(10 am. – promoted by ek hornbeck)
If you thought that Rep. Michele Bachmann and Sarah Palin were off the wall and out of the ball park with inane ideas, catch this interview with GOP Congressman Louis Gohmert (R-TX) by Anderson Cooper (full transcript below):
Congressman, thanks for being with us.
You heard Tom Fuentes, we had him on the program last nigh. He’s a former high-ranking FBI official who oversaw FBI offices in some of the biggest terror hot spots in the Middle East. He was on the program last night, and he said this whole is, in his words, ludicrous. And there’s absolutely no evidence or even concern about it ever in the FBI.
Here’s just some of what he said.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) TOM V. FUENTES, FMR. FBI ASSISTANT DIRECTOR: There was never a credible report or any report for that matter coming across through all of the various mechanisms of communication to indicate that there was such a plan for the terror babies to be born.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COOPER: So, before going on to the House floor and spreading this story, did you — did you call the FBI?
GOHMERT: You are going to keep me honest? You tell the world that you got an FBI statement, and you bring on a retired FBI, former supervisor, and he says, “We were not aware of any credible report that this was going on”? I brought it to the attention of America for this reason. It was — I’m a former judge, and I know —
(CROSSTALK)
COOPER: Did you bring it to the attention of the FBI? Did you call the FBI? That’s my question.
GOHMERT: She first brought in my attention on an — she brought it to my attention on an airplane having flown together, and she brought that to my attention. That’s why I was talking to a retired FBI agent about it. And so, having talked to him, no, I didn’t talk to them, because the point is: when we did the research, we found the hole existed.
Now, if —
COOPER: What research? Can you tell us about the research?
(CROSSTALK)
GOHMERT: You are attacking the messenger, Anderson, you are better than this. You used to be good. You used to find that there was a problem and you would go after it.
(COOPER)
COOPER: Sir, I am asking you for evidence of something that you said on the floor of the House.
GOHMERT: I did, and you listen, this is a problem. If you would spend as much time looking into the problem as you would have been trying to come after me and belittle me this week —
COOPER: Sir, do you want to offer any evidence? I’m giving you an opportunity to say what research and evidence you have. You’ve offered none, other than yelling.
GOHMERT: Do you ever look at your Web site? Do you ever look at your Web site? Do you?
COOPER: Sir — GOHMERT: Because if you had, you would have seen that Tony said that there are people that go from his neighborhood, come back and they have a baby and American passport. Just in “The Washington Post,” July 18th, 2010, here’s a — here’s a story, what can $14, 700 buy you in modern China? For that price —
COOPER: Sir, what you are talking about is tourists coming here —
(CROSSTALK)
COOPER: Sir, please let me say — what you are talking about is tourists who are coming here —
(CROSSTALK)
GOHMERT: — messenger and you are refusing to look at the gaping hole in the security of our country.
COOPER: Sir, you’re just being a — you’re just yelling. You’re not actually having a conversation.
(CROSSTALK)
COOPER: May I respond to you?
GOHMERT: If you want, let me finish this article. This says —
COOPER: I know, we have the article on the paper.
GOHMERT: — that U.S. citizenship.
COOPER: Yes.
GOHMERT: — and their children can have a more fair competitive advantage if they spend the money and come over here and get an American passport. You get —
COOPER: Sir, I agree with you. That was in “The Washington Post” and hotels here which sponsored these people and allow these people to come. But there’s no evidence of terror babies.
(CROSSTALK)
GOHMERT: You have to believe that the terrorists are more stupid that these enterprising people. They say that this business, so called birth business — birth tourism packages are online. Have you looked online? Go online and —
(CROSSTALK)
COOPER: OK. Sir, again, I am agreeing with you that there are tourists — sir, you can continue to yell all you want. Again, you’re just showing yourself not to have actually any evidence. What I am saying is, yes, those newspaper articles clearly — there are many tourists who come here to have babies so they can have U.S. citizenship. But any evidence of terror babies?
(CROSSTALK)
GOHMERT: — who have sent — sent pregnant women over here to have babies and I know that if I give you the name before I get it to people who will be objective, you’ll send somebody like the retired FBI agent and say, sir, we have information here that you sent your pregnant wife into the United States —
COOPER: The FBI says this is just not happening. You are spreading scare stories, and this is completely about politics.
GOHMERT: It is happening. It is happening.
COOPER: Where? Give me some evidence. Tell me one person, one terror baby that’s been born? Can you tell me?
GOHMERT: The explosions will not happen for 10 or 15 or 20 years and then you will be one of those blips. I’m not comparable to Winston Churchill, but the detractors like you are comparable to his detractors.
COOPER: OK.
GOHMERT: He tried to tell people these things were going on.
COOPER: All right.
GOHMERT: Anderson, do you really believe that the ones that want to destroy the United States are more stupid than these entrepreneurs in China, than these people in Mexico?
(CROSSTALK)
COOPER: OK. Well, sir, one of the things that the former FBI —
GOHMERT: Do you think they are that stupid?
COOPER: Are you willing to have a conversation or do you want to just yell?
One of the things that the former FBI agent pointed out —
GOHMERT: You will not let me present what we have —
COOPER: OK, one of the former —
(CROSSTALK)
COOPER: One of the former FBI agents pointed out on this program last night that terrorist groups have no problem recruiting U.S. citizens, have no problems sending people over here, that they don’t need to prepare 20 years from now.
(CROSSTALK)
GOHMERT: — there is no credible report of such a plan.
COOPER: Where it is?
GOHMERT: And I bet you, on 9/10, he were to come on your show and say there is no credible report of a plan to take down the World Trade Centers, because he didn’t have one.
COOPER: OK. So, you don’t believe the FBI when they currently say there is no credible report?
(CROSSTALK)
GOHMERT: — taking shots at me and look at the gaping hole in the security of this country. I’m an easy target, and you and Jon Stewart can have your fun. But please, at some point, look at the gaping hole in our security.
(CROSSTALK)
COOPER: Sir, I don’t think there’s anything fun about a congressman going on to the House floor and spreading scare stories. I don’t think there’s anything fun about that. And going on some TV show where you don’t get challenged about it. If you want to just yell about it all day long, you are certainly welcomed to do that and we don’t normally do that on this program. I have offered to present some form of evidence and you presented nothing.
GOHMERT: — series of hole in our security, and people are coming in here. The evidence abounds, this is called birth tourism.
(CROSSTALK)
COOPER: Right. Yes, there is birth tourism. I totally agree with you.
GOHMERT: — if you can convince America that the people who send in engineers to look at the plans and specs for the World Trade Center are more stupid than those entrepreneurs in China and Mexico who are sending people in here to have babies —
COOPER: OK. Again, this is a theory that you are propagating that you have no evidence for. There is a thing, “birth tourism,” but there’s no evidence in any of the articles that you cited that terrorists are actually partaking in that.
GOHMERT: The only thing that will satisfy you, obviously, the building blocks to this case, you won’t be satisfied until I bring in somebody who says, “I’m a terrorist and you are right.” I’ll send —
COOPER: No, I will take a legitimate former FBI agent who actually offers evidence. If you can present that person, let us know off-camera, we’d be happy to talk to them off-camera. But so far, you have presented nothing.
GOHMERT: I talked to that FBI agent, I promised him I would not reveal his name. COOPER: Well, that’s convenient. We have had a former FBI, a high-ranking one this office who says it’s ridiculous.
(CROSSTALK)
GOHMERT: If you go look at the story on “The Washington Post” —
COOPER: I’ve read, we have it on this program, they say nothing about terrorism.
GOHMERT: They say that they won’t give their names under the rules of embassy. So, it’s OK for other people —
COOPER: No, I’m just saying, in “The Washington Post” article that you’re quoting, I’ve read that we’ve had it on this program. I agree, there’s birth tourism. It’s a well-documented fact. There’s no evidence, though, of terror babies being born.
GOHMERT: Have you read — have you read and had on your program the pleading that was filed by Khalid Sheikh Mohammed? It was declassified March of 2009. I bet you hadn’t had that on. He says, “We fight you and destroy you and terrorize you, jihad is God’s call and a great duty in our religion, your end is very near and your fall will be just as the fall of the towers on blessed 9/11 day.”
These guys are not stupid. They’re crazy jihadists but they’re not stupid.
COOPER: I agree, they’re not stupid and they’re crazy jihadists. I absolutely agree with you. Again, I’m just asking for evidence and you presented none and yet, you continue to spread this story.
GOHMERT: You are taking shots at me —
(CROSSTALK)
COOPER: I’m not taking shots at you, sir. I’m just asking for evidence. And for some reason, you seem unwilling.
GOHMERT: — taking shots for two days. You’ve twisted things, you’ve been out — who is the FBI — on active duty at the FBI told you that there are no such credible reports? Who told you that?
COOPER: We have the statement from the FBI. We have the statement from the spokesperson of the FBI. I’d be happy to give to you. If you had actually called them before going on the House and before going on in television and spreading scare stories, you would know that and I’m sure they would tell you even more information.
(CROSSTALK)
COOPER: But apparently, you chose not to do that.
GOHMERT: There was no credible report of a plan to bring down the towers —
COOPER: OK.
GOHMERT: — because all you have to do is the look at the gaping hole in our security, and —
COOPER: Sir, you are a former judge, and had somebody done this in your courtroom, you would have asked for evidence, and you have none. I appreciate your time and appreciate your coming on. I’m disappointed that you did not present evidence.
GOHMERT: This isn’t a courtroom. We’re trying to protect America, Anderson.
COOPER: Everyone wants to protect America, Congressman.
GOHMERT: We’re trying to protect America. It’s not a courtroom.
COOPER: OK. Everyone wants to protect America, Congressman, both Democrats and Republicans.
Congressman, appreciate your time.
(CROSSTALK)
GOHMERT: Help us to fill the hole — help us fill the hole, Anderson.
COOPER: Louie Gohmert, appreciate your time.
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