Dem Kucinich visits Texas borderland
Originally published in the El Paso Times
Demo Kucinich visits borderland
Presidential candidate touts U.N.
Darren Meritz
El Paso Times
The United States should involve the United Nations in the reconstruction of Iraq and change U.S. trade policies to improve workers' conditions, Democratic Party candidate for president Dennis Kucinich told about 100 El Pasoans at a campaign stop Monday.
"We need to go to the United Nations with a new direction," the Ohio congressman said at Cafe Mayapan on Texas Avenue. "I have a plan, an exit strategy for Iraq."
Kucinich detailed several changes he would make to U.S. foreign policy, which include stopping U.S. efforts to privatize Iraq and compelling the U.N. to handle establishing an Iraqi constitution and overseeing contracts.
Placido Salazar, Kucinich's national deputy campaign manager, described the candidate's prospects in the primary as strong, especially if he can win support from minority voters in key Southwest states -- Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and California.
Howard Dean has the lead among Democratic candidates with 27 percent in the latest Gallup Poll.
El Paso fourth-grade teacher Kate Baldwin went to see Kucinich on Monday and said that his position on Iraq is what first attracted her to his campaign.
"He's one of the few Democrats in Congress who stood up against the war in the first place," she said.
"So he is the candidate I would trust to get us out of Iraq."
El Paso County Commissioner Miguel Teran said at the rally that while he isn't willing to endorse a candidate for president yet, he does support the Ohio congressman's ideas.
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