Kucinich rallies local troops in Iowa
Originally published in the Hawk Eye Newspaper
Kucinich rallies local troops
By DOROTHY de SOUZA GUEDES
dotdsg@thehawkeye.com
Franklin D. Roosevelt and his New Deal saved capitalism from ruin and Dennis Kucinich can do the same thing now for the same reasons. Kucinich has the ideas, programs and platforms to save capitalism from our own excesses.
That's what Dick Distlehorst, county chairman for the Kucinich campaign, told more than 100 people waiting patiently late Saturday afternoon for the presidential hopeful at the Port of Burlington.
Organizers appeared elated that the reason Kucinich was running late was because large crowds were gathering wherever he stopped, including a Fairfield house party that drew more than 450. Kucinich headed to town to rally support nine days before the Iowa Caucuses.
When the 56–year–old four–term Ohio congressman and former Cleveland mayor arrived more than an hour behind schedule, Distlehorst introduced him as, "the man who will bring real government of the people, by the people and for the people."
The presidential hopeful kicked off his time with the group by speaking out against the war in Iraq. His is the campaign that is determined to bring U.S. soldiers home from Iraq, he said.
His plan is have United Nations take over the rebuilding Iraq until the Iraqis can run things for themselves. As president, Kucinich said he would convince the UN that the United States under his leadership has no interest in privatizing the oil of Iraq.
"UN in, U.S. out," is Kucinich's anti–war cry.
More than 500 American troops have died in the war and it's likely thousands more will die, and more than a trillion dollars will be spent, if the United States stays in Iraq, he said.
What's more important are things we need to take care of right here at home, Kucinich said. Things like jobs and healthcare.
The crowd cheered when he said one of his first acts as president would be to get the country out of North American Free Trade Agreement and the World Trade Organization and go back to bilateral trade.
"The job of the president of the United States is to make sure people in this country have jobs," Kucinich said.
Trade agreements have caused this country to lose millions of manufacturing and high–tech jobs and have affected family farms. Local corporations looking for the cheapest possible labor have moved out of many towns, leaving "grass growing in parking lots," Kucinich said.
And not just jobs, but good–paying jobs with healthcare benefits. Insurance and pharmaceutical companies run the system we have.
"They're making money not providing healthcare," Kucinich said. "This system is wrong."
It takes just one illness to financially devastate a family, because even if they have health insurance there's no guaranteed coverage.
The government and private businesses spend about $1.6 trillion on healthcare. That's enough to fund a universal, single–payer national health insurance system. As president, he would take the money already being spent and put it into a healthcare system that covers healthcare, dental, vision, mental healthcare, prescription drugs and long–term care for everyone.
FDR was told his New Deal wouldn't work in 1932, he said. But a candidate has got to be ready to stand up for people, Kucinich said.
"I'm ready to do it."
Lee and Darlene Meck of Burlington were among the Kucinich supporters who arrived early.
"He doesn't tell us that we've got problems. He tells us what he's going to do about them," said Darlene Meck.
Her husband, a JI Case retiree, wants jobs brought back to this country and likes Kucinich's stand on NAFTA and the WTO. He also questions the Bush Administrations reasons for invading Iraq. He's proud of his "When Gore Lied, Nobody Died" bumper sticker and said it'll stay on his vehicle for an upcoming trip to Texas.
"I actually think the war on Iraq was more for Bush's oil friends than it was for anything else," Lee Meck said.
Carrie Duncan of New London and her stood for nearly two hours first waiting for Kucinich then listening to his speech. Duncan said she wouldn't have missed the candidate's stop for anything.
Duncan said she grew up in a household with Republican ideas, was exposed to Democratic philosophies while attending union meetings with her father and gradually became a Green Party voter. Kucinich brought her back to the Democratic party, she said, adding that he has the backbone to try to turn the country around.
"It's time for America to change," Duncan said, "and this man can do it if we the people elect him."
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