U.S. out of Iraq, Kucinich says
Here's more excellent coverage of the Seattle rally from the Olympian
U.S. out of Iraq, Kucinich says
BRAD SHANNON THE OLYMPIAN
SEATTLE -- Dennis Kucinich brought his insurgent Democratic presidential campaign to two Northwest college campuses Friday, steeling his anti-war supporters with pledges to end the U.S. presence in Iraq while drawing young Republican protesters gently into his discussions at the University of Washington.
He also pledged to provide free education to Americans all the way through college, better treatment of workers and universal health care.
"I intend to end the U.S. occupation of Iraq," Kucinich promised, to the crowd's delight. "It's time to get the United Nations in and the U.S. out of Iraq."
His appearance at the University of Washington was one of four public appearances he made Friday in Bellingham and Seattle, two at the state's largest college.
"The country needs healing" after the Sept. 11 attacks, Kucinich declared. But instead it is "trapped by 9-11" into a war and policies motivated by fear, he said.
Kucinich, an Ohio congressman and former Cleveland mayor, is running a populist campaign that is drawing progressives, liberals, Green Party activists and others -- including about 30 supporters from Olympia who traveled by charter bus and car to hear their political hero speak Friday.
It was clear by Kucinich's comments and his second appearance in the Northwest in a month that he is taking Washington's Feb. 7 Democratic caucuses seriously as a place where he can have an impact -- and, in his words, send a message to the rest of the country.
But a bigger question is whether voters will take him seriously.
Nationally, the Kucinich campaign has yet to catch enough fire to give him significant support in polls, and his supporters claim the press has ignored his campaign as unwinnable.
Supporters of former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean and retired Gen. Wes Clark of Arkansas are drawing the most support along with Kucinich in Washington, according to Washington State Democratic Party Chairman Paul Berendt. The state has a history of supporting "insurgent candidates," or those considered outsiders, Berendt said.
Kucinich's Washington campaign spokeswoman, Patty Kuderer, said the number of their volunteers in Washington has grown from 1,300 to 3,000 in six weeks.
"The campaign here is young and growing," Kuderer said.
Thurston County organizer Wes Hamilton reported having 110 volunteers, while Mason County organizer Eve Rickert reported a small but "really committed" core group that might bring Kucinich a couple of state delegates.
Kucinich spoke at Western Washington University in Bellingham early in the day, hoping to drum up support among younger voters, many of whom have not yet shown a keen interest in the 2004 presidential race. There were about 1,000 people, campaign director Gerrie Haynes said.
He then spoke to 300 people at UW's Red Square and to 750 inside a lecture hall. Then, he went to address a pay-to-see crowd attending the King County Democratic Party's honors banquet. Supporters gave him good marks.
"I really liked him. I think I'm definitely going to spend a lot of my time and energy to get the word out about him," said Tim Eisner, 23, of Olympia, who teaches English as a second language, most recently in Korea.
Eisner traveled from Olympia on the Kucinich campaign bus to watch both of his UW talks, but until hearing him speak, Eisner wasn't ready to jump in. Like many on the bus, Eisner said he dislikes the aggressive stance of U.S. foreign policy and has concerns about the economy and domestic programs. But he said he was also impressed by how Kucinich sounded realistic and willing to work with Republicans.
Karen Nelson, who runs an Olympia bed and breakfast, liked Kucinich's response to Republican protesters who had asked him what his proposed Department of Peace could accomplish that the U.S. State Department wasn't already doing.
Kucinich said it would deal with violence and promote nonviolent solutions internationally and domestically, working with social and education groups to tackle such issues as domestic violence.
"That is a huge, huge issue in our country ... the violence that is in the way we speak to each other," Nelson said.
Robert Jorgensen liked how Kucinich included protesters in both his UW speeches, saying it was the work of a peacemaker to include rather than try to silence them.
A half-dozen Campus Republicans led by student Jason Chambers chanted "Four more years, four more years, four more years," and they waved signs taunting Kucinich for his positions on such issues as abortion and the death penalty. UW sophomore James Larson held a sign that declared: "Save the lives of serial killers; vote for Kooch."
"I support President Bush for another term," Larson said.
Rather than try to quiet the GOP protesters, Kucinich welcomed the students to chant louder, then asked his supporters if they really wanted four more years of war, four more years of homeless people on the streets or four more years without universal health care insurance.
Each time, the crowd roared: "No!"
But some Kucinich supporters were pretty sure his campaign is more a statement of idealism than a practical option.
Chris Stegman, one of about a dozen Green Party supporters who joined the Kucinich campaign bus, said he expects Kucinich to fall out of contention by the time the Democratic nominee is selected in July, at which time Green Party members will probably get behind one of five successors to 2000 Green Party candidate Ralph Nader.
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