for bob mcnamara to say it because he didn't believe it? >> i didn't believe.... >> rose: it was wrong, war, in 1968. >> let me not use quite those words. i didn't believe that there was no threat. i believed that in a sense eisenhower's statement in 1954 of the dominos and in 1961 to president kennedy and me if we lost laos and vietnam, we'd lose all southeast asia. if we lost all of southeast asia we're likely to lose all of area, including india. if we did that, the power of the communists against western europe and against this nation would increase. now, that was what appeared to be at risk if we lost vietnam. >> rose: that's the ideology that shaped all of you. johnson, kennedy, everybody. >> absolutely. >> rose: we understand that. >> but what i think by your question those who asked this question don't understand is it's one thing to say mcnamara believed and told the president that the war was not winnable militarily. it's another thing to say that he believed therefore we should just say to hell with it and go. now i believe we sh

here bob mcnamara still hiding. >> rose: acce, access. i mean, canouo back and back and back if y don't have access? >> well, of course if they won't let you in the door, you.... >> rose: can't do it. >> you c't do it. but, you know, you can do it. when i was working on the last bu book, there was aeneral that wouldn't talk me. i'd call, i'd leave messages, talk to pple who worked for him, n noanswer, just radio silence. so iound outhere he lived and add, so, the age of 64 or 63 , i went and knoed on his door, there's a perfect timeto knock on somebody's door if they're home and it'sbout 8:3 night because they've had dinner. if they don'thavelans maybe you can get to talk to m. >> rose: gay taleseas just on this pgram and we taped a show a few mutes before you came o in whh he wasery critic of washingt coverage saying there's too ch access. in wasngton everybody parties with everybody, th go to t sa parties they scrat everybody's back and that that's not in the best interestf good journalism. >> or this is manhattan view of washington jou

. >> re: so anybody that wanted bob mcmarao say "this war was wrong 1968," it was possible for bob mcnamara to say it because he didn't believe it? >> i dn't believe.... rose: it wasrong, war in 1968. >> let me no use quite those words. i didn't belie that there was no threat. i lieved that in sense senhower's statement in 1954 of thedominos and in 1961 to president nnedy and me if we lostaos and vietnam, we'd lose all soheast asia. if we los all of southeast asia we're likely to lose all o area, inuding india. if we did tha the pow of the communists against western europend against this nation would increase. now, that s what appeared t be at risk if we lt vietnam. >> rose: that's the ideology thathaped all of you. johnson, kennedy, everybody. >> absolutely. >> rose: wenderstand that. >> b what i think by your estion those who asked this question d't understand is it's one thi to saycnamara believed and td the president that the war was not wnable militarily. it's another thi to sayhat he believed trefore we should ju say to hell wi it and go. now i belie we should have said that then. but

caller: well, i'm calling about the bob mcnamara book, which i haven't read nor do i intend to, not because i want to be ignorant but because it would hurt so much. see, i had a young brother that was killed in vietnam. my brother would have been 49 years old this year, the same as clinton, but he'll be 21 forever. and this book has caused such pain to me as a family member who lost someone in vietnam. i carry it around like a sack of rock. i try to get rid of it, but i can't. it's strictly involuntary and it's visceral with me. c-span: can i ask you about -- would you have rather that mr. mcnamara had not written the book? caller: no, and that's another part of the confliction of vietnam, isn't it? there are both sides, and, you know, i respected those that demonstrated out of heart and out of true belief. i respected joan baez and her husband, david harris, who went to prison for his belief. muhammad ali for his beliefs. i don't ask everybody to believe as i do, and i didn't believe in war. i don't believe in war. but i believed in this country. i believed in my brother. i believed in the