"Democratic candidates talk about Iraq at N.H. gathering"

“Democratic candidates talk about Iraq at N.H. gathering”
N.H. Primary – 6/3/2007

CONCORD – Iraq was the top subject for presidential hopefuls addressing delegates in the first primary state’s Democratic convention Saturday.

In a warm-up to a nationally televised New Hampshire debate today, Sens. Joe Biden and Chris Dodd, U.S. Rep. Dennis Kucinich and New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson promoted themselves as the ones with the vision and answers for solving Iraq through diplomacy.

“The only way which you can have a prospect of ending a self-sustaining cycle of sectarian violence is to separate the combatants and give them a political way forward,” said Biden, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

“Instead of talking about a surge in military power, how about a surge in diplomacy,” said Dodd.

Kucinich, whose campaign signs feature a peace sign, pushed his core message: “Peace is inevitable if we have a president who is willing,” he said.

Richardson, a former U.N. ambassador, declared an ambitious to-do list as president. “First. Day one – announce that America is going to get out of Iraq,” he said. “How do we do that? With diplomacy.”

Speaking later in the afternoon, former Alaska Sen. Mike Gravel spoke of punishment, not diplomacy. The quickest way to end the war is to make it illegal, he said.

“Make the continuation of the war a felony and if you disobey you go to jail for five years,” he said.

Gravel also was the only candidate to openly criticize his fellow Democrats – though not by name – by saying those who voted to authorize the Iraq war as members of Congress aren’t qualified to lead the country, even if they now regret the vote.

“I don’t buy that for a-half-a-second. If that is true then they shouldn’t be president because they’re incompetent,” he said.

The four candidates who spoke in the morning drew plenty of cheers, applause and standing ovations as they praised state Democrats for raising the minimum wage, passing civil unions and a restaurant smoking ban. They spent plenty of time talking about energy and the environment, health care, education and social issues near to Democrats’ hearts.

In a speech declaring the creation of an administration for green buildings and universal health care for all, Kucinich won the morning’s heartiest response by taking a swipe at the vice president.

“It is time to impeach Vice President Cheney,” he shouted as the crowd whistled, cheered, clapped and got to its feet. Kucinich has introduced articles of impeachment against Cheney over the Iraq war.

“That’s why I’m going to carry New Hampshire,” Kucinich said later to reporters. “The response you see today is the response I’m getting all over the country. I’m just waiting to be discovered by you.”

While Biden, Dodd, Richardson and Kucinich showed up for the convention, the top three Democratic candidates – Sens. Hillary Rodham Clinton, Barack Obama and former Sen. John Edwards sent surrogates to represent them.

Dodd, Biden and Richardson were scheduled to spend Saturday evening at a fundraising dinner for Iowa Democrats before returning to New Hampshire for the debate Sunday. Clinton and Edwards also were to attend the same dinner. Obama was in California on Saturday.