let's go to john mccain and lindsey gramm. they said they wanted a harsh statement. once he said the statement they said that is what they wanted. when you said that they're still pushing him, it is a lie.

secondly, you foment some things you are hearing like the colors in front of me who said that lindsey gramm and john mccain -- they are american citizens. you are pushing one side against the other and you need to stop it, ok? guest: on the first point, john mccain and linseed graham said it was a step in the right direction, not that they accepted the stigma. so, we disagree there. on embracing the new media, and meant that generally. i was talking about the first prime time press conference. . . i think it has become often too personal in this country in recent years, but this is a policy debate. there have not been personal attacks made by lindsey gramm and john mccain against president obama, and president obama can as he said yesterday, respects john mccain's passion on this issue. this to me feels like what washington does. host: scott wilson for "the washinton post," thank you for being with us. coming up next, congressman akin will join us. now a news update from c-span radio. >> president obama focuses on health issues when he meets this afternoon with several governors and hosts a

my question to you as a reporter for "the washington post" regarding john mccain and lindsey gramm attacking the president's response to the situation iniran, do you s a writer for net to be out of hand on their part and only politically motivated? do you think -- what are we supposed to do in response, technically, to what is happening andiran? should we sit back, observe, and be the third party like the rest of the world was to our own the elections? be thankful that there was a process seat that the people are responding to change? guest: it is a good question. on being out of hand i do not think so. i think the debate taking place captures the two wings of foreign policy thought. republic hawks believe and voke ronald reagan and the cold war has been unambiguous in their criticism of authoritarian government. the they are calling for obama to say clearly, we do not want this government in iran to be in power anymore. the obama administration believes that is counter- productive. pragmatism calls for dealing with the government in front of you and as you correctly noted at the end, what e

you told senator lindsey gramm that you agree with him, that "every person who commits to going to war against america or any of a peaceful nation should be held off the battlefield as long as they are dangerous." i do not think your actions that we have seen so far are consistent with that commitment. accenture confirmation, you have done a number of things that i think you have -- since the nomination, i have seen you a number of things that i think our against what you pledged to do. one such instance came when he rejected the office of legal counsel on its conclusion that congress' recent legislation on the district of columbia voting was unconstitutional, as it appears plainly to be. during a confirmation hearing, you emphasize your review of olc opinions would not be a political process. when the office of legal counsel, who has this responsibility, has prepared an opinion for you and said that congress' legislation was unconstitutional, i would expect you to listen to their opinions and follow them or explain precisely why you do not. instead, you have moved around them and soug

lindsey graham, fellow republican from south carolina. also military lawyer in the air force. this is what senator gramm said and i quote i believe we could handle 100 or 250 prisoners and protect national security interests because we had 450,000 german and japanese prisoners in the united states so this idea they cannot be housed somewhere safely i disagree. and of quote, senator graham. people who suggest we can on detain terrorists in our prisons should show more respect for the brave corrections officers who put their lives on the line every day to keep us safe. just the week before last i went to the prison in southern illinois. it was once our maximum security prison in the united states before the super maximum facility was opened at florence colorado. it was interesting as i met with the corrections officer in the lockup of the mary and federal prison, and after a little bit of a tour i asked what do you think of this notion that we hear from senators on the floor like senator kyl and senator mcconnell that we cannot safely incarcerate guantanamo detainees in the presence of the united states?