Dinner with Congressman Kucinich

I was privileged to have dinner with Congressman Dennis Kucinich his wife Elizabeth and a small group of supporters Friday March 23, 2007 at Gandhi’s Restaurant in Las Vegas, Nevada. This experience brought back my faith in a candidate for the presidency who I can vote for without any regrets.

It was a very energizing experience for shaking my cynicism of elected officials. Congressman Kucinich is a fighter and stands firm on his convictions regardless of the party, a quality not found in too many of our elected leaders.

He stands up for working families, the poor and the disenfranchised. He passionately believes in peace, universal healthcare under a single payer health care plan, and is treating all people with dignity and respect. His 12 point plan for ending the war and occupation of Iraq is truly workable and he stands his ground not willing to compromise for peace.

I am a veteran of 22 years of service in the USAF as an intelligence analyst and the step father of an active duty soldier, I find Congressman Kucinich’s plan the only workable well thought out plan to end the U.S. occupation of Iraq put forth by any members of the House of Representatives or Senate.

If we truly want to end the war, Dennis Kucinich is the only candidate who will do that. He stood firm by voting against the democrat bill, HR1591 which funds continuation and escalation of the occupation of Iraq for al least another 18 months. How many more of our service members will lose their lives in those 18 months? The Kucinich Plan would have all U.S. troops out of Iraq within 3 months using existing funds.

The Conyers/Kucinich plan for a single payer health care plan illuminates the insurance companies’ role in health care. Insurance companies would no longer be able to make medical decisions on which physician ordered tests are required to determine the best course of action in treatment. The savings to the health care system by removing the middle man insurance companies combined with the savings by ending the occupation of Iraq provide more than enough funds to provide a single payer health care system for everyone in this country.

Congressman Kucinich, from my home state of Ohio, understands the devastating effects of the cost of health insurance not only on working families, but also on those businesses who try to provide health insurance for employees. Our current system of health insurance is bad for our economy. By paying the additional expenses for insurance company administration of health care plans, the prices of insurance continue to skyrocket for those covered and the employers who provide the insurance, making increases to the costs of goods and services.

Eliminating the insurance companies will lower the cost the health care, allowing working families to have their health care needs provided and allow businesses to commit addition resources to creating new jobs and lowering the price of goods and services. I have made up my mind that

Dennis Kucinich is the right candidate at the right time to move America to a nation that promotes peace and protects the needs of its people. I will work for Congressman Kucinich to win Nevada Democrat Caucus and the party nomination for president. I will not stop working until Dennis Kucinich replaces the current unelected president in the White House.