CNN LARRY KING LIVE (Bob Woodward interview transcript)

CNN Transcripts ^ | April 19, 2004 | CNN

[BMC1]

Last night on the Larry King show, King interviewed Bob Woodword and Prince BANDAR BIN SULTAN, SAUDI AMBASSADOR TO U.S.

In that interview, King asked Prince Bandar about lowering the price of oil before the election. The following is a diredt quote from the transcript.

"KING: Let me get in one more thing, Prince Bandar.

BIN SULTAN: Yes, sir.

KING: The story that Mr. Woodward has about the promise to lower the oil prices by the election. Your government has denied has.

WOODWARD: That's not my story. What I say in the book is that the Saudis, and maybe you looked at this section of the book, Ambassador, that the Saudis hoped to keep oil prices low during the period for -- before the election, because of its impact on the economy. That's what I say.

BIN SULTAN: I think the way that Bob said it now is accurate. We hoped that the oil prices will stay low, because that's good for America's economy, but more important, it's good for our economy and the international economy, and this is not -- nothing unusual. President Clinton asked us to keep the prices down in the year 2000. In fact, I can go back to 1979, President Carter asked us to keep the prices down to avoid the malaise. So yes, it's in our interests and in America's interests to keep the prices down.

KING: Do you want President Bush...

BIN SULTAN: But that was not a deal.

KING: Do you want President Bush to be reelected?

BIN SULTAN: We always want any president who is in office to be reelected, Larry, but that is the American choice. This is not our call. This is the American people's call.

KING: OK, I think we've cleared up... WOODWARD: Could I just, I'm sorry to go back on this, but Prince Bandar, why would the president tell me on the record two days later that he called Colin Powell in and said he had decided on war? This was a 12-minute meeting. I went through this for some time with the president, and then the president would ask Powell, "will you be with me?" And Powell said, "I will be with you. I will support a war," and then the president said to former General Powell, now Secretary of State Powell, "time to put your war uniform on."

[BMC1]

If anyone is interested in reading the whole transcript, follow the link.

[Frank_Discussion]

Poor Woody, Prince Bandar wouldn't back you up? Aww, I crying a frikkin' river, dude...

[Frank_Discussion]

Poor Woody, Prince Bandar wouldn't back you up? Aww, I'm crying a frikkin' river, dude...

[KellyAdmirer]

Kerry is busy demagoguing this, but as usual, it will only backfire on him as the truth comes out.

[BMC1]

I feel for John Kerry....NOT

[MEG33]

They have talked about it today on the cable news..

[Use It Or Lose It]

A very interesting quote followed that:

WOODWARD: I know that Powell left that meeting saying, he's going to do it. He had made that decision, and you look at what Rumsfeld has said and others, and as you may be aware, there might be tape recordings that would show that the version I have is the accurate one. What's going on here?

Woodward is a bigger dope than I thought. He was trying to scare Bandar and it didn't work. Woodward had the look of a man who had just swallowed maggot-infested kielbasa.

[norwaypinesavage]

" Woodward had the look of a man who had just swallowed maggot-infested kielbasa."
This is no clue. When have you seen him where he doesn't have that look?

[KJacob]

Haven't we been told for months that the Woodward book was going to be devastating? So far it seems pretty lame.

[BMC1]

Yes, that is an interesting quote. I would think any President of the US would have a war plan to go after any country who would wish to do us harm and if he didn't, he wouldn't be worth a tinkers damn.

I further hope that a President of the US doesn't bluff. He had better mean exactly what he says.

It is the job and the duty a any President to have contingency plans to deal with despotic Requiems.

[uncbob]

Of course Gary Aldrich--David Schippers and Buzz Paterson don't get to be on those shows

[Redbob]

"Haven't we been told for months that the Woodward book was going to be devastating?"

Question is, "To whom?"
To Bobby Woodward's professional reputation, perhaps?

[mattdono]

Umm, kielbasa.

[cwb]

It's disgusting! From now until the election, liberals are coming out with a plethora of books that do nothing but attack Bush. That's fine...and more power to them. What makes this different is the media (Simon & Schuster/CBS, etc) has intentionally colluded with these liberal authors under the guise of "premiering" a new book, to practically campaign against Bush.

These authors are getting free air-time on all the major morning, news and magazine talk shows to discuss their books that do nothing more than bash Bush. Worse, is that the media is actually sourcing these books for their own questions and comments, as they further carry on the liberal author's attacks.

As you noted, authors such as Aldrich, Patterson, Schippers, etc...that all had something to say about Clinton, never got this exposure, and never would've, this close to an election. The fact that the media ignored compelling revelations from these authors who often worked close to Clinton, while they spout soundbites from these liberal authors...who are often wrong, just shows how deep the media is in collusion with the Demonrat Party.