This partial transcript of The Beltway Boys, September 22, 2001 was provided by the Federal Document Clearing House. Click here to order the complete transcript.
MORT KONDRACKE, HOST: Here's our "tip sheet" for next week's political action, and Fred is ready.
Item number one, President Bush continues his coalition-building as Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chretien visits Washington.
FRED BARNES, HOST: Well, Bush obviously wants a commitment of manpower, some troops, from, from Canada. He'll probably get it. But, you know, he's had, every day when he has two or three of these foreign leaders come, and then he has a little session, a photo-op with the press, and Bush answers questions, it is a way of communicating with the world and the American people. He has things he wants to get in, you know, Usama bin Laden's wanted dead or alive. Actually that's when Bush was speaking at the Pentagon, but he does.
These are very effective sessions that he's using to communicate the strong will of the American people and his administration.
KONDRACKE: Item two, a meeting of an -- also meeting with President Bush next week, Japanese Prime Minister Koizumi.
BARNES: This is going to be tough for Koizumi, because you maybe have that Japanese constitution that says the Japanese cannot send troops or be involved in wars outside of defending the homeland of Japan. And I think Koizumi wants to do more than that, and I hope he can, provide at least military logistical help.
KONDRACKE: Yes, but you, you know, both Chretien and Koizumi are part of a way of Bush's saying to the Arab world and to, and to the terrorists, You are alone -- that the terrorists are alone. We've got the whole world gang, ganging up against you, including Syria and Iran. And, you know, they're -- got Saddam Hussein and, and Osama bin Laden isolated by themselves.
BARNES: Well, that's why he's having these photo opportunities.
KONDRACKE: Exactly.
BARNES: Now, that's what I was getting at, you...
KONDRACKE: Yes...
BARNES: ... now, you figured it out, good.
(CROSSTALK)
Item three, the Senate will hold hearings next week on Justice Department's counterterrorism proposals.
BARNES: You know, things that are being proposed, more wiretap authority and so on, are not, are, are really not that Draconian. This is nothing like World War II. And I hope they get through the, the Senate and the House very quickly and, and are not, you know, argued about to death.
And, and we do need some sort of profiling at airports. I'm sorry if people are, are of Middle Eastern extract. They're going to be treated a little -- and should be treated a little differently, just for the security of the United States, than other people.
KONDRACKE: Yes, and I think, I think that there should be an effort in the Arab-American community to, to, to spread the word that this is not, this is not discrimination, you know, this is, this is necessary, you know, it's, it's, it's a way of stopping these people. And, and the, the authorities should do it with care and, and...
BARNES: And it's not America's fault, it's bin Laden's fault.
KONDRACKE: ... decently.
Item four, OPEC meets next week in Austria to discuss the world's oil supply.
BARNES: You know, OPEC has so nicely said, you know, We're going to keep the price stable, and we won't decrease production and drive up the price. I don't want them to do, I don't want a stable price. I want a lower price. And, and I want them to increase production. That's what they need to do. The administration has not been particularly forceful in insisting on it.
KONDRACKE: If those Saudi princes don't want Usama bin Laden to take over their country and make it even worse than it already is, then what they ought to do is, is pump oil like crazy to help the American economy, so that we can, we can do the fight that, that, that's basically going to help keep them in power.
And item number five, Al Gore continues to heighten his post-election profile with a keynote address before Iowa Democrats at their annual Jefferson-Jackson Day dinner next weekend.
BARNES: You know, it was smart of Bush to insist that Gore come back, or invite Gore back to go to that prayer service, which Gore did. You know, I think Gore, before he goes out there, there's one thing he really needs to do, shave the beard. I expect he'll give a very strong, patriotic speech. But shave the beard, Al.
KONDRACKE: Matching, matching Gephardt.
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