Entering the packed Wilma Theatre to a huge round of applause and a standing ovation, the only major-party presidential candidate to visit the state so far said simply, "Wow."
"They said, 'C'mon to Missoula; we've got a small group of people who want to meet with you here,' " Kucinich said. "Wow!"
It's his hope, he said, that a strong showing in the final primary elections of the year - including Montana's on June 8 - will send delegates bearing his message to the Democratic National Convention in Boston in July. Montana delegates have 21 of 4,322 total votes at the convention.
"If we're able to get a powerful vote here in Montana, then we can take that to the convention," Kucinich said.
He added: "The Democrats have to present a viable alternative. . . . It's not enough for the Democrats just to say, 'George Bush. Vote against George Bush.' "
During a press conference before his appearance, he said his campaign has been picking up steam in the past several weeks, with strong showings in Oregon, Maine and Alaska. He also appeared on "Meet the Press" on Sunday and CNN's "Crossfire" and MSNBC on Monday.
"It's happening," he said.
Kucinich's main concern in the campaign is getting the United States out of Iraq and handing over control to the United Nations. He said the "immoral" war, and its images of civilian casualties and prison abuse portray "the worst that anyone could ever imagine would come out of America."
The war on terror and the war in Iraq, he said, seem to have stemmed from a fear that has "gripped this country . . . dropped like a dark cloth over this country."
"It is insufficient for the Democratic Party in November to be offering the people a Democratic version of the war in Iraq," he added.
The first question from the audience was about something a bit more mundane, however: "Do you fish?"
Kucinich, a vegan, laughed and answered, "No. . . . I'm fishing for votes right now."
Asked about plans to build a biosafety Level 4 lab for studying the world's most dangerous pathogens at Rocky Mountain Laboratories in Hamilton, Kucinich said he believes the labs are a way to study new weapons and plans should be halted.
"The excuse they give is, 'Well, we have to develop these weapons because then we can develop the antidote,' " he said.
Kucinich also spoke at length about his plans for a universal health care system, which he would fund by transferring the money already spent on health care into a single-payer nonprofit system.
"You are already paying for a universal standard of care, and you are not getting it," he said.
"When you vote for me, you'll be sending a message to the Democratic Party that the party ought to stand for health care."
Kucinich's stop in Missoula was the fourth on his swing through the state this week. He had already been to Billings on Sunday night and Great Falls and Helena earlier in the day Monday. On Tuesday, he'll head to Butte and Bozeman.
Reporter Ericka Schenck Smith can be reached at 523-5259 or at esmith@missoulian.com
|
 |
 |
Add your comment now! Write your comment in the form below.
(Email address is for verification only. If you'd like to email a story, look for the link above)