"I am no longer actively pursuing the presidency," Howard Dean told a crowd of supporters in his home state.
-February 18, 2004
Open Letter to Dean Supporters
You can still influence the Democratic nomination process in a meaningful way. The answer is to back Representative Dennis Kucinich, who has vowed to remain in the race through the convention. If the convention becomes a "brokered" deal, which it appears will happen, then the more Progressive voices there the better for our issues.
Kucinich holds a firm position against the Iraq war. He led the charge to stop that war in the Congress -- before it started. Kucinich has a ten point plan to end that occupation and bring the troops home immediately.
Kucinich also supports Universal Single-Payer Healthcare for all Americans. This health model is used in all the major industrialized countries, all of which deliver better health services to their citizens than our health system does (UN World Health Organization: America ranked 37th in year 2000). Single-Payer is endorsed by the Journal of the American Medical Association and by thousands of doctors.
Kucinich stands for "fair trade" NOT "free trade" which is a misnomer. Trade is never "free." Toward that end, Kucinich has vowed to "cancel NAFTA and the WTO." By returning to bi-lateral trade relations, we can stop the hemmorhage of jobs to third world nations, and we can pressure other nations to raise their standards of labor rights, human rights and environmental protections -- if they want to do business here in America.
On so many issues, Kucinich has been a vocal and determined leader in the fight against Bush neo-conservatisim. He voted against the PATRIOT ACT not for it. Kucinich respects the Constitution of the United States, and not everyone in this race can say that.
Listen to the man, in his own words. There are video and audio streams through the kucinich.us website. His is a voice that needs to be amplified, not drowned out in a mishmosh of half-truths and media bluster.
Think about a vote for Kucinich.
Sincerely,
Al Jones
alligator.jones@verizon.net