Kucinich gets Green support

Kucinich gets Green support

By Adriel Hampton
Of The Examiner Staff
ahampton@examiner.com
Published on Friday, August 1, 2003

http://examiner.com/news/default.jsp...080103n_greens

Congressman Dennis Kucinich supports legalizing gay marriage,
repealing the death penalty and the Patriot Act, withdrawing from the
World Trade Organization and scrapping the North American Free Trade
Agreement, implementing national ranked choice voting and publicly
financed political campaigns, ending the occupation of Iraq, creating
universal single-payer health care, forming a Department of Peace,
cutting the Pentagon budget by 15 percent, legalizing medical
marijuana and upholding legalized abortion.

Those positions may not land the Ohio Democrat his party's
presidential nomination, but they have a number of third-party and
independent progressives solidly behind his candidacy.

Thursday in San Francisco, three of California's most prominent Green
Party members voiced support for Kucinich, though stopping short of
formal endorsements because of the party divide.

"If Kucinich is the Democratic nominee, I am sure the Democrats and
the Greens will work collaboratively to oust George Bush in next
year's election," said Matt Gonzalez, president of the San Francisco
Board of Supervisors, who introduced the candidate at a breakfast for
his supporters.

Medea Benjamin, co-founder of Global Exchange and Code Pink Women for
Peace and U.S. Senate candidate for the Greens in 2000, told The
Examiner that Kucinich is "as green as you can get."

"He's so genuine, you wonder how this guy ever got to Congress,"
Benjamin said.

Peter Camejo, California's Green Party candidate for governor, said if
Kucinich were to win the Democratic nod, he "would favor calling an
emergency national convention of the Green Party" to discuss how to
support the progressive candidate.

In a U.S. Green Party conference July 18-20, party leaders had
affirmed plans to run a candidate in the presidential race.

Gonzalez urged progressive Democrats and independents voting in the
March primary to support Kucinich.

In a press conference prior to a sold-out speech at the Commonwealth
Club, Kucinich, who calls himself "a green Democrat," said his
candidacy is reaching out to third parties such as the Greens,
National Law Party, Reform Party and Libertarians.

While even core progressives doubt that Kucinich can capture his
party's endorsement, the candidate says he presents the only
alternative to President Bush who will fully engage the left.

"It's difficult to poll on the kind of support I have because they
don't come out for the primary," Kucinich said. "They are going to be
there when I am on the ballot for the United States presidency."

San Francisco Green Party activist Jim Dorenkott, who attended the
breakfast with Kucinich, said the congressman (who in his Thursday
speech quoted the prophet Isaiah, called for progressives to react
politically, not with gut-level anger but from the heart with love,
and drew several rounds of applause and standing ovations) "represents
the political, spiritual, psychological connection that's been missing
since the '60s."

Dorenkott said people who have stepped out of political activity
because of distaste with the system are engaging with Kucinich.

"Kucinich understands the pain and anger people are feeling because of
their difficult life situations but challenges us to rise to a level
of hope and expectation so people will be empowered," Dorenkott said.

Gonzalez is critical of progressives lining up with former Vermont
Governor Howard Dean, who has positioned himself as more liberal than
leading Democratic rivals but stops short of endorsing many key
progressive causes.

"Dean is not really progressive," Gonzalez said.

	#1
Sarah	Kucinich gets Green support Kucinich gets Green support By Adriel Hampton Of The Examiner Staff ahampton@examiner.com Published on Friday, August 1, 2003 http://examiner.com/news/default.jsp...080103n_greens Congressman Dennis Kucinich supports legalizing gay marriage, repealing the death penalty and the Patriot Act, withdrawing from the World Trade Organization and scrapping the North American Free Trade Agreement, implementing national ranked choice voting and publicly financed political campaigns, ending the occupation of Iraq, creating universal single-payer health care, forming a Department of Peace, cutting the Pentagon budget by 15 percent, legalizing medical marijuana and upholding legalized abortion. Those positions may not land the Ohio Democrat his party's presidential nomination, but they have a number of third-party and independent progressives solidly behind his candidacy. Thursday in San Francisco, three of California's most prominent Green Party members voiced support for Kucinich, though stopping short of formal endorsements because of the party divide. "If Kucinich is the Democratic nominee, I am sure the Democrats and the Greens will work collaboratively to oust George Bush in next year's election," said Matt Gonzalez, president of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, who introduced the candidate at a breakfast for his supporters. Medea Benjamin, co-founder of Global Exchange and Code Pink Women for Peace and U.S. Senate candidate for the Greens in 2000, told The Examiner that Kucinich is "as green as you can get." "He's so genuine, you wonder how this guy ever got to Congress," Benjamin said. Peter Camejo, California's Green Party candidate for governor, said if Kucinich were to win the Democratic nod, he "would favor calling an emergency national convention of the Green Party" to discuss how to support the progressive candidate. In a U.S. Green Party conference July 18-20, party leaders had affirmed plans to run a candidate in the presidential race. Gonzalez urged progressive Democrats and independents voting in the March primary to support Kucinich. In a press conference prior to a sold-out speech at the Commonwealth Club, Kucinich, who calls himself "a green Democrat," said his candidacy is reaching out to third parties such as the Greens, National Law Party, Reform Party and Libertarians. While even core progressives doubt that Kucinich can capture his party's endorsement, the candidate says he presents the only alternative to President Bush who will fully engage the left. "It's difficult to poll on the kind of support I have because they don't come out for the primary," Kucinich said. "They are going to be there when I am on the ballot for the United States presidency." San Francisco Green Party activist Jim Dorenkott, who attended the breakfast with Kucinich, said the congressman (who in his Thursday speech quoted the prophet Isaiah, called for progressives to react politically, not with gut-level anger but from the heart with love, and drew several rounds of applause and standing ovations) "represents the political, spiritual, psychological connection that's been missing since the '60s." Dorenkott said people who have stepped out of political activity because of distaste with the system are engaging with Kucinich. "Kucinich understands the pain and anger people are feeling because of their difficult life situations but challenges us to rise to a level of hope and expectation so people will be empowered," Dorenkott said. Gonzalez is critical of progressives lining up with former Vermont Governor Howard Dean, who has positioned himself as more liberal than leading Democratic rivals but stops short of endorsing many key progressive causes. "Dean is not really progressive," Gonzalez said.