Following the campaign, September 3
From Karin Caifa:
It was back to business in the nation’s capital Wednesday for the House of Representatives and back in those hallowed halls after his recess-that-wasn’t was Dennis Kucinich. Kucinich ended the break on a high note, closing out with what his campaign dubbed as a success.
“We expanded our network in New Hampshire,” cited communications director Jeff Cohen among accomplishments for the month. “We fortified our base in Iowa with the biggest crowd of any candidate in the (Des Moines) Labor Day parade and with the STAR*PAC endorsement. And we did it, for the most part, without the mainstream national media covering us.”
PARTYING FOR MONEY
Cohen also said that fundraising had hit some “summer doldrums” but the campaign has a new initiative planned for Sept. 21. That’s the U.N. designated International Day of Peace. The campaign Web site encourages folks to party for peace that day by holding a house party in honor of Kucinich. The goal for the parties nationwide is to collect $1,000 per house.
As the campaign gathers more supporters, like the turnout seen in the Des Moines parade, it’s becoming more aggressive and more assertive. “If you believe the corporate media, Dean is the ‘antiwar candidate’ with all the student support. Wrong on both counts,” said an e-mail sent by the campaign Wednesday. “The Kucinich rally at the University of Iowa Monday night was electric with hundreds of students ready to work for Kucinich from now until January... and beyond.”
SI, SE PUEDE
Kucinich heads to Albuquerque for the Congressional Hispanic Caucus debate Thursday. The campaign is keeping mum (and I really mean silent) about strategy. He will capitalize on the fact that he speaks Spanish, as he did with several paradegoers in Des Moines Monday. (“Si se puede,” or “Yes, we can,” was chanted by the marching Kucitizens. The campaign feels there is a real potential within the Hispanic voting community and that’s why there’s a People of Color Outreach office working on events to engage this community. For more on these efforts, check out my previous interview with Outreach coordinator Placido Salazar last week.
And what would the congressman say about a potential split ticket with Wesley Clark? “General Clark has served his country well, but I’m not looking to confirm the primacy of the Pentagon,” Kucinich said. “I have a fundamentally different view.”
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