FOX News Channel "Live Desk with Marth MacCallum" - Transcript

Interview

FOX News Channel "Live Desk with Marth MacCallum" - Transcript

MS. MACCALLUM: Joining us here this afternoon Republican Senator and 2008 presidential candidate Sam Brownback.

Senator Brownback, good to have you with us today.

SEN. BROWNBACK: Thank you, Martha.

MS. MACCALLUM: So what's your reaction when you watch Tom Lantos and Nancy Pelosi discussing even the possibility of making yet another diplomatic-style trip, I should say, this time to talk to the leaders in Iran?

SEN. BROWNBACK: Well, I have a great respect for Tom Lantos. I've worked with him on human rights issues for a number of years. And of course, the speaker, respect for her as well. But I think this is a very bad idea at a very bad time.

Here you have Iran announcing its development of nuclear material on an industrial scale, which we believe is going to be used for a weapon to destroy Israel and to attack the United States, as is their stated objective. And now you're going to reward them at this point in time with opening diplomatic dialogue? I mean, perhaps you would look at that some time down the road, but certainly, certainly not now.

MS. MACCALLUM: All right, Senator.

You know, Senator John McCain, your colleague in two ways -- as a senator and also as candidate for the presidency -- made a speech today that was billed as a very important foreign policy initiative. I just want to play a piece of it and get your reaction, talk a little about that. Let's hear what he had to say.

SEN. JOHN MCCAIN (R-AZ): (From videotape.) We who are willing to support this new strategy and give General Petraeus the time and support he needs have chosen a hard road, but it is the right road.

MS. MACCALLUM: So you know, we all know what Senator McCain is talking about there. He's been very supportive of the surge and of General Petraeus. Some say that this is a huge gamble that he is making, and he's sticking his neck out and saying we'd rather win the war than win a campaign. What do you think about that?

SEN. BROWNBACK: I certainly support that last statement. And I'm there as well, that I'd rather win the war than win a campaign.

My problem is is that I think we have to tie it to a political solution at the same time we're moving forward on a military one. The military component is not sufficient in and of itself. I think we really need to move forward with a three-state, one-country political solution in Iraq -- a Sunni area, a Shi'a area, and the Kurds already have their area -- get them sorted some, and move into their having control over some of those areas a la what we did in Bosnia and the Dayton Accords so that the political solution is moving forward at the same time we're investing heavily in this military solution. Separately, neither of them works.

MS. MACCALLUM: But do you -- so you know, do you support General Petraeus and do you support this idea of a surge? In the past, you've said that, you know, you don't support increasing troops to get that security on the ground first.

SEN. BROWNBACK: I don't. I do support General Petraeus. I support the troops. I'm glad to see some of it working to reduce the violence, although the last several weeks, the reports have not been good.

I just think it is insufficient. It's not the answer. We can only -- that's only one piece of it. You have to have a political solution moving forward at the same time, and we don't have a sufficient political solution moving forward.

MS. MACCALLUM: Yeah.

Just a very quick question for you. You've been behind in the polls and in raising money. What's your -- do you have a plan to turn things around in this campaign?

SEN. BROWNBACK: I'm running third in Iowa and South Carolina right now in spite of significant money disadvantages. I'm travelling to those states aggressively. I think the message does work. It's still early in this campaign, and I think people are sorting out where do people stand on the issues. And when we starting focusing on that and when the people start focusing on that through the debates and other sections of the campaign, I think we're going to continue to grow and move forward.

MS. MACCALLUM: All right, Senator Brownback. Thank you very much for joining us at the "Live Desk." We'll see you soon.

SEN. BROWNBACK: Thank you. Thank you.

Source