NPR senior correspondent Juan Williams discusses health care for veterans and the next U.S. Supreme Court justice. His guests are Donna Brazile, former campaign manager for Democratic presidential nominee Al Gore, and Robert Traynham, deputy staff director and communications director for the Senate Republican Conference.
ED GORDON, host: I'm Ed Gordon, and this is NEWS & NOTES.</s>ED GORDON, host: We turn now to our weekly feature, Political Corner.  Today, NPR senior      correspondent Juan Williams and his guests discuss health care for      veterans and the next Supreme Court justice.</s>JUAN WILLIAMS reporting: I'm joined now by Donna Brazile, former campaign manager for Democratic      presidential nominee Al Gore in 2000.  Also with us, Robert Traynham,      deputy staff director for the Senate Republican Committee.</s>JUAN WILLIAMS reporting: Thanks for joining me.</s>Ms. DONNA BRAZIL (Former Al Gore Campaign Manager): Thank you, Juan.</s>Mr. ROBERT TRAYNHAM (Deputy Director, Senate Republican Committee): Thanks, Juan.</s>WILLIAMS: Last week the Senate voted to spend an extra $1.5 billion on      veterans' health this year.  It was in response to a shortfall at the      Veterans Affairs Department--in specific, money that would be supplied to      take care of veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan.  It was so      interesting to hear Larry Craig, a Republican from Idaho, say that,      quote, "it was a frustration to me and an embarrassment that there wasn't      enough money to take care of American soldiers."  And Harry Reid, the      Democratic Senate minority leader, said, `This is just the latest example      of how poorly the administration planned for and prepared for the war.'</s>WILLIAMS: Donna Brazile, is Harry Reid right?</s>Ms. BRAZILE: Well, absolutely.  Look, Jim Nicholson, who is the director      of the VA, came up to the Hill and he said that more money was needed to      take care of some of the soldiers who are coming back from Iraq and      Afghanistan. Right now VA facilities across the country are no longer      accepting new clients, and this is causing a lot of problems.  The House      bill currently has 975 million; the Senate is perhaps adequate in terms      of $1.5 billion, but this again demonstrated the administration did not      adequately plan for some of the, you know, returning troops who are back      from the war and they're in need of medical care.</s>WILLIAMS: Robert Traynham, how are Republicans responding to this      charge?</s>Mr. ROBERT TRAYNHAM (Deputy Director, Senate Republican Committee): Listen, Secretary Nicholson came up to the House and to      the Senate and explicitly said, `We do not need any more money.  We're      OK.'  And then, sure enough, when we come around to last week--and it      looks like we have egg on our face.  And the reason why is because now      they're saying that we do need additional funding.  And so, yes, it was a      very frustrating moment, if you will, for the administration to say one      thing and then to come around and say, `Oh, no, we changed our mind.  We      do need this.'</s>WILLIAMS: Robert, though, how do you respond to what Donna Brazile just      said, that it was an indication of poor planning by the administration      for dealing with the aftermath of the war--in specific, dealing with      American soldiers coming home with injuries?</s>Mr. ROBERT TRAYNHAM (Deputy Director, Senate Republican Committee): I'm not sure if it was poor planning.  I think it was      oversight. And perhaps maybe we're splitting hairs here, but the fact is,      is that when the secretary of Veterans Affairs comes up to the Hill and      says, `We don't need any more money,' listen, you take them for their      word at it because they usually say, `We need more funds.'  And so we      took their word.</s>Ms. BRAZILE: Robert is absolutely right.  The administration said no      money was needed, but these veteran groups have been screaming about the      lack of adequate medical care for the troops who are returning from      Afghanistan and Iraq.  I know personally--because my father goes over to      the VA hospital in New Orleans almost weekly to visit those troops, and      he personally started calling around saying that they don't have adequate      supplies.  Those troops are coming back with injuries that, quite      frankly, the medical staff--they're unable to supply those troops because      they don't have the resources.</s>Mr. ROBERT TRAYNHAM (Deputy Director, Senate Republican Committee): There's no question about it.  This was a very      embarrassing moment for the administration.  It was embarrassing for the      secretary.  It was embarrassing for Republicans and Democrats.  And the      reason why it's embarrassing is be--or was embarrassing is because we are      still in the middle of a war.  And as Donna accurately mentioned--is that      we have troops, unfortunately, that are coming home with health care      needs and so forth and with limbs missing.  And so this was a politically      embarrassing moment.  It was a patriotic embarrassing moment.  And      there's no question about it that our leaders, both on the House and      Senate side, Republican and Democrat, very quickly fixed the problem.</s>WILLIAMS: All right.  Topic two today:  the Supreme Court nomination.      President Bush was asked on Monday by Judy Kreen of USA Today if he is      including women and minorities among the people that he's looking at as a      prospective Supreme Court nominee.  The president responded that he's      considering, quote, "a pretty good size group of people right now and, of      course, there's a diverse group of citizens."  And he went on to add that      it's important that people from around the country know that he's      interested in diversity on the court.</s>WILLIAMS: Robert Traynham, who besides Attorney General Gonzales is a minority that      is being seriously considered for this Supreme Court nomination?</s>Mr. ROBERT TRAYNHAM (Deputy Director, Senate Republican Committee): Well, again, I don't want to split hairs, but a minority      is a minority.  You take a look at Janice Rogers Brown from California,      supreme--former Supreme Court justice on the California Supreme Court who      is a very accomplished African-American woman.  General Gonzales, as you      mentioned, is another person, Hispanic from Texas.  You also have      Priscilla Owen, who is a--obviously a female from Texas.  So you have a      number of individuals out there that are eminently qualified to serve on      the bench.  As an African-American, I strongly do--would argue that there      should be diversity on the court.  And I would hope that when the      president searches through resumes and qualifications and so forth, he      will take into consideration the need, if you will, for even more      minorities on the court.</s>WILLIAMS: Now, Donna, what are the key issues among black Americans,      Latinos when they look at this nomination?  Is it only affirmative      action?</s>Ms. BRAZILE: Oh, no, there's--it's also voting rights.  As you well      know, many of the voting rights cases involving redistricting and the      interpretation of the Voting Rights Act have also been heard before the      Supreme Court. That's another important issue.</s>WILLIAMS: Do you agree, Robert?</s>Mr. ROBERT TRAYNHAM (Deputy Director, Senate Republican Committee): Absolutely.  And if I can add something, what this      president has pledged to do--and I hope to goodness that he does do      this--is to bring integrity back to the process, is to make sure that      people's reputations are not dragged in the mud, to make sure that petty      partisan politics are left to the side and to make sure that America is      proud of the process, to make sure that--clearly, that the nominee's      views are heard and understood and interpreted, but to make sure that the      president's nominee gets a fair up-or-down vote and to make sure that his      or her integrity is not impugned.</s>WILLIAMS: Well, you know, Robert, when you were mentioning having a fair      and--a process with some sense of decorum about it, I think back to the      Clarence Thomas hearings.</s>Mr. ROBERT TRAYNHAM (Deputy Director, Senate Republican Committee): Mm-hmm.</s>WILLIAMS: Is that what Republicans have in mind in terms of a problem      that they want to avoid?</s>Mr. ROBERT TRAYNHAM (Deputy Director, Senate Republican Committee): Well, it's not only Clarence Thomas, but it's Justice      Rogers Brown.  It's also Mr. Gonzales and some other people out there      that unfortunately have been maligned, if you will, through special      interest groups.  And, yes, you are correct.  I mean, Clarence Thomas is      the prime example of someone that literally went through the mud in terms      of his reputation, in terms of his personal life, in terms of allegations      and so forth and so on.</s>WILLIAMS: All right.</s>Ms. BRAZILE: That's why we...</s>WILLIAMS: Donna.</s>Ms. BRAZILE: ...must vet these candidates, and the president should      consult with senators from both sides of the aisles before nominating      someone.</s>Mr. ROBERT TRAYNHAM (Deputy Director, Senate Republican Committee): I do know that President Bush has extended an invite to      Senators Leahy, Reid, Specter and, I believe, Senator Frist sometime next      week to come down to the Oval Office to talk about the process.</s>WILLIAMS: All right.  I want to thank my guests, Donna Brazile, a      Democratic political strategist with her own firm in Washington.  She's      the author of "Cooking With Grease:  Stirring the Pots in American      Politics"--and Robert Traynham.  Thanks so much to Robert, the deputy      staff director and communications director for the Senate Republican      Conference.  Thank you both.</s>Mr. ROBERT TRAYNHAM (Deputy Director, Senate Republican Committee): Thank you, Juan.</s>Ms. BRAZILE: Thank you.</s>ED GORDON, host: Join us next Thursday to hear more from Juan and our political      insiders right here on Political Corner.