Dennis Kucinich

According to a theworldvotes survey last week, Dennis Kucinich's views on foreign policy have the edge on other candidates:

(clip)"THE HAGUE, 02/17/04 –-Foreign policy statements made by presidential candidate Dennis Kucinich proved to be very popular among a majority of citizens worldwide, according to the latest theworldvotes survey conducted last week.
The latest poll shows potential Democratic presidential nominee John Kerry is leading by a 45% margin among citizens registered at theworldvotes. Kucinich is receiving 6%.
On foreign policy, Democratic candidate Dennis Kucinich appears to have a decided edge over the other candidates, including presidential hopeful John Kerry. His two statements received 35% of the vote. Kucinich’ message “The U.S. can repair its position in the world community through cooperation, not through confrontation” proved to be very popular with a world audience."

From the Wisconsin Debate 2004 Transcript:

(excerpts)"KUCINICH: I want the people of Wisconsin to know that my first act in office as president of the United States will be to cancel NAFTA and the WTO and return to bilateral trade conditioned on workers' rights, human rights and environmental quality principles. That what we have here is an argument not nation-to- nation, but a series of intra-corporate transfers that are occurring where corporations are seeking cheap wages. Everyone knows this, and I'm the only one up here so far who's been willing to say that I'll cancel NAFTA and the WTO.

That's specific action that will regain real power for the American workers and for workers everywhere and to give the American people the ability to buy American-made goods.
I mean, let's face it. It's either we buy America or it's bye bye America. And I'm insisting that we have to provide a manufacturing base in this country so that people can have American- made goods to buy. They'll buy it if we make it here."

"KUCINICH: As a member of Congress, I've introduced legislation, H.R. 676, to create a universal, single-payer, not-for-profit health care system. Do you know that Americans are already paying for a universal standard of care? We're not getting it -- $1.6 trillion in this country goes for health spending.

Of that $1.6 trillion, $400 billion a year goes for the activities of the for-profit sector -- corporate profits, stock options, executive salaries, advertising, marketing, lobbying, the cost of paperwork -- 15 to 30 percent.
I want to put all that money in the for-profit sector into health care so that everyone in America is covered for all medically necessary procedures, plus dental care, vision care, mental health care, long-term care, a fully-paid prescription drug benefit.
The American people can have that if they have a president who is ready to show the leadership toward that, and I am, and I will be.
Thank you.
(APPLAUSE)"

"BORGER: This is to Congressman Kucinich.
President Bush last week said that yes, he had expected to find weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, that he was using the same intelligence that had been provided to President Clinton, also the same intelligence that had been used by the heads of other nations.
Do you believe that the president knowingly lied to the American people? And if so, why would he do that?
KUCINICH: I think that this administration knew full well that Iraq had nothing to do with 9/11, with al Qaeda's role in 9/11, with the anthrax attack on this country, that Iraq had neither the capability nor the intention of attacking the United States, that Iraq was not trying to get uranium from Niger and that, in fact, Iraq did not have weapons of mass destruction.
This is the singular issue upon which this election will turn. And I, as the only one up here who voted against the war and voted against the Patriot Act, as the ranking Democrat on a subcommittee that has jurisdiction over national security, an investigative subcommittee, I never saw any evidence that suggested that there was a reason for this country to go to war against Iraq.
It was wrong to go to in; it's wrong to stay in; it is time that we start talking about bringing our troops home, bringing those guardsmen, guardswomen, those reservists back home. Stop this war; get out of Iraq.
BORGER: So I take it the answer is yes that the president knowingly lied to the American people?
KUCINICH: The president lied to the American people.
BORGER: And why would he do that?
KUCINICH: Well, you know what, I can't speak for the president. But I can speak as the next president of the United States...
(LAUGHTER)
.. to say that I intend to bring those troops home by going to the U.N. and giving up control of the oil, letting the U.N. handle that on an interim basis on behalf of the Iraqi people, letting the U.N. handle the contracts.

KUCINICH: The United States must renounce privatization. We have to ask the U.N. for help in developing a constitution and new elections in Iraq. We must pay for what we destroyed, pay for a U.N. peacekeeping mission, and provide reparations for innocent civilian non-combatants who lost their lives.
This is the plan to get out of Iraq. We can get out of Iraq, and I'll lead the way."

"KUCINICH: As president, I will see myself as a peace president. And I think we have to change this metaphor of war in our society. We have to quit talking about addressing problems "a war on this, a war on that." We already see this last war was not necessary.
I think we're in a new era in the world where we can see the world as one, the world as interconnected and interdependent. The world's waiting for a United States president who's ready to create a sustainable structure for peace, and as president, I will do that.
I'll work to eliminate all nuclear weapons and confirm the Non- Proliferation Treaty. I'll sign the Biological Weapons Convention, the Chemical Weapons Convention, the small-arms treaty, the land mine treaty.
America will join the International Criminal Court. I'll sign the Kyoto Climate Change Treaty.
And furthermore, in getting rid of the Patriot Act, I'll call upon Americans to bring forth the essential courage which we have in our hearts.
My presidency will be about the end of fear and the beginning of hope, about a new hope in America for a nation that can work with the nations of the world so that we can achieve security here at home.
(APPLAUSE)"

Comments

[Luke]

Interesting. Even though he has only gotten 2 delegates so far, Kucinich continues to influence the debate.