SEN. KENNEDY: Well, the—I cannot think of circumstances today where I, I would think that you’d want to even consider using the tactical nuclear weapons in those, in those circumstances. I think we ought to retain a military option, but I think the nuclear option is a condition which is not what we ought to be thinking about. The idea that the United States is thinking about a first strike capability in, in Iran is not the message that the United States ought to be giving to the Iranians, to that region of the world, to the world. I think it would be very dangerous and very, very counterproductive.

MR. RUSSERT: Osama bin Laden has released a new audiotape. Why can’t we capture him?

SEN. KENNEDY: I don’t know. Why did we abandon the, the effort to capture him and divert our attention? I think that is the diversion of the war on terror. We went into Iraq instead of continuing to focus the—on Osama bin Laden and the war on terror. We had them on the run, we had them at the Tora Bora in the mountains there, we had them in other areas in those mountainous regions, and we have effectively abandoned that to move into Iraq. That was a very dangerous mistake. And the idea that he hasn’t been captured today, I think is a, a real blunder by the administration. That is the direction—we should be in—fighting the war on terror rather than go in, in a trumped-up intelligence, into, into Iraq. And the cost of Iraq is just overwhelming and continuing and ongoing, and that has to end.

MR. RUSSERT: Let me turn to immigration. Do you believe that there can be a bipartisan consensus immigration reform bill this year?

SEN. KENNEDY: Yes, I do, and I think there’s strong support for it. Senator McCain and I have worked very closely with the Democrats and Republicans in both caucuses. I think we’ve got a very substantial strong bipartisan legislation which is very tough on enforcement and national security, recognizes the economic realities and also the values which this country stands for in terms of people that work hard, play by the rules, obey the law, pay the penalties over a long time, go to the end of the line of immigrants that are coming in here and be able earn their right to be part of the American family. I think we can do that.

I would have hoped that the president would become more involved. If the president were to take on the right wing of his own political party, we could get this legislation and pass it very, very quickly, and I think the overwhelming majority of Americans would support it. I think it would be a major achievement. I think that — we call on the president to be involved and to be willing to take that step, I think he’d play a very important role. I think it’s — it would be very, very useful. I think we’ll get it, but it would be very — it would be better if we were able to get it with his support.

MR. RUSSERT: Well, that’s interesting, because you told the Richmond Times-Dispatch — this is March 19, 2006, just five weeks ago, you said, “President Bush has been courageous on this issue.”

SEN. KENNEDY: That’s right. He has spoken about immigration for over a year and a half when others were unwilling to do so. The question is now, with this particular legislative proposal, will he go the last step and say, as presidents can, “Look, here is the consensus. There’s a consensus in the Republican, there’s a consensus in the Democratic Party, let’s hold back my right wing and pass this legislation and achieve something to be important.”

I commended the president because for a year and a half he talked about immigration when it was difficult for Senator McCain and I to get it on the national agenda, to get it on the Senate agenda. So he was. Now is the opportunity for presidential leadership.

Story continues below ↓

advertisement | your ad here

MR. RUSSERT: Democrats have been uneasy about your role, saying that you’re too quick to compromise with the Republicans. You were too quick on the Medicare drug plan, too quick on education policy, and that when your leader in the Senate, Harry Reid, said, “No amendments,” you criticized Harry Reid now.

SEN. KENNEDY: The — we’ve made important progress on the issues of immigration. The Democrats are virtually united, virtually united in a comprehensive approach. We saw that with the votes in the United States Senate. So the Democrats are virtually united on it, and we have a very substantial group of Republicans that are united on a comprehensive approach.

MR. RUSSERT: The Senate should allow...

SEN. KENNEDY: And then the Senate’s going to be...

MR. RUSSERT: The Senate should allow amendments.

SEN. KENNEDY: The, the Senate should — obviously it’s going to have to allow amendments. The real issue was were we going to have an unlimited series of amendments by those individuals who declared their opposition to this and that they would not support it under any circumstances whatsoever? What we have traditionally and historically done is had the leaderships work out an accommodation on those kind of issues. Time ran out at that particular time. We’ve got the time, we ought to do it, and do it now.

MR. RUSSERT: John McCain, your co-sponsor on this bill, in 2000 said that Jerry Falwell was an agent of intolerance. He’s now met with Reverend Falwell, going down to Liberty University to talk at his commencement address on May 13^th. What do you think of that?

SEN. KENNEDY: What, that he’s going down to talk? I think it’s fine. I went down there and talked as well. I was invited down there and talked at Jerry Falwell’s university to—as well.

MR. RUSSERT: Well, let me show you what you—let me show you what you—let me show you some of the things...

SEN. KENNEDY: So I mean, what are you trying to drive us—a division between my friend John McCain and I about visiting there together...(unintelligible)?

MR. RUSSERT: Well, do you think Reverend Falwell’s an agent of intolerance?

SEN. KENNEDY: Tolerance. I think he’s had statements which I think I find intolerant in the past. I wouldn’t have used the “agent of intolerance.” But I don’t know why, why we’re dwelling on that necessarily. I think the fact that John McCain has an opportunity to talk to those young students, and Jerry Falwell invited him down there to do that, is a constructive and positive step. And I think John...

MR. RUSSERT: When you, when you went down you were very critical of Reverend Falwell. Would, would you expect John McCain to do the same?

SEN. KENNEDY: Well, we, we—he’s frank. He’s straight-talkin’. We’ll have a chance to see what he’s going to come on up with.

MR. RUSSERT: You would hope that he would be frank?

SEN. KENNEDY: Well, I think that it’s going to be fair. He’s going to obviously separate himself from, probably, past statements or accusations of the—of Reverend Falwell, but I imagine he’ll make a very candid speech, the sort of person that he is. But I think the idea that he’s going down there is, is constructive and positive. I think he talks to the young people. It’s an incredible national radio structure that he has that goes all over the country, every part of the nation, talks to people that support Falwell. And the idea that they hear a different voice on a lot of the issues that John McCain’s involved in I think is good for the country.

MR. RUSSERT: Straight, straight talk.

SEN. KENNEDY: Straight talk.

MR. RUSSERT: Is he doing it for political reasons?

SEN. KENNEDY: Oh, well, you’ll have to hear him on the program and he’ll tell you.

MR. RUSSERT: What do you think?

SEN. KENNEDY: He’s ambitious and he’s political. And I—what he’s going to do in the future is, is anyone’s guess. But I, I think—most of us think that he’s probably looking to the future with, with the politics on his mind.

MR. RUSSERT: Let me turn back to the book, “America: Back on Track.” Here’s the Kennedy plan for health care that America deserves. “The most effective option is to expand Medicare to cover all Americans. ... It gives patients a clear guarantee that they will be able to see the doctor of their choice.” Forty million people on Medicare now, 80 million when the baby boomers retire, and now you want to expand it even more?

SEN. KENNEDY: Yes.

MR. RUSSERT: Even though the financial pressures are huge? What’s wrong with what you did in Massachusetts? An insurance plan which could be expanded across the country?

SEN. KENNEDY: That’s, that’s—I’m going to come to that. But just in regards to the book, that book was written basically because of my deep concern about the general sense of disarray that exists in our terms of our democracy and in terms of our political institutions responding to the major issues of our time.

Let me point out a different time in American political life where we had leaders that came—brought Democrats and Republicans together to deal with these major issues on, on race, on education, on so many of the other issues that have been overriding and overwhelming, and we’re missing that opportunity today. And that book is really about how we get the America back on track.

Specifically, what I have talked about in the, in the book in terms of the expansion of the Medicare. Medicare provides extraordinary health care to our seniors and the—and it has the confidence of the American people. It’s not a new program. And I suggest in there that one of the alternatives in reaching national health insurance would be to gradually expand the Medicare system to make sure that we are going to cover basically all Americans. We have the CHIP program that looks after children that come from needy families and for poor families. And if those different groups could really meet in the middle and we got a comprehensive report, now that I think is the goal and the idea.

I still believe very strongly in universal comprehensive coverage, but in Massachusetts, we saw where Democrats and Republicans came together, and we have passed a bill that is going to provide the comprehensive coverage in that—in our state. And I’m going to battle to help and assist—other states are going to do this if they have the opportunity to do it. But I think in the back of my mind is always getting a universal coverage.

CONTINUED

< Prev | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | Next >

Discuss Story On Newsvine
Rate Story:
View popularLowHigh
Email
Instant Message
Print