Kucinich looks for boost, says he's sticking with anti-war platform
Originally published in the Seattle Times
Kucinich looks for boost, says he's sticking with anti-war platform
By Jim Brunner
Seattle Times staff reporter
It's Wednesday afternoon at a radio station conference room in Seattle, and Ohio Congressman Dennis Kucinich is play-acting an imaginary debate later this year between Democratic front-runner Sen. John Kerry and President Bush.
"The president says, 'Well wait, you said there were weapons of mass destruction — you agreed with me. You voted for the war, well you know I saw the reason to go to war, too. You're for the occupation, well you know how I feel. You're for keeping troops there and so am I,' " Kucinich imagines the debate going.
In the Kucinich script, Kerry withers in embarrassment and Bush retains the White House because voters don't see much difference between the two men.
Kucinich, who brought his longshot presidential bid to Washington state yesterday, insists his distinct anti-war platform is the best shot the Democrats have at taking back the White House.
So far, that message hasn't swayed many primary voters or caucusgoers — his high point has been a 5 percent showing in Tuesday's New Mexico caucuses. But Kucinich holds out hope that Democrats in Washington, where anti-war sentiment has been strong, will give him a boost.
Kucinich's stance on Iraq, which he calls the central point of his candidacy, does make him stand out. He is the only candidate to propose a swift withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq, giving control over rebuilding the country to the United Nations.
"If people find out they're about to trade a Republican war for a Democratic war, they may give a second thought about supporting a candidate who would keep us in Iraq, or who could very well forfeit the election to Bush because they do not have a substantially different policy on Iraq," Kucinich said in an interview yesterday.
Asked why more people haven't supported him despite the anti-war sentiment he claims a majority of Americans hold, Kucinich argued that most people don't really understand that U.S. troops are in danger in Iraq.
Kucinich, 57, began his political career as a Cleveland city councilman in 1969 at the age of 23. He was elected mayor in 1977, but lost a re-election bid after the city went into default. He made a political comeback, getting elected to the Ohio Senate in the 1980s and the U.S. House of Representatives in 1996.
Kucinich is no stranger to Washington. He lived near Puyallup for a time in the 1980s while looking for work. And as a congressman, he returned in 1999 to participate in the World Trade Organization demonstrations that rocked Seattle and spurred the anti-globalization movement.
Kucinich favors withdrawing from the WTO and the North American Free Trade Agreement, and if elected president, vows to use all available powers to keep major U.S. manufacturers from moving operations overseas.
Kucinich maintained he has no plans to drop out of the race, despite his low poll numbers so far.
"I think that Washington state is one of those states that will indicate to the rest of the nation that they want me to stay in this race," he said.
Kucinich said he doubts any Democratic candidate will grab enough delegates to settle the nomination before the party convention in Boston in July.
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