Hagel Says He' Consider 2008 Run as Independent (Transcript)

By Nicholas Johnston

May 7 (Bloomberg) -- Republican Senator Chuck Hagel of Nebraska, in a May 4 interview with Bloomberg Television's ``Political Capital with Al Hunt,'' said he would consider entering the 2008 presidential campaign as an independent and would take a look at a Democratic proposal to fund the Iraq war temporarily.

(This is not a legal transcript. Bloomberg LP cannot guarantee its accuracy.)

MR. HUNT: Welcome, we start the program with Senator Chuck Hagel, Republican of Nebraska. Senator, thank you for being with us.

SEN. HAGEL: Thank you, Al.

MR. HUNT: The first Republican presidential debate in California this week, Senator John McCain said that if we don't win in Iraq, the terrorists will follow us home. Likewise, Rudy Giuliani said that to retreat in the face of terror would be a terrible mistake. You disagree with that.

SEN. HAGEL: Well, I disagree with it, because I think the fundamentals are and the reality is that the outcome in Iraq will be determined by the Iraqis and not the Americans. Iraq is not America's to win or lose. It's not a prize. Do we have interests there? Of course we do. Do we have interests in the Middle East? Of course we do. But we should apply a wise policy, a smart policy in how we use our force structure and all the instruments of power - diplomacy, economics, and military. And that's obviously one of the things that Secretary Rice is doing over there this week.

MR. HUNT: Senator, we'll return to Iraq in just a moment. But did you wish at all that you were on that stage at the Reagan Library Thursday night?

SEN. HAGEL: Well, I have to confess, I didn't see the debate. I always like to engage and have an opportunity to be part of it.

MR. HUNT: So you kind of think you might have been there?

SEN. HAGEL: Well, I'm not sure. I missed this one that was particularly engaging - somebody said it was a press conference with 10 people for 90 minutes. But I'm just very, very happy with what I'm doing right now and focused on doing the things that I think are important for our country.

MR. HUNT: Well, what are the odds that you will get into that race? You've said you'll decide later. But odds as of today?

SEN. HAGEL: I will. Well, I don't know about odds, Al. I never get into that business. But I will make a decision on my political future in a few months. I have to. I have a second term coming to an end next year. And it will come down -

MR. HUNT: Still seriously considering?

SEN. HAGEL: Well, I'm seriously considering - I hope - some options I might have. And one of those options is to leave politics for awhile. Maybe this is the right time to do it; 12 years in the Senate is a long time. It's been a tremendous opportunity. Maybe there are some other things I could do to influence the world more effectively.

MR. HUNT: You had dinner this week at the Palm Restaurant in Washington with NYC mayor Michael Bloomberg who - I should say - owns this company -- owns most of this company. Did you two discuss the possibility of running in '08, either together as a ticket or separately as independents?

SEN. HAGEL: The mayor and I had a delightful dinner. We talked about our families; we talked about backgrounds, the world, Iraq, politics. There was no conversation about the two of us teaming up on a ticket. We did talk about the entire arc of interests that a couple of politicians would, a couple people who are interested in the outcome of mankind, and both engaged in politics. We have a lot of common interests, both businessmen, both have - I think - some general philosophies that coincide. But no, there was no talk of any ticket.

MR. HUNT: Is one of your options to run as an independent?

SEN. HAGEL: Well, I don't ever foreclose any options. We'll see how the political world develops. I think we are living at a time here in this country, Al, that is as unpredictably politically as I've ever seen maybe in modern times. I think the political currents are running swiftly, deeply, unpredictably. What that then produces in the way of presidential dynamics and options next year I think is still quite unpredictable.

MR. HUNT: I take it that's a possible.

SEN. HAGEL: It's a possible.

MR. HUNT: Okay, let's get back to Iraq. The White House- congressional stalemate over funding the war - as one of two Republican senators who voted against the president on this, what sort of compromise is possible that would retain your support? What does it have to have?

SEN. HAGEL: I don't like the blunt instrument of having the Congress set parameters and conditions. But nonetheless, we do have some constitutional responsibilities here. We have some very real responsibilities, especially in light of the fact that the president has lost the majority of the American support, majority of congressional support on his policy in Iraq.

Whether they're benchmarks or consequences, some parameters have to be put around or continued involvement there, because if we don't do that, we send the wrong signal to the Iraqis, and we send the wrong signal to the American people that we're not listening to them.

MR. HUNT: Let me bounce one or two specific proposals off of you. One coming from House Democrats is to fund the war for four months, after which General Petraeus would then have to certify if the Iraqis are meeting specific benchmarks, quelling sectarian violence, disarming militias, and the like. Can you support that?

SEN. HAGEL: Well, I would look at it. Again, I am fundamentally opposed to a continuation of the status quo, so I would look at that seriously.

MR. HUNT: How about the Harry Reid-Hillary Clinton proposal that would rescind the 2002 authorization? Would you support that?

SEN. HAGEL: Well, I think we're complicating the issue at hand here, and I'm not sure that's a wise course of action to take. I think we should stay focused on what we're doing right now. What is this all about, the continued funding, trying to work together on this, I think it confuses the issue by trying to reach beyond into going back and rescinding a resolution that we passed in 2002

MR. HUNT: What's your assessment of former CIA director George Tenet's recent book? You're on the intelligence committee.

SEN. HAGEL: I'm sorry that George didn't bring all these points out earlier. I'm sorry that he didn't say those things when he had an opportunity to have some influence over the direction of policy in this country. I'm glad he wrote the book. I'm glad he said what he did and put it all on the record. But I think he has put himself in a very difficult position in that he waited and then wrote a book and then made some charges. It looks pretty self-serving.

Tenet had an opportunity, as did others in the administration to step into the breach. And I even suggested to some at very high levels that they might have to resign if they really felt that this was a huge mistake. And I think that the blunder we've made in Iraq is the most significant, dangerous foreign policy blunder this country has made maybe ever.

MR. HUNT: Can Paul Wolfowitz continue to serve with effectiveness as the president of the World Bank?

SEN. HAGEL: I don't know all the facts. I know what I read. It's going to be very difficult. Leaders lead by virtue of the one currency that counts in life. And that currency is trust and confidence. And if you lose that, if that is gone and that is squandered, then you can't lead. And I would suspect that Paul's got a situation where that currency is probably depleted and it's going to be very difficult to lead an international organization as big and powerful and important that is all about consensus without that currency.

MR. HUNT: Senator Hagel, thank you very much.

***END OF TRANSCRIPT***

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#<350714.56910.1.0.38.15369.25># -0- May/07/2007 11:22 GMT

Last Updated: May 7, 2007 07:22 EDT

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