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Saturday, June 02, 2007

Iraq Top Subject for Richardson, Other Candidates at N.H. Dems Convention

By Beverley Wang/
Associated Press
      CONCORD, N.H. — 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 on Sunday, 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.''
    Candidates drew plenty of cheers, applause and standing ovations as they praised state Democrats for raising the minimum wage, passing civil unions and a smoking ban. They spent plenty of time talking about energy and the environment, health care, education and social issues near to Democrats' hearts like abortion rights.
    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. They and former Alaska Sen. Mike Gravel, another presidential hopeful, were scheduled to speak in the afternoon.
    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.

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