Gravel Responds To Harsh Criticisms

Long-Shot Democratic Hopeful Shoots Back At McCain And Biden

(CBS)  Written for CBSNews.com by Joy Lin.

---

At times taking notes and chuckling, Mike Gravel watched – for the first time – video of harsh criticisms made against him by fellow presidential contenders on the Senate floor the previous day.

During a Senate debate Tuesday over the defense reauthorization bill, Sen. John McCain, R-Arizona, read remarks made on December 15, 1970 by then Sen. Gravel, D-Alaska. McCain said the current push for a "precipitous withdrawal" from Iraq in order to protect American forces is reminiscent of the argument Gravel made for U.S. withdrawal from Cambodia.

"Yeah, there was an argument that prohibited the United States from being involved in Cambodia," McCain said. As a result, "three million people were slaughtered, one of the great acts of genocide in modern history."

Repeating the phrase, "I've seen this movie before," McCain said he had "seen this movie before from the liberal left in America" who "share no responsibility for what happened in Cambodia."

In his rebuttal of McCain's remarks on the Senate floor Tuesday, Sen. Joe Biden, D-Delaware, rejected McCain's use of the term "precipitous withdrawal" to characterize the stance of those in favor of withdrawing from Iraq. Biden also took issue with McCain's use of Mike Gravel as a representation of the Democrat's stance on the war. Drawing from his recollections as a young senator, Biden said, "Nobody agreed with Gravel! Give me a break! Quoting Gravel as a voice of the left! He was the voice of his voice!"

After watching the video at CBS News on Wednesday, Mike Gravel said McCain had taken a debate he had with Senator Bob Dole out of context.

"I embarrassed the heck out of Dole," said Gravel. "For a very simple reason, which I pointed out. We're the ones who invaded Cambodia. We're the ones who bombed them and caused 8,000 deaths ... We deposed their legitimate leader King Sihanouk. We overthrew him, put in our puppet."

Gravel continued, "All I got to do is say ... John McCain, go back to the beginning of the movie to understand what's happening. 'Cause he wasn't there to see the beginning – well he was there to see the beginning of the movie. He was bombing people, and he was shot down. Well, what have we accomplished by bombing Agent Orange in Vietnam? What have we accomplished? You as an American can now go to Hanoi and buy Baskin ice cream, Baskin Robbins ice cream."

Gravel has repeatedly said Congress should make it a felony to stay in Iraq, which could enable the Senate and House to override the President's veto and withdraw U.S. forces. Gravel said he isn't advocating for a precipitous withdrawal, but what he calls a "proper withdrawal."

"If we're going to withdraw, let's withdraw," said Gravel. "Because, what happens to the Americans between now and next year? What do you tell those families? 'Oh, we want to withdraw. We just didn't want to do it in a hurry to save your son or your daughter's life'."

Regarding Biden's comments, Gravel acknowledged that he does not make popular decisions. Gravel said that when he filibustered for the draft and released the Pentagon papers, he "was marginalized by the American media. And now, when we look back, 'my, wasn't the senator courageous'."

Gravel said it was the "Communist government of Vietnam who came in and had to deal with the Pol Pot killing fields" after the U.S. withdrew. He said that Iran could have a similar role in stabilizing Iraq.

"Most Americans forget, including Joe Biden, that Iran helped us two years ago to get the Taliban in Afghanistan," Gravel said. "And after they did that, after they helped us, George Bush calls them the Axis of Evil. These people want stability in the area more than we do. We want an empire."

Asked about whether he thinks he can win the presidency, Gravel responded, "That's up to the American people."

"I will carry it as a badge of honor the fact I haven't raised these multi-million dollars from the insurance industry, from the pharmaceutical industry, from the military industrial complex, from the trial lawyers," said Gravel.

[bluestardad]

SPEAK YOUR MIND BUDDY! YOU SPEAK THE TRUTH!

[red164]

Regarding Biden's comments, Gravel acknowledged that he does not make popular decisions. Gravel said that when he filibustered for the draft and released the Pentagon papers, he "was marginalized by the American media. And now, when we look back, 'my, wasn't the senator courageous'."

[red164]

Drawing from his recollections as a young senator, Biden said, "Nobody agreed with Gravel! Give me a break! Quoting Gravel as a voice of the left! He was the voice of his voice!"

Regarding Biden's comments, Gravel acknowledged that he does not make popular decisions. Gravel said that when he filibustered for the draft and released the Pentagon papers, he "was marginalized by the American media. And now, when we look back, 'my, wasn't the senator courageous'."

Asked about whether he thinks he can win the presidency, Gravel responded, "That's up to the American people."

"I will carry it as a badge of honor the fact I haven't raised these multi-million dollars from the insurance industry, from the pharmaceutical industry, from the military industrial complex, from the trial lawyers," said Gravel.

[randalds]

Mike...go away...you're becoming an embarrassment, to yourself and those who have to listen to and see you, just like Nader is. Stop it. Now. Thank you.

[red164]

Posted by RandalDS at 09:14 PM : Jul 15, 2007

"I will carry it as a badge of honor the fact I haven't raised these multi-million dollars from the insurance industry, from the pharmaceutical industry, from the military industrial complex, from the trial lawyers," said Gravel.

The Democratic party has to many spineless politicians, "Gravel is a refreshing change from that party line rhetoric" and you seem to be one of the biggest supporters of those other losers.

[red164]

Posted by RandalDS at 09:14 PM : Jul 15, 2007

Oh BTW,

Coming from you a person that has failed at marriage twice and whose parents tried 4 times each you, claiming Gravel is becoming an embarrassment is almost a backhanded compliment.

[randalds]

He's getting as shrill and silly as Ralph Nader. he doesn't stand a chance of winning and is beginning to look more like a cartoon character instead.

"Coming from you a person that has failed at marriage twice and whose parents tried 4 times each you, claiming Gravel is becoming an embarrassment is almost a backhanded compliment."

Irrelevant.

Posted by red164 at 09:41 PM : Jul 15, 2007

[red164]

Posted by RandalDS at 09:45 PM : Jul 15, 2007


I%u2019m sure you won%u2019t agree with Gravel about his POPULIST CONCEPT OF DEMOCRACY you and those spineless Democratic leaders would just like for people like Gravel to fade away.

You follow the DNC as well as some of those Looney Republicans follow the RNC gospel of politics line for line.

http://www.gravel2008.us/national_initia

tive

Mike Gravel for President 2008

The National Initiative for Democracy
A POPULIST CONCEPT OF DEMOCRACY

%u201CLet the People Decide%u201D

The central power of government in a democracy is lawmaking not voting. Those who make the laws determine how, when, and if voters can vote. Florida and Ohio are but recent examples. Governments throughout history have been tools of oppression; they need not be. American citizens can gain control of their government by becoming lawmakers and turning its purpose to public benefit, and stemming government growth
the people are more conservative than their elected officials regardless of political party.

Are the people qualified enough to make laws directly to govern their lives? They%u2019re qualified enough on Election Day to give their power away to political candidates who manipulate the electoral process to get elected. In fact, it%u2019s easier to decide one%u2019s self-interest directly than it is to guess the mind of a representative who will naturally put his or her self-interest first.

[randalds]

I%u2019m sure you won%u2019t agree with Gravel about his POPULIST CONCEPT OF DEMOCRACY you and those spineless Democratic leaders would just like for people like Gravel to fade away.

Posted by red164 at 09:50 PM : Jul 15, 2007

I follow reality. He has no realistic chance of getting the nomination or the win in the general election. Therefore he is a distraction, just like Nader or Ron Paul. All they are doing is adding to the static.

[red164]

static.
Posted by RandalDS at 10:11 PM : Jul 15, 2007

If you were a radio station, no one would ever hear anything else.

[red164]

David Edwards and Muriel Kane
Published: Monday July 9, 2007

Gravel retorted, "What's more important? Getting office? Or doing the moral thing and stop people from dying? I'll tell you, if that's the sacrifice we've got to pay to stop these people from dying and killing these Iraqis, I'll pay that sacrifice every day of the week."



Gravel insisted that the votes against Bush "are there now" and that you just have to get them. He recalled his own extended filibuster of the draft during the Vietnam War, saying, "Five months, and there's no draft in the United States today, and I'm proud that George Bush does not have the boots on the ground to invade Iran."

When Stephanopoulos pointed out that many Democrats fear their party's opposition to the Vietnam War has cost them political support in the decades since, Gravel retorted, "What's more important? Getting office? Or doing the moral thing and stop people from dying? I'll tell you, if that's the sacrifice we've got to pay to stop these people from dying and killing these Iraqis, I'll pay that sacrifice every day of the week."

Stephanopoulos concluded by saying to Gravel, as he had to Paul, "You're not going to be president." Gravel's response was, "One of the great beauties of this great country of ours is that anything is possible in politics. You just have a tough time accepting it."

[red164]

David Edwards and Muriel Kane
Published: Monday July 9, 2007

former Democratic Sen. Mike Gravel and Republican Rep. Ron Paul. While providing both underdogs with prime network coverage, the one-time communications director for President Clinton also told the candidates straight to their faces that he didn't believe either could win.

Stephanopoulous pressed Paul on his calls for immediate withdrawal of the troops from Iraq, saying, "Don't we have a responsibility to those we leave behind?"

"It's a tragedy of what's happening, what we're going to leave behind," replied Paul. "But we don't know it's going to be as bad as those who are predicting bad things -- just remember, the people who are predicting these very, very dire things to happen are the same ones who predicted it would be a cakewalk. ... Think of Vietnam. It worked out much better than anybody predicted."

"The main motivating factor of the hostility to this country ... is our presence in the Middle East," continued Paul. "The sooner we get out of there, the better. ... We have done a great service to Osama bin Laden, inadvertently, because it's a recruiting tool for him. ... We have become isolated from the world. .. We have more enemies today, more enemies and less friends than we have ever had in our country."

[red164]

Stephanopoulos then asked Paul, "What's success for you in this campaign?" but cut off the start of Paul's response, "Well, to win ..." with an interjected "That's not going to happen!"

"Do you know absolutely?" Paul came back. Do you want to bet every cent in your pocket for that? ... The odds are great ... but I would say that what has happened so far has been 100 times greater than I anticipated."

[red164]

Of course, the many are parroting Stephanopoulos but

." Gravel's response was, "One of the great beauties of this great country of ours is that anything is possible in politics. You just have a tough time accepting it."

"Do you know absolutely?" Paul came back. Do you want to bet every cent in your pocket for that? ... The odds are great ... but I would say that what has happened so far has been 100 times greater than I anticipated."


Stephanopoulos concluded by saying to Gravel, as he had to Paul, "You're not going to be president." Gravel's response was, "One of the great beauties of this great country of ours is that anything is possible in politics. You just have a tough time accepting it."

[red164]

MR. STEPHANOPOULOS: So let's follow the metaphor. What are the ripples you want to send out in this campaign?

SEN. GRAVEL: Thank you for asking that, because the ripples are that we've got to pull away from politics as usual. I'll give you an example. At the last debate on the 32nd wing at the end I made the statement about their being immoral.

SEN. GRAVEL: (From tape.) We have to have a president who has moral judgment.

Most of the people on this stage with me do not have that judgment and have proven it by the simple fact of what they've done.

SEN. GRAVEL: It's not their personal life I was talking about. I was talking about the fact that those presidential candidates that are standing up with me, they've got the power to end this war and they're not doing anything about it. And that in my mind is immoral, because as we we're talking then, as we're talking now, George, human beings are dying and American soldiers are getting their bodies blown apart and we're killing Iraqis, and there's no reason for it. We can stop that. And so if they aspire to be president, they ought to show some leadership in the Congress right now to end it. And I've given them the tools to do this with, and they don't pick up on it.

[brianbwb-2009]

RandalDS,

I understand your pragmatism, Gravel really cannot defeat the dollars aligned against him.

But I would also say that the points he made during his conversations with Stephanopolos are indeed valid, and such views should be given much more airtime, as they also represent reality, and it is obscene that none of the front runners dare speak such truth.

It is beyond madness that people are dying for no real reason other than greed, and the current crop of wannabe presidents on both sides are drinking the blood of innocents trying to attain office.

[randalds]

I understand your pragmatism, Gravel really cannot defeat the dollars aligned against him.

But I would also say that the points he made during his conversations with Stephanopolos are indeed valid, and such views should be given much more airtime, as they also represent reality, and it is obscene that none of the front runners dare speak such truth.

It is beyond madness that people are dying for no real reason other than greed, and the current crop of wannabe presidents on both sides are drinking the blood of innocents trying to attain office.
Posted by brianbwb at 01:32 AM : Jul 16, 2007

I certainly support his right to speak and to run for office. In fact I agree with much he has to say. However that doesn't change the cold hard truth that supporting him with money or a vote is wasting both. It's no different then supporting Nader or any third party candidate. Hey if it makes someone feel better to do it then they should go for it, but they should have no illusions of victory. It ain't going to happen in our lifetime. Far better (and more realistic) to work for change from within one of the established parties.

[red164]

Mike...go away...you're becoming an embarrassment, to yourself and those who have to listen to and see you, just like Nader is. Stop it. Now. Thank you.
Posted by RandalDS at 09:14 PM : Jul 15, 2007

I certainly support his right to speak and to run for office. In fact I agree with much he has to say. However that doesn't change the cold hard truth that supporting him with money or a vote is wasting both. It's no different then supporting Nader or any third party candidate. Hey if it makes someone feel better to do it then they should go for it, but they should have no illusions of victory. It ain't going to happen in our lifetime. Far better (and more realistic) to work for change from within one of the established parties.
Posted by RandalDS at 02:30 AM : Jul 16, 2007

I read many of your posts and some others have accused you of having either a drug problem, drinking problem or some type of mental disorder. One thing for sure you certainly suffer from memory loss.

[randalds]

I read many of your posts and some others have accused you of having either a drug problem, drinking problem or some type of mental disorder. One thing for sure you certainly suffer from memory loss.

Posted by red164 at 02:45 AM : Jul 16, 2007

I see nothing inconsistant in those two posts. He has the right to speak just like I have the right to say I wish he'd shut up and go away.

[randalds]

Besides, his right to speak and my right to wish he'd shut up and go away don't change the fact that he hasn't a snowballs chance in hell of doing anything more then wasting his breath, time and his contributors money. The idea of a 3rd party or out of the mainstream candidate being anything other then a distraction is still a pipe dream.

[brianbwb-2009]

However that doesn't change the cold hard truth that supporting him with money or a vote is wasting both. Posted by RandalDS,

100% correct, dude, I just wish the challenge in his message could be put repeatedly to the mainstream candidates for a "calling out" of how they stand on letting people die so they can better rally support to gain office.

[johnpatrick9]

Three cheers for Senator Gravel for putting the arrogance and stupidity of the military mindset in it place: needless death and maiming is not a matter of honor. What we did in Nam and Cambodia ,as well as the horror we have visited upon Iraq, is nothing to be proud of. The Military and the American people were lied to and misled by corrupt politicians who cared not a fig that there actions ripped bodies and minds apart to bolster their sense of ego and pride. Mcain is just one more Republican idiot willing to spend lives and to maim human bodies for ill conceived notions of national security. If a Nation cannot defend itself and is not willing to make the sacrifice then as the Roman saying goes: "Some slaves idealized their chains for it suits them to be slaves." We have to stop sticking our nose in where it does not belong and clean up the mess and inequalities here at home first. Lead by example and not from the cockpit of a jet dropping napalm and agent orange upon hapless citizens of their own land. Lets dump the fascist attitude of the past years and the nutjobs who propogate it. MANY will look back upon these ugly years and ask: "Did you stand for or against libety and the ideals of America or were you a fascist supporter of the military-industrial complex?" Hitler is a shame upon the German nation and bush-cheney will and is a shame upon America.

[trillion1]

Considering the abismal choices in the lead so far I wouldn't write anyone off at the moment.

[forthepeopl1]

Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki said Saturday that the Iraqi army and police are capable of keeping security in the country when American troops leave "any time they want," though he acknowledged the forces need further weapons and training.

OK THE WHAT IN THE HELL ARE WE STILL THERE, AS THE PRESIDENT HAS STATED ONCE AL-MALIKI TELLS US HE DOESN'T WANT US THERE WE WILL LEAVE.

ITS TIME FOR OUR SEN/REPS TO REMINDE HIM OF WHAT HE HAS STATED..NOW LETS GET THE F/U/C/K/ OUT OF THERE.

so how about looking up how many times this dirt bag of a president and his side kick cheney has told all america that if they say they dont need us than we will leave.

so how about it mr president you said many times we will leave if they dont need us. so how about it..

congress and all media should be pounding what he has stated on tv many many times..put this in his face all day and night

[panhandlpete]

So we end up with the person who collects the most money? That speaks volumes for the intellect of the citizen voters, doesn't it? We go to the polls and select the name we've seen the most in newspaper ads and on television, regardless of their qualifications or platforms. If the voters wish to send a message to the elite rich who rule this country, a vote cast for someone like Gravel would do just that. But, without enough votes to win the nomination, then your vote is wasted. That is why there are so many people in the race. The wanna bees can afford to say what is the truth and hope it finds receptive ears and a vote. The top contenders have to watch every word and action for fear it will return to "haunt" them, and they end up saying a lot but really saying nothing.

I plan to make my selection from the group BELOW the top two in the DEM group or still thinking of becoming an Independent.

I would say that both parties have failed the American people. The DEMS have been unable to pass legislation to END THIS WAR, and the REPUBS just thumb their noses at "what the people want" and the Constitution and rule of law. If the REPUBS cared about the future of their party, they would cast votes to END THIS WAR, using whatever means necessary to do it. Doing what Warner and Lugar did is like "pixxing in the wind." Get these two relics out of Congress!

[mudrose-2009]

"I will carry it as a badge of honor the fact I haven't raised these multi-million dollars from the insurance industry, from the pharmaceutical industry, from the military industrial complex, from the trial lawyers," said Gravel.

Then I guess it's hedge funds. This guys a real patooie.

[prinzowhales]

Mike Gravel was absolutely right. "I married the mob" McCain wants to re-write history. Ziggy Brzenski even admitted that we backed Pol Pot and his murderous gang. You can lay the Killing Fields of Cambodia beside the Killing Fields of Iraq at the feet of the Jackal Regime in Washington--Democrats and Republicans supporting a war of aggression for the sake of the successors of Brown & Root and Big Nose Baines...Halliburton and the Chimp.

Troops home now! You have been betrayed by the Washington Regime! Remove the Usurpers!

[georip]

Gravel is showing that the Empire has no clothes and the only way to correct the problem is for the people to reclaim democracy. Mike is offering the method to do that as well at the website nationalinitiative.us We need world peace not world war, and we must sustain that peace through future generations. Any of these candidates will be better than Bush, but not if we the people don't exert eternal vigilence over the rapacious military/industrial/financial/media/political complex. It is a wonderful truth that the majority of mankind has integrity and intelligent goodwill. Go Mike Gravel

[getit1776]

It's a slow news day out there; so, we get this minor scrap between a washed-up republican candidate and this nut case. Yawn.

[blueyes20]

I understand that alot of people don't support Sen. Gravel, but to say he should be faded out this early in the game is TERRIBLE. Whatever happend to an America where every person has the right to be heard. If you don't like what he said than DON'T watch him and why look up articles about him. I am confused as to whether people that post badly about him in the back of there minds are for him but are maybe to scared to come out publicly to admint this. I don't know, all I know is that this is not a popularity contest and the elite have made you think it is. I support GRAVEL 150% because HE IS THE VOICE OF THE PEOPLE. Not the RICH people but ALL PEOPLE.

[red164]

Posted by parrot2 at 09:31 AM : Jul 16, 2007

Another parrot, didn%u2019t you read Alzheimer%u2019s heads posts. The simpleton starts spouting how Gravel should go away and the man%u2019s an embarrassment followed in the next post that Gravel has the right to run for office and he%u2019s supports his right to speak.

Then you dive in to support that moron and you call me a dumbazz, it%u2019s getting more difficult to identify the bigger morons on these boards between, the hard-core rightist and ultra creepy Liberals.

Gravel
"I will carry it as a badge of honor the fact I haven't raised these multi-million dollars from the insurance industry, from the pharmaceutical industry, from the military industrial complex, from the trial lawyers."

I hope Gravel stays in the race as long as possible, because he%u2019s tells the truth and that%u2019s one reason the man%u2019s an outsider.

[red164]

Posted by parrot2 at 02:57 PM : Jul 16, 2007

Go back to your opinion based posting you%u2019re much too snide to be taken to seriously.

[randalds]

Another parrot, didn%u2019t you read Alzheimer%u2019s heads posts. The simpleton starts spouting how Gravel should go away and the man%u2019s an embarrassment followed in the next post that Gravel has the right to run for office and he%u2019s supports his right to speak.

Posted by red164 at 01:50 PM : Jul 16, 2007

There's no conflict of opinion between endorsing his right to speak and wishing at the same time that he'd shut up and go away. One does not cancel out the other. Just because I support his right to speak (and run) doesn't mean I have to endorse him doing either or request that he stop doing both. You really can't grasp anything that's not pure black or white can you? You have no ability to understand any subtly at all do you?

[red164]

Posted by Parrot2 at 03:26 PM : Jul 16, 2007

It%u2019s called reality, fortunately I haven%u2019t been brain washed by either party and turned into a left or tight wing parrot.

[red164]

Posted by RandalDS at 03:39 PM : Jul 16, 2007

There%u2019s really no clear explanation for your third trip to the pulpit but did you have to get approval from a witch doctor, my those women must%u2019ve been a bunch of third world flunkies especially the new one.

[randalds]

Posted by RandalDS at 03:39 PM : Jul 16, 2007

There%u2019s really no clear explanation for your third trip to the pulpit but did you have to get approval from a witch doctor, my those women must%u2019ve been a bunch of third world flunkies especially the new one.
Posted by red164 at 03:45 PM : Jul 16, 2007

And this has what to do with my opinion on Gravel's run for the nomination being a waste of time, money and effort? Or is there supposed to be some insult aimed at me because I've been married three times? If that's the case then I can only add that along with no being able to grasp even the most simple of logic concepts, you're not very good at insulting people either.

[red164]

Posted by RandalDS at 03:50 PM : Jul 16, 2007

Bravo for you now move on.

[red164]

Posted by parrot2 at 04:00 PM : Jul 16, 2007

Oh really, now can you move on to.

[randalds]

Posted by RandalDS at 03:50 PM : Jul 16, 2007

Bravo for you now move on.

Posted by red164 at 03:55 PM : Jul 16, 2007

Trying to say I don't have right to free speech now? LOL!

[red164]

SEN. GRAVEL: You know what's worst than a soldier dying in vain is more soldiers dying in vain.

REP. RON PAUL (R-TX) (Former Congressman): (From tape.)It was a mistake to go, so it's a mistake to stay and if we make -

[red164]

REP. PAUL: We have a lot of responsibility, but it's to the American people. We have it to our troops. We need to get them out of a bad situation, we need to get them out of harm's way, and we need to protect the American taxpayer. It's a tragedy of what's happening, what we're going to leave behind, but we don't know it's going to be as bad as those who are predicting bad things. Just remember, people who are predicting these very, very dire things to happen are the same ones who predicted it would be a cakewalk.

[red164]

SEN. GRAVEL: - show leadership, and the Lee Iacocca's title for his book is "Where Have all the Leaders Gone." Well, George, this leader is back, and I'm a tough leader and I'm going to hold all of these other people accountable. They want to be president? Let them show their bona fides to be president.

MR. STEPHANOPOULOS: You've said that no person who voted for the war is qualified to be president. That knocks out Hillary Clinton. That knocks out Joe Biden.

SEN. GRAVEL: That's right.

MR. STEPHANOPOULOS: That knocks out Chris Dodd.

SEN. GRAVEL: That's right.

MR. STEPHANOPOULOS: That knocks out John Edwards.

SEN. GRAVEL: That's right. And it will knock out Obama if he doesn't shape up and help end the war now, because if he wants to show he's a leader, you do it in the Senate where he is. He's got power.

MR. STEPHANOPOULOS: He voted against the funding.

SEN. GRAVEL: Hey. They voted four times. He and Hillary voted for this vote that meant nothing on the water bill. What does that mean? That means you're standing there and this is a symbolic vote. Hypocrisy is what it is, George: hypocrisy. People are dying, and they're interested in the symbolic vote? Give me a break.

[red164]

SCOTT SPRADLING (Debate moderator): (From tape.) If you are elected president, how, if at all, would use former President Bill Clinton in your administration?

SEN. GRAVEL: (From tape.) Well, I'd send him as a roving ambassador around the world. He'd be good. He could take his wife with him, it will still be in the Senate. (Laughter.)

SEN. GRAVEL: I don't know if I would say - characterize it as "the time of my life." I'm a passionate person. I feel deeply. And so what I want to do is I want to fight. We are a great country, and we are at the tipping point. I don't know which side we're going to tip on, but '08 is as important election as 1877 when they made the decision that changed the South. Right now, we're going to make a decision in '08 whether we continue to go downhill with our empire building, and I will tell you very frankly that with respect to Hillary and the president, I view them as a package of one. They knew what was going on, but they made a political vote. And that political vote was to give Bush the power to go to war. That's what it was all about. In my mind that is a vote that showed they were morally tone- deaf - the both of them.

MR. STEPHANOPOULOS: So Hillary Clinton's not going to get your vote. Who is?

SEN. GRAVEL: I'm going to vote for myself. What are you talking about, George?

[red164]

GOOD: You left public office in 1981. Over the years, have you often wished to be back in the Senate?

MIKE GRAVEL: Only on the 11th of October, 2002, when the Senate approved the Iraq War resolution. I%u2019d have filibustered that sucker and stuck it up their nose with a pitchfork.

How come nobody did that?
No guts. No guts. No guts.

Why?
No guts. You hear all the time, %u201CWe%u2019ve got to compromise. We%u2019ve got to get along and go along.%u201D There are times to compromise. But a lot of times when you compromise, all you get is a big plate of mush. When principle is at stake, there is no compromise. That%u2019s the reason I was not loved by my peers in the Senate. Many of them hated me.

[red164]

So why run for president now?
A friend of mine called me. He was down in Mexico. He says, %u201CGravel, I%u2019ve got the answer. I know how you can bring national attention to the National Initiative%u2014you%u2019re going to run for president.%u201D I told him he was nuts. I maybe used an expletive or two, and that was it. And about three months later I came to the conclusion that he was right. If I was going to live to see this happen, I would have to run for president and use the celebrity nature of the contest to focus attention on the federal ballot initiative called the National Initiative.

That is the cornerstone of your campaign and would be the foundation of your presidency. How would this be a departure from current policy?
The major part of my activity is to make people lawmakers. In fact, I firmly believe that the people should make 100 percent of the policy decisions that affect your life. And I will provide the leadership for them to do that. That%u2019s when the Congress will shape up, because when the people have this kind of power, Congress will do a better job. If they don%u2019t shape up, the people will have the power to wipe them out.

[red164]

If elected president, you%u2019ve said the troops will be out of Iraq in 60 days, is that right?
You better believe it. First thing we%u2019ll do is blow up Abu Ghraib before we leave. And then we%u2019ll blow up Guantanamo, so we can communicate to the world that we don%u2019t torture people. We are Americans and we are going to be calling upon a higher moral standard than we%u2019ve seen in the last 50 years.

And the prisoners would be moved before the bombings?
Of course. Not only that, they%u2019re going to be assigned public defenders, by the government.

What would you do with our overcrowded prisons?
I%u2019d empty them. I couldn%u2019t pass the law, but I will bring to the American people a law saying that we will do away with sentencing and we will educate people. The sooner we get them educated and bring them back into society and making a contribution, the sooner we will advance our society. And, of course, I believe we have to stop this war on drugs. It%u2019s ridiculous. Drugs are a public health problem; they%u2019re not a criminal problem.

What will George W. Bush%u2019s legacy be?
The worst president in U.S. history. There are presidents that are pretty bad because they did nothing. He did something. The worst. The worst.

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http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/sfgate/detail?blogid=5&entry_id=18533

Opinion: Candidate Ron Paul would shrink military-industrial complex

Michael Maloney / The Chronicle

Ron Paul, a Republican congressman from Texas and 2008 presidential candidate, chats with members of The Chronicle's editorial board. He discusses his views on a number of topics, including the drug war (it's "no more successful than the war in Iraq"), federal income tax (he would abolish it), and the behavior of other GOP leaders in the House and Senate, who he says have "lost their way" and are "misleading so many people."