You received five deferments during the Vietnam War, and have never served in the military. How do you answer critics who say that you have no right to send soldiers into battle?

"Well, first off, the decision to invade Iraq was not mine alone. Certainly, I hope you would expect that any Administration, no matter what the level of military experience at the top, would respond to an attack like 9/11. And if combat or military experience was a litmus test for civilian leadership in wartime, then many of our finest leaders would be disqualified.

Franklin Roosevelt never served, and he was an outstanding wartime leader. Indeed, the strains of World War II probably killed him. As for my deferments during the Vietnam era, I make no apologies. It was obvious to many people of my generation that Vietnam was a quagmire, where American soldiers were being killed long after the country decided not to win the war. I made a decision to use every legal means to stay out of the service, as did many Americans. That's why this country abandoned the draft, so that conscripted young men and women couldn't be sent into a war the nation didn't back. I regret that I haven't made myself clear on this point, and have the greatest respect for those who opposed the Vietnam War on principled grounds."

What about those who oppose the war in Iraq? Are they appeasers?

"Of course not. They may even be right about Iraq being a mistake that is inflaming Islamic passions and breeding more terrorists. But I would urge our critics to now realize that, for whatever reason, we are facing a dangerous insurgency in Iraq that must be defeated. We obviously should have listened to our military commanders who wanted several hundred thousand more troops in the initial invasion. We should have created a bipartisan front by bringing prominent Democrats into the Administration. But it's not too late. I have recommended just that to the President. Yes, we blundered. Now we need Americans, of all political persuasions, to help us correct the situation."

But how do you answer charges that the President tried to make political hay in his recent 9/11 speech by tying Iraq to Al Quaeda? And other charges that the Administration's recent confrontation with Congress over torture and military tribunals is designed to influence the midterm election in November?

"I think those were miscalculations. But I had no input. That's Karl Rove's doing. I think we should level with the American people, win back their trust and recapture the unity we had after 9/11. The hell with winning the election. We have to get bin Laden before he kills 10 million Americans, as he just threatened."

(Of course, Dick Cheney said none of these things. But wouldn't have been wonderful if he had?)

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