transcript Kucinich-Blitzer

[grasswire]

BLITZER: I want to talk about your campaign, but briefly, I'd like to get your assessment of what's happening in California, because, as you know, political trends that often start in California spread around the country, including Ohio, among other places.

What is your read on this recall? Do you hope that Governor Davis is going to be recalled?

KUCINICH: Well, I do not support the recall. I think the recall is destructive. It is going to cost California heavily. It is going to cost them not only in their bond rating but in the distraction from the major concerns which Californians have.

I mean, look at it this way. California got into economic trouble, among other reasons, because of the Bush-Enron corruption, which resulted in energy prices going through the roof. So Gray Davis, in effect, is paying for George Bush's sins.

We need to have some stability in all governments, and I think that we also need to know what the truth is about how California got into this situation in which it is. And I don't think that anyone can lay that squarely in Gray Davis's lap.

BLITZER: Well, when you say corruption, Bush-Cheney corruption, are you accusing the president and the vice president of the United States of being corrupt, in terms of the problems that Enron had?

KUCINICH: Absolutely I am. There's no question that this administration was in bed with Ken Lay. They've covered up all the meetings that deal with energy policy.

They allowed Enron, to in effect, run the energy policy of this country, to be able to grow and grow, to capture wholesale markets, to put the country in a position -- and California particularly -- where the cost of electricity went up by a factor of four and five. California hard to borrow money to pay the electric bill. California still remains in trouble because of Enron.

You know what? We never had a chance to talk about Enron in the last election because the administration knew it was in trouble, they shifted the discussion to war. And now we find out there was no basis to go to war.

http://www.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0308/10/le.00.html

[grasswire]

1. another snip

BLITZER: But don't you think the region is better off right now without Saddam Hussein in charge of Baghdad and Iraq than it was before the war?

KUCINICH: Well, no one's ever made a case for Saddam Hussein's staying, but the problem is, you know, does the end justify the means? I mean, this administration did not tell the American...

BLITZER: Well, that's the question. Does the end, getting rid of Saddam Hussein, his Baath Party, the Saddam Fedayeen, all the elements that tyrannized Iraq for so many decades, doesn't that justify the means?

KUCINICH: Is it worth 259 American lives? No. As a matter of fact, we have to recognize that this administration took this country to war saying that there was an imminent threat and that Iraq had nuclear capability. That has proven to be a lie.

They didn't take us into war in order to create regime change, because if that's the policy of this country, we're going to be very busy looking at regime change in North Korea, in Iran, in Syria and any place this administration feels it ought to.

We have to work with the world community in order to achieve international security, and that's where the mistake was made. We should have worked with the United Nations, we should have continued the weapons inspections.

And it's unfortunate, the administration took us into war, and now they're changing the reason why we went to war. They didn't take us into war so that we could get rid of Saddam Hussein, they took us in to get rid of nuclear weapons.

[Terwilliger]

3. A LIE!

:bounce:

[Terwilliger]

2. EXCELLENT

Thanks :)

[JohnKleeb]

4. and some say he aint a fighter

He's been fighting for the people. Dennis you say what I would say, Gray Davis is in affect paying for the fuck ups of Enron and the Bush misadminstartion. Need I say no more, Dennis kicks arse, and hes the best we got, and he has a work ethic that we can appreciate, and he's a true sucess story.

[Terwilliger]

5. On the Department of Peace

<snip>

BLITZER: Let me ask you about a novel proposal you came up with the other day, a creation of a Department of Peace here in Washington. Among other things, you write this, you said, "Of peace, wherein we all may tap the infinite capabilities of humanity to transform consciousness and conditions that impel or compel violence at a personal, group or national level, toward creating understanding, compassion and love."

What are you proposing, actually, by calling for the creation of a department, a federal bureaucracy of peace?

KUCINICH: Well, the same thing that Martin Luther King was talking about years ago when he talked about making nonviolence an organizing principle in our society, to create programs where we teach our children peace-giving and peace-sharing and mutuality and identifying the other person as oneself, where we learn that violence isn't inevitable.

We look at the challenges of domestic violence, spousal abuse, child abuse, gangs in the schools, the problems that exist in racial violence, violence against gays.

I mean, our society has potential to evolve, and I think people want a leader who recognizes the power the American people have to continue this challenge we were given by our founders to create a more perfect union.

On an international level, the Department of Peace aspires to work with the world community to get away from war, to make war archaic. We have to believe in our capacity to create a world which has the ability to survive. And I'll tell you, Wolf, policies of unilateralism, preemption, of nuclear first-strike, building new nuclear weapons, putting weapons in space, building missile shields that contemplate World War III, take us away from the kind of peace which the American people are ready for.

We can achieve peace working with the world community, cooperating internationally. The Department of Peace built on a vision of people who for the longest time have believed that America has this great capacity to be able to not only improve itself, but to take us in a direction that's sustainable.

<snip>

[JohnKleeb]

8. Theres so much to like about this guy

I can see who his hero is. He claims its Harry Truman, different reasons than Dean though, not a flame just a point. This is the man who I think DK thinks as of a hero.

and that point btw shares many parells to this.
"What we need in the United States is not division; what we need in the United States is not hatred; what we need in the United States is not violence and lawlessness, but is love and wisdom, and compassion toward one another, and a feeling of justice toward those who still suffer within our country, whether they be white or whether they be black."

[KittyWampus]

15. Dept. of Peace Is NOT A Novel Idea

George Washington intended for such a Dept. and left money in his estate for the establishment of such.

There was a move to establish this Department as part of the Federal Govt.... the GOP killed it.
However, there was enough support to establish the United States Insutitute of Peace.

www.usip.org

The United States Institute of Peace is an independent, nonpartisan
federal institution created by Congress to promote the prevention,
management, and peaceful resolution of international conflicts.
Established in 1984, the Institute meets its congressional mandate
through an array of programs, including research grants, fellowships,
professional training, education programs from high school through
graduate school, conferences and workshops, library services, and
publications. The Institute's Board of Directors is appointed by the
President of the United States and confirmed by the Senate.

[JohnKleeb]

16. Kucinich knows that

When he was with Harkin the other day, Harkin mentioned that we have military training facilities like West Point and the Naval Academy so why not Peace academies. Also for many years according to Senator Harkin the republicans have been trying to cut this.

[ElsewheresDaughter]

22. The United States Institute of Peace

http://www.usip.org/

Kucinich is GREAT!!!

[KoKo]

6. He was Excellent! I'm going to donate to him just like I did with Dean!

Any candidate who speaks the truth gets a donation from me. Go Kucinich!

He said most of it.....and particularly Enron and the California Recall....which Dean has not addressed (that I've heard anyway)

I thought Blitzer might have a heart attack and imagined the producers were shouting in his ear piece: CUT! CUT! CUT!

But Kucinich peservered and got his talking points across in the way we have been hoping our candidates would do!

I give a rave review to Kucinich with Wolf! And, I've been leaning towards Dean but am not decided yet......but he needs money Kucinich....just like Dean did....

If we can get Dean and Kucinich in a dead heat.......and maybe Graham reveals more about Bush.....we've got a race here! And, don't forget Sharpton's good wit.....

[JohnKleeb]

26. Good for you KoKo

[blm]

29. Thankyou...

There is no reason why Dennis shouldn't be supported by ANYONE who believes in a Dept. of Peace.

[The Zanti Regent]

7. Thank you Dennis!

Thank you for standing up to Überwhore Wolf Bitzer and exposing him for the pampered PRESSTITUE he really is!

[Snellius]

9. Kucinich was masterful.

When he's on, especially in front of a condescending propagandist like Blitzer (Are Blitzer, Schwarzenegger, and Rumsfeld part of some clandestine German ubermensch cell?), DK is formidable.

[Mairead]

10. I loved this one

BLITZER: It doesn't look like your campaign has generated any excitement, at least nationwide among registered Democrats.

KUCINICH: Well, let's start with Iowa, for example. I mean, I'm running ahead of Bob Graham in Iowa. I'm statistically tied with John Edwards in Iowa. So we're starting to move up.

The poll, I think, reflects national name recognition. I have some work to do, it's very clear. But with a 6-percent plus- or-minus margin of error, that means I'm either 8 percent nationally, or 4 percent of the people deny that I even exist.

mwahahahahaha...beautiful comeback.

[JohnKleeb]

12. DK is witty too I like that

Remember I am a missionary.

[MaverickX]

11. Anyone would look good between..

Kissinger and Rohrabacher.

[Tinoire]

13. Thanks for posting this!

I missed it so this is awesome!

GO Dennis!

:bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce:

[Wonder]

14. well that is a nice bit of calling a spade a spade

They were let off the hook on enron as well as far as us mainstream is concerned. Kooch is correct.

[bpilgrim]

17. thanks! made the FRONT PAGE of GlobalFreePress.com

http://news.globalfreepress.com

give'em hell (the truth) KUCINICH :bounce:

peace

[caledesi]

18. I saw Dennis and he was very good....didn't let Wolfie run the show.

Wasn't intimidated by Wolfie "are you accusing the president and the vice president of the United States of being corrupt, in terms of the problems that Enron had?"

KUCINICH: Absolutely I am.

Loved it.

[RichM]

19. Anyone who likes the truth has to admire DK. Of the 9 Dem candidates,

only DK or Sharpton would be capable of saying what DK says here, to a national TV audience. This is what principle & courage look and sound like.

[JackieO]

20. Awesome

It feels so good when Dennis tells it like it is -- and he does it ALL THE TIME!

Thanks so much for posting this, grasswire!

[Terwilliger]

21. kick kick

[ElsewheresDaughter]

23. big ass kick TTT

:kick:

[wheresthemind]

24. hollly crap...

I was waiting to watch the movie and hot damn, he was amazing!


All those people were jumping ship after his interview with tweety had better watch this.

[JohnKleeb]

25. or see him in Iowa

I am really starting to see that Dennis has a bunch in common with RFK, he speaks of peace as did Bobby. They both have beautiful views.

[JackieO]

28. Pepperbelly?

Did you catch this?

[LWolf]

27. Dennis is the real deal.

Truly.

As a Californian, I especially appreciated his pointing out the bush/enron connection. Too many californians in my community still just don't get it.

The more the nation hears from Dennis, the better!

:bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce: