Dole: U.S. Is Winning Fight In Iraq

Dole, who just returned from a weekend trip to Iraq, is optimistic about the war on terrorism. She said American troops are making progress.

"There's no way they're going to lose battles over there," she said. "The only place we could lose is in Washington, D.C. It's a test of wills, and terrorists know it."

Dole admitted the lengthy war has taken its toll on the White House and Washington politics. She said it's reflected in President George W. Bush's record-low approval ratings.

"Obviously, we'd like to see the numbers be higher," said Dole.

Dole is the chair of a national committee that works to elect Republicans to the Senate. She said she believes Democrats will try and focus on the president in this year's election instead of the issues. But she said she's not worried about the result.

"I've never known in North Carolina or any other state a race to be run or won inside the Beltway in Washington, D.C.," she said.

Dole also has confidence when it comes to winning the war in Iraq.

"We've got to stay in there and get the job done, because we're talking about defeating terrorists," she said.

But Dole wouldn't say how long something like that will take, stating that a timetable can't be put on when troops will return from Iraq. She said day-to-day conditions over there will determine that. Currently, there are 132,000 troops in Iraq.