his positions, in his own words:
DENNIS KUCINICH: THE PROGRESSIVE CHOICE
As a candidate for President, I offer a different vision for America, one which separates me from the other candidates. I am the only candidate who will take this country away from fear and war and tax giveaways, and use America's peace dividend for {b}guaranteed health care for all, ending health care for profit. I am the only candidate who will
stop the privatization of social security and bring the retirement age back to 65. As President, I will
cancel NAFTA and the WTO, restore our manufacturing jobs, save our family farms, create full employment programs. I will
repeal the Patriot Act to regain for all Americans the sacred right of privacy in our homes, our libraries, our schools.
(Presidential Debate, ABC News, 5/3/03)
More details:
Kucinich supports same sex marriage, not just civil unions.
Kucinich supports medical marijuana and thinks drug use should be treated as a medical issue, not a legal one.
Kucinich opposes capital punishment and would work to end the death penalty in the United States.
Kucinich is very pro-worker and pro-union, supports a living wage, the right to collective bargaining, and
fair trade, not "free" trade.
Dennis Kucinich is the 2003 Recipient of the Gandhi Peace Award. He opposed the invasion of Iraq early on, speaking against it in his speech "A Prayer for America," given to the Southern California Americans for Democratic Action, February 17, 2002, Los Angeles, CA , and continuing to speak against it when the Bushistas "rolled out their new product" in September 2002. He didn't back off when war began, either.
March 19, 2003 (day we invaded Iraq)
Congressman Kucinich issued the following statement upon the American attack against Iraq:
"This is a sad day for America, the world community, and the people of Iraq. Tonight, I hope and pray for the safe return of our troops and the end to this unjustified war."
"President Bush has launched an unprovoked attack against another country. Iraq does not pose an imminent threat to the United States or any of its neighboring nations. Iraq was not responsible for the terrorist attacks of September 11. Tonight, President Bush has commanded U.S. forces to go to war in violation of American traditions of defensive war that have lasted since George Washington. This war is wrong; it violates the Constitution and international law."
Dennis Kucinich also sued Bush, submitted House resolutions calling on the US to withdraw from Iraq, spoke against the war on the House floor, etc. But the media largely ignored his actions. He believes we need a Department of Peace to study conflict resolution and work for alternatives to war but is not a pacifist.
As a writer, Plaiddie, I think you'd enjoy reading "A Prayer for America," if you missed it earlier.
http://www.kucinich.us/speeches/speech1.htmYou can read more about Dennis at
http://www.kucinich.usMany people say they'd vote for Dennis if they thought he "had a chance." They say he's really better on the issues than the guy they're supporting but they want to support someone who's "electable."
I say that in the primaries we should all vote for the guy we think is best and ignore what the media and the polls tell us. That's how we tell the party who we want. If we vote for the "electable" centrists in the primaries, we're telling the party to give us more of the same old same old in the general election.