Rep. Charlie Rangel Explains His Controversial Remarks...
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This is a partial transcript from "Hannity & Colmes," June 10, 2005, that has been edited for clarity.
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ALAN COLMES, CO-HOST: Earlier this week, New York Democratic Congressman Charlie Rangel sparked a controversy when he compared the war in Iraq to the Holocaust. He said the war is, "It's the biggest fraud ever committed on the people of this country. This is just as bad as the six million Jews being killed. The whole world knew, and they were quiet about it because it wasn't their ox being gored."
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Meanwhile, Democratic National Committee Chair Howard Dean laid out his case a year before the war, talking about weapons of mass destruction, biological, chemical and nuclear capabilities, you ended up voting for the guy who had the same position. Hillary had the same position. The U.N. had the same position.
You're just mad because it's George Bush, and you're politicizing war. Isn't that true?
RANGEL: That's not true at all. As a matter of fact, I got on John Kerry's case for voting for it, as well as Clinton and all the other people.
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But the truth of the matter is that we have lost 1,600 young people. We haven't had any losses like that in any things you talked about. We have 12,000 young men and women that are coming home. We have all the...
HANNITY: All right. I might have to apologize to you. Wait a minute. I might have to apologize to you.
So are you saying that John Kerry, when he said he had nuclear weapons capability, biological and chemical weapons capability, you're saying John Kerry also committed the biggest fraud committed on this country? He's as guilty as George Bush?
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RANGEL: If John Kerry had had a preemptive strike against Saddam Hussein that was preplanned by most of the people in the Bush administration, I would say that.
HANNITY: Do you have any evidence of that, sir? Before you — Congressman, before you make accusations like that, you'd better have evidence. There's no such evidence that exists, and you know it.
RANGEL: There is the Project for American Century that in 1998, it was composed of Wolfowitz, Cheney, Pearl and then Rumsfeld.
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HANNITY: Oh, Congressman...
RANGEL: And they put it...
HANNITY: You've got black helicopters flying all over the world, too. Come on, Congressman. That's not evidence.
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RANGEL: Please let me finish my point. Let me finish my point.
They put in writing and sent a letter to President Clinton, to Majority Leader Lott and to Gingrich. And they asked that there be a preemptive strike. This is before 9/11.
HANNITY: Clinton preemptively struck...
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RANGEL: You're not going to tell me...
HANNITY: ...in '98.
RANGEL: This was planned long before 9/11. And 90 percent of the American people thought...
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COLMES: We...
HANNITY: Oh, stop it.
RANGEL: ... thought there was a connection between it.
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COLMES: We've got to break. We've got to break. Clinton didn't start this war against Iraq either, by the way. Charlie, good to see you. Thanks for being here.
RANGEL: OK.
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