This is a rush transcript from "Special Report," February 6, 2015. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VICE PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN: President Putin continues to call for new peace plans as his troops roll through the Ukrainian countryside.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHRIS WALLACE, ANCHOR: Vice President Biden sounding pessimistic about chances for a deal to stop the fighting in Ukraine with Russian President Putin. Time now for the Friday Lightning Round. Well, there were talks today as we mentioned earlier in the show between, on one hand President Putin, and coming to Moscow to meet with him the French President Hollande and German chancellor Angela Merkel. They say the talks have ended. They are going to talk again on the phone on Sunday along with the Ukrainian president. Nice that they are including him. Jonah, chances for a diplomatic deal and a cease-fire?
GOLDBERG: Zero that don't end up with Putin essentially winning and having his little frozen conflict zones, which is what he has been looking for.
WALLACE: So, Juan, does this mean that the Western effort at sanctions has failed?
WILLIAMS: It hasn't failed. Clearly it's had impact on the Russian economy. The question is whether or not it's stopped his aggression. And Putin is acting in a way that is in total disregard of all rational thought at this point. So I don't know how you can deal with this.
KRAUTHAMMER: Well, it's not irrational if you control Crimea and you control now the land between Russia and Crimea. So the incorporation can be successful, which is exactly where Putin is. He has now completely torn up the agreement that he had had reached in September, and he is winning.
WALLACE: So, finally, President Obama, the administration we're told, is talking about supplying lethal aid. Is that going to make a difference?
KRAUTHAMMER: It will make a huge difference, which is why the Ukrainians have been on their knees begging America to do that for almost a year now. It's an obvious step. The president should do it immediately. He has waited already far too long.
WILLIAMS: Let me say that's a step that could lead to world war, so be careful.
WALLACE: This is a lightning storm here, guys. We better move on to another subject.
The Army announced today that it has changed its mind and it is going to award Purple Hearts to the victims of the 2009 Fort Hood shooting. Of course, we all remember that originally the military called it workplace violence. Jonah, your thoughts about the change of mind?
GOLDBERG: Yes, only thing I would correct you on is that they are not changing their mind. They are having their mind changed because Congress told them to. The Pentagon didn't want to do, probably on orders from the White House that wanted to make this a workplace violence thing and not talk about a domestic terror attack. It's long overdue and I congratulate the House and the Senate for finally getting it done.
WALLACE: Juan? I think this is a function of how difficult it is to give out Purple Hearts. The Pentagon said that just as much in their announcement. But, again, you have conservatives who will say this is all politics. It was the White House. I don't think it was the White House. But I think it's really difficult if you are not in a war to hand out purple hearts.
WALLACE: All right, and because there was a little bit of too much talk on the first statement --
KRAUTHAMMER: -- are you implying that I'm responsible?
WALLACE: No, I'm replying -- I'm implying you are irresponsible. Winners and losers this week?
KRAUTHAMMER: There are so many losers this week, Brian Williams and Christie and Rand Paul, that I could run a group therapy with them. The winner, obviously, is Rand Paul for implying that the vaccines can cause severe mental disorders. He knows it's not so. That's from the Jenny McCarthy school of medicine. The winner is Putin, whom we talked about earlier. He is achieving his aim without much resistance in the West. He tore up the agreement of last year. And the United States is not responding.
WALLACE: Juan?
WILLIAMS: The winner, I think, is "Downtown Abbey," the TV show, because Congressman Aaron Schock redid his whole office to look like the set of "Downtown Abbey." So the designer or the show is the winner.
WALLACE: So does that mean Aaron Schock is the loser for doing that?
WILLIAMS: I think Brian Williams is a big loser. I think the peacock's plumage has been plucked here, damage to the credibility of the brand.
WALLACE: Jonah?
GOLDBERG: Winner is King Abdullah of Jordan for stepping into the breach where others world leaders won't. The loser, I agree with Charles entirely, it's like a 7/11 parking lot on a Saturday night. There's so many losers to choose from. But I pick Chris Christie because Chris Christie has a reputation and a persona that says he speaks honest and truth to the people, and instead he flummoxed it and completely messed up on the vaccine thing sounding like he was pandering to a base that doesn't want him to pander on something like this.
WALLACE: That's it for the panel, but stay tuned for more on the Brian Williams controversy. It turns out he has done it before.
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