O'Reilly, Kucinich spar over impeachment, unite on gas prices David Edwards and Muriel Kane

Published: Thursday June 12, 2008



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Print This Email This Bill O'Reilly introduced Dennis Kucinich on The O'Reilly Factor by referring dismissively to Kucinich's current attempt to impeach George W. Bush. "A House vote to impeach President Bush was tabled this afternoon," O'Reilly remarked snidely. "This sent it to committee, which means a majority of Congresspeople don't want to deal with it." "It was referred to committee. It wasn't tabled," Kucinich immediately objected. The normal first step whenever impeachment charges are brought is to refer them to committee for review. However, O'Reilly was not to be swayed. "It's not going anywhere," he insisted. "People on my radio program are saying, 'Why is a smart guy like Dennis Kucinich wasting everybody's time, taxpayers' money, on this nonsense ... when we've got out of control gas prices?'" In response, Kucinich pointed to his attempts to pass a windfall oil profits tax. He then attempted to change the subject to the Iraq War and the recent Senate Intelligence Committee report, leading O'Reilly to grumble, "Can I get on to really what I want to talk about here?" "It's your show," Kucinich grinned. O'Reilly complained that a windfall profits tax would be useless because the oil companies would either pass it on to consumers or just refuse to drill for oil, to which Kucinich replied that "it would be a tax not at the pump, but on profits," with the money going into a fund to support more fuel-efficient vehicles. However, when Kucinich mentioned his investigation of "the role of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission," O'Reilly immediately caught fire. "Oh, I'm with you on that!" he exclaimed. "Go get 'em!" "They're actually standing back while all the speculation is going," Kucinich explained." "Has nothing to do with supply and demand, driving the price of oil ..." "Look, Congressman, I'm your best friend on that issue," O'Reilly chimed in. "You ought to take all of your time, knock off the dopey partisan impeachment stuff ... get those bad guys." "You want me to tell you how they're connected?" Kucinich asked. "This administration is tied very closely to the oil industry, which is why nothing's been done." He suggested that impeachment hearings might pry loose documents like those on Cheney's secret energy task force which the administration has refused to reveal. The two men concluded by reaffirming a willingness to work together on the Commodity Futures Trading matter. "I want those SOB's taken down," O'Reilly stressed. "Let's work together to save the American consumer at the pump," Kucinich smiled." "Bill O'Reilly and Kucinich, together at last," This video is from Fox's O'Reilly Factor, broadcast June 11, 2008.

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