From
http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A44506-2004Feb15?language=printer
KUCINICH: The United States must renounce privatization. We have to
ask the U.N. for help in developing a constitution and new elections
in Iraq. We must pay for what we destroyed, pay for a U.N.
peacekeeping mission, and provide reparations for innocent civilian
non-combatants who lost their lives.
This is the plan to get out of Iraq. We can get out of Iraq, and I'll
lead the way.
GOUSHA: Lester?
HOLT: I'd actually like to let Reverend Sharpton follow up on that
very question. Do you think that the president knowingly lied, and if
so, why?
SHARPTON: Well, first of all, I think that if he did know he was lying
and was lying, that's even worse.
(LAUGHTER)
Clearly, he lied. Now if he is an unconscious liar, and doesn't
realize when he's lying, then we're really in trouble.
(LAUGHTER)
Because, absolutely, it was a lie. They said they knew the weapons
were there. He had members of the administration say they knew where
the weapons were. So we're not just talking about something passing
here. We're talking about 500 lives. We're talking about billions of
dollars.
So I hope he knew he was lying, because if he didn't, and just went in
some kind of crazy, psychological breakdown, then we are really in
trouble.
Clearly, you know, I'm a minister. Why do people lie? Because they're
liars. He lied in Florida he's lied several times. I believe he lied
in Iraq.
(LAUGHTER)
(APPLAUSE)
HOLT: And Reverend, you'll recognize, obviously, calling someone a
liar is a very serious charge. So it does lead to that question...
SHARPTON: I think he lied.
HOLT: So it does lead to the question: Why would he lie?
SHARPTON: Why do people lie? I mean, if in my judgment...
HOLT: I mean, knowing he would be in the position that you're putting
him in now, why would he...
SHARPTON: Well, first of all, Lester, let us look at the facts. The
facts are that what they presented to the United Nations, what they
presented to the world was not so. You can only assume that they had
to know if they said that they knew where the weapons were, that they
knew they didn't know where they were.
And now to come back and tell us that Saddam Hussein is a cruel,
despicable person, which we all agree, but we believed him when he
told us he had them. Can you imagine me telling you that I believe
somebody that you should never believe, and I brought 500 people to
their deaths believing in a man that was as despicable as Hussein, and
this is who we're going to have over the troops' lives in this
country?
I think that this is absolutely outrageous. Why he lied? I think we
should give him the rest of his retirement to figure that out and
explain to us.
(LAUGHTER)
(APPLAUSE)
GOUSHA: We're going to have to take another break. We'll continue with
this debate in just a moment.
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