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Interview With Jack Kemp

Aired April 24, 2003 - 15:18   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


JUDY WOODRUFF, CNN ANCHOR: Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich caused a stir this week with some harsh comments about the U.S. State Department. Gingrich repeated the long-held belief among many conservatives that the department needs reform and then he took his comments a step further.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NEWT GINGRICH (R), FMR. HOUSE SPEAKER: The last seven months have involved six months of diplomatic failure and one month of military success. The first days after military victory indicate the pattern of diplomatic failure is beginning once again and threatens to undo the effects of military victory.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WOODRUFF: A while ago, I asked former vice presidential candidate Jack Kemp about those comments by his friend and fellow Republican Newt Gingrich and I asked him, first of all, if Gingrich is right.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JACK KEMP (R), FMR. VICE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Well, it's really sad, particularly coming at this time. It sounds more like Tom Daschle and the Democratic Party than what Newt Gingrich should be saying.

I suggested yesterday, he was like what Churchill labeled the bull that carries around his own china shop. I don't think he realizes the collateral damage he's done not only to Colin Powell, but to President Bush, and our diplomatic efforts in Syria, North Korea and Palestine.

WOODRUFF: But isn't he reflecting simply the large number of conservatives in your Republican Party...

KEMP: Yes.

WOODRUFF: ... who have a real problem with Colin Powell's internationalist approach to foreign policy.

KEMP: Well, we have to an internationalist approach, A. B, there is a lot of criticism and has been. But Colin Powell doesn't need to aggrandize his reputation at the expense of the president. He doesn't need Jack Kemp to defend him.

He's done a fabulous job, as has the Bush team, and I can't imagine having a team disrupted this way when we're at a very critical point, both in North Korea, Syria, and Palestine, as I suggested earlier.

WOODRUFF: But isn't Gingrich simply reflecting what a lot of...

KEMP: He is.

WOODRUFF: ... conservatives think?

KEMP: A number of conservatives. I don't think there's a lot of conservatives. But unfortunately, there are all too many who have been pointing the finger at Powell as somehow undercutting President Bush. and that's hardly the case. In fact, Colin Powell would not be going to Syria were it not for the president asking him to go.

WOODRUFF: We all know that, I mean, it's well known that Newt Gingrich is a long time good friend of Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, Under secretary Paul Wolfowitz. Is it even conceivable...

KEMP: No.

WOODRUFF: ....that Gingrich would have given this speech without the knowledge of the highest people?

KEMP: It is conceivable. I don't think Don Rumsfeld...

WOODRUFF: ...at the Defense Department.

KEMP: Look at -- Rumsfeld and Powell, by the nature of the leadership positions they're in, have at times a different opinion of something. The Defense Department, as Henry Kissinger pointed out today on an earlier show has, by definition, is more action oriented. State Department, by its definition, is diplomacy. So there's going to be some tension there.

But Powell and Rumsfeld are on the same team. It's not Rumsfeld or Powell. It's George Bush and Dick Cheney.

WOODRUFF: But in...

KEMP: Collateral damage is to the American diplomacy right now and to President Bush.

WOODRUFF: Is Colin Powell hurt by this?

KEMP: Is he hurt by it? I don't think so. I don't think Newt Gingrich pointing the finger at Colin Powell is going to weaken Colin Powell. I think the White House, and rightly so, came out in very strong support of Secretary of State Powell. The president's got a great team and I just, I'm really saddened by this. I think it comes at exactly the wrong time and I can't imagine Newt, who was speaker of the House, who had a chance to offer some reforms of the State Department when he was speaker, said nothing and there was nothing in the speech that was constructive. So I find it to be inexplicable.

WOODRUFF: And the fact that Donald Rumsfeld, as secretary of defense, is weighing in on what the policy should be towards Syria, what the policy...

KEMP: Well, he should.

WOODRUFF: ...should be toward North Korea. He's not stepping over the line?

KEMP: I don't know that I've seen a stepping over the line by Don Rumsfeld. I think he sincerely questions the right approach to North Korea, as does probably Colin Powell at times. I think ultimately, it's the president's call. He and Cheney are the ones in control of U.S. foreign policy and frankly, they're doing a pretty good job.

WOODRUFF: Is the president hurt by this criticism?

KEMP: I said, the collateral damage is on President Bush. We're at sensitive negotiations throughout the world and to blame the State Department for going into war without the proper diplomatic victories is not only an attack on Colin Powell, but it's a direct attack on President Bush.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WOODRUFF: Those comments from Jack Kemp all the more remarkable because he and Newt Gingrich are longtime friends and political allies.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com







Aired April 24, 2003 - 15:18   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
JUDY WOODRUFF, CNN ANCHOR: Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich caused a stir this week with some harsh comments about the U.S. State Department. Gingrich repeated the long-held belief among many conservatives that the department needs reform and then he took his comments a step further.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NEWT GINGRICH (R), FMR. HOUSE SPEAKER: The last seven months have involved six months of diplomatic failure and one month of military success. The first days after military victory indicate the pattern of diplomatic failure is beginning once again and threatens to undo the effects of military victory.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WOODRUFF: A while ago, I asked former vice presidential candidate Jack Kemp about those comments by his friend and fellow Republican Newt Gingrich and I asked him, first of all, if Gingrich is right.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JACK KEMP (R), FMR. VICE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Well, it's really sad, particularly coming at this time. It sounds more like Tom Daschle and the Democratic Party than what Newt Gingrich should be saying.

I suggested yesterday, he was like what Churchill labeled the bull that carries around his own china shop. I don't think he realizes the collateral damage he's done not only to Colin Powell, but to President Bush, and our diplomatic efforts in Syria, North Korea and Palestine.

WOODRUFF: But isn't he reflecting simply the large number of conservatives in your Republican Party...

KEMP: Yes.

WOODRUFF: ... who have a real problem with Colin Powell's internationalist approach to foreign policy.

KEMP: Well, we have to an internationalist approach, A. B, there is a lot of criticism and has been. But Colin Powell doesn't need to aggrandize his reputation at the expense of the president. He doesn't need Jack Kemp to defend him.

He's done a fabulous job, as has the Bush team, and I can't imagine having a team disrupted this way when we're at a very critical point, both in North Korea, Syria, and Palestine, as I suggested earlier.

WOODRUFF: But isn't Gingrich simply reflecting what a lot of...

KEMP: He is.

WOODRUFF: ... conservatives think?

KEMP: A number of conservatives. I don't think there's a lot of conservatives. But unfortunately, there are all too many who have been pointing the finger at Powell as somehow undercutting President Bush. and that's hardly the case. In fact, Colin Powell would not be going to Syria were it not for the president asking him to go.

WOODRUFF: We all know that, I mean, it's well known that Newt Gingrich is a long time good friend of Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, Under secretary Paul Wolfowitz. Is it even conceivable...

KEMP: No.

WOODRUFF: ....that Gingrich would have given this speech without the knowledge of the highest people?

KEMP: It is conceivable. I don't think Don Rumsfeld...

WOODRUFF: ...at the Defense Department.

KEMP: Look at -- Rumsfeld and Powell, by the nature of the leadership positions they're in, have at times a different opinion of something. The Defense Department, as Henry Kissinger pointed out today on an earlier show has, by definition, is more action oriented. State Department, by its definition, is diplomacy. So there's going to be some tension there.

But Powell and Rumsfeld are on the same team. It's not Rumsfeld or Powell. It's George Bush and Dick Cheney.

WOODRUFF: But in...

KEMP: Collateral damage is to the American diplomacy right now and to President Bush.

WOODRUFF: Is Colin Powell hurt by this?

KEMP: Is he hurt by it? I don't think so. I don't think Newt Gingrich pointing the finger at Colin Powell is going to weaken Colin Powell. I think the White House, and rightly so, came out in very strong support of Secretary of State Powell. The president's got a great team and I just, I'm really saddened by this. I think it comes at exactly the wrong time and I can't imagine Newt, who was speaker of the House, who had a chance to offer some reforms of the State Department when he was speaker, said nothing and there was nothing in the speech that was constructive. So I find it to be inexplicable.

WOODRUFF: And the fact that Donald Rumsfeld, as secretary of defense, is weighing in on what the policy should be towards Syria, what the policy...

KEMP: Well, he should.

WOODRUFF: ...should be toward North Korea. He's not stepping over the line?

KEMP: I don't know that I've seen a stepping over the line by Don Rumsfeld. I think he sincerely questions the right approach to North Korea, as does probably Colin Powell at times. I think ultimately, it's the president's call. He and Cheney are the ones in control of U.S. foreign policy and frankly, they're doing a pretty good job.

WOODRUFF: Is the president hurt by this criticism?

KEMP: I said, the collateral damage is on President Bush. We're at sensitive negotiations throughout the world and to blame the State Department for going into war without the proper diplomatic victories is not only an attack on Colin Powell, but it's a direct attack on President Bush.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WOODRUFF: Those comments from Jack Kemp all the more remarkable because he and Newt Gingrich are longtime friends and political allies.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com