Kucinich Says He's Preparing 50-Page Bush Articles of Impeachment
By David Swanson
Touching on issues ranging from Yucca Mountain to the Patriot Act and the war in Iraq, presidential hopeful Dennis
Kucinich spoke to a crowd of several hundred people in Reno Saturday.
Despite a steady snowfall outside, a standing-room-only crowd packed into two meeting rooms at the Reno-Sparks
Convention Center to hear what the Ohio Congressman and Democrat had to say about issues he's most closely associated
with: the environment and opposition to the war and the Bush administration in general. Those expecting Kucinich to
deliver harsh words about the president weren't disappointed, as the half-hour campaign speech soon turned to talk of
impeachment.
"On the way over here, I was reading a 50-page document that relates to Articles of Impeachment for the President of the
United States," Kucinich said to a standing ovation. "And I want you to know that I'm actually preparing this document
for submission to the House."
Kucinich said under the current administration, citizen's rights to due process and fair trial are in jeopardy.
"This is a moment when we're called upon to reclaim our country," he said. "You give me your vote, I'll give you back
your country."
Kucinich also discussed how his concern for the environment would shape his presidency if he were to be elected.
"Think about this. The government has an engine of sustainability so that the Department of Transportation focuses on
developing mass transit solutions. The Department of Housing and Urban Development develops green housing with natural
light and passive solar. The Department of Energy incentivizes the production of wind and solar and green energy," he
told the crowd.
But most of those on hand weren't there to hear about global warming.
Bill Cantella of Reno made his way throughout the crowd, handing out Kucinich pamphlets and stickers simply reading
"Impeach," while others wore shirts and held banners bearing the same sentiment.
Cantella said Kucinich's "everyman" appeal draws him to the candidate.
"The most appealing thing about him to me is that he's not connected with special interests, international corporations
and he does not accept campaign contributions from corporations or PACs." Cantella said. "He's not connected to the
military industrial complex, oil companies and health insurance companies that rule our lives."
He was quick, however, to point out that shunning such donations could, in fact, hurt Kucinich's chances in a race
populated by high-profile candidates like Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama on the Democratic side.
"That's probably his biggest problem," Cantella said. "Because you have to have a lot of money to win the presidency of
the United States. "
Kucinich's wife, Elizabeth, who was raised in England, spoke about the perception that her husband traditionally has
been seen as a fringe, extremist candidate.
"There's a kind of thought police in Washington that tells the people of the United States that they're on the fringe
but they're not," she said. "Dennis really stands with the people of America right squarely on the issues. It's the
other candidates on the fringe that actually pose themselves as mainstream."
After the speech was presumably over, Kucinich jumped back on stage to get in one more thought; this one on Yucca
Mountain.
"Under President Kucinich, Yucca Mountain is dead," he said.
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