....Moreover, Kucinich himself seemed only momentarily fazed by Perle's sharp right to his integrity and went on, indomitable demagogue that he seems to be, to maintain that the coming war with Iraq will be fought to control that nation's oil. Kucinich, a presidential candidate, has made this charge before, and when Tim Russert asked him on "Meet the Press" to back it up, here is what he said:
"I base that on the fact that there is $5 trillion worth of oil above and in the ground in Iraq, that individuals involved in the administration have been involved in the oil industry, that the oil industry would certainly benefit from having the administration control Iraq, and that the fact is that, since no other case has been made to go to war against Iraq, . . . oil represents the strongest incentive."
But it is not true that no other case has been made for war with Iraq. In fact, many cases have been made
....Kucinich's accusation was too much for Perle, a Pentagon adviser and Washington's uber-hawk. He called Kucinich's argument "a lie."
"It is an out-and-out lie," he said. "And I'm sorry to see you give credence to it." But Kucinich, who must have studied logic in France, came roaring back. "Well, if America is not at threat, then what is this about? And many people are wondering: 'How did our oil get under their sand?' "
A better question is: How did this fool get on "Meet the Press"?
....something truly awful has happened. The looming war has already become deeply and biliously ideological. By that I mean that the extremes on both sides — but particularly the war's opponents — no longer feel compelled to prove a case or stick to the facts. As with Vietnam, this is becoming an emotional battle between ideologues who, as usual, don't give a damn about the truth.
Sounds like our Dennis.
UPDATE
Glenn Reynolds has in the past particularly enjoyed Kucinich's Space Preservation Act, which would ban space-based "mind control" devices. No, really.
Article comments
1 - Katie and chris
Hey father that article was wonderful. we are sitting in social studies completely bored.The govenor from ohio is a deusch. Mr. Snider is a deasch also. We are hoping this will pass the time. Abused & Neglected Snowman Society Incorporated. What is happening both Glenn's
2 - Eric Olsen
Well thanks, I believe douche is spelled "douche" - hope you feel better Chris!
3 - George Hunter
Richard Perle is a proven liar. Who is the idiot who wrote this commentary?
4 - michael
Note that Pearle simply refuses to reply to Kucinich's oil criticism. Even Bush, himself, has often mentioned that the natural resources of the region are an "American interest." Oil is an important part of the Administration's desire for war, but there are also other crucial factors. Pearle is a liar for not acknowledging this fact and he cannot be trusted.
5 - CLEVELAND (OHIO)
The Worst Mayors (1820-1993)
Next, and seventh, is Cleveland's Dennis Kucinich (1977-79). Only thirty-one years old when elected, Cleveland's "boy" mayor had failings that were not the sins of venality or graft for personal gain, but rather matters of style, temperament, and bad judgment in office. Kucinich earned seventh place the hard way: by his abrasive, intemperate, and confrontational populist political style, which led to a disorderly and chaotic administration. He barely survived a recall vote just ten months into office, then disappeared for five weeks, reportedly recuperating from an ulcer. When he got back into the political fray, his demagogic rhetoric and slash-and-burn political style got him into serious trouble when he stubbornly refused to compromise and led Cleveland into financial default in late 1978â€"the first major city to default since the Great Depression. That led also to Kucinich's defeat and exit from executive office. Out of office, he dabbled in a Hollywoodesque spirit world and once believed he had met actress Shirley MacLaine in a previous life, seemingly confirming his critics' charges that he was a "nut-cake." After that, he experienced downward mobility, losing races for several other offices and finally ending up with a council seat; but more recently, he climbed back up to a seat in Congress. Bad judgment, demagoguery, and default also spelled political failure in the eyes of twenty-five of our experts, who ranked Dennis, whom the press called "the Menace," as seventh-worst.
The American Mayor
The Best & The Worst Big-City Leaders
By Melvin G. Holli
The Pennsylvania State University Press
6 - cLEVELAND (OHIO)
Excuse me, but Dennis Kucinich as a presidential hopeful? How outrageous a notion. This is the man, the mayor, who brought Cleveland to its knees financially. Under his "leadership," the city went into default. We were broke by the time George Voinovich took over.
Voinovich brought the city back by working with corporate CEOs and visionaries in a consortium that helped bring renewed vibrancy to the city in terms of companies investing in real-estate development and manufacturing, revitalizing downtown after years of decline under Kucinich.
I can't believe Kucinich's constituents have been so gullible as to elect him for four terms as a congressman. What has he done for them - in Congress or as mayor?
Think back. The city had no money. Standard & Poors downgraded Cleveland's bond rating during Kucinich's outgoing year.
This man is to be considered to lead our great country? Get a grip, all you blue-collar workers and voters who cling to the hope that Kucinich is the answer. Forget it. He doesn't know how to lead or to bolster an economy.
Laura Carrabine
Cleveland, Ohio