LOU: SECRETARY OF STATE REX
TILLERSON TODAY DENOUNCED RUSSIA
FOR ENABLING BASHAR AL ASSAD,
SAYING THE KREMLIN BEARS
SYRIA.
THAT STATEMENT BY THE SECRETARY
OF STATE COMES A DAY AFTER A
CHLORINE GAS ATTACK ON A TOWN
OUTSIDE DAMASCUS.
MORE THAN A DOZEN CIVILIANS
INJURED, MOST CHILDREN.
JOINING ME NOW, RETIRED
FOUR-STAR GENERAL, JACK KEANE,
THE STUDY OF WAR, GENERAL JACK
KEANE.
GENERAL, GOOD TO HAVE YOU WITH
US.
>> GOOD TO BE HERE, LOU.
LOU: THIS IS LIKE A -- I DON'T
THE RUSSIANS WE THOUGHT WERE IN
HAND AND NOW THEIR PROXY IS
DOING AS HE WISHES, WHICH IS
DESTROYING THE LIVES OF WOMEN
AND CHILDREN.
>> WELL, THE FACT IS THE
IRANIANS AND THE RUSSIANS
PROPPED UP THE ASSAD REGIME
SUCCESSFULLY.
THE REGIME IS GOING NOWHERE.
THEY'RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO STAY
IN POWER.
IT'S A FANTASY WHEN PEOPLE IN
THE ADMINISTRATION BELIEVE THAT
THERE WILL BE A POLITICAL
PROCESS IN GENEVA TO RESOLVE
THIS TO THE WORLD'S FAVOR.
NOT HAPPENING.
THIS THUG AND KILLER, ASSAD, WAR
CRIMINAL THAT HE IS, IS STAYING
IN POWER AND WE DON'T REALLY
HAVE A STRATEGY TO DEAL WITH IT.
DONE A GOOD JOB OF THAT.
BUT WE DON'T HAVE A STRATEGY TO
IS A BIGGER PROBLEM.
LOU: AND THE BIGGER PROBLEM IS
OF COURSE RUSSIA.
WHAT ARE WE TO DO IN CONTENDING
WITH TWO LARGE POWERS, GLOBAL
POWERS, THAT IS RUSSIA AND
CHINA, WITH SEPARATE INTERESTS
AND ALSO EXTRAORDINARY COMMON
>> WELL, THERE'S SOME GOOD NEWS
HERE.
THE ADMINISTRATION IN THEIR
NATIONAL SECURITY STRATEGY AND
NOW IN THE SECRETARY OF
IDENTIFIED THE WORLD THE WAY IT
REALLY IS, IN MY VIEW.
THEY BACKED AWAY COMPLETELY FROM
THE OBAMA'S VIEW OF THE WORLD.
THEY HAVE IDENTIFIED RUSSIA AND
CHINA AS TWO REVISIONIST POWERS.
WE'RE IN COMPETITION WITH THEM
AND WANT TO DESTROY THE
INTERNATIONAL ORDER THAT THE
UNITED STATES ESTABLISHED FOR 70
YEARS AND THAT WE HAVE TO HAVE
STRATEGIES TO PUSH BACK ON THEM.
WE'VE GOT TO BE WILLING TO
CONFRONT THEM.
THAT IS GREAT NEWS.
BECAUSE THAT IS THE TRUTH.
THAT IS THE WAY THE WORLD IS.
LOU: AND THAT TRUTH ALSO
ENTAILS, AS YOU POINTED OUT ON
THIS BROADCAST NUMEROUS TIMES,
THAT MEANS WE'VE GOT TO HAVE AN
ECONOMY GROWING, GROWING AT THE
RATE THIS ECONOMY GREW IN THE
FOURTH QUARTER OF LAST YEAR, THE
TRAJECTORY THAT THE PRESIDENT
HAS SET US UPON.
BUT IT ALSO MEANS IMMENSELY MORE
MONEY FOR OUR MILITARY AND
INVESTMENT IN TECHNOLOGY AND
WEAPONRY.
HOW CLOSE ARE WE TO BEING THERE?
WE JUST WATCHED AND IDIOTIC
CHARADE TAKE PLACE ON CAPITOL
HILL WHERE THEY COULDN'T EVEN
AGREE ON A BUDGET.
>> WE'VE GONE ANOTHER MONTH WITH
A CONTINUING RESOLUTION.
THAT WILL BE FIVE MONTHS.
WE'RE SUPPOSED TO APPROPRIATE
WHAT THE AUTHORIZERS HAVE GIVEN
THE PRESIDENT AND HE SIGNED,
WHICH IS A $700 BILLION BUDGET,
CLOSE TO AN 8% INCREASE, GOOD
NEWS.
THAT WILL BE THE START OF
REBUILDING THE MILITARY.
BUT AS LONG AS YOU'RE USING A
CONTINUING RESOLUTION, THAT
MEANS WE'RE OPERATING OFF OF
LAST YEAR'S MONEY.
AND LAST YEAR'S MONEY GAVE US
NOT FLYING DUE TO LACK OF SPARE
PARTS, NAVY SHIPS COLLIDING INTO
ONE ANOTHER BECAUSE WE'RE NOT
TRAINING THEM PROPERLY AND THE
SMALLEST MILITARY IN 75 YEARS.
THAT'S WHAT THE CONTINUING
RESOLUTION CONTINUES.
WE'VE GOT TO GET A BUDGET.
AND CONGRESS HAS GOT TO DO IT.
LOU: HOW IS MITCH McCONNELL
AND SPEAKER RYAN EVER LOOK AT
THEMSELVES IN THE MIRROR?
HOW IS IT THAT ANYONE COULD CALL
THEMSELVES A LEADER, A SPEAKER,
A PERSON OF IMMENSE
RESPONSIBILITY IN THIS, IN THIS
GREAT GOVERNMENT OF OURS?
>> BECAUSE DEFENSE IS NOT A TOP
PRIORITY FOR THEM.
IF IT WAS, THEY WOULD PASS THE
APPROPRIATIONS BILL, SUSPEND THE
TO PROTECT AND DEFEND THE
NATION.
AND WE'RE DOING IT SO
INADEQUATELY FOR SO MANY YEARS
NOW, WE HAVE GOT TO FAST FORWARD
WHAT'S THE SAD THING HERE IS
SOMEBODY HAS TO TELL THE
PRESIDENT.
HE HASN'T APPROPRIATED A DIME OF
NEW MONEY TO REBUILD THE
MILITARY.
HE KEEPS SAYING YOU GUYS, WHEN
HE TALKS TO THE TROOPS, YOU'RE
GETTING NEW EQUIPMENT, WE'RE
REBUILDING THE MILITARY.
NO, NOT TRUE.
CONGRESS HAS PASSED A BILL TO
APPROPRIATE THE MONEY.
HIS PRESIDENT'S LEAD AND HE HAS
PRIORITIES THAT HAVE NOTHING TO
DO WITH THE NATIONAL INTEREST.