Just had breakfast with Kucinich! WOW! Repealing Patriot Act

Tinoire

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Thu Jul-31-03 03:08 PM
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Just had breakfast with Kucinich! WOW! Repealing Patriot Act

Edited on Thu Jul-31-03 03:27 PM by Tinoire

Took the day off work today to go breakfast with Kucinich at Fort Mason in San Francisco. It was a small (maybe 100 people), informal gathering where he spoke passionately with a lot of humor.

As I was running in (late as usual but only a few minutes this time) I chatted with another late person. Turns out it was Medea Benjamin, Green Party bigee and founder of Occupation Watch in Iraq. Swapped business cards because I've been in close contact with her people there and would love to help. Inside, the first person I noticed was Dennis- quiet, not flashy but the presence is there! You see it and feel it! He held (not shook but) held my hand and I better get one of the about 5 photos they took and after a quick intro of who I was, I told him I was his number one long-time fan and supporter. Quick chat about GMOs and slightly longer one about Israel/Palestine (WOW! He really knows the subject and told me what I already know- that someone needs to immediately get involved IMPARTIALLY because that conflict threatens to blow up into a tragedy for the entire world).

About 20 minutes later, when he came to our table I was better prepared and handed him my business card telling him look Dennis, I'm a fabulous Executive Assistant, speak 6 languages, retired Military Intel Foreign Area Specialist, care passionately about peace, justice and politics and would be honored to work with you! With a quick "Come with me" he grabbed my hand and led me across the room to his National Network Coordinator, Dorothy J. Maver and set me up for an IMMEDIATE INTERVIEW TO WORK ON HIS STAFF! That process will start this afternoon and I'm, I don't even know what to think- all I know is that I'm very excited but apprehensive. PLEASE KEEP YOUR FINGERS CROSSED FOR ME!

Then Dennis spoke to the crowd which was really receptive and passionate.

He talked about Universal Health Care, the war in Iraq, withdrawing from NAFTA and WTO to get jobs back in America for Americans.

He spoke passionately about the environment and specifically discussed our immediate concerns in the Bay area where the poorer districts are the hardest hit.

He got several standing ovations but when he announced that upon his return to DC, he will be introducing a Bill to repeal the Patriot Act- EVERYONE stood up and would not stop clapping.

He also talked about our industrialized prison system and how it needs to be reformed. Also that drug felonies need to be looked at very closely because many of them are undeserved. One of his big issues here is FULLY re-integrating people back into society after they've served their time and not branding them with that Scarlet A so that they can never again vote.

The hypocrisy of our lack of involvement in Liberia was also discussed right before he spoke about how our soldiers were being used and abused by the Bush Administration's enrichment and how our entire expedition there was based on lies and that THEY ALL KNEW IT BEFORE WE WENT. THIS WAS KNOWN! NO ONE HAD ANY BUSINESS SUPPORTING THIS WHICH IS WHY HE OPPOSED AND DENOUNCED IT FROM THE BEGINNING.

He also said he's been fighting GMOS, Agricultural policies & monopolies that exploit workers while enriching agribusiness giants and destroy the environment and will continue that fight for the economic and physical health of the American people. (He already introduced several bills about this recently).

Education came up too and he explained that the Pentagon's budget needs to be cut immediately because wars and conflicts are manufactured to keep them in business. He pointed out that Pentagon spending is about to exceed the military budgets of all the other countries in the world combined and that they don't need more money to develop NEW NUCLEAR weapons like they've been asking but that instead that money needs to de redirected to schools, education, Head-Start, decent teacher pay, bridging the digital divide.

Also the banking industry that sets up in poorer neighborhoods, refuses to loan money for improvement and takes the money elsewhere and/or uses it to help outsiders buy up every dilapidated house in the area, fixing it up to rent at an expensive price and pushing the poorer people out- out to where?!

He also talked about GREENING the Democratic Party and how it was time for a progressive to give them reason to believe that the Democratic Party could once again be what it used to and was meant to be. Nader came up, turns out Nader is a personal friend with whom he worked a lot on Consumerism. This was somewhere in the middle of his talk but I didn't take notes so this is all jumbled up.

The Green Party Head of California spoke after that and said that Kucinich stood for everything the Green Party believes in and spoke glowingly of what Dennis can do for America.

Off the top of my head that's it- sorry I didn't take notes. Nader came up There were then 2 female speakers whose names I don't remember and the Chair of the California Dem Chicano/Latino Caucus, Placido Salazar, spoke briefly.

A few minutes before going to the front to speak Placido invited me to a small 10 person panel to meet with Dennis afterwards and talk about issues affecting People of Color- called up NOIRETBLU immediately to invite her but she couldn't make it This lasted about 1 hr before Dennis left to make an appearance at the garbage collectors' (?) strike because they had asked him for support during their protest and he wanted to be there for them. More photos of with these 10 people and I AM STANDING IN THE FRONT WITH DK'S ARMS OVER MY SHOULDER HOLDING A "DENNIS J. KUCINICH, PRESIDENT" SIGN!!!!!!!! (but will have to get that from Campaign HQs when developed and will post here).

Anyway, I am psyched, psyched PSYCHED, and now determined more than ever to turn as many people on to what this man will do for our country!!!!

Peace!

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