Following the campaign, September 1
From Karin Caifa:
THE LONG ROAD TRIP, OR ‘HOW I SPENT MY AUGUST RECESS’
After one more day stumping in Iowa, Kucinich returns to Washington, where the House of Representatives reconvenes Wednesday. In the last two weeks of Congress’ summer break Kucinich visited Iowa, New Hampshire, New York, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Illinois, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania and his home state of Ohio.
Following a frantic pace throughout the August recess, the Kucinich campaign is encouraged that their effort, now in place in 37 states, continues to grow, while analysts speculate that some campaigns - such as those of Sens. John Edwards and Joe Lieberman - could be on the decline.
“We’re the Seabiscuit campaign,” Kucinich said again today, noting that his bid is still a long shot but “still moving in the right direction.” But Kucinich continues to lag in polls in Iowa and New Hampshire, in some polls not even registering 1%, leaving you to wonder if this effort will be left in the dust in January.
NEW LINEUP FOR KUCINICH’S IOWA LABOR TEAM
In conjunction with the Labor Day holiday, the Kucinich campaign announced the formation of the “Iowa Rank and File Labor” Steering Committee. Comprised of 32 members from 15 different unions throughout Iowa, the committee will organize union support for the candidate.
MARCHING ON IN DES MOINES
Between 80 and 90 Kucitizens marched behind or rode on an old-fashioned fire truck (with the requisite siren) in front of Rep. Dennis Kucinich in Monday’s Des Moines Labor Day parade. Chanting “Go Dennis Go!” (Hey, it’s tough to think of cheers that rhyme with “Kucinich”) the supporters, staff and volunteers passed out stickers and fliers to the crowd, many whom didn’t know who the diminutive congressman from Cleveland was (“Dennis WHO-sinich?” asked one woman.)
Homemade signs for “Peace, Jobs, and Kucinich,” abounded in the crowd, mostly decked out in navy blue “Kucinich for President” tees. Despite the common adoration for the candidate, though, the marchers were as diverse as could be in terms of race and age. My favorite supporter? A 3-year-old carrying a sign bigger than he was in one hand and clutching his mom’s hand in the other.
At the beginning of the parade route, Kucinich stayed in the middle of the road and waved, wishing everyone a “Happy Labor Day.” But all it took was a smiling youngster from the crowd, especially those with disabilities, to bring the candidate over to the sidewalk. Towards the end Kucinich started to loosen up, chatting in Spanish with the city’s Hispanic population, signing autographs and taking pictures.
‘OPENING DAY’: KUCINICH SAYS HIS CAMPAIGN BEGINS ‘TODAY’
After his speech at the post-parade South Central Iowa Federation of Labor (AFL-CIO) event at the Iowa State Fairgrounds, Kucinich leaped up on a wooden bench to stand above the supporters who’d rallied around him all day.
“If this was the caucus today,” Kucinich told them, “we would have won.”
Kucinich marveled all day at the 80-90 supporters who marched in the parade with him and stuck around for his speech afterwards. “We had the best showing at the parade,” he said. “The best showing at this rally.”
”We represent the real polls!” shouted a Kucitizen in response.
“And the only real Democrat!” shouted another.
“We’re about to begin our work. Mark this day: Labor Day. Today is opening day and I threw out the first pitch here,” Kucinich continued, “And that first pitch was health care and NAFTA. I want, everywhere we go, candidates to answer those questions.”
NAFTA and labor was a well-received topic by the crowd. Nathaniel, a Kucinich volunteer from Minnesota, says he’s thrown his support behind this dark horse candidate because “…he’s got the best platform. When the private sector can’t provide jobs the government has a moral responsibility to them.”
After the event, Kucinich supporters, at the encouragement of Iowa Field Director John Friedrich, dispersed to do door-to-door canvassing. The candidate headed to Iowa City for an evening rally.
NOT ON MY HOME FIELD, MR. BUSH
President Bush today delivered his Labor Day remarks from Kucinich’s home state of Ohio.
In a statement, the congressman said, “Of all days to use Ohio as a political backdrop the President, no friend of working people, has chosen Labor Day. I hope that his tour of the state will include the empty factories and bankrupt corporations that are the legacy of our nation’s misguided trade policies.”
The visit was Bush’s third to the battleground state, where he won 50% of the vote in 2000. Ohio has lost about 200,000 jobs since 2001.
THE ‘BRUSHBACK’: PAGING DR. DEAN?
The Kucinich campaign was psyched when they heard they were slated to speak just before former Gov. Howard Dean at the Labor Day event at the Iowa State Fairgrounds.
Part of Kucinich’s stump speech poses questions to the only physician in the field on health care and on the retirement age. With Dean taking the stage after the congressman he’d be forced to answer them, the campaign deduced.
But when the dust of the parade cleared, Dean was nowhere in sight. My embedded colleague Felix Schein reports that the candidate, according to his campaign, wasn’t scheduled to speak at the event and left immediately after the parade to attend events in other portions of the state.
Despite that wince of disappointment, Kucinich went on to attack Dean anyway. “What irony it would be for a doctor to get the nomination and not take the profit out of health care,” he said. “This election is far from over, and I’m going to continue this debate with Dr. Dean.”
I’LL TRADE YOU MY EDGAR RENTERIA FOR YOUR… DENNIS KUCINICH?
Lucy of the classic Peanuts cartoons once challenged the greatness of Schroeder’s idol, Ludwig von Beethoven, because the classical composer never appeared on his own bubble gum card.
Good news for the Kucinich campaign. If you follow Lucy’s logic, their candidate has attained greatness.
To combat the congressman’s lack of name recognition (and the fact that his name is kinda hard to spell), supporters dealt out Kucinich baseball cards along the parade route and at the rally that followed.
The cards feature a smiling Kucinich on the front and his “stats” on everything from peace to health care on the back.
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