This partial transcript of The Beltway Boys, Dec. 22, was provided by the Federal Document Clearing House. Click here to order the complete transcript.
FRED BARNES, CO-HOST: Here's our Tip Sheet, or I should say Mort's Tip Sheet, for next week's action.
Item number one, Mort...
MORT KONDRACKE, CO-HOST: Ready.
BARNES: ... British Prime Minister Tony Blair will travel to both India and Pakistan next week in an effort to ease tensions in the region.
KONDRACKE: And there are a lot of tensions. I mean, even though Musharraf in Pakistan is claiming to crack down on terrorists, Vajpayee, the prime minister of India, won't meet with him. So along comes Tony Blair. Maybe he can work out some magic and get them together.
BARNES: You know, I think he should just go to Islamabad and tell the Pakistanis, Don't do this any more. They've caused all the trouble. They've harbored the terrorists or sponsored the terrorists who have caused all the trouble in Kashmir. If they stop fostering terrorism in a democracy, India, life would be better in that region.
KONDRACKE: Whose tip sheet is this, anyway?
BARNES: All right, I'll control myself.
Item two, President Bush returns to Washington next week, but not for long. He will make a big education speech in New Hampshire, probably thrilling you.
KONDRACKE: Yes, I know. I think it's time for him to stop making education speeches. Sign the bill and let us see whether this education plan that he's put through actually increases test scores. I'm waiting.
BARNES: Yes, don't get your hopes up.
Item three, there will be a special election to replace Congressman Steve Largent next Tuesday in Oklahoma's First District. That's Tulsa. Look for Republicans to keep this seat.
KONDRACKE: Well, if they don't keep this seat, it will be a revolution. I mean, this is one of the most Republican seats in the whole world, and if John Sullivan doesn't keep that seat and Doug Dodd, the Democrat, wins...
BARNES: Yes.
KONDRACKE: ... watch out, there's a revolution coming.
BARNES: Item four, Mideast envoy Anthony Zinni returns from the Mideast next week – I could say that most any week, I guess – And will meet with Secretary of State Colin Powell to discuss his recent meetings with PLO chairman Yasser Arafat.
KONDRACKE: Oh, God. We're not going to do this any more. We're not going to talk about Zinni's comings and goings, because, you know, Arafat never seems to do enough. His job is to dismantle Hamas and Islamic Jihad, and until he does, there's not going to be any peace talks in the Middle East.
BARNES: You think we should...
KONDRACKE: Period.
BARNES: ... send Zinni to India and Pakistan?
KONDRACKE: No, but, you know, I'd keep him home until there's something to report.
BARNES: All right. Item number five – and this is one you're going to like – former independent counsel Robert Ray could release his final report on the Clinton Lewinsky scandal next week.
KONDRACKE: Well, if he does, it won't be as exciting, Fred, as your friend – our friend – Ken Starr's report. It won't be, you know, all those footnotes won't be there that you know, I know you wore out the pages reading. So...
BARNES: Yes.
KONDRACKE: ... I don't know, you're just going to have to go for – go in for some dull reading.
BARNES: Well, now, Mort, will this be the time that Bill Clinton unleashes his gang of spinners that he has gotten together to straighten out his image? Will they be unleashed on? Maybe we'll have one as a guest next week or something, you know, saying that...
KONDRACKE: Would you like that? I can probably arrange it.
BARNES: Saying that – I don't know what they will say, but they'll have a line that'll say it wasn't Bill Clinton's fault, it was probably Robert Ray's fault. Right?
KONDRACKE: Well, the fact is that I think that Clinton should have been indicted after he left office, not impeached in the beginning. Robert Ray didn't do that, I'm sorry to say.
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