with us chairman of the senate armed services committee, carl levin and john kerry of massachusetts and republican member of the armed services committee, senator jeff sessions of alabama. >>> finally, our roundtable assesses the president's leadership. as he manages a crisis in the middle east and confronts the still unfolding dangers from japan's nuclear emergency. with us, nbc news chief foreign affairs correspondent andrea mitchell, nbc news chief pentagon correspondent jim miklaszewski, ha lean cooper, former director of the cia, general michael hayden, and president of the counsel of general michael hayden, and president of the counsel of foreign relations, richard haas. captions paid for by nbc-universal television >>> good morning. libyan leader moammar gadhafi took to the airwaves this morning vowing to stay in fight and calling the air strikes tantamount to terrorism. anti-aircraft painted the skies after operation odyssey dawn was launched to prop up rebel forces. earlier in the day, the french took the lead as their war planes patrolled the skies over libya and struck pro-ga

chairman of the armed services committee, democratic senator carl levin, chairman of the foreign relations committee, john krir, and republican member of the armed services committee senator jeff sessions. >> announcer: "meet the press" is brought to you by we know why we're here. to chart a greener path in the air and in our factories. ♪ to find cleaner, more efficient ways to power flight. ♪ and harness our technology for new energy solutions. [ female announcer ] around the globe, the people of boeing are working together, to build a better tomorrow. that's why we're here. ♪ is a powerful force. set it in motion... and it goes out into the world like fuel for the economy. one opportunity leading to another... and another. we all have a hand in it. because opportunity can start anywhere, and go everywhere. let's keep it moving. ♪ [ male announcer ] sometimes history is made in the sky. ♪ in a lab. ♪ in a living room. we have lift-off. on a stage. [ jimi hendrix "foxy lady" intro ] in a garage. [ guys cheering ] and now... at the end of a power cord. introducing the extended range electri

afghanistan despite the embarrassing revelation that lawmakers were manipulated by the military to do so carl levin also suggest leaving a power vacuum in the troubled country something that was mistakes made when the soviets pulled out thirty years ago but archie's military contributor says the two situations are starkly different. thirty years ago this soviet army successfully accomplished one of its main mission to build the professional afghan armed forces and you know why because we thought afghan military officers score that there was something to die for for their own country for their own peers and for their own armed forces unlike the soviet military campaign the current american mission in afghanistan has nothing to offer neither to have a good officers who are north afghan people it's large why because the whole american experience in afghanistan these only about profiteering whether it's for a consultant vultures or for that private contractors or for the drug lords in essence the whole american campaign in afghanistan has nothing to do be an idea ology fighting against terrorism or ins

the united states senate that's that's incredible the long list of high profile targets included carl levin who's the chairman of the senate armed forces committee steve israel a member of the house appropriations committee senators john mccain and al franken although many of the senators say they doubt they were subject to any influence i don't see how it could have affected my positions. so we'll see what happens but back in january last years they've clemence reported on the sudden shift of some senator's views after their visit to afghanistan was a very big jump in shift and i felt it was something i wrote about and i called while this is like a confidence game it's you know you feel as if the military is manipulating people but i didn't know about these things article at the time or about psyops one example is senator al franken who in january last year went to afghanistan with strong doubts and criticism but came back quote feeling much better the spine the u.s. continuing to pump billions of dollars into the military campaign in afghanistan the search and see intensifies the rampant

to succeed in afghanistan carl levin believes that washington should not repeat the mistake of thirty years ago when it left behind a power vacuum later filled by the taliban but r.t. military contributor who fought in the soviet campaign says there was a stark difference between then and. thirty years ago this so that army successful an accomplished one of its main mission to build of the professional afghan armed forces and you know why because we thought afghan military officers score there we something to die for for their own country for their own peers and for their own armed forces unlike this so it will interrupt campaign the current american mission in afghanistan has nothing to offer neither to have a good officer score nor to afghan people it watch why because the whole american experience in afghanistan these only about profiteering whether it's for consultants vulture's or for their private contractors or for the drug lords in essence the whole american campaign in afghanistan has nothing to do be an ideology fighting against terrorism or insurgency it boils down to one t

these are all supplemental funding it's it's out of temporary short term funding resolutions but carl levin a senator from michigan chairman of the senate armed services committee he said wednesday that he had asked the defense department for an accurate estimate of the cost of the mission in libya since the ballpark numbers being circulated including one of nearly one billion seems too high so he's only reading in the newspapers what the war is going to cost and libya he's the head of the senate committee where of course barack obama should have gone to seek authorization for a bombing in iraq america doesn't need to get authorization to start a war anymore barack obama doesn't need to get congress to sign off on invading people and committing mass murder no more it's all good because all of this is baseball team wins in the final four well that's about the craziness of it the libyan t.v. presenter he might look crazy but so does the u.s. going to war while the president of like that i don't like. but speaking of war there is a war in the monetary world and that is silver and gold versus t

to succeed in afghanistan carl levin believes washington should not repeat the mistake of three decades ago when he left behind a power vacuum leader filled by the taliban but our team military contributor you have any khrushchev who fought in the soviet campaign says there is a stark difference between then and now. thirty years ago this soviet army successful it accomplished one of its main mission to build up their professional and again forces and you know why because of the talks and to get a military officer school there we something to die for for their own country for their own peers and for their own armed forces unlike disobeyed military campaign they carry american mission in afghanistan has nothing to neither to officers or nor to afghan people it's look why because of that whole american experience in afghanistan he's only it down terry whether it's for consultants vultures or for the private contractors or for the drug lords in essence the whole american campaign in afghanistan has nothing to do be an idea fighting against terrorism or insurgency it boils the. on to one th

thomas thank you so much for joining us tonight now i want to first to echo what apparently senator carl levin said. in surprise after hearing it clobbers statement here which was wait a minute i thought that iran or north korea were our mortal threats or how to even out russia and china come from. well i you know echoing what he said basically he's talking about capabilities and if you look at the sheer capabilities that russia presents or china presents you know the closest thing to the united states in terms of superpower military capabilities what's missing is the intent and it's really kind of a cold war legacy argument to be making that you know we can't kind of trust russia on intent therefore we have to focus on capabilities i don't think there's any tremendous interest out there that we share or that we can flip it over that points to the path of the right state and state or if we could have made it all the way through the cold war without accomplishing something that disastrous i don't see much of an argument in the post or to consider him in the same light but this is this is kind o

against the united states and that's that's incredible the long list of high profile targets included carl levin who's the chairman of the senate armed forces committee the historial and member of the house appropriations committee senators john mccain and out franken i don't see how it could have affected my positions. in any way. so we'll see what happens but back in january last year's eve climate's reported on the sudden shift as some senators use that to their visit to afghanistan was a very big jump and shipped and i felt that there's something i wrote about and i called while this is like a confidence game it's you know you feel as if the military is manipulating people but i didn't know about these things article at the time or about biopsy one example is. senator al franken who in january of last year went to afghanistan with strong doubts and criticism but came back quote pili much better but some say the reported use of psychological can't fix to influence politicians could be happening not only in afghanistan but here in washington as well there's. tends to be a belief that you can't

. >> woodruff: even so, the democratic chairman of the armed services committee, carl levin, supported the president's position. >> those who favor including in the military mission the toppling of qaddafi need to address the problems created by getting deeper into the land of an arab country, putting ourselves in the middle of a civil war, almost certainly destroying the coalition and ignoring the u.n. mandate. >> woodruff: pentagon officials said today the 11 days of u.s. air strikes on libya have cost $550 million so far. nato is expected to take control of the operation tomorrow. for more on libya and the president's speech, we get the views of two senators. rhode island democrat jack reed is on the armed services committee. and georgia republican johnny isakson is on the foreign relations committee. i spoke to them a short time ago. senators, thank you very much for joining us. senator reed and senator isakson. before i ask you about what president obama said last night, senator isakson, just quickly, do you believe the u.s. should be involved militarily in libya in the first plac

chairman carl levin and jeff sessions. at 1:00, rhee. abc's "this week." chu, bill richardson, and former homeland security michael chertoff. fox news sunday rears at 2:00 p.m. chris wallace talks to sit criteriumchu, reid, sen. gramm, and rand paul from kentucky. at 3:00 p.m., a state of the union. we talk with secretary chu, john mccain, joe lieberman, and the two retired officers. at 4:00 p.m., "face the nation." bob schieffer talked to the chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, admiral mullen, dick lugar, and secreary chu -- secretary chu. they begin at noon with "meet the press," could this week," "fox news sunday," "face the nation." on xm 132, as a podcast or online at c-spanradio.org. >> today on road to the white house, herman cain on whether he will run for the republican nomination. >> i have put my toe in the water. the feedback that we have gotten from people across this country, tens of thousands who are willing to volunteer. >> at 6:00 27:30 p.m. eastern and pacific. host: our topic is u.s. foreign- policy and the role of the u.n. we welcome

talking with carl levin and former national security adviser stephen hadley. at 4:00 p.m., face the nation. bob schieffer talking with secretary clinton and secretary gates. the five network tv talk jurors are brought to you as a public service by the networks. they began eastern with "meet the press," 1:00 "this week, close "3:00 p.m. cnn's "state of the union. listen to them all on c-span radio. 90.1 fm in the d.c. radio xm 132, downloadable, or online on c-spanradio.org. >> i am not interested in developing a strategy to win the primary and not win the general. i want to go out there and say we have done well everywhere. >> today rick santorum talking a presidential bid a possibility in the 2012. >> drop the month of april, we will feature the top winners of this year's student cam competitions. documentary's were submitted on that theme "washington d.c., through my lens." you can watch them every morning at 6:50 a.m. just before "washington journal." you can meet the students who greeted them. you can see the winning videos online at studentcam.org. host:

armed services chairman carl levin and other key democrats have been very vocal in their support. but it will be an interesting week next week. host: other members of the democratic party include congressman chris new hampshire, who is against it -- congressman kucinich, who is against it. guest: i think one thing to remember is really there were not any good options for obama in this whole libya situation. as we saw quite clearly, defense secretary robert gates came out at congress a few weeks ago and expressed deep concerns about the prospect of getting involved at all in libya, regarding the financial cost and potential human costs, even enforcing a no-fly zone. i think those concerns were also shared within the white house. on the other hand, a bomb or really, i don't think, wanted to be seen as standing by judy obama really, i don't think, want to be seen standing by as something like mass slaughter to happen. i think there are influential people and the administration, like susan rice, who really thought there was a moral responsibility from the united states to take action.

armed services chairman carl levin and other key democrats have been very vocal in their support. but it will be an interesting week next week. host: other members of the democratic party include congressman chris new hampshire, who is against it -- congressman kucinich who is against it. guest: i think one thing to remember is really there were not any good options for obama in this whole libya situation. as we saw quite clearly defense secretary robert gates came out at congress a few weeks ago and expressed deep concerns about the prospect of getting involved at all in libya regarding the financial cost and potential human costs even enforcing a no-fly zone. i think those concerns were also shared within the white house. on the other hand, a bomb or really, i don't think, wanted to be seen as standing by judy obama really, i don't think want to be seen standing by as something like mass slaughter to happen. i think there are influential people and the administration, like susan rice, who really thought there was a moral responsibility from the united states to take action. host

there is a proposal in dodd- frank, double car up amendment, sponsored by carl levin and just berkeley. you cannot allow banks to be in a proprietary business. host: quick phone call from pittsburg, california. caller: i am confused what bible people from congress are reading from? i do not see anything in there that says that we should be proud from making tools and gold from the devil. people say t.a.r.p. is great because we are making a profit. guest: oh no -- caller: this is what we keep on hearing. it is ok to lie with the devil of long as we get jewels and gold. the american people are still on the hope for those bad investment. we should have stepped in there and for those companies apart. there are many good americans that would have stepped in and taking those assets, as long as they were backed by the american people, which we are currently doing. we left the devil in charge. guest: i do not think anyone says that we made money -- it would be great -- by the way, i agree with the second half of your question. there are a lot of people who believe that we should have done with

this two hour and 15 minute hearing is chaired by senator carl levin. >> good morning, everybody. the committee is meeting this morning to receive testimony from admiral eric olson, special operations command, and general james mattis, commander, u.s. central command. today's hearing continues the committee's review of the missions and operational requirements of our combatant commanders in light of the priorities set out in the president's fiscal year 2012 budget request. nowhere will the president's budget priorities have a greater impact than with the soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines in the centcom responsibility. the men and women have been engaged in major military operations for nearly a decade, yet in afghanistan and iraq our troops' morale is high, they are dedicated to their mission and serving with courage and distinction. we have asked so much of them. they have done everything we have asked and more. and that includes not just the service members themselves, but the families who have served our nation at home while their loved ones serve overseas. admiral olson an

he just finished a meeting with harry reid, steny hoyer, carl levin, dick lugar, saxby chambliss, et nancy pelosi, jon kyl, dianne feinstein and a few others. john boehner and mitch mcconnell were there via conference call. there have been some developments in libya today in response to the u.n. security council vote to impose a no-fly zone. today, muammar gaddafi announced a cease-fire and a drawdown of his military. jet fighters were sent to the region earlier today in response to the security council's vote. we will have a statement about the cease-fire and no-fly zone after we hear from the statement. we are also expecting britain, france and nato to hold emergency meetings today. there will be further meetings tomorrow with france and other arab nations that will take place in paris. >> good afternoon, everybody. i want to take this opportunity to update the american people about the situation in libya. for the last several weeks, the world has watched events unfold in libya with hope and alarm. last month, protesters took to the streets across the country to demand their univer