Kucinich questions Bush’s mental health over Iran
Kucinich: Time to question Bush’s mental health
Bush: Congress ‘Wasted Time’ Trying To End Iraq War
Kucinich questions Bush’s mental health over Iran
Oct 30, 2007
Democratic presidential candidate Dennis Kucinich on Tuesday mockingly questioned President George W. Bush’s mental health for saying Iran’s nuclear ambitions might trigger World War III.
“I seriously believe we have to start asking questions about his mental health,” Kucinich, a quirky, long-shot candidate in the race for his party’s presidential nomination in the November, 2008 election. “There’s something wrong. He does not seem to understand his words have real impact.”
Kucinich spoke to the editorial board of The Philadelphia Inquirer ahead of a Democratic debate in Philadelphia.
Bush told a news conference two weeks ago: “I’ve told people that if you’re interested in avoiding World War III, it seems like you ought to be interested in preventing them (Iran) from having the knowledge necessary to make a nuclear weapon.”
Kucinich, a member of the U.S. Congress from Ohio, has tried in the past to convince his colleagues to impeach both Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney, to no avail.
He told The Inquirer he did not believe his remarks about Bush’s mental stability were irresponsible.
“You cannot be a president of the United States who’s wanton in his expression of violence,” Kucinich said. “There’s a lot of people who need care. He might be one of them. If there isn’t something wrong with him, then there’s something wrong with us. This, to me, is a very serious question.”
Kucinich: Time to question Bush’s mental health
Oct. 30, 2007
Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D. Ohio) suggested today that President Bush’s comment about a nuclear Iran precipitating “World War III” is a sign of mental instability.
“I seriously believe we have to start asking questions about his mental health,” Kucinich, a back-of-the-pack candidate for president, said in an interview with The Inquirer’s editorial board. “There’s something wrong. He does not seem to understand his words have real impact.”
At a news conference two weeks ago, Bush said, “I’ve told people that if you’re interested in avoiding World War III, it seems like you ought to be interested in preventing them (Iran) from having the knowledge necessary to make a nuclear weapon.”
“Dennis Kucinich has always been a hard guy to take seriously. but this takes the cake,” said Dan Ronayne, Republican National Committee spokesman. “Maybe he thinks preposterous quotes are the only way he can get his failed campaign any attention.”
Kucinich, who thinks Bush and Vice President Cheney should be impeached and charged with war crimes, is running sixth in most national polls. He said he doesn’t believe his comments about the president’s mental health are irresponsible.
“You cannot be a president of the United States who’s wanton in his expression of violence,” Kucinich said. “There’s a lot of people who need care. He might be one of them. If there isn’t something wrong with him, then there’s something wrong with us. This, to me, is a very serious question.”
Kucinich is in Philadelphia to participate in the presidential debate tonight at Drexel University.
Bush: Congress ‘Wasted Time’ Trying To End Iraq War
October 30, 2007
This morning, President Bush met exclusively with Republican congressional leaders to discuss the SCHIP bill. Afterward, he held a press conference slamming the Democratic leadership for “not getting its work done” in Congress, stating that the Senate had “wasted valuable time” trying to end the war in Iraq:
BUSH: Congress is not getting its work done. Near — we’re near the end of the year and there really isn’t much to show for it.
The House of Representatives has wasted valuable time on a constant stream of investigations and the Senate has wasted valuable time on an endless series of failed votes to pull our troops out of Iraq. And yet there’s important work to be done on behalf of the American people.
According to Bush, the Senate has wasted time listening to the wishes of the American public. Sixty-eight percent of Americans want U.S. forces in Iraq reduced or withdrawn entirely, according to a September CBS poll. An October Washington Post/ABC poll also found that a majority of Americans “do not believe Congress has gone far enough in opposing the war.”
Congressional Democrats have faced stiff conservative opposition in their efforts to end the war. In May, Congress approved a bill stipulating troop withdrawals from Iraq — which Bush promptly vetoed. Two months later, Democrats pushed the issue in all-night Senate session, but Republicans again blocked the legislation.
The only person who has “wasted valuable time” is Bush, who continues to bury his head in the sand and back a failed policy in Iraq. As Secretary of Defense Robert Gates said in April, Congress’s actions have been “helpful in demonstrating to the Iraqis that American patience is limited.”