Fox News "Your World with Cavuto" - Transcript

Interview

NEIL CAVUTO, HOST OF "YOUR WORLD": Well, these guys are just fed up. These guys are hoping to rev them up.

Democratic lawmakers now throwing their support behind these Wall Street protesters, among them, Ohio Democratic Congressman Dennis Kucinich.

Congressman, good to see you. So you support these guys. What are they protesting? And why do you agree?

REP. DENNIS KUCINICH, D-OHIO: Well, these guys are many young Americans, as well as those who are supporting them today, who are concerned about an economic system that is excluding them and excluding a whole generation of Americans who are not going to have access to jobs, to decent housing, to retirement security, to a good education.

The wealth of America is accelerating upwards. And I think this is healthy, that it is about freedom of speech and the right to assemble. And I am looking right now at the Statue of Freedom over the Capitol. Let me tell you something. This is freedom, this is America, this is something we ought to celebrate.

CAVUTO: So, why didn't you celebrated when Tea Partiers were running around the country and protesting all the spending and protesting the budget and the debt getting out of control? I don't remember you glomming onto that one.

KUCINICH: Well, you may -- if you check the record, I wasn't one of those who disrespected the Tea Party, because I saw that as a legitimate expression of concern.

CAVUTO: I understand, but you didn't join that rally. This one, you want to join.

KUCINICH: No, let me just tell you, that's the Tea Party. That is about tea. This is about bread. This is about bread in the literal sense, people's ability to be able to have a job.

CAVUTO: No, it wasn't about tea. No, it was about excessive taxation and excessive spending.

KUCINICH: What is?

CAVUTO: And how is that any different than what these folks are protesting?

(CROSSTALK)

KUCINICH: Listen, I think -- the real story here, Neil, I think, is that we are right on a threshold of a convergence of the concerns that are expressed by people who are in the Tea Party about the economy, and the concerns that are being expressed by those who are occupying Wall Street.

The convergence is over an economy that is excluding more and more people and putting more and more people's homes, retirement, jobs at risk.

(CROSSTALK) CAVUTO: Who are they blaming, though, Congressman? No, you raise a good point. I think they are meeting in some area here.

But who are they blaming? They're obviously going after Wall Street. Wall Street was bailed out. This president bailed them out on top of President Bush's bailouts. So who are they angry at?

KUCINICH: I think there are many voices expressing many concerns over descent in an economy that is excluding more and more people.

Now, for my part, I put it on the Fed. I believe that the Fed, which has created trillions of dollars and given it to banks, created money out of nothing, given it to banks, is now a prime culprit in an economy that is basically not addressing the practical aspirations of the American people for jobs, for health care, for education, for retirement security and for peace.

CAVUTO: Well, what has Congress done? Let's say the Fed has botched it. What have you guys done? You just dug us a deeper hole.

KUCINICH: Frankly I am not satisfied with a Congress that has approved wars, one of which was based on lies, a Congress that has not passed a meaningful jobs program that would put millions of Americans back to work.

I'm here occupying Congress, Neil.

(CROSSTALK)

CAVUTO: I know, but Congress spent $1 trillion in stimulus to address jobs. So, why aren't you part of the problem? We are in deeper doo-doo now and iffy results.

(CROSSTALK)

KUCINICH: Only part of the Recovery Act -- Neil, only part of the Recovery Act went to the kind of infrastructure repairs and building that I believe is necessary on a multitrillion-dollar scale to invest in business.

CAVUTO: Multitrillion dollars? We don't have it, Congressman. We're broke.

KUCINICH: Absolutely. Well, you know what, guess what? When you have the government reclaim its constitutional power under Article I Section 8 to coin or create money, the Fed is not spending in the public interest -- you have the government invest in the country, create millions of jobs rebuilding America, when you do that, then you see the economy pump primed, you see America going back to work, you see everyone making money again.

(CROSSTALK) CAVUTO: We don't. We are $5 trillion deeper in debt over the last couple of years.

KUCINICH: We don't have to be. We don't have to be.

CAVUTO: And what do we have to show for it?

KUCINICH: Well, you know what? We have a debt-based economic system. That is what is wrong. We shouldn't be borrowing money from China and Japan and South Korea.

CAVUTO: But we are. We are.

KUCINICH: But I'm saying we shouldn't.

And I have offered a new direction. It's HR-2990, called the National Employment Emergency Defense Act. Create jobs. Give the government the ability to create the jobs, to invest in America. That is what we ought to be doing.

(CROSSTALK)

CAVUTO: They tried and they botched it. You guys botched that. Didn't happen.

KUCINICH: You know what? You don't succeed, you try again. It's our country. We have to save it.

CAVUTO: Not with my money, Sparky. I love you dearly, Congressman, but you are doubling down, and now you're more like a blackjack player than a congressman. Stop. Cease. Desist, right?

CROSSTALK)

KUCINICH: Well, you know what? I would be willing to play poker with you.

CAVUTO: Really? Let's talk.

KUCINICH: Yes.

CAVUTO: We're going to take a break.

Seriously, Congressman, it's always a pleasure. Thank you very much.

KUCINICH: Good to see you.

CAVUTO: Dennis Kucinich.

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