Kucinich shakes hands in Ames, Iowa
Originally published in the Ames Tribune
Kucinich shakes hands in Ames
By Matt Neznanski, Staff Writer November 17, 2003
Mild fall temperatures on Sunday inspired Democratic presidential hopeful Dennis Kucinich to hold an Ames rally in the front yard of Paul and Sarah Nelson's home.
About 50 supporters filed one by one out the front door and past their candidate, who shook hands and greeted them all individually.
"This is like one of those old Volkswagen commercials," he said.
Once everyone was outside, Kucinich spent most of his time speaking about his opposition to the war in Iraq. He said the American presence there is a destabilizing force, and vowed to bring troops back home.
He briefly outlined his plans, which mainly include a dramatic increase of the U.N.'s presence in the region. Kucinich also called the American invasion of Iraq unlawful and unwarranted.
"Now we have a responsibility to rebuild Iraq to the extent that we blew it up," he said.
Kucinich said the U.S. has a right to defend itself, but charged that the wounds of Sept. 11 have not been healed by military actions around the globe.
He said terrorists should have been engaged with police and detective work, since the attacks did not involve one nation engaging another.
His anti-war talk continued Kucinich's stance as the peace candidate among the contenders. He said other Democrats have resigned themselves to the war for the long-term.
"The only difference between a rut and a grave are the dimensions," he said. "We need to make sure we stay out of that rut."
As a lawnmower cranked up in a neighboring yard, Kucinich reminded the crowd that a win in Iowa could change the debate among the field of Democratic candidates. The group chanted "caucus for Kucinich" as he got into a Ford minivan and was driven away.
Paul Nelson said deciding to have the get-together at his home was easy; the hard part was finding time in the candidate's schedule.
"It's a good way to get the word out," he said. "He's a good candidate that doesn't get enough exposure."
Sarah Nelson said she would have raked leaves if she knew everyone was going to stand in the yard.
"It's Paul's job," she said. "We cleaned the house and we have a second-grader so it took us three days."
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