Kucinich seeks wide range of reforms
Originally published in The Hawk Eye Newspaper
Kucinich seeks wide range of reforms
By MATTHEW LeBLANC
Calling for broad reform in policies ranging from health care to the Patriot Act to the war in Iraq, U.S. Rep. Dennis Kucinich asked Burlington–area residents Sunday night to push for a more liberal agenda in the 2004 election, saying "I'm the only candidate who can defeat George W. Bush."
At a campaign stop, which at times took on the look of an early 20th Century revival with those in attendance shouting their approval and applauding every two to three minutes during the one–hour speech, Kucinich said citizens
must remember freedoms such as speech, religion and security in order to defeat President Bush next year.
"America is not about fear," he said. "America is about courage.
"When we reclaim that courage, we will reclaim our White House."
Beginning his speech by singing the final stanza of "The Star Spangled Banner," Kucinich, D–Ohio, said reasons given by the Bush administration for war in Iraq were "lies." He said that the "weapons of mass destruction" cited were actually present in the United States.
"Lying to the American people is a weapon of mass destruction. Joblessness is a weapon of mass destruction," he said to wild applause from the mostly middle–aged crowd huddled in the Port of Burlington at 7 p.m.
Kucinich, at or near the bottom of many polls nationwide, spoke in Burlington on the first leg of a short tour of southeast Iowa to drum up support for what some political pundits have called a floundering campaign. He will be in Fort Madison at The Ivy Bake Shoppe and Cafe, 622 Seventh Street, today for breakfast at 9 a.m.
A former Cleveland mayor and Ohio state senator, Kucinich has sought to distance himself from other Democratic candidates by championing issues such as universal health care, an end to the Bush tax cuts and massive cuts in defense spending.
"When I'm President," Kucinich said in the 90–degree heat that enveloped much of the state over the weekend. "I will cut Pentagon spending 15 percent and put that money right back into education." He also proposed that money being currently spent on defense could just as easily be used to fund a college education for every student in the country. Kucinich is a member of the House Education Committee.
Kucinich also noted that he voted against going to war in Iraq.
Almost mimicking Franklin D. Roosevelt's "chicken in every pot" speech during the Depression, Kucinich promised that, if elected, he would guarantee a sharp decline in a rising national unemployment rate. He said that the North American Free Trade Agreement, initiated by the Clinton administration, would be "canceled" as his first act upon election.
"I have stood in too many parking lots with grass growing in them, where breadwinners used to be," he said, drawing the second of three 20– to 30–second standing ovations. The unemployment rate is currently hovering around 6 percent.
Actor Ed Asner, who spoke before Kucinich, said the United States is in danger. He said the only way to avert a disaster is to elect Kucinich to the presidency.
"I came, friends, Hawkeyes, to bury Caesar, not to raise him," he said, paraphrasing the words of William Shakespeare in "Julius Caesar." He likened Bush to the famous slain leader, and said that he must be overthrown, a plan that sounded good to many present.
Steve Losey, a retired assembly–worker at Case, said he agreed with everything Kucinich said, adding that Kucinich is the best man for the job.
"Bush has not leveled with us on many, many issues," he said. "It's time we get someone in there that's honest with us."
Alice Davis, a retired teacher, said Kucinich's stand against the No Child Left Behind Act and his opposition to NAFTA earned her vote.
"He represents everything I believe in," she said.
"I'm the only candidate that can offer real change," Kucinich said. "Change that inspires people."
Subscribe to this blog's feed