Dems Risk Forfeiting Election Over Iraq Occupation
The following is a press release from January 18, 2004, by the Kucinich campaign
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Dems Risk Forfeiting Election Over Iraq Occupation
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 18, 2004
Democratic Presidential Candidate Dennis Kucinich released a statement today suggesting that the Democratic Party will forfeit the election to President Bush if it nominates a candidate who supports the ongoing occupation of Iraq.
"The Democrats forfeited a chance to regain the House in 2002 because party leaders supported this war," said Kucinich. "We will forfeit the White House this year if we take the same path. Voters will not turn out for a Democrat unless the Democrats offer an alternative to the Republican agenda. All of the other candidates in the Iowa Caucuses are forfeiting to Bush the debate on what should be the central issue of this campaign. Bush wants to leave our troops in Iraq for years, and so do they.
"US military casualties in Iraq have now exceeded 500, and the media has begun comparing the figure to the number of US dead in Vietnam in 1965 prior to the significant expansion of US operations there. We are out $155 billion already with hundreds of billions at stake if we stay in.
"Other Democrats join the Bush Administration in explaining that 'We can't cut and run.' I say we can't continue the damage we are causing and cannot begin repairing it until we withdraw our occupying army. We must pay for what we destroyed. We must pay reparations to the families of innocent civilians we killed and injured. But we must work through the United Nations. We must allow the United Nations to facilitate the creation of a democratic government that will be acceptable to the Iraqi people. No government created by the United States will be. It is better that we recognize this now than after the next 500 deaths."
Kucinich is the only candidate who voted against the Iraq War and the only one who has offered a plan that would replace US troops with UN peacekeepers over a 90-day period.
Link to Kucinich's Plan: http://www.kucinich.us/bringourtroopshome.php
For more information: http://www.kucinich.us
For Congressman Kucinich's Schedule: http://www.kucinich.us/schedule.htm.
Campaign Press Secretary: David Swanson 301-772-0210, cell 202-329-7847, fax 301-772-7293, swanson@kucinich.us
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