Kucinich opens the California Democratic Convention
Originally published in the San Jose Mercury News
Posted on Fri, Jan. 16, 2004
Kucinich opens the California Democratic Convention
Associated Press
SAN JOSE, Calif. - The responsibility of rallying California's Democrats fell to Rep. Dennis Kucinich after civil rights leader Al Sharpton was delayed Friday by bad weather.
"We are the party of the people," Kucinich shouted to the crowd of several hundred gathered at the San Jose Convention Center for the party's annual convention. "We are the party of the poor. We are the party of the people."
Kucinich, who said Friday marked the resurgence of the Democratic Party in the state, laid out his plans for the presidency, including handing over peacekeeping duties in Iraq to the United Nations and paving the way for immigrants in the United States to achieve legal status.
"What we need to have is amnesty, a path to legalization," Kucinich said. "The ambitions of immigrant workers are very humble, actually. Why are we forgetting where we've come from as a nation?"
Organizers said Sharpton was expected to arrive later Friday.
Several of the other eight candidates already were in Iowa, where Monday's caucuses are the first true event of the presidential campaign.
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