Length: 2:51
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Wolf talks to Candy Crowley and Michael for reactions to today's testimony. (Yes, after a few hours on Capitol Hill, I imagine heading back to Baghdad would definitely seem preferable...)
WOLF
BLITZER: Plenty of problems on the ground in Iraq.
Michael Ware knows that better than anyone. He's been
there since day one.
All right, Michael, it's a lot different covering
Capitol Hill than it is covering the war in Iraq. You
spent hours up there listening to the questions,
listening to the answers. Give us the bottom line.
What did you learn?
MICHAEL WARE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, what I learned
essentially, Wolf, is not very much at all.
There's been no great revelations today. I don't
think anybody truly expected that there would be any
great bombshells dropped. But for me as an outsider
coming here, obviously, it's a wonderful insight into
the process. But what struck me, as I was just saying
before, is the lack of probing in the questioning.
It just seems to me that this is a great opportunity,
where we have the two men who are commanding and
leading the mission in Iraq itself, and the questions
all seem to be based on information we already know.
It's as though we know the answers before they come.
So, as an outsider, I must say that's what struck me
the most -- Wolf.
BLITZER: Candy, if anyone thought that there would be
fireworks in the questioning, in the exchanges
between the two witnesses in this particular case,
the general and the ambassador and the two Democratic
presidential candidates, they were sorely
disappointed, because those questions were very sort
of meat and potatoes, very polite, very
non-controversial.
CROWLEY: Absolutely. They may have been disappointed,
but they shouldn't have been surprised.
Remember, all three of these people, including
Senator McCain, are running for commander in chief.
So, the Senate, as you know, is a very political
body. We're in the middle of a very political time.
But both of these candidates went in knowing a couple
of things.
First of all, they had to be somber, but they also
had to be challenging of Petraeus, because -- let's
face it -- the anti-war movement began within the
core of the Democratic Party. It has only expanded
within the party. Barack Obama also needed to go in
there, look serious, ask intelligent questions.
I think both of them did precisely what they set out
to do, which was to look like a commander in chief,
or somebody that understood the subject matter. So,
that was kind of the baseline for both of them, and
they both walked away looking like they had done it.
BLITZER: And, Michael, having spent a few hours
watching these hearings on Capitol Hill today, are
you ready to go back to Baghdad?
(LAUGHTER)
WARE: Yes, definitely. It's much more compelling, let
me say that. But I do have to say, just as an
experience, firstly as an Australian and secondly as
somebody from the field, to come here, there is -- it
truly is a unique experience. And, for me, it's
really insightful. So, yes, there is a certain lack
of tempo or pace, shall we say, and, yes, I will be
looking forward to going back to Baghdad, Wolf.
BLITZER: All right. Before you go back, you are going
to be here in THE SITUATION ROOM all day tomorrow as
well.
All right, guys, thanks very much, Candy, Dana, and
Michael Ware.