When Carlie Tartakov received a phone call to host a campaign event for presidential hopeful Rep. Dennis Kucinich, D-Ohio, she said she would be proud to have someone like Kucinich in her home, said Gary Tartakov, Carlie’s husband.

Carlie Tartakov reiterated this feeling as she introduced Kucinich, whom she dubbed the “next president of the United States,” to an audience of about 100 people Sunday night at her home, 826 Hodge Ave.

“I was asked to host, and when I found out who it was, I said I would be delighted to have this honorable man in my house,” Carlie said.

Kucinich outlined his beliefs on health care and government spending during his speech at the Tartakov home.

Kucinich plans to create universal health care if elected.

“I would expand Medicare so everyone is covered,” he said.

Under the current plan, Kucinich predicts the cost of prescription drugs and co-payments to continue to increase. His plan would eliminate co-payments and premiums.

“This is not just the moment for trimming,” Kucinich said. “This is the moment for transformative social change.”

Defense spending is another problem our country is facing, Kucinich said.

“Fear is draped across this country,” Kucinich said. “Fear has changed the narrative of the world.”

Fear is what propelled the government to pass the Patriot Act, which undermines liberties given by the Bill of Rights, namely assembly and speech, Kucinich said.

“Most members of Congress did not know what they were voting on,” Kucinich said.

As president, Kucinich said he would seek to nullify all sections of the Patriot Act that conflict with the Bill of Rights.

Kucinich said he was the only presidential hopeful to vote against the act.

Because of fear, Kucinich said, the United States uses more money on defense spending than any other country.

“I will lead the way to a 15 percent reduction in Pentagon spending,” Kucinich said.

The money saved would be put toward pre-kindergarten schools for every child and after-school programs, he said.

To help fund higher education, Kucinich said he will cancel Bush’s tax cuts for the wealthy and put at least half the money into higher education.

“Every one of the young people who wants to get a college education will be able to get a college education,” he said.

Gary said Kucinich is the most progressive candidate on all issues.

“He seems to have the most progressive approach,” Gary said. “A lot of the other candidates are fairly conservative.”

Marcia Brink, 2707 Hampton St., agreed Kucinich is progressive.

“He’s a liberal and he’s proud of it,” she said. “He wants to help average Americans live fulfilling lives.”

Kucinich also discussed action in Iraq and nuclear weapons policies.

“I will set aside the doctrine which calls for the building of new nuclear weapons,” Kucinich said.

The 12 nations with nuclear capability need to work together to make the world a safer place, he said.

In dealing with Iraq, Kucinich said the United States is going to pay major costs in reconstruction of the country.

“You break it, you buy it,” he said, relating Iraq to signs he saw in china dish shops as a child.

The United Nations, not the United States, needs to handle the oil resources of the Iraqi people, Kucinich said, because the Iraqis need to be able to use oil to help their economy.

“We must work with the United Nations on world defense,” he said. “We cannot be the police of the world.”