Ron Paul and Dennis Kucinich: Allies Against War

Lindsey Graham: You know what I worry about most: an unholy alliance between the right and the left. That there are some Republicans who are not going to take a, you know, do-or-die attitude for Obama’s war. There are some Republicans that want to make this Obama’s war.

Judge Napolitano: Joining me now are two members of that so-called “unholy alliance”: Texas Republican Congressman Ron Paul and Ohio Democratic Congressman Dennis Kucinich. Gentleman, thank you both for joining me. Congressman Kucinich, to you first. Is there a permanent war mentality in the Congress in Washington, D.C. or is it likely that sensible people in both parties, like you and Congressman Paul, will say, “Enough is enough. It’s too costly in blood, in lives and in money that we don’t have.”

Dennis Kucinich: The answer to your two questions is yes on both counts. There is a permanent war economy and there is a permanent war mentality. And, we’re so much a part of what we do except that it’s counter-productive, it’s costly, it’s killing our ability to take care of things here at home. So, I’m glad to work with Mr. Paul on so many issues relating to what we can do to be secure as a nation and at the same time stop this colossal waste of money and lives which has been involved in, not just the war in Iraq, but also, the ongoing effort to clear the surge into putting even deeper footings into Afghanistan.

Judge Napolitano: Congressman Paul, are Republicans coming to their senses that perhaps the Iraq war was not worth the cost? That it has not made us any safer? Are Republicans coming to their senses that we don’t need a 130,000 troops in Afghanistan, chasing what the President’s own Security Advisor acknowledged, was a hundred or fewer Al Qaeda? Or are Republicans opposing the war just because the Commander-in-Chief happens to be a Democrat?

Ron Paul: Well, one at a time, a small number of Republicans are coming around, but I think the Republican leadership actually, is pretty pro-war. If you look at us, when they criticize Obama and say that he’s doing a terrible job, it isn’t because they would like to back-off from some of this activity, it’s because they’re not doing enough. When they proposed spending cuts they said “except for this militarism,” for the military-industrial complex, so, I would say, the people and a lot of conservative independents in the Tea Party movement, it’s a lot of people there saying, “Enough is enough.” But, unfortunately, we have a little bit of work to do to get more Republicans because when we have votes, when Dennis and I will get to work to bring a vote to the floor, even though the majority of the Democrats won’t be with us, he gets more Democrats, a significant number more of Democrats being opposed to the war than Republicans. So, we’re still down in less than a dozen members of the Congress that are Republicans that will support an anti-war position.

Judge Napolitano: Congressman Kucinich, between you and Congressman Paul, and your colleagues in the Senate, it seemed to me, at one point, there was a majority of members of Congress in favor of auditing the Fed and finding out exactly what the heck it’s been doing. And then the power elites flexed their muscles and somehow that legislation never became law. What happened?

Dennis Kucinich: Well, the amendment that I was able to get through a committee was eliminated and that would have produced more oversight of the Fed. Congressman Paul can speak to his efforts, which really have been very powerful in trying to bringing the Fed to democratic control. The fact of the matter is the Fed has been a law to itself. It creates money out of nothing with a quantitative easing and that money is backed by the full faith and credit of the United States. It has given money to banks which park the money at the Fed, gain interest and then the banks wouldn’t turn around and loan businesses money to create jobs. I mean, the Fed has been a nightmare since 1913 and I agree with Ron Paul that we need dramatic changes in the structure.

Judge Napolitano: On my vacation, I read “End the Fed”. It’s a masterpiece, Congressman Paul, your book. What are the chances that will happen?

Ron Paul: Well, the Fed will end when the dollar is destroyed. It’s not going to end because we’re going to come to our senses because the Fed is very, very powerful but I think two things are happening. I think, that the fact that we didn’t get our bills passed and we don’t have any significant increase in oversight shows how powerful they are. But, what I look to for the future is the interest of the people and the young people and what’s happening on the campuses. And, they’re studying and they’re understanding the evils of the Federal Reserve. So, I think we have made that much more popular because we’ve been able to work together, both on the left and the right. And, I am so pleased that Dennis is not only working closely with us on the war but on the Federal Reserve too. So, I think that’s where the greatest progress has been.

Judge Napolitano: Congressmen, thanks very much, both of you, for joining us.