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On the Trail: Dennis Kucinich would push peace, health care
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By GRETA CUYLER
Union Leader Correspondent
Monday, Dec. 17, 2007
EDITOR'S NOTE: "On the Trail'' is a series profiling the major candidates as they campaign across the state in the final weeks before the New Hampshire primary.
DENNIS KUCINICH knows he's an underdog in the presidential primary. But he plays to win.
As a 4-foot-9, 97-pound high school freshman football player, he learned to be tough. The oldest of seven children in Cleveland, he lived in 21 places by the time he was 17, including a couple of cars. Kucinich scrubbed floors at school to pay off the book fees so he and his siblings could attend Catholic school.
Small and intense, the 61-year-old Democratic congressman from Ohio prides himself on taking a strong stand on issues.
"I'm not a Depublican," he says.
Dennis Kucinich first ran for President in 2004. This time, his campaign includes his third wife, Elizabeth. She's British and has a master's degree in international conflict analysis.
Tall, with red hair and an easy smile, Elizabeth Kucinich speaks about monetary policy and five minutes later dashes into a nearby room to switch a load of laundry. She seems equally at ease with both tasks.
The couple married two years ago. On the New Hampshire campaign trail, Kucinich consistently touts his wife's expertise. When they think no one's watching, they hold hands.
He and Elizabeth travel without an entourage, just a campaign intern who drives them and a staffer who manages the schedule.
At campaign stops in Acworth, Westmoreland and Keene, the couple spoke to packed crowds and conceded privately they were pleasantly surprised to find such strong support.
In Keene, Kucinich worked for 15 hours straight, beginning with a morning meet-and-greet at a local bagel shop and ending with a college newspaper interview about 11 p.m. There was no time for lunch, just some quick bites of Chinese take-out in the car between town hall meetings -- dinner consisted of lunch leftovers. As a vegan (no meat or dairy), Dennis Kucinich is eating a lot of Chinese take-out on the campaign trail.
New direction'
Dennis Kucinich signs a copy of "The Courage to Survive" during a swing through NH last month. (GRETA CUYLER)
Dennis Kucinich tells voters he's offering "a totally new direction for America."
His top domestic priority is to transform Medicare into a nationwide, not-for-profit, single-payer universal health-care system. He's leading the charge to impeach Vice President Dick Cheney, a man he contends lied to get the United States to invade Iraq. He wants to repeal the Patriot Act.
Dennis Kucinich entered politics at age 21 when he ran for Cleveland City Council. At 31, he was elected mayor of Cleveland, the youngest person ever to have been elected mayor of a major U.S. city.
When Kucinich speaks to voters, he's serious. Watch closely, though, and you'll catch a sly smile light up his face. And when one young girl asked about global warming during a town-hall meeting in Keene, Kucinich pulled up a chair next to her and talked about efforts her class could make to save the planet.
His favorite music includes songs by his friend Willie Nelson, along with the Beatles and Melissa Etheridge. Push him and he'll tell you he also loves a good polka.
"Oh yes, he's serious," says Elizabeth, grinning and rolling her eyes when she hears him mention polkas.
Kucinich doesn't accept corporate campaign contributions. As of Sept. 30, his campaign has raised just over $3 million, compared with $80 million for Barack Obama and nearly $91 million for Hillary Clinton.
His campaign slogan, "Strength Through Peace," emphasizes diplomacy over aggressive warfare.
If America is attacked by terrorists again, "we'd go after them, no question about it," Kucinich says. "Anyone who thinks because I'm working for peace I wouldn't defend America is mistaken. But we'll also create a climate where no one will want to attack us."
He wants to eliminate tax breaks for the richest 1 percent in exchange for tax breaks to the bottom 80 percent. He advocates tuition-free public colleges and universities in exchange for two years of public service after graduation.
Of all the candidates, Kucinich has the most aggressive deadline for troop withdrawal in Iraq, promising to bring the all troops home within three months.
"He's real," said Lin Fields of Carlisle, Mass., who drove up to Kucinich's book-signing in Keene. "He believes in peace and politics. He wants to get out of the war; he respects the Constitution; he speaks to my heart."
In early November, Kucinich ranked sixth -- with 2 percent of the vote -- in a poll conducted by the UNH Survey Center for the Boston Globe, which asked 400 likely New Hampshire Democrats for whom they would vote.
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YOUR COMMENTS
Dennis Kucinich is the only candidate that will repeal NAFTA and the WTO to help bring manufacturing jobs back to America. He is the only candidate that voted against the Patriot Act and the Bankruptcy Bill and the only candidate who will implement a true universal health care system. He will be the 21st century FDR is elected. He has the courage and conviction to change America, unlike the people who claim to be like him, but don't vote like him.
- Jeff Allen, Sparks, Nevada
Dennis seems like such a great guy, full of heart and compassion. I'm not sure that all of his monetary policies would be fully sustainable...but they're a sight better than what we've got now.
His foreign policy and environmental policies are great to hear, not to mention his concern of the loss of civil liberties.
Personally, I'd love to see a Ron Paul/Dennis Kucinich administration; I think the foreign policy would be perfect, their monetary/financial stances would balance each other out, they'd hopefully get support from both sides of the aisle...however, it would surprise me if that ticket ever came to fruition (though I know that they are friendly and respect each other quite a bit).
Hmm, maybe if one wins, they'll appoint the other as a high-ranking cabinet member...
- Joel Henderson, Brighton, MA
I was born in Lebanon, NH and had to leave for business at the age of two weeks.
The current administration is preventing us from living free and will probably end life as we know it.
I love the state motto.
So NH you need to start the ball rolling. Support Dennis now.
It's better than the alternative.
- Greg Dickinson, East Stroudsburg, PA
The voters need to vote for the people and against corporate greed.The 3 leading democrat candidates are corporate whores the same as the GOP candidates.Dennis Kucinich is the only candidate that has the backbone to fight corporate greed and if the democrats root him out like they have been trying lately,i will become a registered independent voter.A kucinich presidency would give the government back to the people.
- Virgil Alley, Aurora,MO
I fully support Dennis. I have met him and heard him speak on several occasions and he never ceases to amaze. The other candidates...bless their hearts, are totally un-evolved. They lack a moral compass that doesn't need to check which way the wind blows. I think I mixed my metaphors...
Go Dennis!!!
- Nathan Anderson, Los Angeles, CA
Read Dennis Kucinich's new book "The Courage To Survive", carry it everywhere and show people.
There is unequivocably no other presidential candidate qualified to actually lead this country in a healthy direction. I met Dennis Kucinich 4 years ago here in Colorado. He is a giant of a person due to his integrity, past political honesty and experience and able to stand up to the elit monied interests. He definitely has my vote!
- You (my entire legal name), Boulder, CO
Dennis Kucinich offers a unique vision for America, with single payer not-for-profit health care, elimination of nuclear weapons and nuclear power as the appropriate response to the Iran crisis, no star wars, money for a crash program to green America with solar, wind, geothermal, creating tens of thousands of jobs and increasing our national security, using money from the bloated Pentagon budget, and upholding our Constitution and holding our government accountable. He is a national treasure!
- Alice Slater, New York NY
Definitely the best man for the job and he definitely has the experience. Being a public servant since the age of 21 is certainly impressive. I have met the man, heard him speak and no other candidate is worthy of my vote! This man is a true American and when I hear him speak, his words, ideas and principles give me hope! Nobody but Dennis in '08!!!
- Anita, Zephyrhills, Florida
I fully support Kucinich, and find that his clarity of mind and committment to humanity make for clear vision and a real leader. When I saw him speak in Charlottesville, VA, a woman spoke up at the end to tell him about a school she worked out that encouraged things such as mediation and not punishment for students, and other innovative approaches; she then asked him, if he became president, if he would help her and her students get the message about this approach to educating out on a national level. Dennis' response was kind, attentive and action-oriented: he extended an invitation for her and her students to come to DC before the election to testify before the Domestic Policy subcommittee, which he chairs. He also said he would like to have the chance to walk her students up the stairs of the House of Representatives to show them an inscription of a woman, representing peace, guarding a child, representing wisdom, to emphasize the importance of knowledge, as well as peace--truly a man of peace, integrity and humanity.
- Brendan O'Connor, Arlington, VA
I met Dennis and Elizabeth on Thanksgiving Day when volunteering at the Liberty House, a homeless vet's shelter in south Manchester. They arrived with no entourage, fanfare or media in tow. Dennis, however, sat for over an hour with the management of the home and set the stage to resolve two major issues that the facility was facing. One problem was to be solved by lending some of Dennis' certainly precious campaign resources the following week.
Selfless service like this, not rhetoric and staged appearances for the benefit of cameras and sound-bites, is what this country needs from its leadership.
- Dan Dwyer, Auburn, NH
Thank you for publishing such a good article on Dennis Kucinich! I am very happy to see honest and fair coverage here. Dennis has the experience, the vision, and the determination needed to put America back on track. I really hope that the people who read this article will be inspired to seek out more information about him and possibly decide to join me when I say that Dennis Kucinich will definitely be getting my vote!
- Meredith Hopkins, Hanover, PA
People I talk to always say, yes I agree with Kucinich, but he'll never win. To me that means: we will never "win" . If you don't vote for what you want... how will you get what you want?
This man is smart and a visionary. In voting for him you separate church and state but not state from a spirituality that pushes our country to be moral. Isn't that what we want?
If he doesn't win your primary you haven't lost your vote, you show the party that people support his ideas.
- Claudia Elwell, Lopez Island, WA
It 's either Dennis J. Kucinich, My Friends, or we're looking at the same old elite priorities, programs, and destruction of the Constitution and the planet. PLEASE, spread this good man's and let's vote our country back to "We The People"!
- Robert Alan Brown, Mancos, Colorado
What a refreshing breath of fresh air. The only reason this man is not leading in all the polls is most people haven't heard him and don't know what he stands for. This is mostly because the corporate owned media ignore him or ridicule him. When he is in the debates he gets the least amount of time, but wins never-the-less.
I believe America's future depends on this man. I hope Americans get a chance to hear him.
- Joe Albiani, Bedford
Right on!!! Thanks for the article
- William J. McCarthy, Manchester NH
I like him... Certainly the MOST IMPRESSIVE of all of them.
- Mark Larochelle, Manchester
With the Kucinich story covereage I can only say, "Now, you're talking." What a decent man and human being. Anyone with the courage to call it like it is should have our support and ultimately our one vote. Yes, impeach Cheney and get out of Iraq. Bring our brave troops home. Negotiate world peace, stay tough with terrorists who would do the United States harm - taking care of our homeland and not invading other countries. Roll back the tax break for the richest one percent of Americans in order to bring relief to the bottom 80 percent and I love the idea about college tuition affodability for all and just imagine health care that is affordable. What more could we want? Our good name and dignity back would be the benefit.
- Judy Burke, Austin, Texas
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