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American Morning

Interview with John Podesta, Former White House Chief of Staff

Aired May 07, 2002 - 07:10   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.
PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: Today, as President Bush and Sharon get ready to meet, a group of U.S. congressmen is in Israel warning the Israelis to resist pressure by the Bush administration to include Yasser Arafat at any peace negotiations. The bipartisan delegation is there to hand-deliver the strongly worded joint resolutions passed last week in support of Israel.

And just this weekend, Senator John Edwards added to the mounting criticism, saying the president is sending mixed messages on the Middle East.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. JOHN EDWARDS (D), NORTH CAROLINA: We have on the same day the president, for example, suggesting he is supporting Prime Minister Sharon's military action, but later the same day, our administration votes for a U.N. resolution asking him to pull back. It's the responsibility of the president when there are differences to bring them together, reach consensus and establish policy, and there has been a lot of fits and starts and inconsistencies.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ZAHN: Has Congress ever been so vocal against a president's foreign policies, and how will this play out in today's meeting between the president and the prime minister of Israel?

Former White House chief of staff, John Podesta, has certainly tangled with Congress before. He joins us now from Washington -- welcome to A.M. -- good to see you, sir.

JOHN PODESTA, FORMER WHITE HOUSE CHIEF OF STAFF: Good morning, Paula.

ZAHN: So, John, what impact do you think this congressional delegation's actions will have on the president today?

PODESTA: Well, I think that the Congress and both bodies -- both parties wanted to send a strong signal that they support the security of Israel, and they did that last week in the resolutions. And I think that will set the table for the president's meetings with the prime minister today, and I think that's a good thing.

ZAHN: Well, is you are setting the table for the prime minister's meeting, aren't they in essence setting the table for Ariel Sharon, who doesn't want to negotiate with Yasser Arafat in the first place?

PODESTA: Well, I think that what they are really saying is that the United States needs to stay involved. The president needs to stay involved. And the United States in both parties, again in both Houses of Congress strongly support the security of Israel, our long-standing ally, and there is going to be no compromise on that question. And I think the resolutions that passed both the House and the Senate, led by both Democrats and Republicans last week, are helpful in terms of assuring that the Israeli government, the Israeli people that we are going to stand with them as they face this terrorist threat.

ZAHN: But based on the actions so far by this administration, has there been any question in your mind that that is in fact what Mr. Bush wants for Israel?

PODESTA: Well, I think that that's clearly what he desires, but as Senator Edwards said, I think that unlike what you saw in Afghanistan, where he was so clear, his voice was so strong and his administration was of one mind. In the Middle East we have seen some fits and starts, and there have been first his lack of involvement, and then his getting involved. But disputes between the State Department, the Defense Department, the National Security Council and the National Security adviser. Even this Sunday, they seemed to have slightly different takes.

So I think it is incumbent on the president to get that straight, get it clear, and try to move the process forward. We see just this morning in Bethlehem that good things can come when the United States remains resolved and involved, and I think that's what we want to see, and that's what we expect.

ZAHN: But you are talking about this congressional action in a very broad sense. Come back to the very specific point this delegation made in Israel today, where they essentially told Israel not to back down. And they said, you know, do not negotiate with Yasser Arafat. At a time when President Bush is going to be talking about the Saudi peace proposal with the prime minister, doesn't that compromise the president's position?

PODESTA: Well, I think the president -- you know, the president has been clear, and his team was clear this weekend that Yasser Arafat, notwithstanding his potential involvement with some of these terrorist incidents, notwithstanding the fact that he had the opportunity I think to move forward to peace in 2000 at Camp David at Attaba (ph). He still does represent the Palestinian Authority. They have been clear about that.

But I think that what the Congress is trying to send on behalf of the American people is that the Israeli people need to understand that their security will not be compromised by our negotiating strategy, and I think that's what those resolutions do.

ZAHN: For a moment, let's quickly review what Senator Lieberman had to say very recently about the Bush policy in the Middle East -- let's listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. JOSEPH LIEBERMAN (D), CONNECTICUT: I am sorry to say, and I say it respectfully, that the Bush administration has recently muddled our moral clarity.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ZAHN: So, John, at a time when the president, in the latest CNN- USA Today Gallup Poll has, you know, very high approval ratings, and seven out of -- excuse me -- seven out of ten Americans actually think he is doing a job -- a good job in the Middle East, couldn't this kind of criticism backfire?

PODESTA: Well, I don't think it is being done for political purposes. Look, the Democrats want to run a campaign against the Republicans in Congress this fall on things like social security, the price of prescription drugs and prescription drug benefits for Medicare. Those are the political issues that I think will divide the parties and will be the subject of the debate in November.

I think that what's really going on now is the fact that these are long-time supporters of Israel, like Senator Lieberman, and I think they have seen an administration that was reluctant to get involved in the Middle East. They now are involved. I think Senator Lieberman and others, Senator Daschle, Senator Edwards and these other key figures, are glad to see him getting involved and putting his shoulder to the wheel on this.

So I don't think they are trying to score political points. If anything, you would argue just purely from a political perspective that they should stay away from it. But I think they do it, because they have a strong view that it's right for the United States, it's right for our country, and it's our moral obligation to do so.

ZAHN: All right. John Podesta, we have to leave it there this morning. Thank you very much for dropping by A.M. -- good to see you again.

PODESTA: Good to see you.

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