15th Democratic Presidential Debate • Marquette University •
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
MSNBC Anchor Lester Holt • Asks Candidate Rev. Al Sharpton
•• IF He Thought GWB Had Lied To The World •• About Devil
Saddam Having WMD
•• Sharpton Calls GWB A Lying Liar 15 Times ••
HOLT: "I'd actually like to let Reverend Sharpton follow up on
that very question. Do you think that the president knowingly
lied, and if so, why?
SHARPTON: Well, first of all, I think that if he did know he was
lying and was lying, that's even worse.
(LAUGHTER)
Clearly, he lied. Now if he is an unconscious liar, and doesn't
realize when he's lying, then we're really in trouble.
(LAUGHTER)
Because, absolutely, it was a lie. They said they knew the
weapons were there. He had members of the administration say
they knew where the weapons were. So we're not just talking
about something passing here. We're talking about 500 lives.
We're talking about billions of dollars.
So I hope he knew he was lying, because if he didn't, and just
went in some kind of crazy, psychological breakdown, then we
are really in trouble.
Clearly, you know, I'm a minister. Why do people lie? Because
they're liars. He lied in Florida; he's lied several times. I believe
he lied in Iraq.
(LAUGHTER)
(APPLAUSE)
HOLT: And Reverend, you'll recognize, obviously, calling
someone a liar is a very serious charge. So it does lead to that
question...
SHARPTON: I think he lied.
HOLT: So it does lead to the question: Why would he lie?
SHARPTON: Why do people lie? I mean, if in my judgment...
HOLT: I mean, knowing he would be in the position that you're
putting him in now, why would he...
SHARPTON: Well, first of all, Lester, let us look at the facts. The
facts are that what they presented to the United Nations, what
they presented to the world was not so. You can only assume
that they had to know if they said that they knew where the
weapons were, that they knew they didn't know where they
were.
And now to come back and tell us that Saddam Hussein is a
cruel, despicable person, which we all agree, but we believed
him when he told us he had them. Can you imagine me telling
you that I believe somebody that you should never believe, and I
brought 500 people to their deaths believing in a man that was as
despicable as Hussein, and this is who we're going to have over
the troops' lives in this country?
I think that this is absolutely outrageous. Why he lied? I think we
should give him the rest of his retirement to figure that out and
explain to us."
9:55:02 AM
