Kucinich calls for end to war, blasts Bush
Originally published by the Nashua Telegraph
Published: Thursday, November 22, 2007
Kucinich calls for end to war, blasts Bush
By KEVIN LANDRIGAN Telegraph Staff
MANCHESTER - Democratic presidential candidate Dennis Kucinich said Wednesday the vow from his party's leadership in Congress to stand up to President Bush on ending the war in Iraq amounts to a "total fraud."
The Ohio congressman said the most recent House-passed plan to set a timetable for ending the war still would permit permanent bases in Iraq and allow Americans soldiers to train Iraqi military and police and to fight off insurgents.
"This is a fraud, a total fraud, and it breaks the promise the Democrats made to the voters that we would get out of Iraq," Kucinich said of his own party's congressional leadership during an interview Wednesday.
"They want to be on all sides of the issue. Instead of getting out of Iraq, we are getting in deeper," Kucinich said.
State Rep. Betty Hall, D-Brookline, said she decided to endorse Kucinich after watching him unsuccessfully pursue impeachment charges against Vice President Dick Cheney.
"I was inspired by his boldness and tence," Hall said at a news conference in Manchester.
Last month, the Democratically controlled U.S. House ducked an up or down vote on the matter and instead shipped Kucinich's charges against Cheney to committee for review.
Kucinich said he would seek "more lengthy" impeachment charges against Bush but declined to say if this move would come before the Jan. 8 primary in New Hampshire.
Hall tried to bring in a non-binding resolution to the New Hampshire House supporting an impeachment proceeding against Bush and Cheney.
House leaders from both parties in this state opposed letting Hall's late proposal in for an up or down vote.
"It isn't popular to speak up; I know. When I spoke in the Legislature, some people were angry, but we must talk about it. We must learn about it," Hall said.
"Impeachment is a tool our Constitution gives us. It is like a scalpel to remove a disease in our system, but like surgeons, we the people must use it to save the patient."
Hall showed Kucinich the state Constitution contains unique language in its Article 10 known as the Right to Revolution.
"The doctrine of nonresistance against arbitrary power and repression is absurd, slavish and destructive of the good of all mankind," it reads in part.
Kucinich said a section of the Declaration of Independence contains similar sentiment that gives citizens the right to rebel against their own government.
"I'm going to quote that language from the New Hampshire Constitution all over the country. Clearly New Hampshire is the place to bring this message," Kucinich said.
"I think the outrage is building among the voting public, but to the political system, it's business as usual."
Kucinich will be a leading speaker Monday night at Dartmouth College for an "Impeachment Teach-In" sponsored by state and national liberal-leaning organizations.
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