Long-shot Democratic presidential candidate Dennis J. Kucinich brought his utopian vision of peace, universal health care and more educational opportunities to Claflin University on Friday.

The Ohio congressman described a sculpture in Washington, D.C., that shows a woman holding her arm over a child reading a book entitled "Peace protecting genius."

The woman is protecting the next generation, "not with nuclear arms, not with military arms, but with loving arms," Kucinich said.

As president, Kucinich said he would:

-- Promote peace and friendship among the peoples of the world, rather than trying to achieve American aims by waging war.

-- Cut the "bloated, fear-driven Pentagon budget" by 15 percent and use the money to provide a universal pre-kindergarten program.

-- Cancel President Bush's tax cut and funnel the additional revenues "directly into higher education."

Kucinich said Americans are "already paying for (a universal health care plan), but we're not getting it." Many industries are content with a 2 or 3 percent profit margin, so why should the health care industry insist on 20 or 30 percent profits? he asked.

Cutting those profits would save Uncle Sam so much money, the government could offer universal health care, dental care, mental health care, long term care and more, Kucinich said.

Although "it seems like a fantastic dream to some people ... we can have it all!"

Kucinich has surprised the pundits before. He became mayor of his hometown of Cleveland, Ohio, at 31, the youngest person ever elected to lead a major American city.

He lost his re-election bid, then resumed his political career 15 years later by winning election to the Ohio Senate and then the U.S. House of Representatives.

Kucinich chairs the Congressional Progressive Caucus and has opposed nuclear energy, sought increased unemployment benefits, fought for railroad safety measures and championed clean air and water.

He is a vegan or strict vegetarian. He supports nuclear disarmament and has proposed the creation of a Department of Peace. He is the 2003 recipient of the Gandhi Peace Award

His presidential bid has the endorsement of dozens of artists, advocates, authors and activists, including Willie Nelson, Ed Asner, Ben Cohen, Danny Glover, Pete Seeger and Studs Terkel.

As Kucinich was excusing himself early for a plane trip to Arizona, one encouraging voice called out: "Don't give up!"

Kucinich's remarks kicked off the South Carolina Student Political Empowerment Forum, sponsored by Claflin's Student Government Association. More than 100 attended.

Next came a panel discussion among five SGA officials, primarily from Claflin and neighboring South Carolina State University.

Jared DeWese, SCSU's SGA president, said the political issues of biggest interest to college students are, first, how to pay for college; second, the job market upon completing their studies; and third, the availability of health care.

Travis Johnson, president of the Young Democrats at Claflin, said politicians often have short memories after visiting with young voters -- that is, if they haven't ignored young voters altogether.

The third part of the forum was a panel discussion with U.S. Rep. Alcee L. Hastings of Florida, U.S. Rep. Gregory W. Meeks of New York and Ashley Bell, national president of the Young Democrats.

Each represented a presidential candidate: Hastings represented Joe Lieberman; Meeks represented John Kerry; and Bell represented John Edwards.

Hastings said all of the Democratic candidates are addressing what he sees as the three major issues: "inadequate jobs, inadequate housing and inadequate educational opportunities."

"The Democratic Party has a great message," Bell said. "The question is: who's the best message-bearer?"

"We still have a big hangup in this nation about race," Hastings said, whether it's Lieberman, who is Jewish, or the Rev. Al Sharpton, who is African-American.

"In the end, we're all going to be together," supporting the eventual Democratic Party nominee, Meeks said.

Virtually all of the speakers agreed that, despite debacles like the counting of ballots in Florida in the 2000 presidential election, every single vote is important.

The Rev. Joseph Lowery, co-founder with the late Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, was scheduled to participate. But his arrival was delayed past the event's adjournment.

Lowery will headline a town hall meeting at 2 p.m. today at Williams Chapel AME Church, 1198 Glover St., to discuss issues of concern to the black community.

The event's sponsor is the Unity '04 Civic Engagement and Voter Empowerment Campaign, a non-partisan initiative involving more than 100 influential black organizations and spearheaded by the National Coalition of Black Civic Participation.

The grassroots voter mobilization effort seeks to increase black voter turnout for the Democratic Party presidential primary in South Carolina next Tuesday.

Participants will include Lowery, journalist George Curry, union organizer Clayola Brown and NCBCP Executive Director Melanie L. Campbell.

T&D Staff Writer Lee Hendren can be reached by e-mail at lhendren@timesanddemocrat.com or by phone at 803-533-5552.

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