Kucinich popular in Oregon.

Byline: Susan Palmer The Register-Guard

Rep. Dennis Kucinich came to Eugene on Monday and discovered his campaign theme song.

Whether it was pure serendipity or the savvy born of countless political campaigns, when Kucinich walked into First United Methodist Church just after 7:30 a.m. and heard local youth activist and singer Paul Simon (not that Paul Simon) singing "Wake up, America," he embraced the tune as his own.

"I woke up this morning thinking about how to frame the campaign that lets America know there's a sense of urgency," Kucinich said. "I'm going to use that song in the campaign."

The Ohio Democrat - in his second run at the presidency - visited Eugene on a campaign swing through the Pacific Northwest to remind voters that while other Democrats may talk about ending the war in Iraq, he's the only one who consistently voted against it in the first place, and who has continued to oppose funding for it.

A small neat man with an earnest, thoughtful manner, Kucinich drew several standing ovations in a brief speech at First United Methodist Church during the first of several events that included a meet-and-greet and an evening speech.

Supporters say that during his 2004 campaign he may have been too far out in front of voters in his opposition to the war. Even so, he was popular in Oregon. In the May 2004 Democratic primary, he drew 60,019 votes statewide, or 19 percent, to John F. Kerry's 289,804. In Lane County, he drew 8,805 votes, or 21 percent, to Kerry's 33,165 votes.

This time, with polls showing growing disillusionment over the war, Kucinich may have broader appeal.

On Monday, he drew a clear distinction between his long-term opposition to the war and other candidates who have continued to support it.

Democrats still fall short, despite their newfound control of both chambers of Congress, Kucinich said. He criticized passage of two recent bills - one in the House and one in the Senate - that would continue to pay for the war through 2008. "Congress had two votes which do not give us confidence that the war in Iraq will end any time soon."

Instead, he favors replacing U.S. forces with international peace keepers in a plan that would also bring home U.S. contractors and turn over reconstruction work to the Iraqis, create a reconciliation process to bridge differences between Sunnis and Shia; and pay reparations to Iraqis.

He criticized the Bush administration for transforming American's legitimate right to self defense against terrorism into an assumed right to wage aggressive wars. "They're getting people to believe this is how we defend ourselves," he said.

Kucinich favors diplomacy and negotiations and has proposed establishing a federal Department of Peace.

While national news reports were trumpeting the fund-raising achievements other presidential candidates - $26 million for Hillary Clinton, $23 million for Mitt Romney - Kucinich supporters were seeking modest contributions in the candidate's "One in a Million" campaign seeking $50 from each of one million supporters.

The Monday morning crowd was already on board, having paid $50 apiece for the opportunity to hear him at three events.

"What else can we do?" they asked him, and he told them. "Our work is actually not all that abstract. It's a door-to-door, precinct-to-precinct effort," he said. "What can you do? Everything. Get involved at the grass-roots level."

His remarks resonated with Eugene artist Tim Boyden and his wife, Roberta, who showed up to the 7:30 a.m. event because they've been impressed at previous encounters with Kucinich and trust his integrity.

They weren't disappointed. "I'm tired of the lesser of two evils," Tim Boyden said. "He speaks the truth, even if he loses votes."

Democratic Rep. Peter DeFazio, working at his Eugene office Monday during the congressional recess, said he disagrees with Kucinich's view of congressional action on the Iraq war.

Democratic Rep. John Murtha has tried to pass a bill requiring quick removal of U.S. troops from Iraq, DeFazio pointed out. DeFazio was one of 102 co-sponsors of that bill. But Murtha couldn't muster the 218 votes needed to pass his withdrawal bill in the House.

Now, the House and Senate have passed bills that would give the administration more money for the war in return for reducing U.S. troops in Iraq.

"I'm there to try and end this war," DeFazio said. "I'm not going to take an idealistic position that `It isn't exactly how I want to end it and when I want to end it.' '

Register-Guard reporter Diane Dietz contributed to this article.