Your World With Neil Cavuto

Interview with Jan Schakowsky, David Drier

Fox News Network

January 30, 2005

NEIL CAVUTO, FOX NEWS HOST: Well, the election ends, so let the spin begin. Will Iraq be deemed a success on Capitol Hill or not, or will it be politics as usual?

Here now, Republican Congressman David Dreier in Washington and Democratic Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky in Chicago.

Congresswoman Schakowsky, to you first. You have your doubts?

U.S. REPRESENTATIVE JAN SCHAKOWSKY (D), ILLINOIS: Well, first of all, I really think you trivialize it by saying, "Is it going to be politics as usual?" The death of 1,400-plus Americans and $1.6 billion a week in Iraq goes far beyond politics. And I would say this, that we ought to rejoice in those that had the courage to go to the polls, but we do need to be careful, as was said earlier on this show, that we can`t say, "Mission accomplished." There`s a long way to go yet before democracy is in Iraq.

But, beyond that, I still think we have to ask, "Is this why we sent our young men and women to war in that country?"

CAVUTO: Well, let me ask you that question. Do you think that, for those who have died in trying to liberate this country, that today justified their sacrifice?

SCHAKOWSKY: Well, let me ask you this. Does it mean now that we go with our young men and women in arms into Saudi Arabia, into Jordan, into Iran, into Egypt...

CAVUTO: Ma`am, I just asked you this: Does it or not?

SCHAKOWSKY: Well, I would say that this is not the mission of the United States. We were told we went there because Iraq posed a threat to our country.

CAVUTO: OK. Fair enough.

Congressman Dreier, what do you say?

U.S. REPRESENTATIVE DAVID DREIER (R), CALIFORNIA: Neil, this is a day of gratitude and of humility, as Tony Blair just said. We just had a Republican meeting of members of the House and Senate. And our majority leader gave a great presentation, in which he reminded us that, 24 years ago, Ronald Reagan, in his first inaugural address, said that, in the arsenals of the world, no weapon is more formidable than the will and moral courage of free men and women.

And it`s very obvious that today, when we look at what Saddam Hussein did versus any leaders of the other Arab nations, Saddam Hussein was a brutal butcher who threatened the United States of America and the region.

(CROSSTALK)

CAVUTO: Congressman, I don`t want to go back about -- I don`t really...

DREIER: All I`m saying -- all I`m saying is you`re...

CAVUTO: I`m asking you this. Congressman Dreier, could I ask you this? Do you feel that, for the Americans that have lost their lives for this day, that this somehow justified their sacrifice?

DREIER: Neil, the answer -- I was just getting to that, that the answer is "yes." It`s been tough. This morning, thinking about the parents and the wives of our troops who have sacrificed and paid the ultimate price, it`s very tough. But to see the kind of decisions made by these people to come to the polls and vote was amazing.

You know, I`ve been in the Congress -- this is my 25th year. And I remember so well, Neil, going back to the 1980s when I was an election observer in El Salvador, and I saw, you know, a pregnant mother carrying a child going to the polls to vote. And then we got this report today out of Iraq that, even with a suicide bomber there, people still stood in line.

CAVUTO: All right.

DREIER: So that`s why Ronald Reagan`s quote is so right on target. And I take my hat off to these wonderful people who have sacrificed. And they are spreading a positive message...

(CROSSTALK)

CAVUTO: Congressman, I`m sorry. We`re tight on time. I want to give the congresswoman a chance to deal with that.

Congresswoman, the president`s going to come hat-in-hand for 80 billion bucks more to continue the fight in Iraq. Are you going to vote for or against that?

SCHAKOWSKY: Now is the time where we have to be talking about bringing our young men and women home.

CAVUTO: So is that a "no," Congresswoman?

SCHAKOWSKY: That`s a "no" from me. That`s right.

CAVUTO: OK. Congresswoman, thank you.

Congressman, thank you.

DREIER: We`ve got to provide support for them. We`re going to bring them home ultimately.

CAVUTO: Appreciate that.