WisPolitics Feature: Kucinich Interview

U.S. Rep. Dennis Kucinich, the obvious choice of many progressives, is also the obvious underdog in the presidential race. His campaign account isn't nearly as full as that of U.S. Sen. John Edwards, a rich trial lawyer, who tops the list of presidential candidates for fundraising. But Kucinich doesn't see his financial situation as a drawback; he is positive about his campaign and fundraising so far.

Kucinich values his time as Cleveland mayor and as Ohio congressman and will use his knowledge from both in his run for president. Kucinich says the focus of the Bush administration on war and military spending is breeding fear in the country. He wants to end unilateral policies and "rejoin the world."

A self-proclaimed "liberal's liberal" and a champion for progressive causes, Kucinich made several campaign stops in Wisconsin last weekend including one in Madison at the Orpheum Theater.

WisPolitics.com staffer Morgan Felchner interviewed Kucinich at the May 31 event.

Felchner: The end of your term as mayor of Cleveland is often criticized. What did you learn from your term, and how will your apply it to running for president?

Kucinich: Well, as mayor of Cleveland, what I did was I saved the municipal electric system from a take-over by a private utility monopoly. I learned then that it's possible to stand up to that kind of power as long as you go back to community and organize people which saved the municipal electric system. And what I intend to do as president is to challenge the utility monopolies, to monopolies in agriculture, to monopolies in the media so we can regain our freedom in this country, have more competition, more commerce, more jobs.

Felchner: How do you compare your run for president to Congress?

Kucinich: Well, my motto when I ran for election in 1996 was to light up Congress. And I want to light up America.

Felchner: Your health care plan is very similar to President Clinton's, but his failed. How do you account for this and why would yours have a different fate?

Kucinich: Well, there's a difference though. There's more people who don't have decent health care now; there's even more Americans who are suffering. The insurance companies have even more power, and the pharmaceutical companies have more power than they've ever had because of what they're charging people for prescription drugs. So, this is a moment where we need to understand that we've lost so much ground over the last 10 years. It is urgent that we move forward now to reclaim our control over our health care system. And the only way we do that is to get rid of the private sectors involvement, stop the privatization of Medicare, and to reclaim the national health care system through Medicare for all. I mean, otherwise people aren't going to be able to afford health care at all.

Felchner: So because the nation's situation is different now your plan will pass?

Kucinich: It's much worse now; yes, it's much worse now.

Felchner: Have you spoken to Senator Feingold about an endorsement?

Kucinich: I like Senator Feingold. He and I are good friends. I haven't talked to any member of Congress about an endorsement. That hasn't been the approach that I've used. What I do is I conduct a campaign out there in the community and in the nation, and then as the representatives start to hear from their people; the people in the communities make the suggestions. So, I don't work politics from the top down. I depend on the grass roots up.

Felchner: You don't have a large campaign fund compared to some of your competitors.

Kucinich: Well, we have a lot of people.

Felchner: How long can you stay in the campaign without a significant boost in financing?

Kucinich: Actually, you know, we have a significant amount of money right now for raising money for two and a-half months. We've raised over three-hundred thousand on the Web; we've raised an equal amount through the mail. I mean, for a new campaign, this campaign is really gathering a lot of support, financial support, and I expect that at the rate we're going we'll have the money we need to be competitive.

Felchner: States across the country are hurting right now and have huge deficits; would your health care plan burden them any more?

Kucinich: Not at all. As a matter of fact, it would help states because part of the reason why states are having trouble is because they are suffering from the effects of tax cuts for the wealthy and from a budget that is partial to the Pentagon and from the fact this nation's going to war. As we eliminate the tax cuts for the rich, as we stop the nation's march towards war, as we start to trim the Pentagon budget, we have money for other priorities. But beyond that, right now local, state and federal spending in this country is a trillion dollars for health care. Right now employers are paying over 8.5 percent of the money that they have for expenses for health care. My plan would use the existing money that's in the system -- have employers actually pay less, 7.7 percent. On top of that, because we purchase pharmaceuticals in bulk, we'll save tens of billions of dollars, because we'll lower administrative costs. When Medicare handles it instead of private insurance companies, we'll have the money to have a national health care system. And in fact, Americans are paying for it right now; they're not getting it.