Democrat presidential candidates talk about the war

Three democratic presidential candidates campaigned in Iowa Sunday, offering various views on the war. Missouri Congressman Dick Gephardt has supported military intervention in Iraq, but former Vermont Governor Howard Dean and Ohio Congressman Dennis Kucinich have been speaking out against the idea of war with Iraq, Now that war is reality, Kucinich says his campaign has changed. Kucinich says there’s a new sense of urgency because he says “this war is a challenge to our humanity and our morality as a nation.” Kucinich says there’s such a “human toll that’s been taken already, yet it’s only the beginning” of the war. He says Americans have to ask themselves ‘Why are we doing this?’ Howard Dean says once the war started, he changed a little bit of his campaign rhetoric. Dean says he’s cutting back on his “partisan criticism of the President,” but says this is “still the wrong war at the wrong time.” He’s still critical of the U.S. going without the backing of the United Nations, and Dean says he supports the troops, but can “suddenly change” his mind and “agree with the President on this war.” Dean says his campaign has “taken off” in part because of his position on the war, a position that’s different than the four major candidates in the race. Massachusetts Senator John Kerry, North Carolina Senator John Edwards, Connecticut Senator Joe Lieberman and Gephardt backed the resolution Congress passed in October that gave President Bush the authority to use military force against Iraq. Gephardt helped draft the resolution. Gephardt says he’s changed his campaign schedule because of the war. Gephardt and the other two met privately yesterday with Iowa U-A-W leaders.Gephardt says he’s campaigning in a “more subdued” way. Gephardt says he’s not out doing public events, but campaigning at privately arranged events, like yesterday’s union meeting.