The WE News Archives Dennis Kucinich: 'We have to bring our troops home'

WASHINGTON (CNN) — Democratic Congressman Dennis Kucinich formally launched his presidential bid on Monday with a rally in his hometown of Cleveland, Ohio. Kucinich spoke with CNN's Judy Woodruff, who asked him why he needed to make a formal announcement since he's been campaigning for months. The following is an edited transcript:

KUCINICH: Well, when I started many months ago, I was exploring whether or not I would be able to gather the kind of strength nationally and develop a grassroots organization in all 50 states to be able to proceed with the campaign. And now that we've done that, now that we have a nationwide organization, I'm prepared to go forward with a campaign for president of the United States which will inspire the people of this country and give the people a clear choice in the Democratic primaries.

WOODRUFF: Congressman, no candidate likes to talk about the polls. At least most candidates don't. But you're very well aware that you're near the bottom of most of these polls. Does that have any bearing on your thinking here?

KUCINICH: Not at all. I think that when Americans find out that I'm the only candidate in the race who actually voted against the war in Iraq, the only candidate in the race who actually voted against the Patriot Act, and now I'm the only candidate who has a plan to get out of Iraq. We need to get the U.N. in and the U.S. out.

We have to bring our troops home. And I think that issue alone will cause many Americans to flock to my campaign when they see there's a real alternative to this endless spending of the resource of this country and waste of lives which the Iraq debacle has become.

WOODRUFF: Congressman, we know those are your views. But at the same time, it seems that former Vermont Governor Howard Dean is the one who's the beneficiary of all the anti-war frustration out there in the country. He's up in the polls, he's raising so much more money than the other candidates. Is it frustrating to you to see him the beneficiary of this frustration that you're expressing?

KUCINICH: Well actually, I am not frustrated at all. I think that when the American people learn, as they did on CNN the other night in the debate, that Howard Dean is for the occupation of Iraq, that he's for spending $87 billion in the next installment, that he's for keeping at least 70,000 American troops there, and that I'm not only in favor of ending the occupation, but stopping the waste of our tax dollars and bringing our troops home, the American people will be aware that they do have a choice.

And, that as my campaign continues, I think that we will see the debate between myself and Mr. Dean resulting in more and more people supporting my candidacy.

WOODRUFF: Well, now you have Senator Kerry coming out and saying he's going to oppose the $87 billion for the aftermath of the war in Iraq too.

KUCINICH: Well, if Senator Kerry will join me in not only opposing the $87 billion, but in offering a plan to bring our troops home, then we've made some real progress. And then the American people will see that, as I've led the way consistently on this issue, I can help bring not only members of the Senate, but members of the House towards the same position. That's what a president should be able to do.

WOODRUFF: A question about money, Congressman. You've raised, as I understand it, a little more than $3 million in the first three- quarters of this year. Sounds like a lot of money, but it's not as much as Mr. Dean has raised, Mr. Kerry has raised, $24 million, $18 million.

I just read over the weekend a comment by another former Ohio congressman, John Kasich, a Republican, who said of his failed effort for president: "The biggest lesson I learned was you have to have the money. If you don't have the money, you have no chance. It doesn't matter how smart you are, how good you are, or how good your ideas are."

KUCINICH: Well, it's how you spend the money. And the money that we've raised, which is now over $4.5 million, about 80 to 90 percent of it will be matched, is money that's been used to build a grassroots organization. This is what will give our campaign staying power in the primaries.

The ability to get people to go out door to door, the ability to get people to come to caucuses and vote will be critical as we move into the primary season. And that's where I will have advantage over many of the candidates. So I think that our campaign is poised to be the surprise of the 2004 election season, and I'm quite confident that given the fact that so many people are joining our grassroots efforts, that we're going to be quite competitive.