2008 Presidential Campaign Blog

New Dennis Kucinich For President 2008 Website

This introductory message in appeared on the new Dennis Kucinch for President 2008 website in both text and video formats.

Hi, everyone. Dennis here.

The response to our campaign has been very encouraging. People from all over the country want to know what they can do to get involved; and this website is going to be an essential organizing tool. And we're asking you to participate. So, it's important for you to be around; kind of hang around the site, check on it every day, see the kinds of things that we're doing, check on the media [News] section and see how the media is finally getting engaged in following our campaign.

It's really interesting to see people respond because, in the past, we organized the campaign and then I made an announcement. This time I made the announcement, and the campaign is beginning to gather around us quite quickly. So stay tuned! But more than that, stay involved, help us plan, help us organize, help us raise funds, help us set the stage for a new direction for America.

People know that my position on the war is the position that is going to bring our troops home. People know that when I say that we have the money to bring the troops home now, that I'm right. And people know that the Democrats ought to rally behind the will of the American people expressed in November to bring our troops home. It's just not right for leaders to be talking about giving the president another $160 billion that will keep our troops in Iraq until the end of the president's term.

So we have the power to create a new direction. And we're going to do it with your help. And I'm so grateful for that. I look forward to hearing from you. This is your campaign; it's not about me, it's about all of us. It's about our endeavor to create a world of peace and to create a world that we can relate to people all over the world. We know that this is the time for us to open up our hearts and to reveal the power that is within each of us to create a new world.

Thank you very much, and you'll be hearing from me often.

Dennis Kucinich 2008 Announcement Speech

Announcement of Candidacy
Democratic Nomination for President of the United States
Tuesday, December 12, 2006
Cleveland City Hall

"I am announcing my candidacy for President of the United States, with the intention of rallying the American people to the cause of the troops in the field, to the cause of stopping more American families from suffering, to the cause of ending a deepening tragedy in Iraq, to the cause of repairing America’s reputation in the world, to the cause of the dreams of people in my own neighborhood and my own city.

I fully expect to be win, because when the American people hear this clarion call for a new and true direction, this call to confirm their intent, their power, I am confident that they will respond as powerfully, as they did just one month ago, to demand that America quickly change course in Iraq and to demand a leader who will make it happen...

My campaign will be about the truth in action. It will be about the power of decisiveness, and the power of compassion which comes from an understanding of the imperative of human unity, the imperative of human security, the imperative of peace...

I ran for President in 2004, not just to challenge the war and Democratic Party policy, but to bring forth a message: Fear ends. Hope begins. My candidacy will call forth the courage of the American people to meet the challenge of terrorism without sacrificing our liberties and everything that is near and dear to us. My candidacy will inspire hope for a new America, where social, economic and political progress is grounded in work for peace...

This is a moment that we need to call our Democratic leaders to courage. This is about leadership, clear vision and integrity. The people were behind us in November. They are behind us now. We must stand by our word and bring the troops home now.

I am the only member of the House and the Senate running for President who has consistently voted against funding for the war, based on a principled opposition.

I was against the war then. I am against it now. A leader must have not just hindsight, but foresight. The prophet Isaiah said “Without vision, a people perish.” I am stepping forth at this moment because I believe, as did Lincoln that “this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom and that government of the people, by the people and for the people shall not perish from this earth.”. Thank you."

Full Speech Text

Dennis Kucinich To Announce Second Run For President

Kucinich to announce for President

‘Deeply concerned’ by failure of Democratic leadership to heed voters’ November call to end war

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Monday, December 11, 2006

CLEVELAND -- Citing deep concerns over the willingness of his own Party’s leadership to continue funding the war in Iraq, U.S. Rep. Dennis Kucinich, (D-OH), will announce his candidacy for President of the United States tomorrow, Tuesday, December 12, at noon, at Cleveland City Hall, 601 Lakeside Ave., Cleveland.

Kucinich, who ran for the Democratic Party’s Presidential nomination in 2004, said Congress recently appropriated $70 billion that could be used to bring the troops home, and leading Congressional Democrats have voiced approval for an Administration plan to appropriate an additional $160 billion.

“Democrats were swept into power on November 7 because of widespread voter discontent with the war in Iraq,” said Kucinich. “Instead of heeding those concerns and responding with a strong and immediate change in policies and direction, the Democratic Congressional leadership seems inclined to continue funding the perpetuation of the war.”

In a series of speeches on the floor of the House last week, Kucinich (www.kucinich.us) maintained that the $70 billion dollars can be used to bring the troops home now and that approval of another $160 billion will take the war through the end of Bush's term, contrary to the wishes of the voters in last month's General Election.

He said that it is not credible for elected officials to maintain that they are against the war while, at the same time, they are voting in favor of its continuation and possible expansion. Kucinich was re-elected last month to a sixth term in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Kucinich’s announcement will be in the City Council Committee Room on the 2nd Floor of City Hall. He will be accompanied by his wife, Elizabeth.