David Edwards & Nick Juliano /Raw Atory & Dennis Kucinich – 2008-08-28 16:50:55
http://rawstory.com/news/2008/Kucinich_tells_DNC_Wake_up_America_0826.html
Kucinich tells DNC: ‘Wake up America!’
David Edwards and Nick Juliano
• Watch the video of Kucinich’s August 26, 2008 speech.
DENVER (August 26, 2008) — He might not have had the marquee billing of a Mark Warner or a Hillary Clinton, but Democratic Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-OH) nonetheless whipped his party faithful into a frenzy Tuesday evening.
The Ohio lawmaker and liberal stalwart who earlier sought the Democratic presidential nomination delivered a passionate address calling on those in the audience here in Denver and watching at home to “wake up” and prevent another four years of Republican rule.
“Wake up America,” Kucinich declared from the podium of the Democratic National Convention. “In 2001 the oil companies, the war contractors and the neocon-artists seized the economy and added $4 trillion of unproductive spending to the national debt. … Trillions of dollars for an unnecessary war paid for with borrowed money.”
Though he never mentioned GOP nominee John McCain by name, Kucinich’s address was in line with Democrats’ strategy to take a harsher tone of attack against the Arizona Republican and his party.
“We cannot afford another Republican administration,” Kucinich said. “Wake up, America; the insurance companies took over health care. Wake up, America; the pharmaceutical companies took over drug pricing. Wake up, America; the speculators took over Wall Street. … Wake up, America; we went into Iraq for oil.”
Kucinich, a favorite of the party’s liberal base who has led a push to impeach President Bush, enumerated some of the administration’s most egregious abuses but said they would not dampen Democrats’ spirits. As his speech crescendoed to its peak, the audience rose in boisterous applause.
“This administration can tap our phones — but they can’ t tamper our creative spirit,” he said. “They can open our mail, but the can’ t open economic opportunities. They can track our every move, but they lost track of the economy while the cost of food, gasoline, and electricity skyrockets. Now, they have skillfully played our post 9/11 fears, and they’ve allowed the few to profit at the expense of the many.”
Kucinich: ‘Wake Up, America’
Hon. Dennis J. Kucinich / US House of Representatives
DENVER (August 27, 2008) — Wake up, America! In 2001, the oil companies, the war contractors and the neocon artists seized the economy and added $4 trillion of unproductive spending to the national debt. We now pay four times more for defense, three times more for gasoline and home heating oil and twice what we paid for healthcare.
Millions of Americans have lost their jobs, their homes, their healthcare, their pensions. Trillions of dollars for an unnecessary war paid for with borrowed money. Tens of billions of dollars in cash and weapons disappeared into thin air, at the cost of the lives of our troops and innocent Iraqis, while all the President’s oilmen are maneuvering to grab Iraq’s oil.
Borrowed money to bomb bridges in Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan. No money to rebuild bridges in America. Money to start a hot war with Iran. Now we have another cold war with Russia. And the American economy has become a game of Russian roulette.
Now, if there were an Olympics for misleading, mismanaging and misappropriating, this administration would take the gold. World records, world records for violations of national and international law. They want another four-year term to continue to alienate our allies, spend our children’s inheritance and hollow out the economy. We cannot afford another Republican administration.
Wake up, America! The insurance companies took over healthcare. Wake up, America!
The pharmaceutical companies took over drug pricing. Wake up, America!
The speculators took over Wall Street. Wake up, America!
They want your Social Security. Wake up, America! Multinational corporations took over our trade policies. Factories are closing. Good paying jobs are being lost.
Wake up, America! We went into Iraq for oil. The oil companies want more. War against Iran will mean $10-a-gallon gasoline. The oil administration, they want to drill more, into your wallet. Wake up, America! Contractors want more. Those war contractors want more. An Iran war will cost $5 to $10 trillion.
Now, this administration can tap our phones. They can’t tap our creative spirit. They can open our mail. But they can’t open economic opportunities. They can track our every move. But they lost track of the economy while the cost of food, gasoline and electricity skyrockets.
Now, they have skillfully played our post-9/11 fears, and they’ve allowed the few to profit at the expense of the many. Every day, we get the color orange, while the oil companies, the insurance companies, the speculators, the war contractors get the color green. Wake up, America!
Now, this is not a call for you to take a new direction from right to left. This is a call for you to go from down to up.
Up with the rights of workers! Up with wages! Up with fair trade! Up with creating millions of good paying jobs, rebuilding our bridges, our water systems, our sewer systems, our ports!
Up with creating millions of sustainable energy jobs to lower the cost of energy, lower carbon emissions and protect the environment! Up with healthcare for all!
Up with education for all! Up with home ownership! Up with guaranteed retirement benefits! Up with peace! Up with prosperity!
Up with the Democratic Party! Up with Obama-Biden!
Wake up, America! Wake up, America! Wake up, America!
