This Week with George Stephanopoulos – May 12, 2013

Host: Martha Raddatz

Guests:

Sen. John McCain (R-AZ)

Sen. Jack Reed (D-RI)

Jonathan Karl

Ruth Marcus

Gen. James Cartwright

George Will

David Brooks

Raddatz: OMG Benghazi - a storm is brewing!

Carney: those talking points were edited in an

inter-agency process and anyway the President

called it an act of terror

Raddatz: President McCain?

McCain: the President didn't call it an act of terror

Raddadtz: yes he did

McCain: no he called it an act of terrorism

Raddatz: ok

McCain: remember Obama ran on destroying

al-qaeda and he totally didn't

Raddatz: I see

McCain: I voted for Obama but I find

Jay Carney unacceptable

Raddatz: you ran against Obama in 2008

McCain: yes but we all know Obama

was the better candidate

Raddatz: was it a cover up?

McCain: yes!

Raddatz: Republicans says this is bigger than

Watergate and Iran-Contra combined

McCain: that could be a bit of an overstatement

Raddatz: are you going after Hillary Clinton?

McCain: we need a select committee

to investigate this!

Raddatz: what will that do?

McCain: we're still uncovering information!

Raddatz: Hicks said planes should have been

brought in and the military says that isn't possible

McCain: maybe so but it was September 11

which is a very special day

Raddatz: should we go to war with Syria?

McCain: bomb bomb bomb Syria

Raddatz: that's your answer?

McCain: we can create a safe zone for them

Raddatz: who is “them”?

McCain: I've met them and

they're very fine people

Raddatz: some of them are Al-Qaeda

McCain: maybe but they are no

crazier than people in Arizona

Raddatz: people I've spoken to says

this would not be easy

McCain: the Israelis showed it can be done

Raddatz: but U.S. involvement would 

still be very risky

McCain: the Joints Chiefs are bunch of cowards!

Raddatz: I see

McCain: Obama gave the green light to murder!

Raddatz: what about Benghazi Jack?

Reed: this was a classic inter-agency dispute –

after all Victoria Nuland worked for Dick Cheney

Raddatz: but the talking points were changed!

Reed: well these things happen

Raddatz: if the President said it was an

act of terror why didn't that word appear

on the Precious Holy Talking Points?

Reed: who gives a shit

Raddatz: who are the rebels in Syria?

Reed: some are Al-Qeada and some

are good guys who will turn on us in 20 years

Raddatz: should we bomb Syria?

Reed: well we have the bombs lying around so why not?

Raddatz: what should we do?

Reed: don't count out diplomacy –

you never know

Raddatz: they crossed the red line –

shouldn't we start a war?

Reed: we have to be careful before

attacking a country in the middle east

Raddatz: maybe so but Beltway reporting

is so boring without a new war

Reed: you still have Afghanistan

Raddatz: boooooriiing

[ break ]

Raddatz: what's the fallout?

Karl: the talking points were changed and

the White House has a credibility problem

Raddatz: you go Karl

Karl: the White House had the final call

Will: it was an armed insurrection -

not a movie review!

Raddatz: maybe they saw John Carter 

Goes to Mars and were really mad

Will: we need a select committee to investigate

why security was inadequate at this consulate and

not any of the attacks when Bush was President

Marcus: yes we must learn why security was

lax at this consulate and ignore the attacks

on consulates from 2002 to 2008

Cartwright: you don't just go up to

an aircraft and turns the keys on

Raddatz: but shouldn't they have had

some planes ready since Libya is so dangerous?

Cartwright: maybe

Raddatz: isn't Obama's credibility shot if he

doesn't start a war with Libya – I mean Syria

Marcus: yes because every parent knows if

you don't follow through with threats your

ungrateful bratty kids will take the car

Karl: but we all thought the Iraq had

weapons of mass destruction

Raddatz: John McCain says the whole

military are a bunch of cowards

Cartwright: what are we going to accomplish

if we use military force – if we get involved

we have to go all the way

Will: a superpower cannot be sort-of 

involved in a war – if we get involved 

we will be the major player in a war

Karl: yeah!

Raddatz: thanks for coming everyone