Dennis Kuchinich now supports/endorses Kerry.

[MoonRiver]

Any comments?

[goodhue]

1. Kerry can be trusted with power.

http://www.kucinich.us/messages/072204-dennis.php

Unity is essential

July 22, 2004

For the past two and a half years, I have led a national effort for peace, for social and economic justice and health care for all. My campaign reached every state and territory. We participated in every primary and caucus. We pointed our party towards new directions. I am here to say that the next critical step we must take is to help elect John Kerry the next President of the United States.

Today I am happy to endorse the Kerry-Edwards ticket. And I look forward to helping to lead the way to elect John Kerry President and John Edwards Vice President of the United States.

With the same passion and commitment I demonstrated in my own campaign for President, I intend to reach out on behalf of the Kerry-Edwards ticket to unite our party with all those who may have felt left out. I will let them know that the time has come to unite in a common effort for change which is essential not only for America but for the world.

John Kerry can win because there is a place within the Democratic party for everyone, including those who may be thinking of supporting Ralph Nader. Most people know I have many of the same commitments Ralph has.

If there is room for me in the party and the Kerry-Edwards campaign, there is certainly room for Ralph and for his supporters.

Let's unite to create a new government, a new direction, a new opportunity, and new progress.

The tens of thousands of volunteers who helped our campaign across America will be enlisted to help the Kerry-Edwards ticket. Those delegates who pledged to me at the convention will be asked to join the Kerry- Edwards delegates in our sweep to victory. This convention will be a great celebration of John Kerry, John Edwards and our Democratic Party and its capacity to restore hope for all Americans.

The word is unity. My volunteers united at the Democratic Platform and we will unite now because we recognize that unity is essential to bring change in November. Unity is essential to repair America. Unity is essential to set America on a new path.

John Kerry is a good friend and a decent man. He has a lifelong commitment of honorable service to our nation as a soldier and as a Senator. He can be trusted with power. He will help heal America. He has outstanding intellectual gifts he will bring to the White House and to world affairs. I am proud to stand here to say I will do everything possible to make John Kerry the next President of the United States.

With your help and mine we will make sure he wins my home state of Ohio, the industrial Midwest and the White House.

Dennis Kucinich

[realisticphish]

2. I think it's

a great example of a man who has strong beliefs but is willing to compromise to start on the road to his ideal...hear hear, koochy!



:hippie: The Incorrigible Democrat

[apnu]

3. Unified Democratic party -- RUN BUSH RUN!

[mzmolly]

4. I'm very glad he's on board now. WE need him.

:hi:

[Kanary]

7. He's always been "on board"

[mzmolly]

8. Well, I thought he was running against Kerry until .. well very recently.

;)

[Kanary]

9. He said it repeatedly, for those who wanted to hear the reality.

[mzmolly]

11. What is "it"?

I knew he would endorse Kerry formally, eventually. But, he did not do so until today, which is what this thread is about, right?

[Kanary]

12. .

:crazy:

[goodhue]

14. he was not running against anything

but rather for something

[mzmolly]

15. Oh.

:eyes:

[LWolf]

5. Sure!

Find them here:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x2041766

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x583839

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x2040884

[MoonRiver]

6. I'm so happy that this party is becoming unified against *!

This is all that really matters right now. Later we can worry about purifying the party. I think that is coming. But everybody with a grain of common sense, guess that excludes Nader the Hater, understands what is at stake and why we must win.

[no name no slogan]

10. This DK supporter says "alright Dennis!"

I thought he might wait another week or so, but this is exactly what he said he'd do once everything was done.

We owe Dennis Kucinich a debt of gratitude for making us feel at home in this party, and for keeping our issues in front of the powers-that-be: single-payer, universal health coverage, opposition to the continuing Iraq war, a sane military budget, an end to an aggressive imperialist foreign policy, and an emphasis on peace as a means of creating a just society.

I support Dennis Kucinich, wholeheartedly. I trust him. He's supporting Kerry/Edwards this year, and so am I. However, I reserve the right to wear my "Kucinich Means COURAGE" button next to my Kerry/Edwards button. ;)

Thank you, Dennis, for all you've done, to make the Democrats the party of social justice. Thank you for giving us a voice. And thank you for carrying on the fight for as long as you did. You (and your supporters) DID make a difference.

KERRY/EDWARDS 2004

[neoSattva]

13. Dennis needs to have a heart to heart with Ralph

Kucinich has always said that the most important thing is to get rid of Bush. At one of the last debates he and Sharpton got on Nader for being off on his own rather than in the Democratic debates where their various views could be aired and the common goal could be achieved. Dennis gets it. Now it's Ralph's turn.

[union_maid]

16. It would be nice, but I doubt if it would help

Kucinich is very different from Ralph. Kucinich has strong principles, but lives in reality and understands that degrees of better and worse have tremendous impact on people and the world. Or, if you prefer, Kucinich is for real. Ralph is either a lying son of a bitch or nuts or both. Either way, Nader has not listened to any of the other voices who have supported the same causes that have been his for so many years. I doubt he'll listen to Kucinich. I do hope I'm wrong, though.

[no name no slogan]

19. Yeah, I don't think it would help either

Nader is in this race for his own reasons, obviously, and I don't think any amount of "talking" by Kucinich would help things.

Keep in mind, too, that Nader's running mate Peter Camejo said that Kucinich had called Kerry a "fraud" in a conversation the two had. Of course, Dennis refuted Camejo, as did most other DK supporters. IMHO the incident did more to hurt Nader/Camejo than it did to hurt Dennis.

Dennis Kucinich has always looked like an idealist, but those of us who've supported him have always known him to be a realist above all else. He knows that the only way to truly change this system is to work within one of the two parties. He has said it is much easier to change a party than to change a whole country. He's inspired a lot of new party activists (and gave many of us a reason to return to the Dem fold) and his legacy will live on in several new progressive grassroots Democratic Party organizations.

Now, as the Magistrate would say, LET'S GET THOSE BUSH BASTARDS!

[Zomby Woof]

17. DK is a Dem

And as a Dem myself, it's what I expected and welcome.

Bush has got to go. Unity now, we'll argue plenty later.

[NV1962]

18. Love the guy

Class letter, powerful language - and one heck of a guy to be proud of being on our team.

El Partido, unido, jamás será vencido...

Here we go!