2008 Presidential Campaign Blog

Dennis Kucinich Withdraws From Presidential Race

Kucinich withdraws from Presidential race

In a speech delivered in his hometown of Cleveland, Ohio Congressman and Democratic Presidential candidate Dennis Kucinich delivered an impassioned speech that said, in part:

"I deeply and sincerely believe that we fought the good fight – in large part because of the support from all of you here and from hundreds of thousands of people just like you all across this country. I stood strong because you gave me strength. I spoke out because your voices needed and deserved to be heard. And I told the truth, no matter how unpopular or inconvenient, because, no matter how long it takes, the truth really will set us free."

"I won't be President, but I can continue to fight for these important issues as a Congressman..."

This campaign began more than a year ago when I saw that leaders in Washington, many in my own party, were intent on continuing a war, a war that has cost the lives of more than 4,000 of our brave young men and women and 1 million innocent Iraqis. A war that will cost this nation 2 trillion dollars and a war that has already cost our Cleveland community over a billion dollars.

At the same time, I saw that the American economy was headed for serious trouble. People were losing their jobs, their health care, their homes, their retirement security. Not just here in Cleveland, but all across the country. And the solutions to those problems don’t reside here in Cleveland. They were created and facilitated by people and policies in Washington D.C. – in the White House, in the U.S. Congress – and on Wall Street.

That’s why I ran for President in the first place: to give those issues the national attention they deserved and to do my best to win the nomination and bring a totally new perspective and a totally new direction to the Office of President of the United States of America.

I deeply and sincerely believe that we fought the good fight – in large part because of the support from all of you here and from hundreds of thousands of people just like you all across this country. I stood strong because you gave me strength. I spoke out because your voices needed and deserved to be heard. And I told the truth, no matter how unpopular or inconvenient, because, no matter how long it takes, the truth really will set us free.

I won't be President, but I can continue to fight for these important issues as a Congressman, representing the community that is first in my heart, Cleveland, Ohio: issues like the economic rights of people, jobs for all, health care for all, retirement security for all, and social justice for all.

I have put proposals before the Congress to create jobs.  I have put proposals before the Congress to create health care for all.  I have put proposals before the Congress to create universal pre-kindergarten -- all things which my district, and many districts like it across this country, need so desperately.

Instead, we asked for jobs, we get war.  We asked for health care, we get war. We asked for funds for education, we get war.  We ask for a clean environment, we get war.  It is time to end this war.  It is time to end war as an instrument of policy and have the government start taking care of things here at home.  In Cleveland.  And in places everywhere just like Cleveland.

The physical health of our nation is declining. Here in Cleveland you can see people suffering everywhere because they have no health care.  Across Ohio there are 1 million people who have no health insurance.  Either because they can’t afford it or because they lost their job, or because they have a pre-existing condition.  It is time to have a single payer, not for profit health care system.  I am the co-author of the bill, HR 676, and this single idea of a single-payer system would be the key economic stimulus that could both save and create millions of jobs while restoring the health of our nation.

We are losing our nation to a war based on lies, to destruction of our civil liberties and to massive debt.  I tried to get these themes into the debates.  But I was locked out of six debates.  In each and every early primary state, in Iowa, in New Hampshire,  Nevada, South Carolina and California, the American people were denied an opportunity to know that there is a way our of Iraq, there are plans to restore our economy, there is a practical health care plan which means the end of premiums, co-pays and deductibles.  But there was no way to get the message out.  Workers here know about lockouts.  They stop you from being heard.

But workers also know that the fight for economic rights is not about a single day, or a single year, or a single campaign, or a single candidate. It is a lifelong endeavor.

So today, we are  re-committing our energies to a government that works for all of us and is open to all of us. A government that stands for economic strength through peace. A government that stands for jobs, for health care, for education.  A government that stands for truth, for civil liberties, and for our Constitution. And it starts again today in Cleveland, Ohio in the heart of America.

From our efforts in Cleveland and around this great country, we're creating a new force to be reckoned with, a force that will be made up of people, ideas, new technologies and the kind of patriotic verve that has no place for cowardice or compromise. I have been called the Conscience of the Democratic Party.  Our efforts will involve a call to conscience.  A call to integrity.

To those who supported this campaign with their energies and with their hearts, I want you to know that we are transitioning the Presidential campaign into a national movement based on integrity and based on practical ways in which we can affect policies at local and national levels.  I am no longer running for President, but I am intent on saving our nation from the destruction of our economic hopes and from the destruction of our Constitution.

And all of the energies of all of the people who have been involved in this campaign will be transitioned into a new, national effort to regain control of our government, which seems more and more inaccessible. We are calling that effort “Integrity Now”, and there is a website – www.integritynow.org -- where we can begin to channel all of that enthusiasm and that commitment from people just like you, and just like me, so we can take positive steps to do what we know is right and in the best interests of this nation. 

So let us begin again, here, today, in Cleveland, Ohio, with a renewed effort to be of service to our community and to our nation. Let us re-focus on what we can do and what we must do, here at home, in Washington, and all across this country to end the war, rebuild this nation, restore truth and justice and integrity to our government. Let’s make the American dream more than a dream. Let’s make it a reality.

Thank you.

Kucinich To Discuss Status Of Presidential Campaign

Kucinich calls news conference for noon Friday to discuss status of Presidential campaign

CLEVELAND, OH - Ohio Congressman Dennis Kucinich has called a news conference for noon on Friday, January 25, at the International Laborers' Union (Local 310) hall at 3520 Euclid Avenue, to announce plans for "transitioning out of the Democratic Presidential primary race."

No further comments will be forthcoming from Kucinich or his Presidential campaign until tomorrow's news conference.

Nevada Judge Orders NBC To Include Kucinich In Presidential Debate

Nevada judge orders NBC to include Kucinich in Presidential debate
Threatens to halt debate if Kucinich is not allowed in

CLEVELAND, OH - Ohio Congressman and Democratic Presidential candidate Dennis Kucinich will meet with reporters here Tuesday morning to make his first public statements following a Nevada court ruling tonight ordering that he be included in tomorrow’s nationally televised NBC/MSNBC debate - or, the court said, the debate would be halted.

Immediately following a planned 7:30 a.m. news conference at Cleveland Hopkins International Airport, Kucinich will board a flight for Las Vegas where he will gather with several hundred supporters for a rally before proceeding to the debate location. 

Kucinich had originally been invited to participate in the debate because he met one of the publicly announced criteria - ranking fourth or better in a national poll - but a network official advised the campaign Thursday that it was changing those criteria, reversing its decision, and rescinding the invitation to participate.

A formal order is expected Tuesday morning. But, according to published reports, Senior Clark County District Court Judge Charles Thompson vowed to issue an injunction halting the nationally televised debate if MSNBC failed to comply with his order. The judge ruled it was a matter of fairness and Nevada voters would benefit from hearing from more than just Hillary Clinton, John Edwards and Barack Obama. An official order from the court is expected this morning.

Kucinich Intensifies Efforts In New Hampshire

Kucinich Intensifies Efforts in New Hampshire

MANCHESTER, NH - The only Democratic presidential contender actively campaigning in the state of New Hampshire, Congressman Dennis Kucinich continues his big push here in the Granite State with efforts across the airwaves and in the field aimed at reaching out to Democratic and independent voters.

Kucinich's first two radio ads, titled "A Real Democrat" and "Vote for Your Health," are being broadcast today in over a dozen stations across the state and throughout the region.

Two corresponding television spots also are set to go up tomorrow, on network and cable. In the ads, Congressman Kucinich looks directly at the camera and challenges the other Democratic candidates on issues of major importance to all Americans, notably healthcare and foreign policy. 

This significant media buy comes at a time when a lot of voters are still making up their minds about which candidate to support as Primary Day nears. 

The campaign also sent over 200,000 messages via phone to Democratic and independent voters in New Hampshire yesterday.

"It is important for voters to know what I stand for, and that my vision and ideas for the future of our great country includes all Americans," said Kucinich. 

Congressman Kucinich will be in New Hampshire through the rest of the week, giving him a few days' head start before the other candidates arrive from Iowa.  His field operation has been ramped up as well: over 300 canvassers are hitting the streets of several New Hampshire burgs this week, including Manchester, Dover, Keene, and Concord. 

"We have an opportunity here in New Hampshire in this last week to create genuine excitement among voters looking for a Real Democrat," said Kucinich. "People are finding that I am tough and independent-minded, and that I can't be bought or bossed."

Kucinich Urges Supporters To Back Obama On Second Iowa Ballot

Kucinich Urges Supporters to Back Obama on Second Iowa Ballot

DES MOINES, IA - Democratic Presidential candidate and Ohio Congressman Dennis Kucinich opened the New Year by publicly asking his Iowa supporters to vote for him in the caucuses this Thursday, and suggesting that if he did not make the 15% threshold, their second ballot should be for Senator Barack Obama. "This is obviously an 'Iowa-only' recommendation, as Sen. Obama and I are competing in the New Hampshire primary next Tuesday where I want to be the first choice of New Hampshire voters.

"I hope Iowans will caucus for me as their first choice this Thursday, because of my singular positions on the war, on health care, and trade. This is an opportunity for people to stand up for themselves. But in those caucus locations where my support doesn't reach the necessary threshold, I strongly encourage all of my supporters to make Barack Obama their second choice. Sen. Obama and I have one thing in common: Change."

Kucinich Withdraws From Michigan Democratic Primary Ballot

Kucinich withdraws from Michigan Democratic primary ballot

DOVER, NH - The Kucinich for President campaign announced this afternoon that it has filed an affidavit with the Michigan Secretary of State's office officially requesting that the name of Ohio Congressman and Democratic Presidential candidate Dennis Kucinich be withdrawn from the Michigan Democratic primary ballot.

The sworn statement requesting withdrawal was submitted via fax by Kucinich National Campaign Manager Mike Klein shortly before today's 4 p.m. deadline.

At the same time, the Kucinich campaign issued the following statement on behalf of the candidate, who is campaigning in Arizona today:

"We signed a public pledge recently, promising to stand with New Hampshire, Nevada, South Carolina, and the DNC-approved 'early window', and the action we are taking today protects New Hampshire's first-in-the-nation primary status, and Nevada's early caucus."

The statement continued: "We support the grassroots nature of the New Hampshire, small-state primary, and we support the diversity efforts that Chairman Dean and the DNC instituted last year, when they added Nevada and South Carolina to the window in January 2008.  We are obviously committed to New Hampshire's historic role."

Klein, who recently moved to Dover, NH to run the national Kucinich campaign, added, "We will continue to adhere to the DNC-approved primary schedule."

Kucinich At PBS Forum

Kucinich energizes PBS forum by relating foreign policy failings to growing domestic 'crises'

WASHINGTON D.C. - In a Presidential forum designed to focus on America’s domestic crises – poverty, sub-standard education, job loss, crime, and HIV AIDS – Congressman Dennis Kucinich made a compelling and enthusiastically applauded case that U.S. foreign policy, especially the war in Iraq, is sapping the national resources to solve problems on our own shores.

If the U.S. were not spending more than a trillion dollars on the war in Iraq, Kucinich argued, funds would be available to provide early child care, free pre-kindergarten, and fully funded state-college tuition to help America’s disadvantaged youth prepare for jobs and productive lives. “Stop funding war, and start funding education.

If the U.S. health care system were converted to a not-for-profit system that covered all Americans, the financial burdens and denials of service to upwards of 100 million uninsured or under-insured citizens would be lifted. As would the crushing financial costs that are making many U.S. companies non-competitive. "Michael Moore is right about this – take the profit out of the system." Kucinich co-authored legislation (H.R.676) early this year for a national health insurance plan that film-maker Moore recently endorsed and is promoting.

And, with the cancellation of foreign trade agreements such as NAFTA and the WTO, the U.S. could stop the out-sourcing of millions of U.S. jobs. "A Democratic administration started NAFTA, and a Democratic administration will end NAFTA," said Kucinich to a cheering crowd at the PBS All-American Presidential Forum at Howard University tonight.

Kucinich, the only Democratic Presidential candidate who voted against the original war authorization in 2002 and every subsequent war-funding appropriation, is also the only candidate who has introduced federal legislation to create a national, not-for-profit health insurance plan to cover all Americans. Other candidates, who have proposed plans that include the participation of for-profit insurance and pharmaceutical companies, appeared tonight to give Kucinich previously unexpressed deference by agreeing to the need for a "universal" health care plan.

In addressing the special problems confronting America’s minority populations, Kucinich also re-asserted his opposition to the federal death penalty and mandatory minimum sentencing, and his support of rehabilitation, rather than incarceration for some offenders. His positions drew loud and prolonged applause.

Kucinich also argued against tax breaks for the wealthy and tax breaks for U.S. companies that move their operations off-shore because of the negative impact those actions have on working Americans and job-seekers.

One of his loudest and most energetic responses from the audience came when he and the other candidates were asked a question about Darfur and what action the U.S. should take to end the deadly strife there. Kucinich, reiterating an earlier criticism of U.S. foreign policy, said that the United States must adopt an entirely new perspective toward Africa: ”not just a place that corporations can exploit.” Drawing a parallel to Iraq, Kucinich said, “If Darfur had oil, this administration would be occupying it right now.”

Kucinich published and widely circulated an intelligence analysis in 2002 refuting the Bush Administration’s arguments for invading Iraq. He rallied 125 other members of the House to oppose the war authorization bill. He has since publicly disclosed other documents revealing that the Administration is pressuring the Iraqi government to adopt measures that would turn control of up to 70% of Iraq’s oil to multi-national oil and energy corporations.

Kucinich Presidential Campaign Unveils First TV Spot

Kucinich Presidential Campaign Unveils First TV Spot
'No More Blood for Oil'

CLEVELAND- The Kucinich Presidential campaign has unveiled its first television commercial -- "No more blood for oil" -- and is previewing it with supporters and friends on the campaign website and on popular Internet sites, including YouTube and MySpace.

Using the all-too-familiar sights and sounds of a gas pump ringing up the higher and higher cost of filling up the tank, the pump then begins registering even higher and more disturbing numbers: dead and wounded U.S. soldiers; innocent Iraqis killed, wounded, and displaced; the staggering profits of oil companies; potential profits from "stealing Iraq's oil;" and U.S. tax dollars spent on the war in Iraq. It concludes with the message: "No more blood for oil."

Kucinich, D-OH, is the only Presidential candidate who voted against the original war authorization in 2002 and every war-funding appropriation since. He recently delivered an unprecedented hour-long speech on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives documenting that an Administration "benchmark" buried deep in the recent war supplemental appropriation would actually allow international oil companies to privatize Iraq's oil industry and gain control of upwards of 80% of Iraq production and reserves.

"Congressman Kucinich has been absolutely right about this since the beginning, and only recently have some of the other Democratic candidates recognized that they were wrong in authorizing and continuing to fund this war for all these years," the campaign said in a statement. "They had a chance to stop it before it began, and they could have stopped funding it anytime since. They didn't."

The commercial provides a dramatic and powerful visualization of the consequences of those decisions. It was produced by the campaign's in-house creative staff, headed by Chad Ely, National Media Director, and video editor Eric Blumrich. The campaign is planning a wider distribution in the near future.

Elizabeth Kucinich Statement To The News Of Elizabeth Edwards' Recurring Cancer

Elizabeth Kucinich statement to the news of Elizabeth Edwards' recurring cancer

Dennis and I wish Elizabeth and John Edwards and their family the very best as Mrs. Edwards continues her courageous battle with cancer.

She has shown true strength and dignity in addressing this disease. We admire her courage and her spirit.

We are confident that Mrs. Edwards will continue to play a vigorous role in this campaign.

I look forward to seeing her on the campaign trail as she and I and our husbands all work towards our visions for building a better America.

Kucinich welcomes early California primary

Kucinich welcomes early California primary

CLEVELAND (OH) -- Democratic Presidential candidate Dennis Kucinich (www.kucinich.us) said today that he welcomes the move to an earlier primary election in California because it will give voters a better opportunity to examine the positions of all the candidates. Kucinich said he is already actively campaigning in California, and has numerous events planned in the state over the next few months.

"All of America will be paying close attention to the early contests because that's when they can see the real differences between all the candidates." Kucinich said. "California's decision to move its primary provides even greater opportunity for our campaign to bring our message of peace and prosperity before the American public."

The Ohio Congressman said he will be "crisscrossing this great country" to make sure that by the time the first caucuses and primaries are held, Americans from New Hampshire to California will know the "real differences" between candidates on issues such as the Iraq war, health care and the restoration of American jobs.