Pubdate: Wed, 07 Jan 2004
Source: Plain Dealer, The (OH)
Copyright: 2004 The Plain Dealer
Contact:  http://www.cleveland.com/plaindealer/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/342
Author: Sabrina Eaton
Cited: U.S. Marijuana Party http://usmjparty.com/
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/people/Kucinich

OHIO MAY PROVE TO BE KEY IN CONTEST

The Sept. 11 attacks, the war in Afghanistan and Iraq, and the recession 
have not changed the political attitudes of many Americans who remain 
sharply divided over President Bush's job performance and his very 
legitimacy as president, according to a new bipartisan survey.

In other words, says pollster John Zogby, those states that voted for 
President Bush in 2000 are leaning the same way this year, and those 
backing Vice President Al Gore in 2000 are more receptive to a Democratic 
candidate.

Except for Ohio.

"Because of the economy, I look closely at Ohio," said Zogby. "Ohio could 
be very competitive."

Bush won the state narrowly in 2000 after two consecutive victories by 
Democrat Bill Clinton during the prosperous 1990s. The recent uptick in the 
nation's economy has not resonated much in Ohio, where manufacturing in 
particular has been hard hit over the last three years.

Zogby thinks there is a disconnect in the public between the recent 
positive economic indicators examined by gurus like Alan Greenspan and 
"Main Street indicators," apparent in forlorn Rust Belt cities.

Along with Republican pollster Brad O'Leary and Southern Methodist 
University's John Tower Center, he surveyed 1,200 likely voters last month. 
The team found a "nation that is really two nations, split down the middle 
on a number of issues," Zogby said.

Kucinich Goes to Pot

Democratic presidential candidate Dennis Kucinich added more grass to his 
grass-roots support network this weekend when the "U.S. Marijuana Party" 
declared its support for the Cleveland congressman.

Its president, Loretta Nall of Alabama, told Kucinich at a Texas news 
conference that her group's members in 27 states are "behind you 100 
percent and all our people will be campaigning for you."

Asked for his "message to the American cannabis community," Kucinich told 
Nall he supports decriminalizing marijuana and rehabilitating drug users 
instead of jailing them.

"The idea of prosecuting people for use of marijuana should be in the 
distant past in the U.S.," Kucinich said to cheers from others at the news 
conference, which included country singer Willie Nelson, whose 1994 pot 
bust made national headlines. "We need to create a nation that moves ahead 
and reforms these drug laws."

By the way, Kucinich doesn't have a corner on folkies and country singers. 
Peter Yarrow of the venerable folk group Peter, Paul and Mary, has written 
a song for his candidate, Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry. It's called 
"America Come Home."

Nader Redux?

Ralph Nader says he will decide later this month whether to run for 
president again, perhaps as an independent this time. In the meantime, he 
reiterated to CNN's "Crossfire": "I am urging Democrats to vote for Dennis 
Kucinich."

David Cobb, a Texas lawyer who is seeking the Green Party presidential 
berth that Nader claimed in 2000, is also urging his backers to embrace 
Kucinich.

At a weekend peace rally in Austin, his partisans announced Cobb will end 
his own campaign and support Kucinich if the Ohioan wins the Democratic 
nomination.

That's a huge if, of course. But Kucinich's campaign is not lacking in 
optimism. On Tuesday, it cited as good news a CNN/Time magazine poll 
showing Kucinich "rising in the polls."

The nationwide survey of 399 Democrats and independents had Kucinich 
running seventh in a field of nine - tied with North Carolina Sen. John 
Edwards at 5 percent, a point behind the Rev. Al Sharpton.

Daschle a No-Go

Would Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle, who has experience in standing up 
to President Bush, be a match for Howard Dean in this year's Democratic 
primary, or could he be the main man in another national campaign down the 
road? We'll probably never know.

Daschle, who has as much stature as any in the nine-candidate field, told 
the Associated Press it is unlikely he will ever seek the presidency. He 
worries that the harsh exchanges among his fellow Democrats could come back 
to haunt the party's nominee in the fall.

Dean, acting like someone who believes he is closing in on the nomination, 
has been more diplomatic of late, avoiding sharp-edged responses when he is 
attacked by rivals. In a National Public Radio debate Tuesday, he touted 
his endorsement by former New Jersey Sen. Bill Bradley as a sign he can 
bring the Democratic Party together. Bradley battled Gore, another Dean 
supporter, during the 2000 Democratic primary season.

As for Daschle, he has not endorsed anyone at this point. He has his hands 
full in South Dakota with a challenge from former Rep. John Thune, who is 
backed by the White House and lost a Senate election in 2002 by only 524 votes.

Coming Up

Dick Gephardt holds a rally with steel workers today in Georgetown, S.C.; 
Dean is campaigning in Iowa today and heads back to New Hampshire on 
Friday; Kucinich campaigns in Washington, D.C., on Friday.