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For those who say "Who cares what Kucinich says?", the answer is "We do" and this is why. :) COOPER: One man who knows Ohio politics very well, Congressman Dennis Kucinich, former Democratic presidential candidate joining us tonight from Capitol Hill. Congressman Kucinich, thank you very much for being with us. Sorry you're not here in your home state.
REP. DENNIS KUCINICH (D), OHIO: Not only at my home state, but at my alma mater there, Case Western Reserve. So welcome to Cleveland. I look forward to joining you tomorrow.
COOPER: Let me ask you. You are supporting John Kerry and yet you oppose the war in Iraq. You are for gay marriages, you have been very vocal against the Patriot Act, all things which you differ with John Kerry about. Why are you still supporting him?
KUCINICH: All Democrats are uniting. First of all we realize this is George Bush's war. And we also realize about the debate tomorrow, is that this administration has not been held accountable. As a matter of fact, if you remember the debate between Senator Kerry and President Bush, President Bush has a disdain for being held accountable. Well, tomorrow John Edwards is going to hold Dick Cheney accountable on Iraq. Cheney said there was no doubt Iraq had weapons of mass destruction, nuclear capability. He kept pushing this idea that Iraq had nuclear capability. On the ties between Hussein and al Qaeda, Cheney kept pushing that. Also everyone knows he was cooking the books over at intelligence.
COOPER: Let me show you something that you actually said in reference to Senator Kerry and Senator Edwards. You said, quote, "neither Senator Kerry nor Senator Edwards would be appropriate as nominees because they supported the president on the war, said there were weapons of mass destruction, which you actually embroidered, Senator Kerry."
So do you agree with the Republicans that Senator Kerry has flip- flopped on these issues?
KUCINICH: No, listen, the fact of the matter is I led the effort in the House of Representatives in challenging the administration's rush towards war. I probably know more about that issue than most members of Congress because of my involvement, but I'll tell you this. I know that the president and the vice president were the ones who were pushing the war. They told members of Congress, look, there's no doubt there's weapons of mass destruction, there was a tie between Niger and trying to get uranium so they could sell it to Iraq, all kinds of lies were told...
COOPER: What's made you change your position that these would not be appropriate for nominees?
KUCINICH: Obviously I'm supporting Senator Kerry and Senator Edwards strongly. I think they're the far better choice, and I also believe that as America has seen in the last couple of years all the lies that have been unearthed about this administration's position in Iraq, I think every member of Congress who voted for it is doubting this administration's credibility.
COOPER: Why do you think voters continue to say that President Bush would handle the responsibilities of commander-in-chief more than John Kerry would?
KUCINICH: Well, you know that's an interesting...
COOPER: More people have faith, it seems, in President Bush in terms of the war in Iraq, the war on terror.
KUCINICH: First of all, I don't believe that, and secondly, you have to consider that most Americans -- or many Americans still think Iraq had something to do with 9/11 as a result of the Bush administration's pounding away and trying to make a connection. What I'm saying is these debates have to be about truth, it has to be about accountability. This administration has not been held accountable, except Senator Kerry made President Bush accountable in the last debate and Senator Edwards will make the vice president accountable in this debate, and I think as that happens, Americans will see that they'll be much safer with John Kerry as the next president because he's not going to get us into wars we don't need to get into. He's not going to create conditions where terrorism becomes more of a factor because of an administration's conduct of office.
COOPER: Congressman Kucinich, we appreciate you joining us tonight. Thank you for being with us.
KUCINICH: Thank you.http://www.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0410/04/acd.01.html
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