Kucinich: This Will Go to Convention
The following is a press release from January 19, 2004, by the Kucinich campaign
***
Kucinich: This Will Go to Convention
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 19, 2004
Democratic Presidential Candidate Dennis Kucinich had been showing at 3 percent in the polls in Iowa, but topped 15 percent or more in many precincts in order to win 1.3 percent of the total delegates. Had he failed to top a surprising 15 percent, Kucinich would have finished with zero delegates as expected. The polls did little better at predicting the results for the other candidates in the Iowa caucuses, and tonight's results may have raised more questions than they answered about the final outcome of the Democratic nominating process.
"This is the beginning of the campaign," said Kucinich. "We've got 49 states left to go. The media had long ago predicted the winner of the entire process and even the loser of the general election, and tonight's caucuses have the pundits scratching their collective scalps in bewilderment. I moved from ninth place to fifth and won delegates despite the 15 percent threshold.
"The longtime poll leader dropped to third, which some pundits are erroneously crediting to Dr. Dean's status as an anti-war candidate. Dr. Dean did not consistently oppose the initial stages of this war and he has said that he will keep our troops in Iraq for years.
"As I climb higher in New Hampshire and each successive state, and as the situation in Iraq continues to worsen, Democratic support for peace will be reflected in my campaign's success. I predict a brokered convention in July. By the end of this month my campaign will have raised over $10 million, including matching funds, and I'm just getting started.
"As part of my strategy in the Iowa caucuses, I worked out an arrangement with Senator Edwards that may have allowed each of us to pick up a few more delegates. Our supporters, of course, ultimately chose their own courses of action. But none were left with their only strategic choice being leaving their caucus and going home. John and I are friends and I wish him the best. But we have 49 states left to go, and we're each on our own."
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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Hello.
My name is Sumie Sato. I am an exchange student from Japan. I wanted to say hi to all of you who wish one thing in America and the world, "peace". I don't have the right to vote but I have the right to express, and so I express my support for him. I am also a member of "Friend of Kucinich, Japan", and there are people in my country who support him with great passion too. I joined his campaign last week in Iowa. To be honest, it was really hard since Dennis is completely ignored by media. But I believe we can do this together! Lastly, I would like to post a letter from a Japanese journalist who has joined the campaign as well and is now travelling throughout America to support Dennis. She has the same passion for Dennis as we all do. Please read and feel free to share it with others. and if you would like to contact me, please mail me. Together, we can make difference in this world. Thanks.
Sumie
Dear American friends for peace I haven't met yet,
"It is not your business, you have no right"- some Americans may say if
they find out I am here in support of Dennis Kucinich. Let me explain
why I think it is vital for every American to find out who this amazing
man is and what he stands for.
http://kucinich.us
http://www.labyrinthonline.com/dk_movie.html
My name is Yumi Kikuchi, a Japanese writer and mother of 4, living in an
old farm house in Japan growing most of what we eat organically. Born
and raised in Tokyo, a real city girl who had no real experience growing
anything in my life until I moved to a country side of Kamogawa.
As I am a flutist and my husband is a folk musician, we call our garden
and house "Harmonics Life Center", sharing it with those who look for an
alternative and sustainable life style. People from all over the world
come, enjoy, eat and stay to experience a simple and sustainable way of
life with us.
Living at Harmonics Life Center had been very peaceful until the tragedy
of 9-11 in 2001 happened. When I saw the World Trade Center collapsing,
something collapsed in me and a calling emerged from tears. Enough life
was lost on 9-11 and I wanted to do something to stop further loss of
life. I knew dropping bombs and killing more innocent people will not
stop terrorism.
We originally launched The Global Peace Campaign to stop the
retalliation by the USA to Afghanistan. GPC raised thousands of dollars
from small donations of peace-loving Japanese, enough to place a full
page peace advertisementin the NY Times: a Vietnam veteran's letter to
G.W. Bush saying, "If we kill one innocent person, we become a
terrorist" endorsed by Veterans For Peace. http://www.veteransforpeace.org
The response to this ad was extraordinary, media coverage in Japan was
good, and we were able to raise more money to place 3 more ads in the LA
Times, Washington Post and NY Times again. http://www.peace2001.org
I discovered the book "Addicted To War" by Joel Andreas and loved its
message so much that I translated the book into Japanese, sold 70,000
copies in Japan (10,000 in the USA). GPC is now working with many
American peace groups and activists for more sustainable and peaceful world.
Then just a year ago, someone emailed me a speech by Dennis Kucinich he
gave on Jan 5, 2003 in Cleveland, Ohio. I had never heard his name
before. He was talking about the US's role in the world, saying the US
should give food not bombs. He also talked about creation of a cabinet
level Department of Peace. I was very impressed as the US was poised to
attack Iraq. It must have taken great courage for a US congressman to
say that, I thought. So, I wrote an article about him for the first
time. In that article, I ended: "Imagine if this man were the President
of the United States, what kind of world is possible?" He had not
announced his candidacy yet then.
A few months later, I learned that Dennis Kucinich was running for the
US President. I thought a miracle has happened. I found his web site and
read all of his speeches in awe. Wow! He is an amazing human being. And
he is running for US President! I thought this is unprecedented
opportunity for approaching the lasting peace on earth for the first time.
On May 27, I flew to California to see Dennis Kucinich as he was touring
there. I left 2 babies behind with my husband, the first time I was
ever away from them. My first encounter with Dennis was in Stockton. A
Latino community hosted a small gathering and he was very compassionate
with a lady who overcame alcoholism. He touched me so deeply that I
wanted to do something to help spread his words. I am a writer, so I
decided to write a book about him.
I picked up the speeches I liked from his web site and translated, added
my comment for each, and the manuscript was ready to be published. A
major publisher in Japan told me that they would publish the book if
Dennis got nominated. I told them it was too late then. Then a small
company called me and told me that they would publish the book. A big
surprise. On Oct. 8, 2003, Dennis's birthday, the book "Dennis Kucinich:
A Peace President for America" was published in Japan, 5000 copies.
Everyone I knew in publishing business said that the book was not
salable as no one knew Dennis Kucinich in Japan and he was not even
nominated yet. But surprisingly, the first edition was almost sold out
by the end of December. Another miracle is happening.
Now I am in Iowa, with my husband and two babies (2 and 3 years) in
support of Dennis Kucinich. I am a Japanese so I can not vote, donate
nor collect money for Dennis. All I can do is to speak, to play music
and to dance for peace (and Dennis).
Many Americans do not know how much the US foreign policy is affecting
the rest of the world. After 9-11, many Japanese do not feel our
government is in Tokyo, but it is in Washington DC. Increasingly our
government does not listen to the Japanese public but they respond
quickly to the White House. Now the Japanese Self Defense Force is in
Iraq. For what? It is the first time we ever sent our soldiers
oversea's into combating region since World War 2.
I sometimes feel I should have a right to vote for the US presidential
election as our future is pretty much in the hands of the US president:
he decides who is a terrorist and who is not, and which country to bombs
next, etc. He can withdraw from all the international treaties. Many
countries and people in the world now feel threatened by the USA and can
never say NO to the US as we are afraid what the US may do if we do not
go along with her.
I also learned that Depleted Uranium is not an issue in the US. The US
Military has used DU in Iraq, Kosovo, Bosnia, Afghanistan and Iraq. It
is a documented fact that 10.5 thousand US soldiers who participated the
1st Gulf War have returned home safely but later died due to strange
illnesses called Gulf War Syndrome. Many nuclear experts suggest that
exposure to DU and toxic chemicals are the reason for so many deaths
among returning veterans. But children in Iraq are in an even worse
situation. Their homeland is now irreversibly contaminated yet they
have to live there forever. I do not see how anyone can live and grow
in good health if the air, water, soil and food are radioactive. Yes,
DU is radioactive, emitting alpha rays that have a half life of 4.5
billion years. Iraq has become uninhabitable, yet innocent men, women
and children must live there.
Dennis Kucinich is the only one who understands and take this issue
seriously, the only one to address it in his campaign. He is the only
one who has a plan to get the US out of Iraq and the UN in. He is the
only one talking about canceling NAFTA and WTO, replacing them with fair
trade agreements, 20% renewable energy, medical marijuana, single payer
universal health care, free education from pre kinder to college for
all, 15% military budget cut.
Why do Americans not agree with what this brave man is trying to do?
Before you say he is not electable, why don't you do your part to
support him? He IS electable if you get behind him. Don't you want a
lasting peace on earth for a change? I do. I want our children to live
in a safer, more sustainable and peaceful world. I recognize Dennis as
not only the US leader, but also the world leader for peace.
I am here to spread his message of hope and peace as American media is
not giving him the serious coverage other candidates are enjoying.
Dennis is electable if all Americans have a chance to hear him once. I
am not American, but my son, born in Hawaii, is. I want to raise him in
the USA and I do not want to raise him in fear but in love.
Fear ends and hope begin with Dennis Kucinich.
Dennis wins, Peace begins.
Yumi Kikuchi
Founder, Global Peace Campaign
yumik@fine.ocn.ne.jp
Posted by: Sumie Sato | January 22, 2004 01:39 AM