Iraq where he's been doing his Reserve Air Force duty for the last two weeks.

But Senator, I want to start by asking you about something that Senator Biden just said. He mentioned the name of Bill Madden of the Fourth Circuit Court. He is, of course, from South Carolina, and I think you have been quoted in some of the newspapers down there as saying that's your man for the court. Do you think he's under serious, I mean, for the attorney general job, do you think he's under serious consideration?

SEN. GRAHAM: Judge Wilkins -- Billy Wilkins -- would be an ideal choice by the president, but the names that you've mentioned also I would support. So I hope so. We'll see. I think it's a chance to start over with somebody new and fresh and that will be loyal to the president's policies but will have a good standing on Capitol Hill. Judge Wilkins would fit that mold but so would other people mentioned. We'll see.

MR. SCHIEFFER: Senator Graham, do you think that the Senate should go ahead with these investigations into what Alberto Gonzales did or didn't do? After all, he has left. So where do you go from here on that? Do these things still need to be explored?

SEN. GRAHAM: In my opinion, we just need to move forward, talk about, you know, how do you surveil the enemy in a time of war. I support finding out what the enemy is up to through a surveillance program. I want it to be constitutional. So I think this is a chance for the Congress to move forward. We're at 18 percent approval rating in the eyes of the public. It would be a good opportunity for the Congress to show the American people we can look forward, not always backwards. So I hope we'll go forward.

MR. SCHIEFFER: Well, let's talk about Iraq. You're just back. You are, what, a colonel in the Air Force Reserve, been in the Reserve for a long time.

SEN. GRAHAM: Yes, sir.

MR. SCHIEFFER: Were on active duty for, what, 10 years I guess it was.

SEN. GRAHAM: Six and a half, yeah.

MR. SCHIEFFER: Six and a half. So what are you coming away from Iraq this time with? What impressions? And you've been going there a lot, I know.

SEN. GRAHAM: Right. Well, the surge has worked. It's provided a level of security I haven't seen. We're finally getting a formula right. Anbar is just not about more troops. Anbar is about the local people, the Sunni, Arabs and Anbar rejecting al Qaeda. Twelve thousand people have joined the police force in Anbar in '07, only 1,000 in '06. So not only has al Qaeda been diminished because of the surge, I think we can sustain this progress. We can hold areas now because the Iraqi people are getting involved. The government at the central level is dysfunctional, but it's not a failed state. And here's one thing I'd like to put on the table. The worst thing that can happen for America is a failed state in Iraq where Iran is a winner and al Qaeda comes back. And I think there will be a lag time between political reconciliation and security. I'll make a prediction on your show. In a matter of weeks, we're going to have a major breakthrough in Baghdad on items of political reconciliation -- the benchmarks -- because the Iraqi people are putting pressure on their politicians. That's the best pressure that could be applied where people vote is have the people themselves, frustrated with their own elected representatives, having their say. And I saw that all over Iraq.

MR. SCHIEFFER: But this Iraqi parliament, for example, it went on vacation during the month of August. I don't see any indication here that they're any closer to any kind of reconciliation or any closer to a consensus on how to share power than they ever were, Senator. Why do you suggest that just the opposite may be happening?

SEN. GRAHAM: I totally disagree with that, Bob, honestly. Last week, you had a reformation of the major groups who pledged with a written document to re-engage. I think you're going to have a breakthrough. They come back September the 7th on de-Ba'athification and local elections. The Iraqi people are tired of the killing. They're tired of the dying. And that frustration is beginning to float up to the national level. The government is dysfunctional, but it hasn't failed. They're still talking with each other. So there's a lag time between better security and political reconciliation. And I think we're going to see very soon political reconciliation in a meaningful way at the central government level. And there will be no successful effort in the Senate to withdraw troops. Now is the time to pour it on, not withdraw -- more of the same. More political, economic and military support will affect dramatically the outcome in Iraq.

MR. SCHIEFFER: Well pouring it on -- we understand that the president's about to ask Congress for another $50 billion for the Iraq war. Do you think that he'll get the support in the Senate to get that done?

SEN. GRAHAM: Absolutely! Katie was right. The more power you can supply, the better economic conditions. The moment is right now in Iraq. People are tired of the killing and the dying. There's local reconciliation like I've never seen before. If you could have some economic surge, if the international community could come in, if the Gulf states could come in and provide economic help, now's the time to reinforce Iraq, not to withdraw. We have a chance to change things on the ground forever in a way that would contain Iran and diminish al Qaeda. So to my colleagues in the Senate, go for yourself and see what's happening in Iraq. It is positive. We have a longs ways to go yet, but we're about to turn a corner. We certainly have militarily. We're going to turn a corner economically and politically if we stay engaged. The surge is working.

MR. SCHIEFFER: All right. Lindsey Graham reporting today from South Carolina. We'll be back with our political roundtable in just a second.

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