MANCHESTER, N.H., Dec. 28 PRNewswire-USNewswire — The assassination of Pakistani opposition leader and former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto not only underscores the dangerous and heightening political volatility throughout the entire Middle East, it should also send a message to U.S. voters about the importance of electing leaders whose foreign policy records and pronouncements reflect sound judgment in mitigating hostilities, not contributing to them.
From PR Newswire
In a volatile world, it behooves a country to have as a leader someone of sound judgement. In a time when a nuclear power is in crisis, it behooves the leader of the US to be right the first time.
Dennis Kucinich is that leader!
“It’s not enough to bemoan this terrible tragedy after the fact,” said Democratic Presidential candidate Dennis Kucinich today. “The American people have every right to demand that the candidates for President be answerable for the war-and-peace decisions they have made over the years and prove that their policies and positions won’t plunge this nation and the world into even greater dangers.”
Kucinich continued, “Senators Clinton, Edwards, Biden and Dodd voted to give the President the authorization to go to war in Iraq. Their judgment was wrong. They and Senator Obama have voted to continue funding that war. Their judgment was wrong. They have repeatedly said ‘all options’ are on the table with respect to Iran. Intelligence reports revealing that Iran abandoned its nuclear weapons program four years ago again demonstrates that their judgment was wrong. They have failed to offer substantive approaches to address continuing tensions and hostilities among Israelis, Palestinians, and the Lebanese people.”
Dennis has been the leader against the disasterous policies of the administration of Dick and W. He continues to take a principled stand against the destabilization taking place in the Middle East and Central Asia.
Kucinich, who led the opposition in the Congress five years ago to the war authorization bill and who has vociferously warned against Administration-led, Congressionally approved provocations against Iran, said he is the only Presidential candidate whose record reflects “the ability and the foresight to make the right decisions at the right time. And when you’re talking about life and death decisions, a belated and apologetic ‘I made a mistake’ is not acceptable.”
Events in Pakistan, Iraq, and Iran may seem far removed, Kucinich said, “but the inability of our leaders to recognize the role that their fatally flawed foreign policies have on the lives and the security of American citizens should disqualify them from serious consideration for the highest office in the land and the most powerful post in the world.”
Kucinich has made two trips to the Middle East in the past two years.
He has met with the presidents of Lebanon and Syria, as well as other government officials in Israel, the Palestinian territories, and Lebanon, to talk about ways of lessening hostilities and moving towards peace.
Mike Huckabee comes in for scorn from Dennis as well:
KEENE, N.H., Dec. 28 PRNewswire-USNewswire — Democratic Presidential candidate Dennis Kucinich today accused Republican candidate Mike Huckabee of using the tragic assassination of Pakistani opposition leader Benazir Bhutto to create anti-Pakistani fears in the U.S. and to advance his own discriminatory immigration policies.
We all know that the Repugs can be foul and vile, but in this case Huckabee seemes to have jumped the shark!
“I know I’m not running against Mike Huckabee,” said Kucinich, who is campaigning in New Hampshire, “but his remarks were so outrageous and so representative of the scare tactics and fearmongering policies of the current Republican administration that someone on the Democratic side of this campaign needs to speak out.”
Kucinich added, “To be silent would be the worst kind of betrayal of
the public trust that voters are being asked to invest in the Democratic candidates. The other candidates may choose to focus on a narrower political agenda, but Huckabee’s statements are so egregiously provocative
and dangerous that they cannot be ignored.”
And just what did the Huckster say to raise such scorn?
In comments yesterday and today, Huckabee said the United States should “have an immediate, very clear monitoring of our border, and particularly to make sure, if there’s any unusual activity of Pakistanis coming into the country.” When asked by reporters to expand on that statement, Huckabee replied, “When I say single them out I’m making the observation that we have more Pakistani illegals coming across our border than of all other nationalities except those immediately south of the border. And in light of what’s happening in Pakistan, it ought to give us pause as to why are so many illegals coming across these borders.”
Huckabee then added fuel to the fire that he himself ignited by adding, “the fact is the immigration issue is not so much about people coming across the border to pick lettuce or make beds, it’s about people who can come with a shoulder fired missile and can do serious damage and harm us.”
Fear and loathing is part and parcel of the Republican play book. Dennis is correct in his refusal to bow to Huckabee’s xenophobia.
“Implying that Pakistani immigrants, visitors, and even Pakistani Americans should be singled out as potential terrorists is the kind of unwarranted, unconscionable ethnic profiling and ethnic baiting that is the hallmark of Republican thinking – in foreign policy, in immigration policy, and in so-called homeland security policy. No racial, ethnic, or religious group is safe from their audacious affronts to human decency and their continued assaults on Constitutional liberties and protections,” Kucinich said.
In Dennis Kucinich, we have a candidate who’s been right the first time on our dallying in the Middle East and Central Asia. If you wish to support Dennis, you may go to his campaign site and donate online, via US Mail or by phone at 877.413.3664. You can also donate through my ActBlue Page for Dennis.
As always, now more than ever,
Go Dennis!
http://dennis4president.com
Vote your conscience, choose peace!
