Kucinich Does Good Job Staying On Message Re: UnConstitutionality Of War Against Libya; O’Reilly, Obviously, Does Not Care About The Constitution

BILL O’REILLY: So Congressman, I know you oppose the action against Gadhafi. But what do you say to the families of the 190 families killed on that Pan Am jet? What do you say to them, Congressman?

REP. DENNIS KUCINICH (D), OHIO: Well, if the President wanted to take this action pursuant to what happened on the Pan Am jet, then he should have told Congress but he didn’t say anything to Congress. Yes they have congressional approval, Bill and he didn’t — he didn’t ask for it.

O’REILLY: So that’s your beef, that he went around you guys on the Hill, not the action itself.

KUCINICH: It’s not a beef; it’s about the Constitution.

O’REILLY: But — but President Bush did the same thing and the courts wouldn’t challenge him. And you’re not going to get anywhere with this.

But I want to know about your — when you saw the tide change last week and you knew that they were going to put together a coalition to bomb Libya, did you say good, let’s get Gadhafi out of there?

KUCINICH: You know what; I didn’t actually know what you said. I didn’t know that until we heard about it on Friday. The President should have come to Congress. That’s my irreducible position.

It’s not — we can’t be involved in regime change. But you have to come to Congress if you’re going to attack another country. He didn’t do that that’s not a small matter. And I’m not going to back off of that.

O’REILLY: Ok, I’m not asking you to back off on it but let’s say if the President when he gets back from his South American and Central American jaunt comes to Congress and explains. Would you support the action against Gadhafi, the military action?

KUCINICH: No, as a matter of fact, I’ll be moving forward with an amendment and the continuing resolution to cut off funds for the Libyan attack.

O’REILLY: Ok, but then I go back to my original question. If you don’t support the action to get him out of there because that, I’m sure you agree with me that’s what this is all about.

(CROSS TALK)

O’REILLY: Yes, what do you say to the families, 190 Americans killed and, remember, that U.S. and British intelligence, both intelligence service intercepted cables from the Libyan government discussing the bombing in Lockerbie and the bombing in Berlin that led to the Reagan retaliation.

So what do you say to those families? They said look, we’ve been waiting all these years to get this guy and you say what?

KUCINICH: Now you — you have to be honest with the American people. If that’s what this is about then we should say so.

(CROSS TALK)

O’REILLY: But it is about that; that’s partially what it is about.

KUCINICH: It’s about — I agree with you. I — Bill O’Reilly I agree with you that an unspoken part of this operation is to knock Gadhafi out. But are we willing to pay the price in U.S. blood and treasure?

O’REILLY: I’m willing to pay the price as an American. And a CNN poll says 70 percent of Americans agree with me. You’re not willing —

(CROSS TALK)

KUCINICH: Let’s see what they say in a week.

O’REILLY: — but Congressman, you are not willing to pay the price to avenge the death of 190 Americans and to send the message to other terrorists that no matter who you are we’re going to come and get you.

KUCINICH: Well, you know, that’s one thing to say no matter who you are we’re going to come and get you. And you do that as a police action. It’s another thing to launch a full scale attack against another country that you know, which did not threaten us. There is no immediate or eminent threat to the United States. The President has to come to Congress, Bill. There is no way of getting away from that.

O’REILLY: All right, I’m not arguing that — I — I don’t mind him coming to Congress or doing whatever you want him to do. That’s fine. But I —

(CROSS TALK)

KUCINICH: That’s the Constitution.

O’REILLY: — look, in — in Rwanda we saw three quarters of a million people slaughtered.

KUCINICH: Right.

O’REILLY: All right, you would not have intervened under the same philosophy that you are now telling me. You would not have intervened?

(CROSS TALK)

KUCINICH: No —

O’REILLY: Rwanda was not a threat to the United States.

KUCINICH: I didn’t say that.

O’REILLY: No but you — but you have to say it if you’re going to be consistent. Libya is not a threat to the United States —

(CROSS TALK)

KUCINICH: I didn’t say that.

O’REILLY: That’s true. Libya is not a threat.

But Gadhafi’s carpet-bombing guys, who are driving around in old Chevys with pistols, he’s killing them. You know he’s going to wipe out the opposition. So you’re not willing to go in even on that basis and stop Gadhafi from doing that?

KUCINICH: Our intervention in Iraq and Afghanistan has been a disaster. This intervention in Libya is not going to turn out the way you think it will. It’ll be another disaster. We have to stop spending the treasure of the United States in these military adventures and start taking care of things here at home, Bill.

O’REILLY: So you are willing to be — to sit by and watch Gadhafi slaughter his opposition and you know he would.

KUCINICH: I’m not willing to be the policeman of the world. But that’s my opinion.

I’m saying that if he’s going to take action against Libya. He can’t do it on his own. He’s not a king. He is a President and he has to abide by the Constitution which doesn’t give him unilateral authority to attack another nation. He has to come to Congress, just simply the facts.

O’REILLY: All right, Congressman, you are a stand-up guy for coming in and debating. We appreciate it?

KUCINICH: Thank you, Bill.