The Great Lakes Zephyr - Wind Energy & Hydrogen Journal

Kucinich stumps in Helena

By ALLISON FARRELL - IR State Bureau - 05/25/04

HELENA - Montana Democrats still have a chance to pull the national party further to the left before the November presidential election by voting for Dennis Kucinich in the June 8 primary, the Ohio congressman told a crowd of about 100 supporters Monday.

Even though Sen. John Kerry of Massachusetts has earned enough delegate support to be considered the Democratic nominee, Kucinich said he's still pounding the campaign pavement for the sake of his party.

''My candidacy is about the Democratic Party having a backbone,'' Kucinich told the cheering crowd in the Capitol rotunda. ''If people can't tell the difference between Democrats and Republicans, that isn't going to help Democrats.

"My campaign helps send that message to the national party.''

Kucinich, a former Cleveland mayor and fourth-term U.S. congressman, is the first and only major party presidential candidate to make a campaign stop in Montana this political season.

He hopes that his continued stumping influences the Democratic party platform at the national convention in Boston this summer.

''You still can really put an exclamation mark on the direction of the party,'' Kucinich told his supporters. ''The last best place may be the last best chance for the Democratic Party.''

Touting his plan for universal health care, Kucinich said the country spends more than enough money on health care - $1.6 trillion a year - to support a universal, government-funded, single-payer health care system.

But instead of providing medical treatment for all Americans, that money is lining the pockets of private insurance and health care companies, he said.

''We have a system of gouging the public,'' Kucinich said to loud applause. ''It's time we...(Full Story)