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`Buchanan and Press' for July 29 <snip> BUCHANAN: OK, thanks, Tom. That's Tom Aspell reporting from Baghdad.
Next up, Democratic presidential candidate, Ohio Congressman Dennis
Kucinich. Congressman Kucinich, good to talk with you, Dennis. If you
were president, would you pull all United States forces out of Iraq,
and how soon?
REP. DENNIS KUCINICH (D-OH), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I'd begin the
exit strategy immediately. I want to see the U.N. come in and then
the U.S. go out. I think the United States made a mistake in going in
there alone. We're in there alone. We're stuck alone. We're paying
for it alone. We need to involve the world community. That means that
this administration is going to have to let go control of the oil.
They're going to have to let go of contracts with their friends.
United Nations should be involved in that. The United Nations should
be involved in building a new government of Iraq. Get the U.S. out
and get the U.N. in. Our sons and daughters were are over there right
now and are just in grave danger, and we need to make some changes.
BUCHANAN: All right, Congressman, your colleague, Mr. Gephardt, as
well as Senators Edwards, Kerry, and Lieberman, all voted to give the
president a blank check to go to war when he decided to go to war. Do
you think your colleagues made a terrible mistake in giving the
president a blank check?
KUCINICH: Well, they did make a mistake, because the fact of the
matter is, this administration has never been able to demonstrate
that there's a legitimate cause to go to war against Iraq. After all,
where are those weapons of mass destruction? We didn't go in there to
topple Hussein. We went in there to get weapons of mass destruction.
And frankly, they've never been able to make the case. And everyone
who voted for it I'm sure is very concerned right now. But, you know,
there's still, I think, time for people to realize this
administration has taken the wrong direction. American people put
faith in the administration. They now have been shown that the
administration wasn't quite candid with them, and I think there will
be a price to pay.
REAGAN: Congressman Kucinich, it's Ron Reagan. Another attack on U.S.
troops today, I'm sure you've heard. Should anyone be surprised by
this, and why has the Pentagon seemed so ill prepared from the get-go
to face these assaults?
KUCINICH: Well, Ron, you know, there were people in the Pentagon who
advised not to invade Iraq, and I think that we have to remember that
this cost to U.S. men and women now is 244 casualties now. It's very
serious and the casualties keep mounting. You know, who could be
prepared for a situation that is now essentially guerrilla warfare?
We have to, I think, begin this talk of getting our men and women out
of there and getting the U.N. in. We should have worked with the
United Nations to begin with, and then the weapons inspectors could
have done the job, and the weapons inspectors could have determined
there were no weapons of mass destruction. Unfortunately, our men and
women who serve are targets now. I feel very bad about that. I think
it's time to start the exit strategy, get the United Nations in
there, get the United States out.
REAGAN: Speaking of exit strategies, you are a presidential
candidate, so we shouldn't ignore that. Do you think-are you mounting
a symbolic candidacy here, and do you think maybe it's time for you
to get out of the race? I mean Al Sharpton I think is beating you in
the polls.
KUCINICH: Well, you know, there are people who said four months ago I
couldn't raise two cents; I've raised $2 million. We're organizing in
34 states. We have a very enthusiastic campaign. The Internet at
Kucinich.us has been very instrumental in helping us not only raise
funds, but expand our organization. This campaign's on the march. I
got Willie Nelson doing three concerts for us to raise funds. We're
gaining in momentum and fundraising and organization. I expect to be
very much in the mix as we come into the early primaries.
BUCHANAN: Congressman Kucinich, the Democratic Leadership Council,
which is said to be sort of the Clinton wing, at least the Bill
Clinton wing of the party, has said the party is being pulled too far
to the left, outside the mainstream. It's perceived as courting
special interests. It doesn't-it isn't perceived as being tough on
national security. Do you think they have a point?
KUCINICH: Well, they don't have a point if they're talking about
caving in to an illegitimate war. They don't have a point if they're
talking about caving in to global corporations who have cost
Americans a tremendous loss of jobs. I mean I'm for canceling NAFTA.
The DLC doesn't want to do that. I'm for universal health care. The
DLC doesn't want to do that. I'm for stopping the privatization of
Social Security. Again, the DLC doesn't want to go in that direction.
So, you know, my candidacy is going to give Americans the sharpest
choice between myself and the incumbent president. I think that's
what will motivate people to vote.
(CROSSTALK)
KUCINICH: They need a real choice, and that's what I'm going to
provide the American people.
BUCHANAN: Well, Senator Lieberman offers a choice. He said this was a
just war, and while the president may have handled things badly, it
was a just war and the Democrats shouldn't be knocking it.
KUCINICH: Well, frankly, I would take issue with the honorable
senator because the administration never made its case to go to war
against Iraq. Where are the weapons of mass destruction? That's what
I would ask Senator Lieberman. That's what took us into war. The fact
that Iraq was said to have nuclear capability took to us into war.
The American people were misled. I think people are beginning to
understanding that. And anyone who voted for that war and is still
defending that war, I think, is going to have a tough time in the
early Democratic primaries.
REAGAN: Mr. Kucinich, what do you make of the White House's refusal
to release the redacted 28 pages in the 9-11 report?
KUCINICH: Well, the American people have a right to know. They have a
right to know what's in those 28 pages. There's no reason to cover up
those pages. They need to know if there was another nation involved
possibly in 9-11 or if another nation made it possible for terrorists
to get the resources to commit the acts of 9-11. I mean we've never
had or the kind of national discussion we need about that great
tragedy, and that's the only way we can really clear the air. You
know...<snip> There's more: http://www.msnbc.com/news/945957.aspThe bold is mine; I was interested in hearing from the man himself on the electability issue. His position seems pretty clearcut to me. A campaign that's on the march, a candidate that will be there for the primaries, and he makes no bones about where he stands with the DLC. Which is probably why they've worked so hard to marginalize his candidacy. The campaign is kicking up to higher gears, and we've got months to do the work. We're not going away! |
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