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American Morning
Interview With Representative Dennis Kucinich
Aired October 14, 2003 - 09:15 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Congressman Dennis Kucinich has spent months in the presidential fray. We've seen him in debates already. But the Ohio Democrat has not made his candidacy official until now, in fact, yesterday.
He launched his formal campaign in Cleveland with a 2004 announcement tour of 12 different states. And today, the candidate is in Albuquerque, New Mexico, to join us now and talk about his campaign.
Good morning, sir.
REP. DENNIS KUCINICH (D), OHIO: Good morning.
HEMMER: Thanks for spending time with us here on "American Morning."
Other than the obvious PR push, what's the sense of all these candidates right now running for president, stumping in Iowa, stumping in New Hampshire, showing up in the debates and then going official with your candidacy? Why split it in two parts?
KUCINICH: Well, actually for me, I can tell you that we wanted to see if we could pull together an organization in 50 states -- we have. We wanted to see if our third quarter would outpace our second quarter fund-raising -- we've done that.
And also, now that I'm continuing to lead the effort to try to get the United States out of Iraq, we have the people, the money and the momentum on a key issue to carry the campaign to the American people.
HEMMER: On that very topic, why do you think that's a good idea now? Your proposal is to get U.S. troops out of that country entirely by the first of the year.
KUCINICH: Yes, actually, I put that proposal on my Web site at kucinich.us. And the reason why I say that is there's no question that we're there for the wrong reasons.
Our troops are at risk. Three American soldiers were killed last night. We need to do everything we can to get the U.N. in and the U.S. out, because the U.N. should handle the oil, the contracts, the cause of new governance.
The United States does not need to be an occupying army there. This $87 billion, which Congress is being asked to appropriate this week, is going to keep us there. That's why I'm going to vote against that. I'm leading the way to get the United States out of Iraq and that's an important part of this campaign.
HEMMER: Your answer takes us right into the latest numbers out of Baghdad. Gallup did a poll in Baghdad and asked residents what they thought about U.S. troops and involvement there: 71 percent believe the U.S. troops should stay at least several more months.
How do you respond to that, if you want to take the U.S. out and where does that leave that country then?
KUCINICH: Well, you know, we could go to the U.N. with a resolution that would cause the circumstances to be created to get the U.N. in. I'm not saying that you leave the people of Baghdad defenseless.
What I am saying is that our soldiers are at risk being there, because we're seen as an occupying army. We need to get the U.N. in and we can get our troops out. And my plan, which is on my Web site, as I mentioned at kucinich.us, calls for the troops to be home by New Year's. And I think that can be accomplished...
HEMMER: Which country do you believe...
KUCINICH: ... and I think we should focus on that.
HEMMER: ... is willing to step up and put their troops in harm way, in place of the U.S.?
KUCINICH: I think when America is ready to renounce its unilateralism and preemptive policies, that we can get a U.N. resolution that would be supportive of having the U.N. handle the oil, the contracts, the cause of new governance. I think there are many nations of the world that would be...
HEMMER: Give me a name.
KUCINICH: ... willing to participate.
HEMMER: Give me a country, a name.
KUCINICH: I'd say France and Germany and all the countries that have stood -- that stepped aside because the U.S. basically wanted a loan. If the U.S. changes its policies -- and it has to, by the way, or we're going to be stuck there -- I mean, we've got to get out of there.
HEMMER: You think the French government is willing to send their own troops into Baghdad right now and defend that peace, knowing that...
KUCINICH: Under the circumstances...
HEMMER: ... every day there are troops dying there on the ground? KUCINICH: Under the circumstances that I've described, where the United States renounces its unilateralism and preemption, it's time for us to reach out to the world community. It's so important that America reconnects with the world community in the cause of stabilizing Iraq.
And we have to do it, not at the risk of our soldiers, who are already seen as an occupying army, but by taking steps to go to the U.N. with a resolution that says, let the U.N. handle the oil, no privatization, the contracts, no Halliburton sweetheart deals, the cause of new governance.
The U.N. reaches out to the world community and we create a healing of the divisions that occurred when the U.S. attacked Iraq unilaterally, didn't find any weapons of mass destruction.
I mean, what's this all about and why are we keeping our troops there? It's time to bring our troops home, get the U.N. in and the U.S. out.
HEMMER: One more thought here, before I let you go, 2 percent of the respondents in our latest CNN USA Today Gallup Poll say they would vote for you for president. Your numbers are meek right now. You've cast yourself as a liberal Democrat. Can a liberal Democrat win in '04 or do you need to take a more moderate position and appeal to a wider swathe of voters?
KUCINICH: Well, first of all, I have the right issues. I think most Americans, as we get into the primaries, are going to say, you know, Kucinich is right. Get our soldiers back home. We need to get the U.N. in, the U.S. out. We can't spend anymore money for an occupation.
And I think you, you know, you talk about too liberal? Never forget that the American eagle needs two wings to fly.
HEMMER: Thank you, sir. Good luck to you. Dennis Kucinich, a Democrat out of Cleveland, Ohio, now running for the White House in '04.
Thank you for your time.
KUCINICH: Thank you.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired October 14, 2003 - 09:15 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Congressman Dennis Kucinich has spent months in the presidential fray. We've seen him in debates already. But the Ohio Democrat has not made his candidacy official until now, in fact, yesterday.
He launched his formal campaign in Cleveland with a 2004 announcement tour of 12 different states. And today, the candidate is in Albuquerque, New Mexico, to join us now and talk about his campaign.
Good morning, sir.
REP. DENNIS KUCINICH (D), OHIO: Good morning.
HEMMER: Thanks for spending time with us here on "American Morning."
Other than the obvious PR push, what's the sense of all these candidates right now running for president, stumping in Iowa, stumping in New Hampshire, showing up in the debates and then going official with your candidacy? Why split it in two parts?
KUCINICH: Well, actually for me, I can tell you that we wanted to see if we could pull together an organization in 50 states -- we have. We wanted to see if our third quarter would outpace our second quarter fund-raising -- we've done that.
And also, now that I'm continuing to lead the effort to try to get the United States out of Iraq, we have the people, the money and the momentum on a key issue to carry the campaign to the American people.
HEMMER: On that very topic, why do you think that's a good idea now? Your proposal is to get U.S. troops out of that country entirely by the first of the year.
KUCINICH: Yes, actually, I put that proposal on my Web site at kucinich.us. And the reason why I say that is there's no question that we're there for the wrong reasons.
Our troops are at risk. Three American soldiers were killed last night. We need to do everything we can to get the U.N. in and the U.S. out, because the U.N. should handle the oil, the contracts, the cause of new governance.
The United States does not need to be an occupying army there. This $87 billion, which Congress is being asked to appropriate this week, is going to keep us there. That's why I'm going to vote against that. I'm leading the way to get the United States out of Iraq and that's an important part of this campaign.
HEMMER: Your answer takes us right into the latest numbers out of Baghdad. Gallup did a poll in Baghdad and asked residents what they thought about U.S. troops and involvement there: 71 percent believe the U.S. troops should stay at least several more months.
How do you respond to that, if you want to take the U.S. out and where does that leave that country then?
KUCINICH: Well, you know, we could go to the U.N. with a resolution that would cause the circumstances to be created to get the U.N. in. I'm not saying that you leave the people of Baghdad defenseless.
What I am saying is that our soldiers are at risk being there, because we're seen as an occupying army. We need to get the U.N. in and we can get our troops out. And my plan, which is on my Web site, as I mentioned at kucinich.us, calls for the troops to be home by New Year's. And I think that can be accomplished...
HEMMER: Which country do you believe...
KUCINICH: ... and I think we should focus on that.
HEMMER: ... is willing to step up and put their troops in harm way, in place of the U.S.?
KUCINICH: I think when America is ready to renounce its unilateralism and preemptive policies, that we can get a U.N. resolution that would be supportive of having the U.N. handle the oil, the contracts, the cause of new governance. I think there are many nations of the world that would be...
HEMMER: Give me a name.
KUCINICH: ... willing to participate.
HEMMER: Give me a country, a name.
KUCINICH: I'd say France and Germany and all the countries that have stood -- that stepped aside because the U.S. basically wanted a loan. If the U.S. changes its policies -- and it has to, by the way, or we're going to be stuck there -- I mean, we've got to get out of there.
HEMMER: You think the French government is willing to send their own troops into Baghdad right now and defend that peace, knowing that...
KUCINICH: Under the circumstances...
HEMMER: ... every day there are troops dying there on the ground? KUCINICH: Under the circumstances that I've described, where the United States renounces its unilateralism and preemption, it's time for us to reach out to the world community. It's so important that America reconnects with the world community in the cause of stabilizing Iraq.
And we have to do it, not at the risk of our soldiers, who are already seen as an occupying army, but by taking steps to go to the U.N. with a resolution that says, let the U.N. handle the oil, no privatization, the contracts, no Halliburton sweetheart deals, the cause of new governance.
The U.N. reaches out to the world community and we create a healing of the divisions that occurred when the U.S. attacked Iraq unilaterally, didn't find any weapons of mass destruction.
I mean, what's this all about and why are we keeping our troops there? It's time to bring our troops home, get the U.N. in and the U.S. out.
HEMMER: One more thought here, before I let you go, 2 percent of the respondents in our latest CNN USA Today Gallup Poll say they would vote for you for president. Your numbers are meek right now. You've cast yourself as a liberal Democrat. Can a liberal Democrat win in '04 or do you need to take a more moderate position and appeal to a wider swathe of voters?
KUCINICH: Well, first of all, I have the right issues. I think most Americans, as we get into the primaries, are going to say, you know, Kucinich is right. Get our soldiers back home. We need to get the U.N. in, the U.S. out. We can't spend anymore money for an occupation.
And I think you, you know, you talk about too liberal? Never forget that the American eagle needs two wings to fly.
HEMMER: Thank you, sir. Good luck to you. Dennis Kucinich, a Democrat out of Cleveland, Ohio, now running for the White House in '04.
Thank you for your time.
KUCINICH: Thank you.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
