Bush Meets With Bipartisan Leaders to Discuss Iraq, Terrorism
KAGAN: President Bush meeting with a number of bipartisan former secretaries of defense and state at the White House. This is tape shot earlier today.</s>GEORGE W. BUSH, PRES. OF THE UNITED STATES: It's been my honor to host former secretaries of state and secretaries of defense from Republican administrations and Democratic administrations here at the White House. I've asked Secretary Rice and Secretary Rumsfeld and Ambassador Khalilzad and General Casey to bring these men and women up to date on our strategy for victory in Iraq. I've also had a chance to listen to their concerns, their suggestions about the way forward. Not everybody around this table agreed with my decision to go into Iraq, and I fully understand that. But these are good, solid Americans who understand that we've got to succeed now that we're there. And I'm most grateful for the suggestions that have been given. We take to heart the advice. We appreciate your experience, and we appreciate you taking time out of your day. We have a dual-track strategy for victory. On the one hand, we will work to have a political process that says to all Iraqis, "The future belongs to you." And on the other hand, we'll continue to work on the security situation there. The main thrust of our success will be when the Iraqis are able to take the fight to the enemy that wants to stop their democracy. And we're making darn good progress along those lines. Again, I want to thank you all for coming. Appreciate your interest. I appreciate you being such a solid citizen of our country.</s>KAGAN: President Bush after he met with a bipartisan group of secretaries of defense, former secretaries of defense and secretaries of state. As he acknowledged, not everybody around the table there agreed with what he had to say and what his plans are for the war on terror and the war in Iraq, but he said appreciated the input and the suggestions that he received from this very different group of people than he's usually used to hearing from. And we expect to hear from some of the people that were in that meeting just ahead. One quick note, he said, hook 'em Horns, University of Texas Longhorns beating USC to grab the national football championship at the Rose Bowl, 41-38 the final score there. We'll take a break. We're back after this.