This is a rush transcript from "The Five," September 10, 2013. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.
GREG GUTFELD, CO-HOST: Caution!
DANA PERINO, CO-HOST: Hello, everyone. I'm Dana Perino, along with Andrea Tantaros, Bob Beckel, and Greg Gutfeld.
It's 5 --
(LAUGHTER)
PERINO: And this is not a joke. It's 11 in New York City. I'm awake and this is "The Five."
(MUSIC)
PERINO: Greg just ruined my career.
But I'm happy to be with you tonight because we have a special edition of "The Five," following President Obama's address to the nation.
The speech lasted only about 15 minutes. The commander-in-chief made his case for why it's in America's interest to act in Syria. Here is what he says Assad regime did.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: The images from this massacre are sickening. Men, women, children, lying in rows killed by poison gas, others foaming at the mouth gasping for breath. A father clutching his dead children imploring them to get up and walk.
We know Assad regime was responsible. These things happened. The facts cannot be denied.
The question now is, what the United States of America and the international community is prepared to do about it?
If we fail to act, the Assad regime will see no reason to stop using chemical weapons.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PERINO: After that, he made his case for military action.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
OBAMA: After careful deliberation, I determined that it is in the national security interest of the United States to respond to the Assad regime's use of chemical weapons to a targeted military strike. The purpose of this strike would be to deter Assad from using chemical weapons, to degrade his regime's ability to use them and to make clear to the world that we will not tolerate their use.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PERINO: But that said, he does think that there may be a diplomatic opening.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
OBAMA: We have seen encouraging signs, in part because of the credible threat of U.S. military action. As well as constructive talks I had with President Putin. The Russian government has indicated a willingness to join with the international community in pushing Assad to give up his chemical weapons.
I have therefore asked leaders of Congress to postpone a vote to authorize use of force while we pursue this diplomatic path.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PERINO: All right. President Obama speaking at 9 p.m. from East Room in, at the White House. So, for about 15 minutes.
And, Eric, if there were low expectations for the speech. And some commentary afterwards was that, well, he did better than they thought he might do, but I'm not sure what the message was that we're supposed to take away from that. I do think him describing videos that the administration released on Saturday was a compelling part. But at the end, what was the call to action?
ERIC BOLLING, CO-HOST: I don't know. A couple thoughts about the speech -- he was uncharacteristically nervous. He came out, looked nervous. You can hear him breathing, hit the podium a bunch of times.
But I'm just blown away after hearing he'd like, you pointed out the videos -- he pointed out the videos, we've seen the videos. I've had videos posted on our Facebook pages that we're still not sure who delivered chemical weapons. I'm blown away this man is going to declare war on a sovereign nation without any support from the American people, Congress, the U.N., the international community, he invoked several times in the speech.
I was waiting for solid proof of a credible threat to the United States. And I think that's the difference here. He gave us solid proof in his mind that Assad attacked his own people, which I'm not so sure. But there's no credible threat to American interest, and the only reason you bypass Congress and do this unilaterally as a president, is if there is a credible threat to American interest, whether its Americans and one of our allies, and he showed none of that.
PERINO: What did you think, Andrea about what I thought, I'll see if you agree -- that say that the speech -- this is the first time you came up about the Syria conflict, and you came in tonight, and you turn and you are going to watch your favorite and you turn it on and the President Obama is giving a speech.
If you haven't seen anything happening up until now in 10 days, you might think, oh, OK, I get it. We're going wait for a diplomatic solution, fine. Can we get back to my regularly scheduled program?
But it seemed divorced from the reality of what happened and on the ground and overseas. Over the past 10 days.
ANDREA TANTAROS, CO-HOST: Right. So, the bar was pretty low for him tonight because the message has been conflicted there has been so much distance coming from the White House. The president didn't have to do very much. I will say he did better he's done in the past, he did better than he did in his television interviews yesterday, and better than when he addressed the country last Saturday.
You know, to me it was very bizarre, Dana, that he was making a case to the American people for something that he has no intention really of doing. I thought that was very odd.
To give him credit, I do think he had a specific audience in mind, and that was the American people. I think they're looking for a PR victory tonight not a policy one. I don't think that he got it. I think he was trying to have it both ways.
So, he sit at the podium and he basically said, you know, be motivated not by reason but by emotion, by describing pictures. Then, he said, OK, are you angry? Are you angry? Do you feel it? Hold on. Now, chill out. We've got to give Congress time.
And he contradicted himself a number of times. He has said Assad needs to go. But he didn't call for him to go tonight. He said before he would go to Congress, then he wouldn't go to Congress. Now, he would go to Congress and talk about the importance of the Constitution.
He said we're not the world's policeman but he made a case we need to be. He also said no plan B if Assad uses weapons again. And he also said let's put trust in U.N. inspectors which his administration said just recently is a very futile effort.
So, more cognitive dissonance tonight, but better than he did before.
PERINO: With every argument seems taking Assad out or regime would be the right answer.
But, Greg, he did try to, this is a president when he campaigned he said there wasn't red America, or blue America, there was just one America. Let's take a listen to this and get your thoughts on how we call that Republicans and Democrats.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
OBAMA: So, to my friends on right, I ask you to reconcile your commitment to America's military might with a failure to act when a cause is so plainly just. To my friends on the left, I ask you to reconcile your belief in freedom and dignity for all people with those images of children writhing in pain and going still on a cold hospital floor. For sometimes, resolutions and statements of condemnation are simply not enough.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PERINO: Greg, your thoughts.
GUTFELD: Well, he's saying the left should agree out of justice and the right should agree because we really like to kill people, because he talked about how the right is so infatuated with military might, and I thought that was a bit silly.
The myth here is that he's inspiring when he's really perspiring. You can tell that he doesn't really want to be there. He really wished he was home with Clooney.
Now, I don't think he changed a lot of minds. I think he changed a lot channels. And leading from behind makes me look a little bit like an ass.
I will say this to disagree with Eric. He did talk about proof. He did mention there was proof.
(CROSSTALK)
BOLLING: Were you convinced of the proof?
BECKEL: How many (INAUDIBLE) you need to get? You've got to intercept --
(CROSSTALK)
GUTFELD: That's not what I'm saying. I mean, he offered proof, he offered proof.
That is why --
(CROSSTALK)
BOLLING: Hold on. He offered me no proof that Assad actually delivered those weapons. He said, we saw missiles leaving Assad's area that the regime usually hangs out in and we saw missiles land in neighborhoods and is in the hospital filled of people.
(CROSSTALK)
BECKEL: He said he intercepted orders through front line troops of Assad's troops and told them to put on gas masks because they're going to drop this weapon, this chemical weapon. What more proof do you have?
BOLLING: I think we need more.
BECKEL: I think you more than that?
(CROSSTALK)
BOLLING: I think you need someone to say we did this. You need one --
BECKEL: You're just out of your mind.
BOLLING: Military people who may or may not be detecting should say look we did it. We did it.
BECKEL: Come on, Eric. Come on. They intercepted from --
BOLLING: If you're going kill a bunch of people, Bob, you better be damn sure you're right about doing --
BECKEL: You're not going to be 100 percent, but the intercept -- the military -- for the military -- Assad's military tells front line soldiers to put on gas masks before the thing goes off. What hell other conclusion can you reach?
BOLLING: That may be someone from within Al Qaeda did it.
PERIN: Bob, there is --
BECKEL: Or broke in and got into the communications office, right?
PERINO: There is a school of thought or an argument that is being made through I don't know who would defend Assad saying someone in his military who ordered it without his permission. I doubt that to be true, but that is --
GUTFELD: I think that's a plausible explanation and also it's made to be plausible by Assad as a convenient way to say that he is innocent. That someone else did it.
PERINO: Let me ask you this, Bob.
Do you think now that after this, that the Senate -- at least the Senate would vote to approve military action?
BECKEL: Well, first of all I thought it was a very good speech. I thought it was very late, it should have been given two weeks ago. And before these -- perceptions have hardened on both sides.
I think it's difficult this, is like the weekend before election. You know? You, votes are hardened and you try to change vote. And it's very difficult to do.
PERINO: Yes.
BECKEL: But I do think he made the case of national security of the United States, no question whatsoever.
And in terms of proof about Assad, I mean, you can -- there is not a jury in the country that --
BOLLING: Just tell me, where is our national security threat, Bob? Just please specifically tell me what threat to the United States is Assad posing right now?
BECKEL: Assad has a batch of chemical weapons that can get in the hands of people like Al Qaeda unless they're talking out of there.
BOLLING: There is a better chance that they'll land in Al Qaeda's hands if we take Assad out. Al Qaeda is on the rebel side --
BECKEL: We're not talking about taking him out. We're talking about taking his weapons out.
TANTAROS: But that's one thing administration has conceded they can't guarantee they'll fully do. They're going in to denigrate the weapon system, not fully wipe them out. They can't promise that Assad won't either, a, strike again, which is a big risk. Or, two, strike in a different way not using WMD.
And, Bob, I don't think anyone is sitting here going, does Al Qaeda have WMD but Assad doesn't have them? I think we agree that Assad has WMD. The question is, and you actually hit upon this, to your credit, he used them far, far earlier this year. He's killed over 100,000 people before this latest WMD attack.
Why did the president wait? Why didn't he listen sooner? Why did he let a secretary of state call him Hitler and say, hurry up, and now, wait?
And, by the way, you're very grumpy for having a date in between shows this evening. I thought you'd be in a much better mood.
BECKEL: It's not a question of being a better mood. It's a question of trying to get unless what he said in the proper perspective. I think of the evidence there is not a doubt in my mind anymore. The question about -- look, if this works if the Russian proposal works, and they do and the Russians provided them with this chemical weapon, if they get it out of there and they can count it and the U.N. is overseeing that, that means it's going to be gone.
TANTAROS: How realistic do you think that is?
BECKEL: I think it's fairly realistic. It's not, I think you didn't need to go and bomb them (ph).
TANTAROS: Well, let's see. They asked Qadaffi to do the same thing there. Eight years later, boom. Weapons there.
That's like asking the drug addict turn over all your drugs. They have some drugs stuck down their underpants. They're hiding it. They're giving to it friends. It's the same thing.
BECKEL: If you get 90 percent of it, it's a big --
BOLLING: Of Assad's?
BECKEL: Yes.
BOLLING: What about the rest of the world that has chemical weapons, Bob? Is that going to be our job to clean the rest of the world up, too?
BECKEL: No, but it's going to send a message, look there is a treaty. There's a world wide treaty. Do you understand that?
BOLLING: That Syria has not signed.
BECKEL: Well, a lot of other countries, 167 countries --
BOLLING: Who aren't onboard for this attack.
BECKEL: Wait a minute. That's not at all clear either. You know, you keep saying that, you don't -- you have not had a chance for this to work out. Let's find out what happens when, when the Kerry meets with his counterpart in Brussels.
They may actually come up with a lot of countries supporting this idea.
PERINO: Do you think, Greg, that despite in the last 10 days, whip sawed right, we have had immediate action and congressional vote. President Obama traveled overseas. It feels like two months ago, it was just a few days ago. They announced on Friday that they would be giving prime time address on Tuesday.
Do you think if they had to it do over again, they might have waited on prime time address? Because the president might have to come back to American people and ask them for more support?
GUTFELD: Yes. You know, it's amazing thing about it is that what a community organizer is supposed to be great at? Organizing?
TANTAROS: The one thing.
GUTFELD: The one thing. So, the one minimal qualification that he had, like everybody else, a total exaggeration. It's the one thing he can't do. He's a disgrace to community organizers.
I don't know. One thing I want to talk about confiscating weapons from Syria is actually might be harder than it is to just bomb them, because how do Russians confiscate their own stuff? That's just like your cable company going take the box. Sooner or later they're going to get the box back, or taking Stickum from Lester Hayes. He's just going to make more.
BECKEL: Let me ask you a question, Dana, about would they take this back. I think they're slipping away fast that they had to try to stop him before he was knocked out of the Senate.
PERINO: He might have done that.
BECKEL: I think they've done that. Yes, agree.
PERINO: OK. Stop the bleeding is a long way from full support. So, I guess we'll get reports tomorrow on how that all went. When we come back, we're going to continue our analysis of President Obama's address to the nation.
And later, tomorrow's anniversary of the Benghazi terror attacks. The victims' families are still waiting for justice. And, of course, it's the September 11th anniversary as well.
Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BOLLING: Welcome back to a special edition of The Five. Our continuing coverage of President Obama's speech to the nation on Syria.
Let's run right to the first sound bite. President Obama trying to make the case why we should get involved in Syria. Listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
OBAMA: Why should we get involved at all at a place so complicated, and where -- as one person wrote to me, those who come after Assad may be enemies of human rights?
It's true, that some of Assad's opponents are extremists. But Al Qaeda will only draw strength in a more chaotic Syria if people there see the world doing nothing from preventing innocent civilians from being gassed to death.
The majority of the Syrian people and the Syrian opposition we work with just want to live in peace, with dignity and freedom.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BOLLING: I think we just want to live in peace, with dignity and freedom as well in America.
Bob, President Obama in that sound bite that but, I'm quoting him, that al Qaeda will only draw strength in a more chaotic Syria."
Is bombing Assad going to bring stability to Syria?
BECKEL: I think, it's not -- we're not bombing Assad. We're bombing his delivery mechanisms for chemical weapons.
I think what he's saying here, and I think it's exactly right about the national security of the United States is that the chances of having chemical weapons used against the United States is lessened by doing this action.
BOLLING: I'm not sure how.
Hey, Ands, he said majority of the Syrian people and the Syrian opposition we work with just want to live in peace. Is it our job to make sure every other sovereign nation lives in peace?
TANTAROS: Well, if you listen to his speech tonight, he said we're not the world's policeman.
So, we're not the world's policeman. What is interesting to me as well is the hypocrisy on a couple of different levels. So, I pointed out his contradictions. What he said about U.S. exceptionalism in the last couple years, the way that he's compared it with Greek exceptionalism and sort of apologized for us flexing our muscles, now he's making that case.
If you look back -- Dana asked me earlier. She said, let's pretend you didn't hear anything he said up until this point. OK, let's pretend that. But I knew that he was so against what George W. Bush was doing, so unabashedly against everything that George W. Bush was doing. I would see that as being hypocritical.
He also mentioned the Constitution and he said this, Eric, he believed the country is stronger when we act through Congress. I don't think anybody watching, Democrat, Republican, independent believes that that is the way he feels.
He's bypassed Congress on Obamacare, funding for Egypt, the DREAM Act, I could go on and on and on.
And I did think his best line was this, was that our troops would not have to face chemical weapons. That hit me. Great line, though. Not so great as an argument -
(CROSSTALK)
TANTAROS: Our military, that is not an immediate concern of our military, Bob.
BOLLING: We have just a couple of minutes left.
President Obama at one point says our military great doesn't do pinpricks. But as you pointed out the other day, what the hell is an unbelievably small attack?
GUTFELD: Yes. Well, I thought a pinprick is a guy who cheats at bowling. Just because someone gives you the keys to a Ferrari doesn't mean you can drive. And I think that's what we're finding out with the president when it comes to foreign policy. He looks cool sitting in the driveway, but once the car gets on the road, the gears start screwing up, people just drive past him. The person that drove past him was Putin.
BOLLING: Dana, can I get you to weigh in on this next --
GUTFELD: Bob, don't explode. Bob is praying.
BOLLING: Here is President Obama explaining how he's going promise no boots on the ground. Listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
OBAMA: I will not put American boots on the ground in Syria. This would be a targeted strike to achieve a clear objective. Deterring the use of chemical weapons and degrading Assad's capabilities. Some members of Congress have said, there's no point in simply doing a pinprick strike in Syria.
Let me make something clear: the United States military doesn't do pin pricks.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BOLLING: Are you sold on this?
PERINO: See, this is again the president is leading with the fact is going to be limited. He's not leading that it will be effective. I'm still missing, though, OK, so how are we going to effective change the situation? I believe it's in America's interest in Syria or elsewhere if chemical and biological weapons are used that there would be a response in the United States? I believe that.
What I don't understand also, is that while they're going to do this diplomatic dance that Secretary Kerry will go to Geneva to deal with Putin, where is the political solution? So, we've been talking about military solution. If you were the Free Syrian Army, or what's left of civil society in Syria, to try to help bring along a government, so that we don't have to fight this war, I believe him, I believe President Obama when he says he doesn't have intentions of putting boots on the ground in Syria.
I am afraid if we do not deal with the situation decisively now, that it might be the next president who has to make a tougher decision down the road.
BECKEL: You can make the argument, but there was not a single sentence in this speech that left any indication that we're going to war or we're trying to upset the balance of the sport --
PERINO: That's what I said.
BECKEL: I'm talking about what Eric said. Eric said we're going in there trying to change what's --
PERINO: That is a problem. Why would you go in there if you're not going to change --
BOLLING: He said, we don't pinpricks, U.S. military don't do pinpricks?
BECKEL: You said we're going to war and that we were trying to be stabilized.
BOLLING: OK. Let me ask you something, Bob, if we can drop bombs on a country that has nothing to could with you right now is that not a declaration of war? Is that not an act of war?
BECKEL: I think it's not a declaration of war.
BOLLING: I say it again, Pearl Harbor, act of war or not?
BECKEL: The idea that you can sit here and say that this guy does not deserve to have some -- you have to deal with what he's done, he's broken international treaty.
BOLLING: If you have proof that this guy did gas his own people, then take him out. But you're not doing that. That's not even a proposal on the table. You yourself said we're going to confiscate his chemical weapons. What is that going to do?
BECKEL: It's going to take a fewer chemical weapons on and it would disabuse him for going out and doing it again.
TANTAROS: I think the American people are very scared. I think very scared as they watched unfold the last couple of weeks. They've seen a president contradict even this evening his own secretary of state. And Bob couldn't articulate a specific end game and plan B.
BOLLING: All right. We're going to have to leave it there.
Still to come: some Republican reaction to the president's address. You'll hear from Rand Paul when we come right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
TANTAROS: Welcome back to The Five.
As expected in his address tonight, President Obama asked Congress to delay their votes on Syria as a diplomatic process plays out. But does that even matter?
Republican Senator Rand Paul has long been a skeptic of military action and he's still not convinced.
Here is his reaction to the speech earlier on FOX News.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BRET BAIER, FOX NEWS ANCHOR: Your thoughts on the president's address?
SEN. RAND PAUL (R), KENTUCKY: Well, it didn't quite convince me. You know, what he needed to layout for American public was a compelling American interest or national security interest in Syria. There obviously was an atrocity committed and I think it's awful. It's on top of another 100,000 people that have been killed previously by conventional weapons.
But, you know, there are also atrocities on the other side. The Islamic rebels, if (ph) we would destabilize Assad, would be advantaged.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PERINO: All right, Dana, if you're a member of Congress your blood has to be boiling I think on some level. Some members came out like Rand Paul and had a pretty firm stance, and asked questions. Other members had to go back to their districts. They got an earful from their constituents, some maybe had to take a position they didn't want to take -- they almost felt they had to go on the record.
Now, he's saying, wait a minute. Thanks for going on the record. Thanks for rallying to support me, but hold on. Just wait in this process plays out.
Don't you think they're pretty frustrated right now?
PERINO: Yes. I think they've been frustrated for a little while.
One of the most interesting members of Congress on this is Adam Kinzinger, Republican from Illinois, who is a guy who says, I'm willing to support the president, calls the White House, doesn't get a call back for a week.
Now, he's on their radar screen and they're utilizing him, as well as Tom Cotton, for example, another House Republican. He, by the way, is running for Senate.
I think all of the members were put on the spot. Some of them, like Senator Barbara Mikulski, she might have ended up supporting the president anyway. She came out yesterday and said that she would support the president on a vote which then, I guess, put other people in a position of them having to make a decision.
Now, President Obama is saying they don't have to make the decision at least not yet. I don't want the president to be humiliated by the Congress in front of the world. I want the president to be strong, but I do wonder about letting Congress off the hook. I think that maybe he should have pushed the vote.
TANTAROS: Don't you I think that is why he left them off the hook, Eric? Because he looked at those vote tallies and he saw that he wasn't going to pass the House, maybe not the Senate?
BOLLING: Let's hold off on the vote tally. Maybe he's trying to buy time to get some diplomatic solutions, but I spoke to the senator right after the speech. He made a very important point. He said if Assad is responsible, he should be killed, point blank, he should be killed, Assad. But he, Rand Paul, cannot see committing son or anyone else's son or daughter to a war we shouldn't be involved in. And when it comes to it therein lies the belying in the sand for us. Even if you're called, you say, yes it's bad going on there. It's still not our war.
BECKEL: And it won't be our war. This has nothing to do with our war. We're not going get into this thing in the middle of this war. What we're trying to do is -- everyone of America's enemies, if we didn't do anything on chemical weapons, Al Qaeda and rest of the these terrorist groups are watching us and they will say fine, the United States is not going to react. Now, if we do take out this delivery system maybe they will stop and think about that.
GUTFELD: I will go with completely Bob if just remain consistent about that. The fact is that it's -- who cares if the world hates the world's policeman. At least they respect him. They hate the world's referee. Right now we're the world's referee. I'd rather be the world's cop is a referee with a gun. We should think about other a-holes around the world we should be taking out as well that we know we can take out and can strike a little fear in these people.
Because at the pin prick does not strike fear in anybody, but taking out the Iranian nukes or visiting North Korea starting to actually clean up the place, the way a policeman does, rather than just play around or, you take the libertarian route and say built a moat and forget about it, which is actually impossible in this world.
BOLLING: I'm moving towards that. We start to show a couple years ago and you were the keeper of Libertarian Island I remember that. I think that, Greg, that ideology, I liked a lot better.
GUTFELD: And the problem is that we can't afford, the world is now a phone booth.
TANTAROS: There is also a -- you mentioned a-hole there is Al Qaeda in Syria. Why aren't we talking about perhaps bombing them? Don't you think -- we don't know where they are?
BECKEL: No. There are 1,200 groups there.
TANTAROS: We don't know where they are. CNN and other news networks, New York Times, Fox News can locate them, we can't. You said people don't like a cop. People also don't like a chump. All that Vladimir Putin wants to do is keep his naval base in that region. He said military action needs to be taken off the table. He just humiliated the president again by saying that. So really we have to wait to see what John Kerry does.
BECKEL: If assuming chemical weapons are taken out of there, you don't have to be-to-have military action. Isn't that the best outcome?
TANTAROS: I do not believe that they will WMDs out of --
GUTFELD: The worst thing about John Kerry is he made so many mistakes now. That is not a mouth. That is a foot locker.
PERINO: There are only eight legislative days left since the end of the month when the government runs out of money. I do think that the president has exhausted Congress a little bit already. They haven't even gotten started with the session and I think that the Republicans goring to ask for President Obama if he cares so much about the military to replace the money that was lost in the sequester in this budget deal.
TANTAROS: That would be great.
BOLLING: It costs us about $150 million a week, a week just put our military on standby, just the ships are in the area right. That's about $600 million a month.
TANTAROS: In less than an hour from now, it will be the 12-year anniversary of the 9/11 attacks of 2011 and the first anniversary of the attack on our consulate in Benghazi. So will President Obama keep his promise to bring the killers of four Americans to justice? We'll debate it up next on The Five.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
GUTFELD: So tomorrow marks the first anniversary of the attack on our consulate in Benghazi, Libya. If you watched FNC, you know what happened, four Americans died, Christopher Stevens, Sean Smith, Glen Dorothy and Tyrone Woods. This is something we care about way more than we should according to the mocking horrors on the left.
To date no one has been punished, but it's only been a year, took us a decade to get Bin Laden, but at least President Bush acted quickly to hit the safe havens of terrorists, hear our leaders (inaudible), make excuses or worst, get defiant.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HILLARY CLINTON, FORMER SECRETARY OF STATE: What difference at this point does it make?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GUTFELD: Translation get off our backs, what do you expect from us anyway. We hear that a lot, that the energy exerted on such tragedy achieves nothing except sounding fury. So what did that crap start? Before the Obama election and because of the Obama election, the Benghazi cover up was an actual government corruption.
It was the handy work of a compliant media willing to hold back until Obama got elected. In our daily lives we call this looking the other way. We do it for co-workers who screw up, but here when American lives we lot, we call it scummy so happy anniversary to all of you who took one for your favorite professor. You didn't find a truth, but you gained a really cool pal.
BECKEL: You're inaccurate in that.
GUTFELD: All right, go ahead.
BECKEL: As much credit as I give George Bush for tracking down terrorists. The Obama administration has taken out more terrorists than any administration by far not even close.
GUTFELD: Yes, but I mean, he took swift action after 9/11. By the way, he is taking these terrorists with Bush's talks.
PERINO: After 9/11 America was not tacked on its soil after that until the President Obama came into office. So I don't know where you get that.
BECKEL: I'm just saying --
PERINO: The president took the fight to them. You make fun of him because he had cards?
BECKEL: I just said I give him credit for taking out terrorist, but Obama did took out a lot more terrorists. He had more time to do it.
TANTAROS: Taking out the terrorists that really, really matters specifically with regard to Benghazi. Now he pledged to bring them to justice. Let's remember. How did we get Benghazi? He told Moammar Ghaddafi to step aside, led from behind, didn't go to Congress for military action, that sounds familiar, and Al Qaeda was able to strengthen and attack our consulate even though they plead for security.
The man who likely responsible has been seen sipping mango juice by the New York Times. He's done interviews. He says the U.S. government hasn't come to find him. He's willing to sit down with them and then a couple of weeks ago, we get a sealed indictment a bunch of b.s. from the Department of Justice.
When is the trial? Why haven't they gone in and captured him? No effort to get him and Chris Wallace asked specifically the national security adviser what is taking so long? His response, we're looking for him. That's infuriating -- makes my blood boil this president pushed aside a leader in order to have Al Qaeda drive up and now, he is pushing do it again.
BECKEL: What you do you guys think? Qadaffi is one of the great terrorists in the world.
BOLLING: One of the great or worst? He takes look, the president came in and he was pleased standby, this is a test going to retool his whole terror in from a structure. You realize it was elaborate. That he needed Bush's in from a structure. Sure, he killed a lot of terrorists. But they're all, all that intel was initially dug up by the Bush administration. You have to admit that part of it now.
BECKEL: I think I started my conversation by saying I gave Bush a lot of credit.
GUTFELD: Can I just bring Dana in here before we go? Do you think killers will be brought to justice?
PERINO: I think they hope it just goes away. I hope they go for the families' sakes and for America's sake to be able to put a period at the end of the sentence. I still remember how chilling it was that the United States government supposedly the leader of the free world used an excuse of freedom of expression that was ended up being fake, I'm talking about the video to blame the attack and deaths of those four American that's was not true.
We don't have answers on that and they hope it will go away. I don't think it will. I think the reason they're attacked on 9/11 was because of a symbolic -- attacked 12 years ago here in New York City.
BECKEL: I will make a prediction. I will predict that everyone who is responsible for that will be taken out or brought to justice by the end of the year.
GUTFELD: OK. If you're right, I will buy you a nonalcoholic beverage of your choice.
Coming up, polls are now closed in New York City where voters selected a Democratic candidate for mayor. Have they sent Anthony Weiner back to the hole that he crawled out of? Stay tuned.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BECKEL: It's close to midnight here in New York City. It was primary day for the race for mayor. Despite a bizarre fantasy he might actually get voted back into public office Anthony Weiner was forced to concede tonight.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ANTHONY WEINER, MAYORAL CANDIDATE, NEW YORK CITY: We might have come a little short in this campaign, but we're all unified in that fight. If we keep fight asking I hope you will, if you keep fighting, I'm going to keep fighting because we're going to keep New York the capital of the middle class for years still to come. Thank you very much.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BECKEL: May that be the last bit of videotape we ever have to see from the Weiner man. The guy has been a disgrace to my party. Weiner boy, go find something to do, OK?
TANTAROS: Hopefully the last video and the last picture we'll see. But did he really have to say "come up short" in his speech --
BECKEL: Did you really just say that?
TANTAROS: Comes up short.
BECKEL: OK. I like it. Myself. It's one of the things I get yelled at if I said it.
TANTAROS: He just said it.
BECKEL: I understand that, but never mind. Anybody -- right now Blasio is in first place with 40 percent of the vote. You need 40 percent to avoid a front runoff so that is 11 percent out.
BOLLING: Right, 11 percent left. He's got 40 at the latest. Yes. Yes.
BECKEL: OK. Now, I know you're going to miss the Weiner, a lot. You can't make this stuff up. Yes.
BOLLING: I mean, this is what happened when put us on at 11:00.
BECKEL: I know. It's also what happens when --
PERINO: Come on, Bob.
BECKEL: What have you got say --
TANTAROS: What we are going to talk about? The only reason America cared about the New York mayor's race is because they wanted to see what else was going to happen with him. Interesting tonight that people were talking about this tomorrow, his wife, Huma, subject of a lot of talk during the mayor's race and why did she stay with him? She was not with him tonight when he conceded. I think she's been through a lot, but I predict she will be on the front cover of women magazines.
BECKEL: You never know. Couples have a -- anyway, Greg. First of fall you would run for mayor like you promised to do then backed off --
GUTFELD: I have more skeletons in my closet than a medical college. Right. Do you what is going to be next for Anthony Weiner? Television. He's qualified. He's self absorbed and can't do real work. He'd fit in at any network.
PERINO: And his hair. He's got great hair.
TANTAROS: It sounds like academia, which he'll have access to all of these young girls which is scary.
GUTFELD: He could be a professor in a few short years.
BECKEL: Yes, photography class.
TANTAROS: Maybe not Hillsdale.
BECKEL: We can run a women's health clinic. OK, one more thing is up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PERINO: You're about to enter the 11 p.m. "Five," "The Five." OK, Eric?
BOLLING: All right, in about 4 minutes, it's going to be 9/11. So do you sometimes feel the bad guys are laughing at us? First, on the 12th anniversary of the day America lost our innocence, a million Muslims will march on D.C. Patriot bikers were denied a permit to do the same thing. The proud Americans will ride. Anyway, we salute you. I salute you.
Second, we have a Nobel Peace Prize president peddling a war on a sovereign nation, which will aid the enemy we've been fighting for 12 years and finally, less than honest, National Security Adviser Susan Rice will brief Congress. It's the one-year anniversary of attacks on Benghazi that left four Americans dead. Time to take back our country from these clowns, folks never forget.
PERINO: That was a very clever way to do four things. I admire it, I do. Bob?
BECKEL: Do I have time left?
PERINO: Yes. Go.
BECKEL: I want to congratulate very unusual position, but congratulate the speaker, Mr. Boehner and the majority leader, Mr. Cantor, for having the courage and the morality to stand up and support the president of the United States in what is an essential cause. Anyone who doesn't do that, well, I'll let that go.
PERINO: Andrea?
TANTAROS: First I'd like to congratulate Joe Loda for winning Republican primary in New York City. He was a deputy mayor under Rudy Giuliani and he won tonight. Congratulations, Joe. Also I have no information about my one more thing, but I'm just going to show this picture, imagine being this man's mailman. This is his mailbox. I don't know what his name is --
OK, we don't have his name. Check it out this. This is the Bolling household. This is his neighbor getting mail for him, gun enthusiast mailbox in the shape of a gun. Now we know what to get you for Christmas.
GUTFELD: All right, the second phrase of the day. I'm even getting sick of this. He said it. It means finding a solution to a tough problem. It's a way to say that? Finding a solution to a tough problem, don't say it anymore. If I hear you saying it again, I'm going to hunt you down and hang you by your toe nails. I'm running out of ideas, Bob.
PERINO: You did news.
GUTFELD: On the global warming, right.
PERINO: News that is not really news or something like that.
GUTFELD: Right. Thanks, Dana.
PERINO: Here is mine. Is anyone hearing that? I'm not crazy. I'm not. OK, the Points of Light Foundation gave an award to Victor Cruz. He's the wide receiver for New York Giants. He's an amazing guy got the daily Points of Light Foundation award today for all of the volunteer work that he does. And of course, Points of Light started by George H.W. Bush and they had a national day of service and a big campaign called One America that Victor Cruz was honored for.
TANTAROS: We have 50 seconds left in this hour. I didn't know -- because I wanted to you wear it. We've got this from a fan. It's a hat with a picture. It's almost midnight we're going to turn into pumpkins.
PERINO: Can I put it on?
BECKEL: Spitzer lost. Maybe Weiner can walk your dog for you, Dana?
PERINO: What?
GUTFELD: He didn't hear that.
PERINO: That is it for "The Five." Thanks for watching. We'll see you tomorrow at 5 p.m. Eastern. Have a great night, everyone.
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