Kucinich: 'You're looking at Seabiscuit'
Originally published in the Madison Capital Times
Kucinich: 'You're looking at Seabiscuit'
Ohio congressman says he's in presidential race all the way
By Bill Novak
February 16, 2004
JEFFERSON - Dennis Kucinich is Seabiscuit.
That small, scrawny-looking thoroughbred from California has a figurative stablemate from Ohio, who galloped into town this morning and declared he's in the presidential race for the full six furlongs.
"If I have a heartbeat, I'll be continuing on," Kucinich said at the Jefferson VFW Hall when asked if he would drop out of the race for the White House if he doesn't fare well in Wisconsin.
His remarks were made to the delight of about 50 supporters, the majority being of non-voting age from a middle school in Johnson Creek.
"I'm in this election all the way," the Ohio congressman said. "The only way you can win it (the nomination) is to stay in it. I'm in it."
Kucinich is lagging far behind in the polls, but he doesn't care.
"I'm behind in the polls, so what?" he said. "How many times have you been behind in a game and come back? It happens all the time.
"Look at Seabiscuit. People said there's no way this horse is going to win. He was small and funny-looking, but the next thing you knew, he was beating the best horse in the country.
"You are looking at Seabiscuit."
Kucinich struck hard at trade agreements this morning and the subsequent loss of jobs.
He stood next to local union workers at the VFW, just as he did last year when he marched with striking Tyson Foods workers, a strike that ended badly last month when the United Food and Commercial Workers local union swallowed hard and went back to work with a new contract that was worse than the expired contract.
"Nothing is more important than workers' rights and the right to strike," Kucinich said. "People came in here (at the Tyson plant) and took your jobs. That should not be permitted in America."
He said workers are fighting for survival, and Jefferson is a prime example.
"What's happened here has happened all over the country," Kucinich said. "I give the workers here a lot of credit, because they hung on.
"As your next president, I understand how the workers can be ground down. My very first act as president would be to cancel the trade agreements and start over, so workers' rights are written right into the agreements."
The candidate spoke for about 30 minutes at the VFW hall before heading to a rally in Madison.
Two officials of the United Food and Commercial Workers Local 538 gave high marks to Kucinich for his support of both the striking Tyson workers and the American worker in general.
"We need to vote Bush out of office and Dennis in," said Gregg Peters, chief steward of the local union.
"Dennis Kucinich would restore equality to all American workers," said former chief steward Ron Piech.
While the stewards were high on Kucinich, the local has not endorsed any of the Democratic presidential candidates.
Teacher Suzanne Otte had her eighth-grade social studies class from Johnson Creek Middle School sitting in the front rows at the VFW hall to watch democracy in action.
"Tomorrow we'll take a field trip to the village hall in Johnson Creek to vote in a simulated election," Otte said.
It wasn't known how the eighth-graders will vote in their mock election, but judging from their enthusiasm for the congressman from Ohio, Kucinich, at least for one bright shining moment on a frigid Monday morning in Jefferson, was a thoroughbred.
Subscribe to this blog's feed