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THINK?
YOU'RE A SOLID DEMOCRAT, YOU
KNOW, WHAT DO YOU THINK
HAPPENED --
>> I THINK THAT EVEN THE
PRESIDENT'S SUPPORTERS FEEL THAT
THE PRESIDENT'S FOCUSING
EXCLUSIVELY ON WHAT HAPPENED IN
DAMASCUS SUBURBS ON THE NIGHT OF
21st WITHOUT FOCUSING ON WHAT
MIGHT HAPPEN OR WHAT SHOULD
HAPPEN GOING FORWARD.
HE BARELY TALKS ABOUT THE ATTACK
ITSELF, THE DETAILS OF WHAT THE
ATTACK WOULD LOOK LIKE.
IF HE DOES TALK ABOUT IT, HE
NEVER TALKS ABOUT THE
CONSEQUENCES OF IT.
THE POTENTIAL COUNTERSTRIKES.
IS SYRIA GOING TO GO AHEAD AND
ATTACK ISRAEL?
IS SYRIA GOING TO ATTACK THE
U.S.?
IS SYRIA GOING TO ATTACK U.S.
CIVILIAN?
IS SYRIA GOING TO ATTACK U.S.
EMBASSIES IN THE REGION?
THERE'S NO DISCUSSION --
>> DO YOU REALIZE WHAT YOU'RE
SAYING?
AND I DON'T WANT TO DEFEND THE
PRESIDENT'S STRATEGY.
I THINK HE'S PRESENTED TWO
EXTREMELY BAD OPTIONS TO THE
AMERICAN PUBLIC AND HE HASN'T
BUILT A CREDIBLE FOUNDATION FOR
HIS FOREIGN POLICY, BUT WHAT YOU
ARE SAYING IS WE SHOULD BE
DETERRED BY THE LIKES OF SYRIA
AND HEZBOLLAH.
LET ME TELL YOU, IF THE UNITED
STATES IS NOW IN A POSITION
WHERE WE ARE DETERRED BY THEM,
WE'RE IN A VERY SORRY PLACE.
>> THAT'S COMPLETELY THE WRONG
WAY TO LOOK AT THIS.
ANYONE RECOGNIZES RIGHT NOW, IN
FACT, THE GENERAL WHO'S IN
CHARGE OF THIS ATTACK SAID
HIMSELF THAT OUR ATTACK SIING SA
IS AN ACT OF WAR.
IF YOU THROW A PUNCH, YOU BETTER
BE READY FOR SOMEONE ELSE TO
THROW A PUNCH AT YOU OR MAYBE
FIRE A GUN AT YOU.
>> LET ME ISSUE A FOLLOW-UP.
AS RECENTLY AS TODAY, SECRETARY
KERRY INDICATED VERY CLEARLY
THAT HE THOUGHT THE THREAT OF
FORCE WAS ESSENTIAL TO GETTING
THE RUSSIANS AND THE SYRIANS TO
BE REAL.
NOW, TO WHAT EXTENT ARE YOU
SAYING THAT YOU THINK THE
RUSSIANS WHO HAVE ALSO HAD
PRETTY GOOD INTELLIGENCE IN THIS
COUNTRY CAN SIMPLY LOOK AND
REALIZE THE PRESIDENT IS NOT
GOING TO BE ABLE TO GET THE KIND
OF SUPPORT HE NEEDS TO HAVE A
SERIOUS THREAT OF FORCE, UNLESS
HE OPERATES BY NOT GOING TO THE
CONGRESS?
>> WELL, IN FACT, I DO BELIEVE
THAT PUTIN HAS ACCESS TO "THE
WASHINGTON POST" WEBSITE.
SO THAT MUCH IS TRUE.
I IMAGINE SYRIA ALSO HAS ACCESS
TO "THE WASHINGTON POST"
WEBSITE, SO MUCH IS TRUE ALSO.
ONE POSSIBILITY IS THAT THE
RUSSIANS AND THE SYRIANS ARE
GOING AHEAD.
AND THERE'S POSSIBLY A BREAKDOWN
BETWEEN THE COMMAND AND CONTROL
OF THESE WEAPONS AND NOW IS THE
SYRIAN DICTATOR EVEN REALIZE S,
THIS IS TROUBLE, HE BETTER GET
RID OF THEM.
>> I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU
WANT TO HAPPEN.
I KNOW YOU.
I KNOW YOU VERY WELL.
YOU ARE SOMEBODY WHO CARES ABOUT
POOR PEOPLE, YOU CARE ABOUT
CHILDREN, YOU SPENT MOST OF YOUR
LIFE STICKING UP FOR THE LEAST
OF THESE.
THE WORST-OFF PEOPLE ON PLANET
EARTH RIGHT NOW, 2 MILLION OF
THEM, THEY'RE STUCK IN THESE
REFUGEE CAMPS.
THERE ARE GOING TO BE 3 MILLION
OR MORE.
THIS PRESIDENT IS TRYING TO GET
SOMETHING DONE ABOUT IT.
BUT TO YOU, A LIBERAL DEMOCRAT,
AND SOMEONE WHO'S A HERO FOR A
LOT OF PEOPLE, TO APPARENTLY BE
PERFECTLY FINE WITH AMERICA NOT
USING ITS POWER TO GET SOMETHING
DONE IS KIND OF SHOCKING.
IF YOU DONATE SUPPORT THE
PRESIDENT, WHAT IS YOUR PLAN FOR
PEACE OVER THERE?
>> LISTEN, I'M IN FAVOR OF DOING
THINGS, EXCEPT FOR THINGS THAT
MAKE THINGS WORSE.
THE WAR IN IRAQ CLEARLY HAS MADE
THINGS WORSE.
>> I KNOW WHAT YOU DON'T WANT TO
DO.
>> NO FOOD, NO WATER.
>> I'M WITH YOU, I DON'T WANT
THE WAR.
BUT I'M GETTING VERY, VERY
CONCERNED THAT WITH THIS BREAK
IN THE ACTION, THAT WE'RE GOING
TO BE LESS CONCERNED ABOUT
WHAT'S GOING ON THERE.
WHAT IS THE NONVIOLENT PEACEFUL
PLAN THAT YOU WOULD BE FOR THAT
WOULD DO SOMETHING ABOUT THOSE
PEOPLE WHO ARE BEING GASSED,
THAT WOULD DO SOMETHING ABOUT
THOSE PEOPLE WHO ARE SUFFERING
IN THE REFUGEE CAMPS?
>> THE ANSWER IS TO HELP THE
LIVING, TO HELP THE SURVIVORS,
TO GIVE THEM FOOD, TO GIVE THEM
WATER, TO GIVE THEM SHELTER.
BUT THERE'S NO SUCH THING AS A
HUMANITARIAN BOMB.
THERE'S NO SUCH THING --
>> ARE YOU ALSO GOING TO STAND
BACK -- YOU HAVE BEEN HAWKISH,
YOU'VE BEEN TOUGH, YOU'VE BEEN
STRONG.
IS AMERICA NOW OUT OF THE
DEMOCRACY BUSINESS?
ARE YOU, AT THIS POINT, PREPARED
TO STAND BACK AND LET HORRIBLE
THINGS HAPPEN OVERSEAS?
>> ABSOLUTELY NOT.
>> WHAT SHOULD WE DO?
>> WELL, I THINK, FIRST OF ALL,
WE CAN'T TURN BACK TIME.
HAD WE BEEN DOING THE RIGHT
THING, WE WOULD HAVE STEPPED IN
BEFORE AL QAEDA WAS THERE.
BUT YOU'RE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT.
RIGHT NOW THERE'S ONLY ONE
ANSWER.
AND THAT IS A DIPLOMATIC ANSWER
FOR SURE.
THE ONLY THING THAT IS GOING TO