Ohio Congressman Dennis Kucinich has been campaigning in Iowa since this spring, but he officially announced his candidacy this past week. On Wednesday in Des Moines, Kucinich repeated the cornerstone issue of his campaign — his opposition to the war in Iraq. Kucinich says it’s time to end the occupation and bring American troops home. Kucinich says the United Nations must take over operations within Iraq. He says transferring responsibility to the UN will “reconnect” the United States with the world community and make our country more secure. Kucinich has pledged to create a “Department of Peace” if he is elected President. Kucinich was first elected to the Cleveland City Council at the age of 24, then in 1977 he became the youngest mayor of a major American city when he was elected Cleveland’s Mayor at the age of 31. Kucinich lost his mayoral reelection because Cleveland was deeply in debt because Kucinich refused to sell the city-owned electric utility. Fifteen years later, Kucinich was elected to the State Senate in Ohio after supporters said he’d saved Cleveland residents millions by ensuring the city kept ownership of the utility.