2008-05-09 17:43:09 -
- Via Telephone
9:29 A.M. EDT
Q Good morning, Mr. Vice President. How are you, sir?
THE VICE PRESIDENT: Good morning, Paul. How are you?
Q I'm fine. It's the second appearance on the program, and I thank you so very much. I know when you -- you only come on when a race is very,
very important. I think we can say that about this particular race in the First District of Congress, between Greg Davis and Travis Childers.
THE VICE PRESIDENT: No doubt about it. It's, of course, special elections this year, but -- because it is a presidential election year and we're going to elect the entire House of Representatives and so forth. But this seat is a very important one. It's been in conservative hands for a long time, and we'd hate to see the liberals gain control.
Q But what's the -- what's the fallout, should it fall to the Democrats on this one? I mean, there is -- there are repercussions, even on a national basis.
THE VICE PRESIDENT: Well, there are. The way I like to explain it, Paul, is to talk about the '03 tax cut. You may remember the President and I inherited a recession, the front end of a recession, and then after 9/11, we lost a million jobs. And what turned the economy around and got us started on a 52-month expansion was the tax package that we passed in the Spring of '03. And that tax package passed the Senate by one vote -- happened to be my vote; I had to cast the tie-breaking vote that time as Vice President. But I don't deserve any great credit for it. I knew what I was supposed to do that day; it wasn't like I had options when I went up there.
But the point is that if we'd had one less Senator, we wouldn't have had that package. And we've had similar votes in the House, and you get major issues like that -- on tax policy, for example, and that was the package that cut the rate on capital gains and dividends, that repealed the death tax, that accelerated the rate reductions in all the brackets. It was a major success, but say it would not have happened if we'd had one less member of the United States Senate.
In this case, we're talking about a House race where we've had equally close votes there, and one of the big issues over the next few years is whether or not we can make the Bush tax rates permanent, or whether they'll go back to those higher levels. And having Greg Davis in the House could make all the difference, in terms of that policy.
Q That's one of the things we're talking about every single day, because you can have a guy campaigning as a centrist, a populist, and saying basically, I'm going to be my own man, but when he gets there, he's going to have the handbook from the DNC and Nancy Pelosi on issues such as those tax breaks, the environment, of course the gas situation, and some monumental issues that we have got to solve the next few years.
THE VICE PRESIDENT: That's right. No, it's -- ultimately they'll have to cast votes on some very important issues. And I think it's important to know what the candidates believe, and obviously to motivate people to get out to the polls and participate in this election. That's why I'll be coming down on Monday to a "get out the vote" rally and to support Greg. And we want to do everything we can to help him get elected.
Q You know, ironically, you won't be too far from up in north Mississippi, from John McCain's old stomping grounds. And he has some connections in the north Mississippi area, as far as John McCain is concerned.
THE VICE PRESIDENT: I'm aware of that. Trent Lott has talked to me about that over the years. He and his family and John McCain's family came I think from the same basic region in Mississippi and had ancestors that went way back in that part of that country.
Q Mr. Vice President, when you talk about this, we're not talking about something way in the future, because Nancy Pelosi immediately is making some type of movement as far as the budget and the war funding. So this is something immediate, as soon as Davis or Childers gets into office.
THE VICE PRESIDENT: That's right. We will be voting next week I'm sure on the war supplemental, on funds for the troops in Afghanistan and Iraq -- extremely important piece of legislation. Nancy Pelosi is trying to place restrictions on the troops and on what they're allowed to do -- impose some kind of a deadline or some other kind of limitation or restriction on our policies there that would interfere with what's been a very successful policy under the surge and General Petraeus. Issue like that, they say, will be up next week. So the need for another vote is upon us.
Q Mideast. You just came back. What did you see?
THE VICE PRESIDENT: Well, I was tremendously impressed by a couple of things, I guess. Obviously you never cease to be amazed at the enormous capability and dedication of American armed forces, going back to my time as Secretary of Defense. But the surge has clearly worked and significantly reduced violence and bought the time, we believe, for the Iraqis to make progress on the political front. And I think they've been doing that. Most recently we've seen Prime Minister Maliki move into Basra with troops and take on some of the extremists -- Shia extremists in that part of Iraq.
So we are making significant progress. We have pretty well cleaned out al Qaeda in significant parts of Iraq. And I came away certainly encouraged by what I've seen. We're now in the process of reducing our troop levels back to where they were before the surge. So by the end of the summer, we'll be down to the 15 combat brigades we had in there before we started with the surge a year and a half ago.
So it's -- I think it's working. It's paying dividends. I think the American people know it's been a difficult, tough battle, but it's very important that we get it right, that we not walk away and let Iraq turn to the dark side, so to speak, and be taken over by the likes of al Qaeda.
Q That's got to be -- the battle for support here in this country has been as equal as the battle over there from our men and women in the uniform. It's been very, very tough.
You know, I look at this, and every once in a while, we'll see a story, Mr. Vice President, things like an amusement park opens in Iraq or in Baghdad, which is totally counter to what we're hearing over here, as far as the marketplaces being open, the schools, and things such as that. But I saw a story several weeks ago about an amusement center maybe over there, and I'm thinking this is not what you get in today's media.
THE VICE PRESIDENT: No, that's true. It's -- what gets covered obviously is bad news. That's -- you know, if everything is going swimmingly, then that's not news, so it doesn't get the kind of attention.
Q Monday you're going to be here -- on Monday -- in the state of Mississippi, and Greg Davis will be there, and you'll be in Senatobia, Hernando, and that area?
THE VICE PRESIDENT: Yes, I think we're going to be. I'm not sure exactly. It's going to be someplace in the First District. I'm not sure exactly what part of it. South Memphis or --
Q Don't worry about it.
THE VICE PRESIDENT: Southaven, in Southaven.
Q Southaven. Well, I got to ask you this before I let you go. Are you counting the days? Because I read your book -- as a matter of fact, read it twice -- it's a great book, Stephen Hayes' book, with the hours of exclusive interview with Cheney. Are you counting the days to be able to pick up the fly rod again?
THE VICE PRESIDENT: Well, I'm looking forward to that, obviously, but on the other hand I am sure that I will look back on my time as Vice President with a lot of good memories. It's been a fascinating assignment to go to work for the President, to be part of his administration. We've obviously had to deal with some very difficult problems, but I've loved every minute of it, and I'm sure I'll probably miss it when I've gone on to other things.
Q Everything that you've done, sir -- and it is a good read, and I salute you for your service to this country, sir. And I appreciate you spending some time with us.
THE VICE PRESIDENT: Well, thank you very much, Paul.
Q Take care. It's the Vice President of the United States of America, Dick Cheney.
END 9:38 A.M. EDT
White House Press Office
1-202-456-2580
