USA Today reports, then deletes, Kuncinich's calls to impeach Bush & Cheney

20:45 Russert: Congressman Kucinich, your opinion of this resolution (Kyl-Leiberman).
Kucinich: Well, first of all, we need to adamantly reject any kind of a move toward war with Iran. There's no basis for it whatsoever. But we have to realize, Tim, that we have a number of enablers, who happen to be Democrats, who have said, over the last year, with respect to Iran, "all options are on the table." And when you say "all options are on the table" you are licensing President Bush. When -- and I am the only one on this stage who not only voted against the war in Iraq, voted against funding the war, but also led the effort against Bush's drive toward war. The problem is that these policies of preemption license a war. Preemption, by virtue of international law is illegal. Our President has already violated international law. The war in Iraq is illegal. Even planning for the war against Iran is illegal.

Tim, we're here in Philadelphia, the birthplace of Democracy. I want to know when this Democratic Congress is going to stand up for the Constitution and hold the President accountable with Article II, Section 4; an impeachment act. I think our Democracy is in peril and unless the Democrats and the Congress stand up for the Constitution, we are going to lose Our Country. We need to challenge him on this war, but we need to challenge him on the core. And the core is that there needs to be a separation of powers -- a balance of powers. Things are out of balance. It's time for us to stand up for the Constitution of the United States. . .< [br />
Russert: Uh -- I want to ask each of you, will you pledge that Iran will not develop a nuclear bomb while you are President. . . .

66:30 Williams: Most experts believe that we are looking at $100 a barrel oil prices, perhaps very soon. Most experts further believe that there are some folks in America who may be paying 50% more for things like heating oil this winter . . .As a Member of the US Senate, are these people doomed to paying more -- to suffering through paying these energy costs. Aside from blue ribbon panels, what can be done right now about what afflicts the United States on this issue of energy? . . .(Directed to Sen. Dodd first)
Russert: Congressman Kucinich?

70:45 Kucinich: Everyone knows that the war against Iraq was about oil. This administration is trying to gain control of Iraq's oil, with the help of Congress. It's time we had a President who stood for the Constitution and international law, and that's exactly what I'll do.

Everyone knows that the saber rattling against Iran is driving up the price of oil. We have to stop the war in Iraq, bring our troops home, end the occupation, have an international security and peacekeeping force that moves in as our troops leave. We have to stop planning for war against Iran. We have to insist that we enforce the Constitution of the United States which this President continues to violate, and again I state that the President and the Vice President should be subject to impeachment, then we can start to get control of our energy policies by rejecting this doctrine of preemption, which is not worthy of --

Williams: Thank you. . .

82:35 Russert: Congressman Kucinich, I want to move to the issue of hedge funds -- hedge funds. Managers of hedge funds. There's a listing in the paper the other day of the top 100 managers of hedge funds. At the top 1.5 billion dollars, number 100 makes 50 million dollars. They pay a tax rate of 16% rather than ordinary income of 31-32%. The Democrats took control of Congress in November of 06. The leader of the Democrats in the Senate, Harry Reid, said "We're not gonna change it this year. Your reaction?

Kucinich: It's one of the reasons the American people are so distressed with the current condition of the Democratic Party. They won't stand up to Wall Street, with more than a trillion dollars of unregulated capital in hedge funds; they won't end the war, as the Party promised to do in the 2006 election; they won't stand up to the insurance companies -- the for profit insurance companies by joining me in a not-for-profit system, so people are asking what's the difference between Democrats and Republicans.

Well Tim, my candidacy which will protect the interests of main street. No privatization of Social Security; make the hedge funds accountable, protect the small investors who are at risk with these public offerings of these hedge funds. My domestic policy subcommittee is looking at this. I was one of the first ones on Capital Hill to look at it. Right now it's all about a redistribution of wealth upwards Tim. The tax system is about redistributing wealth upwards, the healthcare system redistributes the wealth upwards, our energy policies redistribute the wealth upwards. WE have to have a President who is independent enough to be able to stand up to these interest groups and push the Democratic Congress to defend the American people by standing for the end of the war in Iraq; by standing for universal, not-for-profit, healthcare system; by standing for control of these oil companies, which are out of control; and finally by standing for the Constitution. I will say it one more time. It's time for the Democratic Party to take a position on impeachment and for the House of Representatives to move the bill that I've introduced. . .