MSNBC "The Ed Show" - Transcript

Interview

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REP. DENNIS KUCINICH, OVERSIGHT AND GOVERNMENT REFORM COMMITTEE:

Because I think that the oversight process has to be handled with a great deal of deliberation and calmness and fairness without any smears or innuendoes, that we have to realize the real power of government on this committee is the power to destroy people"s reputations. And you have to proceed in a way that is dispassionate and that where fairness as your watch word. And any attempt to use the power of the chair in a way that points a finger to some and accuses someone of something without facts is something that is very dangerous in a democracy and so I"m prepared to step forward to defend our democratic institution of oversight and to do it in a way that is fair and vigorous.

SCHULTZ: Darrell Issa"s already commented about your attempt to be the ranking member on this committee. He commented that the Dems, they aren"t serious if they elect you, they animated that. What do you feel about that?

KUCINICH: Well, I think that it"s unseemly for Mr. Issa to try to make any comments about this election. It"s not up to him to pick who will be the democratic counterpart on the committee. It"s up to the members of the democratic caucus. And I have throughout this day been in contact with members of the caucus to discuss the concerns that I have about what would be an effective response to the approach that Mr. Issa wants to use. You know, this is a discussion that people are just starting to have. So, people have to have a chance to breathe in the idea of a challenge to the way that Mr. Issa apparently wants to do business. I"m a very fair person. But I"ll tell you something. I cannot be rolled. I cannot have someone sit next to me, making base assertions or smears against people and let it rest. I will challenge anything like that at every turn in order to protect the institution of Congress"s oversight capacity.

SCHULTZ: What about Ed Towns? He wants to stay in this position.

Would you do a better job than Ed Towns?

KUCINICH: Well, he"s a good man. You know, Ed Towns is my friend. I"m talking about an approach which I think is going to be necessary to deal with Mr. Issa, the presumptive chair, because of the charges that he"s already made about the White House, the charges that he"s made equating the American recovery act money with walking around money, the recklessness to proceed with conclusions without gathering evidence, that"s very dangerous. And I want Mr. Issa to know he"s my friend, that friend though we may be, I will challenge him at every turn.

SCHULTZ: Is he after President Obama?

KUCINICH: Well, I think he already made it clear, on Rush Limbaugh"s show what his intentions are with respect to the White House. And as a matter of fact it"s not just Mr. Issa, it"s Senator McConnell made it clear that the sole duty as far as he"s concerned is to try to destroy the Obama presidency. We cannot let oversight become a vehicle for the destruction of individuals or destruction of a presidency. We have to have facts follow where they may and then you draw the conclusion from the facts but when you start making unsubstantiated allegations that you then try to pass off as fact, that is not what oversight"s about. That"s something that"s not democratic and I am determined to preserve Congress"s role as an effective oversight capacity without any--without any hint of innuendo or smears of anyone.

SCHULTZ: Congressman Dennis Kucinich, always a pleasure. I hope you get it.

KUCINICH: Well, I appreciate what you say.

SCHULTZ: I think the base in this country needs a strong lefty that won"t back down in a position. And I"ll tell you, if it"s not you, the Democrats better come up with a real solid strategy on how to counterpunch all of this because in my opinion, this is all about 2012, this is all about slowing down the progressive agenda, it"s all about getting rid of President Obama and gumming things up, dis-focusing the country. Dennis, I hope you get it. Good to have you with us.

KUCINICH: I"m going to take a stand.

SCHULTZ: Thank you, congressman.

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