"It's like a server's tip for the United States," said poet and activist Jeffree Porter on Kucinich's pledge to cut 15% of the Pentagon Budget. Presidential candidate Dennis Kucinich is taking the Pentagon to task, noting that the billion dollar a day budget secures the US as the world's most wealthiest and best-equipped military power.

"Our military budget is almost as big as that of all other countries combined. While we have unchallenged superiority in military strength, we also have more people without healthcare than any other advanced industrial country -- and Democrats must be bold enough to say the two issues are linked. I don't agree with other Democrats that we can continue to increase military spending and still deliver on our domestic agenda for middle class and working Americans. We can't. That's voodoo budgeting. I propose trimming the Pentagon budget by 15% or $60 billion," said Kucinich. In Sunday's Iowa debate, Kucinich displayed a pie graph of US spending with the Pentagon budget eating half of it.

What can you get for $60 billion? Kucinich has the cash budgeted to fund guaranteed single-payer healthcare for all, tuition-free education for pre-K through college, and hometown security job creation. If current money management is any indication on how well a candidate can balance a budget, Kucinich is only one of two candidates who have financed his campaign with zero debt. from Cool Cleveland contributor Charlene Coates

View it at http://www.cnn.com/ELECTION/2004/special/president/fec/index.debt.html

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