Home Subscribe Las Vegas Review-Journal
  Jobs Cars Homes Shopping Travel Weddings Golf Best of Las Vegas Photo   Search:

RECENT EDITIONS
Fri Sat Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu

News
Jun. 11, 2007
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal

DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Supporters sing Kucinich's praises

Ohio congressman emphasizes peace message during visit to Las Vegas

By MOLLY BALL
REVIEW-JOURNAL
RICHARDSON VISIT

Democratic presidential candidate Bill Richardson is scheduled to visit Las Vegas on Wednesday for a busy day of campaigning and fundraising.

The New Mexico governor will hold an education rally at 1 p.m. at Martinez Elementary School. The North Las Vegas school is named after the chairman of Richardson’s campaign in Nevada, a former chief of staff to U.S. Sen. Harry Reid.

At 3:30 p.m., Richardson will meet with Teamsters union members at their hall on Lamb Boulevard near Bonanza Road.

At 4:30 p.m., he will kick off his campaign’s canvassing effort in Nevada at the campaign’s headquarters on Sixth Street downtown.

At 6 p.m., Richardson is scheduled to speak to the Las Vegas Stonewall Democrats, a gay rights group, at the Flamingo Library.

The education, Teamsters and Stonewall speeches are open to the public, the campaign said.

Richardson, who visited Las Vegas last week, has fundraisers scheduled for Wednesday evening.

REVIEW-JOURNAL


Democratic presidential candidate Dennis Kucinich, center, applauds with others Saturday night while making an election campaign stop at Tipps Thai Cuisine in Las Vegas.
Photo by John Locher.

Diana Smith was explaining the song that her husband, Raj Rathor, was about to play on his 12-string guitar for presidential candidate Dennis Kucinich.

"It's a little song that starts quiet and slow, and builds and builds and builds," the Las Vegas jazz singer said.

"Just like the Kucinich campaign," said George Matthews, a 52-year-old retiree and fellow Kucinich supporter.

"Yes," Smith said.

Smith and Rathor, volunteer state coordinators for Kucinich's underdog bid for the Democratic presidential nomination, on Saturday night hosted the candidate at a fundraiser at a local Thai restaurant.

About 60 people paid $25 for dinner and the opportunity to see Kucinich, an Ohio congressman who is making his second bid for the presidency on a peace platform.

The mood was festive and earnest as people sat at long tables getting to know each other. A silent auction was taking bids for stone jewelry, an astrological consultation and Rathor's CD, "The Dance of the Black Panther."

Although he is considered a fringe candidate, Kucinich has a passionate core of supporters. Smith said he has a purity that takes her back to the 1960s.

"I can't remember anyone like him, except maybe Robert Kennedy," she said, referring to the Democratic presidential candidate who was assassinated in 1968. "There's a natural high you get being around someone with so much integrity, someone who's speaking truth to power."

Kucinich has been a consistent and vocal opponent of the Iraq war and has submitted legislation in the House of Representatives to end it quickly, as well as a bill to impeach Vice President Dick Cheney. He proposes creating a Cabinet-level Department of Peace to serve as a counter-balance to what he sees as too much militarism in the rest of the government.

Anger over the war fires many of Kucinich's fans. Dave Peter, a 54-year-old Clark County worker whose son has served in Afghanistan with the Army, spent 22 years as an intelligence analyst with the Air Force.

"I take it personally every time a GI gets killed," Peter said. "I spent 22 years serving my country, and I never got sent to war for political ambitions and oil companies. I don't think that's how our military should be used."

Peter wore a Veterans for Peace button, a sticker reading IMPEACH and a Kucinich 2008 pin. In the Kucinich campaign logo, the first zero in 2008 is a globe, the second a peace symbol.

As Kucinich moved through the restaurant shaking hands Saturday, many in the audience thanked him for championing their causes or complimented him on his performance in recent televised debates. Posing for photos with fans, he raised two fingers in a peace sign.

Before Kucinich could speak, Rathor, a black-clad figure with a long ponytail, serenaded him with the composition he had dedicated to the candidate, entitled "12 Strings Strong." It was a chaotic piece, played partly with a slide, that started out atmospheric, then became hectic and fast. Kucinich took a chair in front, listening intently.

Kucinich told the audience that his campaign was gaining steam beneath the radar.

"What's happening is that in the last two debates, people have had a chance to see what I'm presenting to the American people, and it's quite different than what's being offered by others," he said.

"We have to believe in peace again, and in order to get to peace, we have to have the courage to believe it's possible."

Kucinich said telecommunication has made the world smaller, while the Human Genome Project has shown "we're made of the same stuff."

"All this evidence of oneness, of connectedness, it's not reflected in our politics," he said.

Kucinich, who began his political career on the Cleveland City Council nearly 40 years ago and served two terms as mayor of that city, called for abolishing nuclear weapons and creating a single-payer, government-run universal health care system.

All the other Democratic candidates, he noted, are unwilling to propose health care plans that don't continue "subsidizing the insurance companies."

"How can you want to be president of the United States and not want to challenge these entrenched industries?" he asked. "How can you even say that?"

Asked about immigration, he decried "a two-tiered labor system ... that causes immigrant laborers to be impressed into a form of slavery." He said that as president he would cancel the North American Free Trade Agreement and make trade with Mexico contingent on better labor practices.

He recited in full the inscription on the base of the Statue of Liberty, saying illegal immigrants have paid their dues and must be allowed to stay in America.

Most Popular Stories
  • LANDLORD: AS TENANT, FLEISS FOR THE BIRDS
  • Experience Ending
  • NORM: Owner Jay-Z says 40/40 Club is fine
  • JUDICIAL DISCIPLINE COMMISSION: Panel suspends Halverson
  • 1958 CRASH: DEATH IN DESERT AIR
  • CALICO BASIN: Tranquillity lost
  • NORM: 'Idol' contestant set to go country
  • NORM: Reid book reveals 'Casino' mystery
  • NORM: Jackson in action possibly in Vegas
  • NORM: Cruise the object of a twin crush



    • Links powered by inform.com


    Leave Your Comment 10 Reader Comments
    Terms & Conditions
    The following comments are provided by readers and are the sole responsiblity of the authors. The reviewjournal.com does not review comments before publication nor guarantee their accuracy. By publishing a comment here you agree to abide by the comment policy. If you see a comment that violates the policy, please notify the web editor.

    Some comments may not display immediately due to an automatic filter. These comments will be reviewed within 48 hours. Please do not submit a comment more than once.
    Current Word Count:

    Danielle V. wrote on October 08, 2007 10:38 AM: Dennis Kucinich recognizes the plain fact that strength can only be achieved through peace. Prosperity for all can only be achieved through peace.

    If you are looking for a President who has the public's interests forefront on the agenda then you want Kucinich.

    If you are looking for universal health care that does not put profits before patients than you want Kucinich.

    If you are worried about the safety of our food than you want Kucinich.

    If you believe that it is about time for Americans to realize the dream of America than you want Kucinich.

    This is the time to vote your conscience.

    This is the time to vote rationally.

    This is the time to vote Kucinich.


    LEONA BENOIT wrote on June 19, 2007 02:01 PM: IN 2008 VOTE WITH AND FOR COURAGE AND INTEGRITY ELECT DENNIS J. KUCINICH. PRESIDENT.


    Christina M. Pattee wrote on June 15, 2007 06:16 AM: This is going to be one of the toughest choices ever. I wish there were some way I could vote in both the Democratic primary and the Republican primary. If that were possible, I'd vote for both Dennis Kucinich and Ron Paul -- one vote for Ron Paul for his proposal to eradicate the Federal Reserve Bank of New York crime syndicate, and one vote for Dennis Kucinich for his support of the American Monetary Institute/American Monetary Act.

    On a side note, I'd like to see former Congressman Mike Gravel back in Congress where he could once again kick some a** the way he did during the Viet Nam War.

    I suppose at this point the best way to help both Dennis Kucinich and Ron Paul to continue getting their messages out to the masses is to donate to both candidates' campaigns.


    Alice Winter wrote on June 13, 2007 09:14 PM: It's so good to hear a political leader at the national level talk about peace and the inter-connectedness of all human beings. Thanks to Kucinich not only for consistently opposing the war in Iraq but also for reminding us that peace is possible and inevitable. Kucinich has my support in 2008!


    Meryl Ann Butler wrote on June 12, 2007 09:23 AM: Cream rises. It's law. It might rise slowly, almost imperceptibly. But suddenly the best is on top. And Dennis Kucinich is the cream of the crop. Molly Ball offered a fair, informative, engaging and well written article, I'm glad to see this evidence of a free press!


    Tou Papiboune wrote on June 12, 2007 06:07 AM: Mr. Kucinich has the integrity, courage, wisdom, compassion and heart to help lead & restore peace and balance that the people and mother earth is longing for. Given time, his heart will shine for all to see.


    gordon kobayashi wrote on June 12, 2007 04:28 AM: I'd like to thank Molly Ball for her fine article on Dennis Kucinich.
    If all the people who say "I really like Dennis Kucinich BUT I don't think he's electable." would overcome their fear and support his campaign, he would suddenly be in the top tier.
    Too many people are easily brainwashed by the mainstream media, including many progressives.


    Robin Rae Swanson wrote on June 12, 2007 01:03 AM: First of all, I want to give a HUGE "Thank You" to Molly Ball for writing an incredible article!
    I work on the Kucinich campaign here in Hawaii, and I also worked on the 2004 Kucinich campaign in Los Angeles. I am seeing a groundswell of strong support for Dennis, especially thru the internet. I truly feel deep in my soul that Dennis IS going to be our next President (and savior)!! Dennis inspired me to get involved in politics for the first time in my life (now in my 40's), and the many times I've been blessed to meet with him will inspire the rest of my life!! He is not only an amazing politician, he is an awesome person with a deeply compassionate soul.
    I could go on and on, but I will leave it with this ... if you truly want to see our country safe, prosperous and PEACEful again, IGNORE the corporate-controlled media and vote your conscience ... VOTE DENNIS KUCINICH and spread the word!!!!!
    Go check out http://Kucinich.us/issues


    David Peter wrote on June 11, 2007 06:55 PM: I work on the Kucinich campaign here in Las Vegas and I would like to thank Molly Ball and the Review Journal for a balanced article on Congressman Kucinich's appearance at this fund raiser. Your article painted a fair picture of the candidate, his views, and his supporters.


    Vicenta Montoya wrote on June 11, 2007 06:19 PM: I am the Communications Director forthe Nevada Hispanic Caucus. Three of our members at Representative Kucinich's fund raiser.Our Secretary a candidate for Treasurer and myself a candidate for Chair. The NHDC is prohibited from endorsing a candidate we are obligated to inform fullyinform our members about all the presidentialcandidates.Thank for your very balanced portrayal of Congressman Kucinich. I also want to take this opportunity to invite you to a NHDC outreach forum on Saturday June 23, 6-8 PM at the Arturo Cambiero Senior Center at 330 N. 13th Street.

    Vicenta Montoya
    Communications Director
    Nevada Hispanic Democratic Caucus
    386-5705