Gravel Responds To Harsh Criticisms
Long-Shot Democratic Hopeful Shoots Back At McCain And Biden
NEW YORK, July 15, 2007
(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.
