Kucinich to run on antiwar platform

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Rep. Dennis J. Kucinich raised the stakes for Democratic White House hopefuls yesterday, jumping into the 2008 race with a challenge to his own party -- end the war in Iraq.

The Ohio Democrat making his second bid for the presidency called himself the only true antiwar candidate, saying the U.S. should defund the war immediately and bring the troops home.

"My conscience calls me to action," Mr. Kucinich, 60, said at Cleveland City Hall. "I am not going to stand by and watch thousands more of our brave young American men and women killed in Iraq, or permanently injured, while our leaders are ready to take action to keep the war going."

The other Democrats weighing presidential runs are in a tough spot, fearing Republicans would use an anti-war position to paint them as unsupportive of U.S. troops. But they were bolstered last week when the bipartisan Iraq Study Group suggested that most troops be withdrawn by early 2008.

Not one lawmaker has indicated support for Mr. Kucinich's defunding plan, with each presidential hopeful instead offering nuanced positions on phased troop withdrawal and most calling for an international diplomatic summit.

Democratic front-runner Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York has been criticized for her 2002 vote for the war, along with several other possible candidates. Some Democrats like Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois and Joseph R. Biden Jr. of Delaware are confronting the issue head-on with clear calls for change in Iraq on their political Web sites. Visitors to Mrs. Clinton's site and that of former Sen. John Edwards must dig for mention of Iraq.

Mr. Kucinich said the Democratic takeover of Congress in last month's elections suggests the American people want serious change in Iraq.

"They voted for the Democrats because they expected us to ... bring our troops home," he said. "What kind of credibility will our party have if we say we are opposed to the war but continue to fund it?"

He slammed Democrats for supporting billions in Iraq war spending so far, and noted Democrats plan to support President Bush's next spending request of $160 billion. Mr. Kucinich unsuccessfully sought the Democratic nomination as an antiwar candidate in 2004 but dropped his bid after lackluster performance in state primaries, finishing next to last in both New Hampshire and Iowa.

Now, Mr. Kucinich is the only candidate who served in Congress and opposed the war. All the senators considering White House bids who served in 2002 voted for the war. But Mr. Obama, first elected in 2004, former Vice President Al Gore and Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack do not have past votes to defend or repudiate.