This transcript has been automatically generated and may not be 100% accurate.

Gou ... all ... apologetic and in the end of lifting defense of his actions in Libya ... the president repeatedly said it is in the United States national interest and in the interest of its values ... that we took the action that we took ... in Libya ... in fact on several occasions he referred to ... a national interest at times it almost seemed like he was disputing ... comments made by his own Secretary of Defence yesterday that it's not in our ... vital national interest to be in Libya ... he said that safety ... is a direct threat to our safety is not the only thing that threatens our ... our interests ... he also talked about how the United States in his words led the effort with this ... up with our allies ... directly addressing the ... critique ups of some Republicans ... that he was letting the French take the lead I wanted Bring and add Jerry Sithe in the Washington geared to get his ... response to what we just heard ... Jerry what you think was the main message there ... well I think the main message for Americans was that this is he suggests this is in our national interest not miss this earlier and wrecked national interest but getting the Middle East right is in our interest the reaction ever I think use the word oil in a conflict with this kind of interesting ... but I think if you listen more carefully you also grew another reason why this with the operation so for now ... he basically said I'm trying to change with the world works here that was the underlying message of this speech he said ... this is how the world on the work that we helped put together a coalition ... we've median organizing up but they only make another step up take their part pay their share and the saidthe were paid literally ... um and that we are happily every military operation around the world so you have in Libya case reason we did the right thing ... there was a humanitarian ... mission ... I it's it's going to lead to the downfall downfall of Moammar Gadhafi a much or how long that's Posts happen exactly ... up but there is a model for how this thing well ... that's interesting Jerry what stick with that for just a second because while he did say it's in our interests to promote democracy of ... around the world to get rid of bad guys like Ghadafi ... when he was talking about the military mission ... to find it very nearly he said it was about saving lives he talked about the slaughter that was about to happen and Ben Gauci ... and I'm and I want pushes too far but it was almost like the Mission accomplished banner one of the notes it felt like we said the business to save lives and now we're going to ratchet back his word our effort ... dad didn't get to that extent he was saying the military operation succeeded already by stopping a ... annihilation of the rebel forces in Gaza ... then he said Gadhafi has to go but the explicitly said he's going to be forced out by means other than military measures to be forced out by an arms embargo by international isolation by economic sanctions ... by pressure from inside and outside in May be any hint that this ... because some of his own army leaders may turn on and eventually in and of those were the messages he was sending out so ... it's a very strange situation with the military operation against the leader we want to leave but when the military operation is not make the economy ... of that's a strange formulation that that's what the thinking that Jerry I wanted to listen to some comments that ... Senator John McCain made last week in an interview with me on ... our big interview show ... and they get you to respond how well the president address that this particular criticism of snow this ... is ... really ... rather bizarre zeal ... to remove the United States for America from a leadership role ... is something that I don't understand because we are the leader of the world ... and we should Revel in that the issue we should form coalitions yes we should work with the British and French ... but do we need to be let in the world by the end ... Jerry did the present a result the leadership issue ... I don't think so I mean he essentially said we led the we've fallen in this country very satisfactory response it's really didn't address ... the criticism directly I think that some Senator Mark McCain just articulated ... he said we led by getting people organize essentially but we don't have to lead the operation and that's gonna race question I don't have ... a NATO ... structure in which a Canadian ... commanders been commanding the operation with the non American man for ... us to make some people uncomfortable on the other hand I have to say on that if you look at public polling ... people are tired of military operations the kind of things for military operations ... I'm not sure that each of the present Obama might not be in tune with already American people are invited to an orchard where with the were John McCain is that ... but this may actually be where the American people are without ... trillion dollar plus deficit in a war wariness from ten years in Afghanistan Iraq ... cheer you read a very good column this morning about the NBA what my tea and gain more like a new he started off with that too optimistic scenarios either we drive Gadhafi from power using air power alone ... or his own troops rise up against him and push him from power one way or another Ghadafi is gone ... everybody at least in the short term is gonna be happy happy with that effort but the new race to weather scenarios one is that we end up with the Libyan that split ... between Gadhafi and his loyalists on the West than the rebels on the east ... um ... or we end up but I'm so you're fourth scenario ... when one-term Walter stalemated cannot be just weeks out the world so everybody loses their interest in heritage and the back of an interest in the south and the activity that might factor hurting so what what how this this speech address the possibility of those second ... outcomes ... what if it doesn't so much to address those except to say the Ghadafi will leave one where the other I mean it's been really the second of those the positive scenarios around that the speech embrace that said essentially ... there's gonna be a lot of pressure on Ghadafi must leave the world agrees on that and he will leave it may take some time and that's literally what ... the president said but he will have to leave power ... but again he invited the insurrection from within the military by saying ... it should be clear to everybody in Libya ... including those around them are Ghadafi that history is not on this site ... that's the messes that he was to get through the military commanders who think they can now save their own skin returning against ... Colonel Gadhafi Jerry A was twelve years after we started the no-fly zone in Iraq that Saddam Hussein was finally driven from power with the help of ground troops ... I mean are we talking about something like that or is the reason to think ... that ... that Ghadafi's time is truly one of the ... debt well we don't unite both lived in that time nobody expected the no-fly zone in Iraq to have to last for twelve years is that people thought that what you put some pressure on Saddam Hussein ... you either crumble or that his began his army would turn against him well we now know that neither of those things happen ... and that's the danger scenario here ... that you create pressure you think it's going to work to get it now ... but he just stands pat and watches with his arms folded for a long long time and ... for that point on the colony of the cigar and sixty eight years old has been a pair of forty two years old ... since used for forty two years rather ... up he's out less that seven American presidents ... of Brock Obama was in the third grade when he the current was so he knows how to stand at what in in in the whole plate ... it is perfectly capable of doing that here as are by the way his sons to share power with the ... Jerri having established the principle is the president did tonight that it is in our national interest ... to stop the slaughter in Libya ... what does the president to get the slaughter begins again ... well you know what you know I'll let me be the easiest way to the Sistema or respond to because if that happens ... the fifty U N resolution that says that the US and its allies are perfectly sanctioned perfectly authorized him to win and stop it ... if that really occurs you can have a more aggressive military response and then you can push harder ... to create ... enough the image in the euro to the Libyan military that they really do decide to push a guy you do I think the party that is ... when you do that without Graham troops he said the EVO brand for you know what we see a lot I think you can I mean every time ... a military column was a Libyan Highway ... on the to the Allied jets can move in and have been moving into taking out and so that's a ... severe price to pay so ... if he tries to do that that may be actually the system there are two ... very interesting that the president began his comments and and that his comments ... but with a tribute to the men and women in uniform ... Friday's been union been criticised in some quarters is not being appreciative enough of the U S military he was in a look at ... accusations standard in this speech tonight ... and every president I have to say it comes to appreciate what the U S military does ... the call not to say here's a job in a big allotment in to get it done and so on ... amigos probably quite genuine ... granted the re hearing tonight ... Jerry any final thoughts on the president's comments tonight ... well yes I do think one of the advantages he's got here now this new law to criticism of the of the of the Libyan enterprise that's true but I think for the advantages ... that he's got is that the criticism is so squandered some people that wanted the ball to people thought he should get in earlier ... some people think the law should be meeting some people think that the the the idea pulling back is just right ... um some people ... in church or they know what the outcome is that there's no one wants this isn't the trip taking hold here ... people are just nervous and I think that's actually a fairly easy and political bought the deal ... that's the one to present our ... two tonight so ... it is as difficult as this isn't as much persuading as he takes ... this ... year ... I actually think them that the fact that there's ... a splintered political opposition works to his benefit ... Jerry I know you updated coverage for the paper but thanks for taking time to be with us on this new sub Special ... a pleasure ... thank you good night ...