This partial transcript of The Beltway Boys, April 27, was provided by the Federal Document Clearing House. Click here to order the complete transcript.
MORT KONDRACKE, CO-HOST: Let's go to the Ups and Downs.
Down: the Catholic Church
KONDRACKE: Down, the Catholic Church. The church expresses regret over the spate of sex scandals but does not issue a blanket order for the dismissal of all abusive priests or make specific proposals for the reporting of sex abuse crimes to authorities.
Here's Washington's Cardinal McCarrick after the big meeting in Rome.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CARDINAL MCCARRICK, ARCHBISHOP OF WASHINGTON: This thing is terrible, it's terrible that it happens to one person. But you can't let the numbers get away from you, and you can't let the context get away from you and think that because there are these terrible things — I (UNINTELLIGIBLE), say again, say — and all the time, one case is too much. But you can't say because you have a few cases that the system is corrupt. I don't think that's fair. And I don't think it's accurate.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KONDRACKE: Well, the pope rightly said that pedophilia is a crime. Now, when they, when they had the meeting in Rome, however, they said that you have to be a notorious serial pedophile to be kicked out of the priesthood. That's one disappointment that came out of there.
The worst one is that the hierarchy of the Catholic Church that covered up for these pedophiles year after year after year and did nothing after — even after they were warned by victims and, and their families, they did nothing to, to — about it. Now, that is corrupt.
FRED BARNES, CO-HOST: OK. The — that — I agree. But Mort, as you know, this summer American Catholic bishops will meet in Dallas, and they're probably going to adopt a one-strike-and-you're-out rule, in other words, one, one case of sexual abuse, and you're gone. And they're probably going to promise that whenever there's one case comes up, they'll report it to the police.
And I hope when that happens you'll allow us to give the Catholic Church an up arrow.
KONDRACKE: When Cardinal Law is resigned, then I will.
BARNES: All right.
Up: the American Israel Public Affairs Committee
BARNES: Up, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee. AIPAC flexes its political muscle this week as politicians of every stripe affirm America's solidarity with Israel at AIPAC's policy conference here in Washington. Here's just a sampling of those comments.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIPS)
U.S. SENATOR JOHN McCAIN (R), ARIZONA: We will defeat terrorism against America, and we will stand with Israel as she fights the same enemy.
ANDREW CARD, WHITE HOUSE CHIEF OF STAFF: The U.S.-Israeli friendship is deep, that it is vitally important to our countries, to both of our countries, and that it is enduring.
U.S. SENATOR TOM DASCHLE (D-SD), MAJORITY LEADER: And whether it is in a resolution or something more binding, I will say with confidence, the United States Senate will continue to stand with Israel in these difficult days now.
U.S. REPRESENTATIVE TOM DELAY (R-TX), MAJORITY WHIP: As long as I'm in Congress, I'll use every tool at my disposal to ensure that the Republican conference in the House of Representatives continues to preserve and strengthen America's alliance with the state of Israel.
(END VIDEO CLIPS)
BARNES: Now, Mort, AIPAC is often called the Israel lobby in the United States. It's also sometimes been referred to as a Jewish lobby, since many of its members are Jewish. But the truth is, an enormous amount of the support for Israel in the United States right now is among evangelical Christians. And the interesting thing is, what region of the country supports — and polls show this — supports Israel more than any other?
It's the South. Tom DeLay's an example of that. But it's the South, where there's so many evangelical Christians. They're 100 percent behind Israel.
KONDRACKE: Good. I think this is something new and something important...
BARNES: Yes, it is.
KONDRACKE: ... that's happened.
The — the — across the country, the, the polls show that, like, 70- 30 the population of America favors Israel over, over the Palestinians. The — you know who helped a lot, I think, in this case to, to clear things was Bill Clinton, who gave — helped give Yasser Arafat the best offer for statehood and a, and a, a settlement that the, that the Palestinians are ever likely to get, and Arafat rejected it.
Now we know who's on, on, on the right side and who's not.
BARNES: Right.
Down: France
KONDRACKE: Down, France. That's the whole country, France. The second-place finish of right-wing extremist Jean-Marie Le Pen causes France's political elite big-time embarrassment and underscores the dysfunctionality of that country's presidential system.
BARNES: Now, Mort, you know, I admit that I am enjoying enormously all the agony and self-flagellation that the French are going through. They are the most hypocritical people that God ever put on this earth. But the real problem in France is not Jean-Pierre Le Pen, it — the problem is the left, and its alliance with the 6 million Arab immigrants, many of them citizens, of France. I guess all of them are citizens if they came from a French colony.
They are an alliance that is anti-Semitic, they're anti-American, they're anti-Israel, and they're willing to be incredibly soft on radical Islam around the world. They are the danger. That's about 40 percent of the vote.
KONDRACKE: Well, it's (UNINTELLIGIBLE), but it's not just the, left and it's — and not just the far right. Jacques Chirac, the president of France, is no, is no supporter of the United States or of Israel either, and it's no accident that the, that the French ambassador to England referred scatologically to Israel and said, you know, they're — it's not risking World War III for them.
BARNES: Right.
KONDRACKE: I mean, it's, it's across the board.
BARNES: Right, he's made other anti-Semitic statements too.
Up: White House counselor Karen Hughes
Up, White House counselor Karen Hughes. Hughes does something virtually unheard of in Washington, walk away from one of the most powerful positions in the White House to spend more time with her family. New York Times columnist Maureen Dowd, however, says she sold out, writing, quote, "Women will never get anywhere in this boys' administration or in this boys' town or in this boys' world if they're going to sacrifice prime West Wing real estate every time their husbands or kids kvetch."
KONDRACKE: Now, I thought that feminism was all about creating choices for women. And I think Karen Hughes chose, you know, that — so congratulate her. But according to Maureen Dowd, you can tell that her — in a certain phase — strain of feminism...
BARNES: Yes.
KONDRACKE: ... power is what feminism is all about, not choice.
BARNES: Mort, well said.
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