Kucinich Pushes Bush Impeachment
Congressman Dennis Kucinich, weary from a dozen campaign stops in a week, sat in a small room at the Monterey fairgrounds on Sunday, but he had a look in his eyes that said he knew he wouldn’t sit for long.
Still, his expression seemed to lighten as he recalled his comedic success last week as a guest on The Colbert Report, the farcical news show on “Comedy Central.”
“The secret of it,” he said, pausing for effect, “Don’t try to be funny.”
Only then did he let out a laugh.
The presidential hopeful was energized by a straw poll taken Sunday in San Mateo County, where he came in second after John Edwards as the favored Democratic candidate.
“That shows that I am electable,” he said. “That was very powerful, a sign of rising support because of the stand I take for peace - including standing up against war with Iran.”
He seized the moment to come out with perhaps his strongest stance to date toward impeaching President George W. Bush.
“I’m going to talk to members of Congress this week and tell them taking impeachment off the table is a big mistake,” he said.
Kucinich was moved to take action, he said, in part because of Bush’s recent suggestion to reporters that a world war with Iran might be imminent, leading Kucinich to wonder “whether he’s playing with Armageddon or he’s not well.”
“The world can’t countenance the president of the United States raising the specter of World War III,” he said. “A president must be temperate with his words.”
Kucinich was in town to introduce the political rock-reggae-hip hop of Michael Franti and Spearhead on Sunday night at the Monterey Music Summit.
“I’m here to be with my friend Michael Franti. He’s one of the most exciting performers,” he said. “He’s thoughtful, he’s deep and he’s a humanitarian.”
Kucinich, who announced his plans to run once more for president last December, has said he favors immediate U.S. troop withdrawal from Iraq, opting for a multi-national stabilization force to maintain order.
He was also in California pushing for single-payer health-care coverage.
“All other candidates want to keep our for-profit health care system,” he said, while he is pushing his congressional bill HR 676, which would expand the Medicare program to cover all virtually Americans.
“These are very powerful issues for Californians,” he said.
Kucinich said he was surprised by the popularity he’s gained after his debut on “Comedy Central.”
Hollywood actors have telephoned, he said, and videos of his performance are circulating all over the Internet.
“When people saw Colbert, they really responded,” he said, “They like to think their president has a sense of perspective.”
He said the appearance came off pretty well, considering that members of Congress have been warned not to appear on the show, where they’re likely to face skewering by host Stephen Colbert’s acid tongue.
Kucinich said it was his chaotic life that gave him a sense of humor.
“I moved around a lot, been through political ups and downs,” he said. “I don’t take myself seriously, but I take the issues very seriously.”
Other candidates, he said, could stand to lighten up a little. Well, he didn’t exactly say it that way.
“I hear one of the candidates announced they’re going to be funny,” he said in the deadpan style that seemed to win him fans on “Comedy Central.”
On that show, Kucinich pulled off a now near-famous routine about what he carries in his pockets, because he had previously showed off his pocket copy of the U.S. Constitution on national television.
Most of the shtick was built around the fact that he reportedly also carries tea bags in his pockets.
“I usually do have a tea bag,” he said, fishing through wads of business cards and few crumpled dollar bills before finally producing a bag of green tea. It was “Choice Organic Tea,” according to the label.
He had already flashed his copy of the Constitution at the fairgrounds, and had pointed to the autograph of elder statesman Sen. Robert Byrd, D-W.Va., on the first page.
“Don’t leave home without it,” he said, sliding it into a breast pocket.
Despite tireless campaigning that now includes his wife, Elizabeth, and her mother, Julia Massey, who came out from the London area to traipse 10 days through the U.S. Southwest, in polls Kucinich has trailed well behind candidates whose campaign chests are packed much fuller.
Though he also trailed in the 2004 primaries, his numbers in online polls kept showing promise and he continued to campaign right up to the Democratic National Convention, saying he still wanted to influence the party’s agenda.
In fact, he was the very last candidate to call it quits before John Kerry got the nomination. Which may say a thing or two about his tenacity, if nothing else.
He gave every indication he’ll show similar determination in Campaign 2008.
“I’m in this absolutely,” he said. “This tide keeps building. It’s not about me. What I stand for resonates in peoples hearts.”
With that, he braced for another interview before heading off to take the stage.
Julia Reynolds can be reached at 648-1187 or jreynolds@montereyherald.com.
© 2007 The Monterey County Herald
He should quit the Democratic party and make his pitch to small-d democrats. He should sign up at xdem.org.
Kucinich is the token democrat in the so called democratic party and I salute him for his courage and honesty.
I can understand why Congress would rather just run out the clock on this evil clown, but they may not have a choice if it looks like bombs are about to start dropping on Iran.
Vote for him and if he doesn’t win the rigged Democratic nomination hopefully he’ll run as an independent (which he should be anyway).
Nader/Kucinich or Kucinich/Nader…..I’ll vote for either combo. Please give yourself a better chance and go indy.
Dennis does a service for Americans, I guess, by keeping the word “impeachment” in the news. It’s too bad, though, that this service he performs is one of the reasons that Dennis will not be elected president no matter how hard or how long he runs for it.
Americans know that not a single Republican in the United States Senate is going to vote to impeach George Bush, even though they should.
I wish Ralph Nader in 2000 had had the courage and tenacity to do exactly then what Dennis is doing now. Speaking as a patriot without trying to splinter the entire left movement is a pretty selfless thing.
The best thing Kucinich does is remind us what is wrong with our political system as he plays out his candidacy.
According to a recent poll (do not remember the details, sorry), a majority of Americans favor progressive angles on the most important policy questions, including war for oil, policing the world, health care, the environment, taxes, bloated defense budget, etc.
Lining up the progressive stances of the public at large with the platforms of the Democratic candidates, Kucinich is the best match — especially on the distaste for war, universal health care, etc.
So, the key is — why is Kucinich not the front runner?
In my opinion, it is first because he is relentlessly portrayed as marginal, AND that this portrayal is very influential. There are other superficial reasons, such as his stature and physical appearance overall. I would argue that his lack of success as a candidate is at least partly explained by the perception that a short funny looking guy is not a leader.
He also has taken some positions that might be hard for many Americans to choke down — such as the refusal to go after Osama Bin Laden and take him out given the opportunity. I agree with Kucinich on that count, but I acknowledge that it’s fringe.
Kucinich allows us to take a look at how superficial our endorsement of these candidates can be — just how swayed it is by the same high school cliqueish thinking we like to think we’ve outgrown.
>sigh.< Don’t know if it’ll do any good.
But GAWD, I adore Dennis!!!!
There are no people in politics that I feel are trustworthy with the sole exception of Dennis Kucinich. In the 2004 campaign, I observed a group of “Firefighters for Kerry” watching Kucinich speak, open-mouthed, hanging on to each word. I went to them after the speech and mentioned that it was not too late to change their minds. They just laughed. The truth is, there are no strings attached to Kucinich. What he says is what he means and most thinking people agree with him on the issues. The most frequent comment is, “He’s great, but unelectable.” Well, I guess he is, if we don’t vote for him. I’ll continue my support for Kucinich, both moral and monetary, because he gives me a legitimate voice. Thank you, Dennis. Keep running. We have no idea what the political winds may be just before the election. Bush and Cheney may well get us into war with Iran, and having someone with the courage to stand up and say, “I’ll get you out,” might be a real consolation and incentive. As long as we have Dennis, we have hope.
DK has also indicated he will call for a new investigation of 9/11. I care only about his policies, not his looks. Definately has my vote in the primaries over Hillawhore or any of the other corporate lackies.
Dennis is way ahead of the curve on using hemp agriculture to heal our planet too. Get out and vote for this man!
Kucinich and Ron Paul should go independent, run on a united Green/Libertarian ticket
http://blogs.dmregister.com/?p=9421
Straight Out of the Cornfield blog
http://blogs.dmregister.com/?author=755
Wake up folks we are only going to get to vote for the candidates that big business chooses for us and it won’t be Dennis. If he starts to gain ground then big media will find a way to take something he does or says out of context and make him look foolish, then all the American Sheeple will abandon him (remember Howard Dean and the scream). It is disappointing but true. So Nov 2008 we will just have to figure out which corporate whore will do the least harm, hold our nose and pull the lever. Of course if you don’t live in a swing state it doesn’t matter because the electoral votes have already been decided. I bet our founding fathers would never have dreamed that this country would become so F###KED up.
Every bomb dropped on Iran will be a bomb dropped on America.
The corporate media long ago decided that Kucinich was not a serious candidate and that Hillary was going to be the choice. Those who run the corporate media could not care less whether the great majority of people agree with Kucinich or not. Hillary has had many talks with the titans of Wall Street, the leaders of the Business Roundtable and the Chamber of Commerce, and pro-Likud groups like AIPAC, and they have all given her the thumbs up and that is where the corporate media gets its cue. That is the basis for their determination she is “mainstream” and “serious.” And since she is the first serious female contender and started with high name recognition and decent polling numbers, they decided they could pawn her off as novel, exciting, and electable.
In every way and more than any other candidate, DK really does care about our future.
dennis is a wonderful human being and i will vote for him in the primary, having retained my democratic registration for that purpose…but i won’t donate a dime to his campaign as a democrat, and will never do so until and unless he quits the capitalist party and either joins the greens or runs as an independent after the primary…
i fear he will support whichever warmongering republican lite the party nominates, as he did last time…the party is dead, dennis, wake up and smell the decomposition.
good men in politics are hard to find. dennis is one. a man of integrity. for me, that is the highest compliment i can pay any politition. come on up to canada dennis, we could use a man like you up here.
all the best to you. you deserve nothing less. you americans are lucky to have him.
To the Naysayers:
Kucinich could get the presidency. Of course it’s a long shot, but not totally & absolutely out of the question. A string of unprecedented and unexpected events could take place between now and Nov 08. The time is ripe for something huge.
The stock markets could totally collapse. That’s one of countless possibilities. In any event, the more good people who are familiar with Dennis Kucinich, the better.
All of the relatively radical advances that have been for the people of the past 100 years have been viewed by naysayers as totally impossible. During the critical steps of those advances, a few people with vision held on to the possibility.
The revolution in Latin America - especially Venezuela is a good example. Many people said things would never change there, and that Hugo Chavez would eliminated. The selfish bastards of the oligarchy, along with the bastards in Washington have failed miserably. The Venezuelan people and Hugo Chavez have triumphed.
The revolutionary changes taking place in Venezuela are the shape of things to come world wide. The ignorant fools in the American oligarchy are all pissing in the wind. Their days in power are numbered. They and their sick views are irrelevant.
===========================================
“I swear by the God of my parents, I swear by my nation,
I swear by my honor that I will not allow my soul to rest,
nor my arm to relax until I have broken the chains that
oppress my people through the will of the powerful.
Free elections, free land and free men,
horror to the oligarchy.”
================
Oath used by Hugo Chavez (when he was 28) and some of his revolutionary friends.
(Page 80, !HUGO! by Bart Jones)…
I think that DK puts us to the test:
Are we really who we say we are?
Of all the candidates, he is the one that I have never had to look away from, with embarrassment about what he says and what he does. He’s the most mature and hopeful at the same time.
And I know that if the Republicans put us through the shenanigans they put us through in the two last elections, DK won’t quit on us.
Why the emphasis on his looks? He’s not running for Mr. Universe. By the way, hasn’t anyone noticed how the other politicians look? None of them are a Brad Pitt. George Bush is a homely dude and nuts to boot; he giggles a lot even when he talks about his greatest hope and aspiration, World War 3.
I would not count Dennis out yet.
Kerry was polling at under 4% at this point 4 years a go.
On the other hand, I wouldn’t hold my breath either.
The media knows who has millions in their war chest, and it’s not Dennis. Corporate media also knows that those mega millions that the front runners have is going to be spent on corporate media. That’s what makes a front runner. The candidates message is sorrowfully, of least importance.
And guess who is not going out of their way to promote campaign finance reform, uh, the front runners? Or anyone who thinks they have a chance of winning. It’s truly rigged for the presidency to be bought and bought only in the good ol’ U.S.A. What a SCAM!
Dennis Kucinich is exactly what the U.S.A. needs and he has been scammed out of the running, just like many Americans. Impeachment is SO RIGHT if the Constitution has any meaning whatsoever.
Remember, there will always be about 25 to 30% of Americans who are terminally stupid. They are not going to help. If we could just get the other 65% to help out by writing and calling Congress a change could happen quickly. Right now we have 5% of the people doing all of the activism.
Kucinich and Ron Paul. Two who speak the truth. Without them, it’s World War III and collapse of the dollar.
Kucinich is the best one to support. It’s not over til it’s over.
The polls are created by and for the oligarchy. They’re bullshit.
There are many more of us than the establishment wants us to know about. May the oligarchy’s worst nightmares (fair elections & democratic gov’t by and for the people) come true.
For What It’s Worth–
My Personal Preferences for President:
No Question about It:
Kucinich (No on Iraq; Single-Payer Universal Health Care; Impeachment; Dept. of Peace. . . . What’s not to like?)
Rest of the Pack (in order; Gravel and Dodd tied, followed by Richadson and Colbert, also tied):
Gravel
Dodd
Richardson
Colbert
No Way (in order, least unacceptable to most unacceptable)
Edwards:
Ron Paul
Obama
Biden
Clinton
& the rest of the Republicans
It’s unfortunate that so many liberal democrats and so-called progressives seem to put Edwards up with or above Kucinich in polls I’ve seen, when Edwards is on board with Obama and Clinton re keeping us in Iraq till 2013 and keeping aggressive action against Iran on the table. What can people be thinking–”electability”? Be careful what you settle for!
Would love to see Colbert in a televised debate. That would put all this electioneering in neat perspective.
Go Dennis! Throw bush out of office! Kucinich has heart and soul!
OK so people won’t vote for Kucinich, although its commonly agreed that he:
1.Shares their concerns about a range of crises facing America
2.Has a credible plan for progress on these issues
3.Is an honest, candid, funny and inspiring speaker
Apparently they (we)won’t vote for Kucinich because “other people won’t vote for him”. “They” (we) will vote for the candidate that the mainstream media tells them other people will vote for. But why are these “other people ” supposedly going to vote for the other candidates? Because despite their lack of the above essential leadership qualities these candidates are taller, and agree with the mainstream media on domestic and foreign policy. Agreeing with the “mainstream” media makes these uninspiring, out-of-touch other candidates “mainstream”. Other people can be expected to go with the mainstream, so must we. What a wonderful thing democracy is.
As a long time resident of Cleveland, former math professor for Dennis’ brother and friend of Dennis, I admire his intelligence, honest and political perspective. As mayor of Cleveland, he stood up to the real estate and banking moguls who wanted to privatize our electric system and who wanted obscene tax abatements on their property. The local press has never forgiven him for this, nor has it forgiven him for his courageous stand against the war, against NAFTA and for a living wage and universal health care.
Dennis is the best candidate this country has ever had.
go Dennis-you’ve got my vote!
get the word out, CDers!
peace to you all.
I’ve become increasingly convinced that impeachment has become a critical necessity, if only to distract His Lowness from doing further damage to the society, the Republic and the world before his term ends. Now a terminal Lame Duck (thanks, god) he’s totally unconstrained. Even HE must know his party will be BURIED in the coming elections. He no longer need concern himself (if he ever did) with how his actions will effect the next election, which leaves him free to set loose the lumbering collosus of our military on the world in pursuit of the neocon phantasmagoria of geopolitical fantasies.
And oil, of course.
He still has a whole year behind the wheel of the ship of state and the docile Demo’s are too busy campaigning to do much more than kvetch about the evils he has planned.
Let’s face it. There’s a psycho driving the bus! With a bloated military arsenal that could demolish NEPTUNE if need be, the First Moron is worried about the Russian threat to Europe. Huh?
We must rush to emplace threatening missiles to show the wobbly former USSR we mean business? And he’s PRESIDENT???
This nitwit is STRANGELOVE REDUX!
Utterly dismayed, pureed and confounded by an arrogant effort to manage ONE Middle Eastern culture, the next best move is to instigate a war with IRAN? Does HITLER: THE FINAL DAYS come only to MY mind?
Altogether now children: G-G-G-Gtterdamerng!
We need to keep that witless bully quiet from now until next November and IMPEACHMENT is the only sure way.
Kucinich for President. By far the best candidate. We should all write him in for President in the event one of the 2013 triplets gets the Democratic Party nomination.
“He’s great, (and) *E*lectable” ! ~ could more be the motto.
*He* believes it’s possible, -or he wouldn’t bother?
As to ‘looks’ – well, we’d all be in a better state of affairs if we woke up to the fact that *looks* are ’skin deep’ - facile, whilst REAL beauty goes all the way through.
Too much of our world focuses on the trite and meaningless. As our race matures, we’ll learn to look at the *inside* of books, not just their covers! –then people will place more value on what is *inside* a person, not the outer skin.
Is (eg) Britney S. beautiful? I don’t find her so, she lacks interior value. I’ve (quite literally) rubbed shoulders with the supposed ‘beautiful people’ (models and such) and often found their *interior* qualities decidedly *un*-beautiful!
Also, whatever else Dennis is achieving, he is certainly setting the *benchmark* higher than anyone else. What could be more important than that?
Most other lackey politicos are grovelling around in the mud, seeking ever lower standards to ‘aspire’ to, but DK is ignoring that contemptible modus operandi, and raising the bar UP to where it should be.
Visionaries do that sort of thing, -whilst the small-minded, myopic or blind do not. DK is one of the best things to greet US politics for a long time; where he goes, eventually the other motley crew will follow…
What does the USA need? and what does DK need?
Dennis needs people to stoically share the vision of a BETTER future, and really REALLY run with that, - not to whimpishly give up at the first hurdle in a potage of fear, cynicism and morbid defeatism.
No one, but NO ONE yet knows how things will turn out, ~ expect the unexpected!!
Kucinich is “unelectable” to most people because he’s marginalized by the media. When you portray someone as on the fringe, weird, non-electable etc. it produces the desired results: people think he’s unelectable even if they like him.
The media is picking the candidate that best serves their interests. Given that most pundits and journalists are liberal elitists it’s no surprise they’re picking Hillary. She shares the economic interests and ideology with the rest of the liberal political class.
Kucinich for president because it’s NOT a beauty contest!
At this horrible, and possibly terminal, point in our nation’s history we need wisdom, truthfulness and sanity.
Supposedly, Abe Lincoln was homely, shy around women, had a squeaky voice and awkward gait. And pockets stuffed full of papers… He may not have been a perfect president, but he was a damn sight better than our current psychotic lying sociopath Anti-Christ of a loser puppet…
I’m going back to reading my book about ‘Getting Out of the U.S.’ now, just in case…
How about a Kucinich/Bill Moyers ticket?
When musicians are auditioned for a position, it is done blindly. Try to close your eyes when you see Kusinich speak. Close your eyes with all the candidates. Notice how you are responding to the sincerity and rationality of the candidate speaking. Parse the sound bites and Talking Points (propaganda phrases). If he/she sounds right, feels right, that should be the one. I agree with Naomi Wolf: we are slipping into fascism. We need to fight at each incremental slip, or, as she suggests, democracy at some point can not longer defend itself. We need to move the conversation to Bush-Cheney’s sanity. Iran is the focal point for that. List their irrationality over and over. In something like a citizen’s arrest or alcoholic’s intervention, we must declare them unfit to drive/govern, over and over. And drive home the co-psychosis of all those who enable their destructive acts and threats to our constitutional government and liberty. It is not unlikely that they will stage an event or respond to massive anti-Iran-bombing by suspending the Constitution and declaring martial law. One more thing: The Law is the Commander in Chief, not one or two men.
Of Course Kucinich is electable. But it is up to US NOT to let the Democratic Party machine determine who our candidate will be by announcing BEFORE the primary election, who our choice will be. It is truly the time that we progressives, liberals, small ‘d’ democrats, or whatever nomenclature we wish to fall under, tell the big D Democrats we are not going to put up with their crap any longer.!
Impeachment IS on the table; war funds Are NOT going to be granted; (what’s going to happen if they have no money to fight? Come home?)And we are not going to provoke either Iran Or Russia.
Kucinich will win but only if WE decide that he can and will.
It is ridiculously politically naive for people to be constantly posting that Kucinich should run as an independent. He is a very smart man, who is in it for the long haul for the sake of the issues. He is not going to run as an independent ever. He would lose his seat in Congress, because he could not run for re-election and for president at the same time. Only if he were the Dem nominee would he do it.
Why would he be stupid enough to give up his seniority and important subcommittee chairmanship giving him the power to hold investigations of every dept. and agency in the fed govt under Waxman’s committee just when it is likely that we will have a much larger Dem majority starting in 2009?
Whatever happens, his continuing in Congress gives him a platform for all of his great ideas, which he has the courage to introduce as legislation year after year until the rest of us “get it.” Let us not forget that the New Deal in 1933 was made up of most of the Socialist Party of America’s 1911 Platform. The only items missed were nationalizing utilities, railroads & oil.
Anybody who wants to make a smart remark that it took a depression to make that change should remember that we are heading for another depression PDQ.
MaxheMust
100% in agreement. Time to learn from Hugo Chavez
and all the others who followed Hugo and succeeded: Evo Morales of Bolivia, Daniel Ortega of Nicaragua and Correa of Ecuador. They all dumped into the trash can their “two” party systems, formed independent people’s movement around solid issues and won. We can do the same thing. As a matter of fact it is the only thing we can do if we are serious about winning and dumping our “two” party system into the trashcan of history.
Vangelaras
The unfortunate problem with the American people is that they want/desire a Hollywood-like/sexy candidate. Too bad Kucinich doesn’t play the sax. It is also unfortunate that in order for Kucinich to spread his message to a wider audience he would need to succumb to corporate donations. Presidential elections should NOT involve money at all.
Kucinich for president, he has my endorsement. Why not? And I am sure he will send a couple of people to Nuremberg when he gets elected. When he gets elected, the guy will be a breath of fresh air and also prove that Americans are not complete cowards. I just wish progressives would start being positive like Dennis, I know its difficult, but its the only way out of this mess. Be positive, win friends and influence people.
margalo, I get the same impression (that DK is sticking with the party for lon-haul reasons, and will not run as an independant)
And I agree with an earlier post that media-annointed “front-runner” means basically the one with the most expected money to pay for tv ad time. (plus the financiers- they tip their hat towards who they will be giving said money to)
So, this always leads back to REGISTER TO VOTE IN THE PRIMARIES AND TAKE YOUR PARTY BACK!!!!! What, did you think revolution was easy?
Also, try to have talking points about DK on hand, so whenever election comes up in conversation you can wow your friends. He is electable EXACTLY because he poses such a contrast between the rest of the candidates and what americans have come to loathe.
And I seem to give americans a little more credit- we get swayed by hollywood candidates when apathy is high, but things have gotten so bad on so many fronts in such little time that we can not avoid the truth, and the tension is palatable.
And to you fellow activists out there- you know how much an investment it is to inform and/or sway the apathetic and ingnorant.
margalo:
You nailed it! May all read your post and “get it”.
ldezutti: “Kucinich will win but only if WE decide that he can and will.”
It IS just that simple.
“So, this always leads back to REGISTER TO VOTE IN THE PRIMARIES AND TAKE YOUR PARTY BACK!!!!! What, did you think revolution was easy?”
No, the revolution ain’t easy, distinchicago. Good point and I’ll take it into consideration.
Of course, even if I were to register as a Dem (though, I’d have take a long shower after) and vote for Kucinich in the Primary, I think the “go along to get along” Dems (read: most Dems), will vote for the top money-getter. By virtue of their unwillingness to move, most Dems have signaled their apathy and fear to the rest of us. The road to Hell is paved with apathy and fear.
Still, I want Kucinich to at least scare the shit out of the DLC. I may just register and kick up a little dust of my own.
If I had a $1.00 for every comment I heard that they liked Dennis Kucinich but he was unelectable and would never be President therefore I would be wasting my vote, I could be pretty well off. As I see it, I have two choices, if I accept the conventional wisdom, and that is to vote for Kucinich and lose or not to vote, and lose. If truly 70% of the people believe as I do, then I say Dennis Kucinich is not only the only rational choice, but is electable.
He best epitomizes my faith and belief in Democratic government that is in concert with our Constitution and the Creed I learned 50 years ago in the Jaycees and which has governed my life. For the benefit of those not familiar with it, I will repeat it here, and I strongly suggest that if our politicians followed it, we would return to the America and free country that most of the 70% love:
J. A. C. Creed
We Believe:
That faith in God gives meaning
and purpose to human life;
That the brotherhood of man
transcends the sovereignty of nations;
That economic justice can best be won
by free man through free enterprise;
That government should be
of laws rather than of men;
That earth’s great treasure
lies in human personality;
And that service to humanity
is the best work of life.
So, the real question before us is not who can win or what the media says, but who offers the best qualifications and proper thinking to put us back on the road to salvation of our country and our military people being senselessly sacrificed along with the innocent people of Iraq?! While I also like Ron Paul, I believe Dennis Kucinich is the only choice for those who have any common sense.
I honor Dennis Kucinich as the single member of Congress to seriously suggest that electronic manipulation of people is an unconstitutional, destructive evil which ought to be banned world wide. His (failed) efforts to outlaw psychotronic abuse marks him as of distinctive ethical character which , sadly, probably disqualifies him from the consortium of agreeable political frauds who are likely to be nominated for the presidency. The coupling of his name with that of John Edwards consols me in this regard. They are both high quality human beings, and Edwards, at least, has a chance, still, of being nominated.
I was in Costa Rica a few years ago and everyone was glued to the TV. Not speaking Spanish I wondered what was going on. Turns out their President was been led to jail in handcuffs.
Many so called democracies take their candidates seriously. Americans seem to sit in front of the TV, believe whatever some corporate interest tells them and then suffer through needless and horrendous wars that very few Americans want. I have to conclude that most Americans are deliberately manipulated by vested interests and if they don’t see through that the future looks very bleak for all of us.
Dennis does not need the endosement of Corporate America,he needs our votes!
Lets scare the hell out of the corporatocacy.Lets practice true democracy.
Vote Kucinuch.
Go Dennis! Keep speaking the Constitution loud, clear and often—and you will make mincemeat of the Dimocraps’ entire field of dead-heads, cowards and phonies….Hell, you already have!
Dennis Kucinich is the ONLY candidate that I would take the time to vote for.
It’s only 2007 and we don’t need the corporatocracy to tell us who is “electable.” Either Kucinich is electable (if we support him) or elections are a sham and the next “great leader” is already decided.
We need to get behind Kucinich and we also need to be working on alternative candidates while letting the Dims know that if Kucinich is not on the ticket, we will support the progressive alternative — whether it’s him, Nader, or whoever.
A note of warning: You might want to check here
http://www.uselections.com/faq_electday.htm#13
to learn if you can write in candidates. A few states don’t allow it.
To help understand the chart, a General Election is one where people cast votes for all positions.
“A primary election is an election in which voters in a jurisdiction select candidates for a subsequent election (nominating primary). In other words, primary elections are generally when each political party decides its nominee for the upcoming general election.” (Wikipedia)
My state does not allow write-in votes for Primary Elections, so a non-party candidate won’t be on the General Election printed ballot. You have to write the name in. Several other states have the same limitation.
Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, Nevada, Oklahoma, and South Dakota don’t allow write-ins in either Primary or General Elections.
Below is a lot of information about US political parties, and there are more than I knew!
http://www.politics1.com/parties.htm
Mimirae: “They don’t want Dennis Kucinich heard because they are afraid of him.”
Yup, -scurrying roaches invariably feel fear when the Light goes on!
- and thanks to all those above who’ve made bold, valiant statements of intent, now THAT’S the sort of *spirit* that’s needed!
A powerful, changing wave is made up of many tiny drops, *all pushing in the same direction*, so helping to foster such unity is part of the way forwards.
The other part is to get yerself a voting slip and…
…Write On!
I’m voting for Dennis Kucinich come hell or high water! Maybe the chances of him becoming President are as slim as the odds of Jesus Christ stopping by to help me with my spelling errors and grammar but hey, there is still a chance! This country will not come to it senses - What will it take?
Dennis should grow a handle bar mustache and drive a Harley - he’s already got the BABE!
this guy is your only chance ‘usa sheeple’
and maybe as someone suggested with Nader as INDEPENDENT
time for bloody revolution as in 1776
as spoke Jefferson
read ‘Term Limits’ by Vince Flynn
best to start killing these assholes NOW!
Hatchcover,
Jesus to an extent, already has helped you. He put “spellcheck” in your computer software. But given your post, it looks like you do not need spellcheck. I agree that Dennis ought to get a Harley. That way he can leave tire treads over the top of Pelosi’s Miata.
Dennis for President! Thank goodness someone in congress has some integrity…the rest of them all deserve orange jumpsuits and bars.
George Bush has all the FBI files on these Congress Criters. There is no way that any impeachment will happen in 2008.
Bush/Cheney must have photos, records, testamony of their criminal activity.
Even Rep. Rangel has changed his tune lately.
Can anyone suggest a better reason why impeachment has not moved forward?
Although Kucinich does not have even a snowball’s chance in hell of getting the Dem nomination - I’m going to vote for him in the California primary. Why? Because I do not believe Hillary, Obama or Edwards will end the war. Hillary was a pro-hawk on Iraq until a month ago when she abruptly changed course because Dragon Lady - Lady Macbeth will lie, cheat and crawl on her belly like a snake to get elected. I know the Democrat party will not end the war - why are we building a six mile large Embassy in the Green Zone of Iraq, if not to set up a permanent colony in Iraq as our colonial territory?
Recently John Conyers and Harry Reid have given up on impeachment, I think their are only a handful of Dem’s who are still pushing for impeachment, like Barbara Boxer and Kucincih - for that ALONE he has my vote in the California primary.
I know he will lose in the primaries - but if Kucinich gets enough of a percentage of the votes, he has the power and clout to influence the party platform at the Dem convention.
Keep Hope Alive
The cure for Mad Cowboy Disease is Impeachment
Impeach Bush/Cheney and Jail to the Chief
Kucinich can spice up his speechmaking. As an example, take this fine effort from Pete Stark (D Caly 13th) last week to prevent Bush from killing more kids: “…if we can get enough kids to grow old enough for you to send to Iraq, to get their heads blown off, for the president’s amusement ..”
Compelling work, a forceful exhalation that stimulates a lethargic constituency.
How do we get people like Bill Maher (who I love to watch and respect on most [not all] fronts) to stop referring to Dennis Kucinich as some sort of joke? I know we can’t, but I am trying to make a point here.
It is people like Maher (one of the public voices of the lefties) that spoil efforts to galvanize support for substantial candidates like Nader and Kucinich. Instead they work to perpetuate or recycle the same weak, watered down, republocrats candidates like Hillary Clinton, or Gore.
Where is the spirit of 1776? Do we really want revolutionary change? We need a revolutionary change on all fronts: environment, foreign policy, domestic policy, etc. etc. Hillary won’t go the distance - Obama won’t go the distance - I doubt Edwards will go that far either. Kucinich and Nader would if given a chance.
Unfortunately, Rep. Pete Stark was forced to apologize today for telling the truth! Pelosi, of course, was instrumental. I feel bad for Stark but I don’t think we’d ever see Kucinich apologize for speaking truth to power. He is our guy–owned by no one, afraid of no one. Who cares if Bill Maher likes him? We are supposed to be independent thinkers. It’s already been shown that in anonymous polls he comes out on top. It is up to us to spread the word to the disenfranchised out there who will not vote period if we are served up Hillary, Obama or John Edwards.
I don’t care either if Bill Maher likes him or not. That wasn’t my point. My point is –people like Maher and Jon Stewart have the mike - have the air time– millions of people are watching these people and listening to their views. Yes, there are independent thinkers out there, but don’t tell me that they don’t have just an once of power to sway public opinion. Candidates like Nader and Kucinich need 100% support - we need to back the revolutionaries with all our might.
WE’VE TRIED THE BIG PHOTOGENIC GUYS WHO LIE TO US AND KILL PEOPLE—
WE’VE TRIED THE SLICK, THE RICH, THE CORPORATISTS
AND THE GENERALS—
AND LOOK WHERE IT’S GOTTEN US!
KUCINICH 2008!
Kuchinich should run as a third party candidate. Call it Progressive party of America. Its time for this honorable,sincere and decent man to leave the undesirable democratic party and lead true progressives. his would be a movement to be reckoned with. I would work for this movement to save American Democracy. Hillary just does not resonate with me. I can not vote for her.
Electable?? Unelectable?? Who Cares/
Dennis is honest, he’s courageous, he’s right on.
I vote for him no matter what the punditocracy, media bluedogs and all the other etcetras say.
Electable? Unelectable? Who Cares.
Dennis is honest, he’s courageour, he’s right on.
My vote is all for him.
Electable? Unelectable? Who Cares.
Dennis is honest, he’s courageous, he’s right on.
My vote is all for him.
alright all together now “We Want Dennis!”
don’t say msm don’t like him. we don’t like msm either remember?
don’t say he’s a longshot. it’s only true if you want it to be.
sure he’s an outsider. that’s why we love him. and why we must
elect him. whatever it takes.
The oligarchy has struck out about 5000 times in a row. Their foundation is composed of lies, barbarism, sexism, racism, greed, torture, mass murder, and vanity. They’re a bunch of barbaric fools. It’s time to remodel the USA with Dennis Kucinich and try having a gov’t that is BY and FOR THE PEOPLE for a change. We can be friends and cooperate with other nations, rather than having some wacked out idiots trying to be their bosses.
The solutions that ‘worked’ for them in the past, are not working for them any more. This will increasingly be the case. The fabric that holds the oligarchy together is bursting at the seams.
grailmaiden: “Although Kucinich does not have even a snowball’s chance in hell of getting the Dem nomination”
PLEASE…This is re-inforcing what you/we DON’T want! Promise NEVER to say it again. When I hear this from folks who want him as President, it proves the MSM programming is working. Recognize your words and be POSITIVE.
“Kucinich Vows…”
Anyone remember 2004 when he “VOWED” to take his peace candidacy into the convention, only to fold and give his delegates to Kerry?
I don’t recall, did Kucinich protest when Democratic Party rank and file delegates attempted to hold up peace banners and were ejected?
Sorry, I’m with those that think if Kucinich truly stood by his convictions, he wouldn’t be encouraging people to vote Democratic when it means people like Clinton (either one) or Kerry.
I love the comments here.. it brings hope to my heart. Dennis Kucinich is incredible. I have had the honor of meeting him on several occassions. Incredible speaker.. honest, nice…
He even signed my Peace SIghn at the Wash March!!
GO DENNIS!!!!
redgeek: Please read the margalo above and open your mind and get into the present moment. OR…vote Clinton. (Nice user name, by the way–fitting.)
Mrs. Kucinich for First Lady!
Boy! What a joy to read all of the comments to the article about Dennis, and the support that has been voiced for him! Yes, we need imopeachment: Cheney first, then a day later, the Shrub. In the meantime, let’s get behind Dennis Kucinich and make him a household word. There is still time to upset the apple cart and get millions of common, ordinary people to jump on the bandwagon. If ther Dems won’t pay attention, then “We, the People,” need to assert our might and create a meaningful populist party; call it “Green,” Progressive,” or whatever, but we need to get Kucinich and 535 other like-minded people inside the beltway to uphold the vision and the dedication of our fore fathers (and mothers).
BUSH IS RESPONSIBLE FOR MANY DEATHS INCLUDING 9-11 HE SHOULD OF BEEN ASSINATED I WOULDNT SAY THAT ABOUT ANY OTHER PRESIDENT EXCEPT HIM.GOD HELP HIM… ALL SECRETS OF MEN SHALL BE REVEAL IN THE LAST DAY…
I remember going to see Dennis at a “rally” in downtown Springfield in 2004. By this time the Democratic race had been all but decided for John Kerry, and Illinoisans were still waiting for their primary. The rally drew about a dozen people, half of whom were reporters, so it was a press conference with the public invited. The point of all this is, he was there anyway, still engaged, still talking up his ideas. You’ve got to be a strong person to do what he does. He would never cop to this label, but I would call him a democratic socialist, which is what I consider myself and half of Europe. He would be a good fit for the Green Party, actually, but I don’t think he’d do it. I would love to see him as POTUS though, mainly because that would be the big banks’ worst nightmare.
What a joke Kucinich and his Democratic supporters are. This impeachment phony talk is going nowhere and he knows it. Pelosi and Reid are probably behind it, they want to keep the idiots at Democratic Underground believing that there’s some kind of hope for their scummy party.
Kucinich is a sham, at the end he’ll support the war monger Dem candidate like he did in 2000 and 2004. If he had any shame, which he doesn’t, he would quit this criminal enterprise known as the Democratic Party TODAY.
VOTE SHEEHAN.
It’s interesting how Kucinich gets vilified for “caving” and giving his votes to Kerry while Nader is vilified for NOT giving in and giving his votes to Gore.
Lets see tetti_tatti: You assert someone is a “joke”, because you say someone else is conspiring behind them trying to keep some other “idiots” who have a “scummy” party happy. And er, Kucinich “therefore” is a sham who supports the war. I guess he’s just lying to rake in the big dollar donations and MSM support?
Then (in capital letters) you exhort us to vote for Cindy Sheehan, who as I understood it has made a conditional offer to stand against Nancy Reagan Pelosi in the House of Reps, based on whether she endorses impeachment (rather topical). Gee, I don’t know, looks like we may be able to vote for both Sheehan and Kucinich if we want to. Because they will not be contesting the same post. But they sure agree about impeaching poor old George.
We can’t let the media speak for us. They are the ones promoting the idea that Kucinich is out of the mainstream and unelectable. We need to show them that the media does not do our thinking for us by supporting an independent thinker with integrity! I have always thought impeachment should have been on the table from the moment we voted the Democrats bak into office. Maybe the truth will come out and justice will not just be lip service. Go Dennis!
DK is by far the best of the candidates and is only unelectable if people keep saying he’s unelectable and then acting on it. We can make him electable by changing people’s perception, and we only need to slightly do so.
(I was at the San Mateo straw poll, where DK came in second, and even some Edwards and Obama supporters said that Kucinich is the better candidate, but not electable.)
I don’t understand the appeal of Ron Paul…he wants to abolish the EPA, doesn’t think global warming is a big deal, and supports free markets, all of which are recipes for libertarian disaster.
“Nader/Kucinich or Kucinich/Nader…..I’ll vote for either combo. Please give yourself a better chance and go indy.”
All an independent party split from the Democrats will accomplish would be to hand the Presidency to whichever Republican candidate gets the nomination. It would be tremendously stupid! The United States cannot endure for or eight more years of a Repugnant presidency.
Believe it or not, we progressives are a very small part of the Democrat base, although we could cause the loss of the election for the Democrats and hand it to the Republicans if enough of us went for a third party candidate.
Similarly, if enough of the Christian right wing went for a third party as Dobson threatens, it will cause a Democratic landslide. I really hope they decide to do it, but let us not be so stupid.
Vote for Kuch in the primary if that is your choice, maybe he could get the Vice-Presidency, but unless you want to see the end of our country as we had known it (before the Bush fascist state)with no chance to reverse the Republican fascist state and probably the demise of the Democratic Party as a viable alternative to Republican fascism, we need to support whatever candidate the Dems nominate, even if we do not like them.
Whether we like it or not, a third party cannot possibly win, at least not without years of winning elections at local and state levels, winning Congressional and Senate seats and building a significant base.
Nader - as far as that crumball is concerned, gave the presidency to Bush. His allegation that he drew votes from Republicans is just a pile of bull dung!
Every vote he got was a vote that would have been for a Democrat!
Republicans won’t vote for any candidate that is not “Christian” enough, and Nader doesn’t fit that bill at all. He ran because of his tremendous ego and he is responsible for our country being where it is today - period.
We need to keep up trying to get the Democrats that are in office to support Kuch’s impeachment bills. He has already started the impeachment bill for Cheney, who must be removed first or at the same time as Bush. They must be impeached for the crimes that they committed to create precedent that the law applies to everyone, including the President and Vice-President. We must insist that America remain a nation of laws.
“A note of warning: You might want to check here
http://www.uselections.com/faq_electday.htm#13
to learn if you can write in candidates. A few states don’t allow it.”
Some states allow you to vote in the other party’s primary which might be useful to vote for their worst candidate. (You can only vote in one primary though, but it is a strategy.)
“DK is by far the best of the candidates and is only unelectable if people keep saying he’s unelectable and then acting on it. We can make him electable by changing people’s perception, and we only need to slightly do so”
He needs a lot more money to get to the point of becoming electable.
Start working for his candidacy and helping him raise money.
Check out the Ralph Nader YOUTUBE video, “It’s Worse than we Thought.” A bunch of towns in New England voted for impeachment, and took their petition to their Congressman. He told them that Congress had been warned that if anyone tried to impeach Bush, he would attack Iran, declare martial law, and call off the 2008 elections. Which may be why Congress has been intimidated into taking impeachment off the table. Thing is, that qualifies as high crimes and misdemeanors, doesn’t it? Anyway. Human consciousness is changing fast. America is not a third world country, and once we get over being shocked that our leaders lie to us and don’t act in our best interests, we can take them down. Even if the MSM is owned by five corporate moguls who support the Bush agenda. Even if all the election machines are made by Republican companies and have no paper trails. Even if Dennis is ignored and dismissed by the media. We know he’s the best person for the job. If we want him, we can make it happen. No matter what. Remember that line in “V”: “People should not be afraid of their government; government should be afraid of the people.” Let’s elect Dennis. Screw Bush. And Hillary, who is Bush in a skirt and will follow his agenda and has said so.
Dennis is “right on” on all the main issues: 9/11, war, and health care. I have met him and he is nicer in person than his public persona. I’m working for him and voten for him in the primary. Unfortunately according to the poll thus far amerikans are polling hillary as the pres to be–foolish, ego-centric, supremacist, and greedy. It’s just a supreme shame!
SusanMc @ 2:30am: Thankyou, a darned good post!
And I’m joyed to hear your factual statement, “Anyway, human consciousness is changing fast” - as I believe this is at the very heart of what we progressives are about, and that includes Dennis’s work as well.
Folks often look at the ‘outside’ -the outer shell of things, but when the more subtle *inner* nature of things is studied, we then have better / deeper understandings.
As I see it, that is an important part of the service that this Common Dreams site provides - it is not just an empty ‘talking shop’, or means to cathart,
but is essentially tantamount to being an ‘Alternative University’ wherein bright-minded people hang out and discuss and examine important current issues in the world.
We debate, learn from peers, and gain deeper comprehensions. Personally, I can certainly affirm that I have learnt *loads* from reading both the articles here, as well as readers’ comments.
[+ thankyou dear Common Dreams staff for this facility. - Gawd bless yu’!]
And as we learn, our *consciousness* is changed, and when we change thus, - so in turn we (actually) change the world about us.
And nowadays we are potentised in our effect upon the wider world by our thoughts being writ large, -courtesy of the Internet.
I guess that’s one of the reasons I remain optimistic that ‘all is not lost’ (as some doomsayers often opine). All is very much NOT lost until the last one of us has gone down in a hail of mEss media lies and the politician’s tragic errors… and that ISN’T gonna happen, cos we have ‘TRUTH’ on our side, and, ~ (even though it’s often helluva struggle) in the end, truth, and a *just cause* ALWAYS wins out over the opposite…
IMHO, the fact that humanity has come through *so* many disasters thus far, yet still managed to survive, is living testimony to this factor at work in the world.
The road to our success?
~ Very simply, it is this maxim:
“For as long as there is breath in your body, *never* give up!”
If Kucinich ever did get the Demo nomination, he’d be in a strong position to pull the rest of the Party leftward [toward sanity] during his campaign. It would be cleansing to have the DLC rats and assorted sell-outs cornered thereby, perhaps the worst of them then having to jump ship.
Even if DK lost the election [likely], he’d be head of the Party for the next 4 yrs, and that, just in itself, would be useful for determining, once and for all, if its near-dead hulk is at all rescue-able for progressive purposes.
Very possibly, a DK nomination would turn out to be a just a replay of erstwhile McCarthy/McGovern outcomes — which at this point, could also be very clarifying for progs who still hang-on to the Demo aegis.
For the moment: Since DK is the most visible progressive running, and can be counted on to remain true-ENOUGH to his principles if nominated, he is a definitely viable alternative to supporting some unknown Green candidate all the way thru to an even more-certain defeat.
I say ‘viable alternative’ because the other alternative, of an initially-unknown Green Prez candidate, still isn’t off the table for many of us.
We all know it’ll take time to [re]build a national progressive force/Party, and so shouldn’t expect any election miracles in ‘08. But a DK Demo candidacy could and probably would do wonders to bring progressives together, nationally –whether they stay {later] in the Demo Party or not.
Nice to finally see an article about Kucinich!
Glad he’s running as a Democrat, too, for what it’s worth. Independents don’t have a chance in our system.
Friends-Please remember that we need to bring the focus UP to the mental plane and keep the emotional plane focus to a minimum. Most of our fellow citizens are still emotionally focused, therefore the childlike sports team cheerleading approach to politics. Keep bringing the discourse UP and don’t worry about results. A problem cannot be solved at the level it is focused on. Dennis is highly evolved (from our perspective) and is working on problems from the mental plane where the solutions to emotional problems lie. Please keep emotions of fear (failure) out of your conciousness and allow His plan to work out.
What an incredible human being.
Kucinich stands alone in this presidential race as a man of honor and integrity.
I know for a fact that Dennis can never achieve the goal of winning the white house because I agree with everything he has to say on all issues.
Being a staunch progressive liberal with socialist ideals I usually alienate everyone I know. Family, friends and co-workers think I am insane with my FDR approach to good governance and my anti war stance.
We all know that someone like Kucinich could never get a single republican vote unlike Bill and Hill who will definitely take votes from the Right side of the aisle.
The Beer guzzling macho democrats could not vote for him either, they do not want some “little pussy as their commander in chief”.
Lets face it my friends most of the country wants a tough talking leader who will use the power of the US to crush all opponents especially in pursuit of oil.
What chance does a peace-loving candidate with socialist ideas have?
Of course I will continue to send Kucinich money and will vote for him in the primaries.
But unlike many on this blog I will not throw away my vote by casting it for a third party candidate.
Where did these independents and their protest vote get us in 2000? They got us the President from Hell.
I think that secretly third party supporters like Phil Donahue did not really mind if a republican got into office they knew damn well that Nader could NEVER win election and perhaps they could get a tax break for themselves if a Bush type won.
Certainly no thinking person could ever conclude that there was not a dimes worth of difference between Bush and Gore.
Unfortunately I must question the motive of these third party advocates who seem to become brain dead around election time and are willing to allow their vote help the republican cause of more war and bigger tax cuts for the super wealthy.
They must realize that supporting a liberal third party candidate only helps the republicans.
But apparently they would rather help the republicans then succumb to voting for the “lesser of two evils” again they are trying to convince us that there is really no difference between the two main parties and sometimes it appears to be true but try to persuade me that there was no difference between Bush and Gore are you guys kidding me or are you just plain stupid?
tetti_tatti: Your brain dead comments are not worth comment except for…WTF???
Jake Jaspers: “Even if DK lost the election [likely]….”
People who add these horrid parentheses are a part of the problem!
I wrote the writer of this piece to thank her and ask for more and to ask others for more. I hope you will all do the same.
As the announcer said after the 1980 U.S. Hockey team was in the final seconds: “Do you believe in miracles? YES!!!”
I am voting for Kucinich and am considering making a campaign contribution.
I agree with an earlier posting about keeping the discourse on a rational level. It is too easy to start calling the other democratic candidates “evil” and Bush; Darth Vadar. The issues are not black and white or good and evil. I think that ALL opinions are valid and should be considered rationally.
I am starting to think that “oil peak” has actually arrived and that accounts for Bush’s wars and proposed wars, and it also accounts for the inaction of the opposition party. For me, if oil peak is here, that doesn’t change the equation or justify war, but for some it might.
29bluesguy October 24th, 2007 9:50 am
“I am voting for Kucinich and am considering making a campaign contribution.”
Please do it. If anyone had told me years ago I’d be sending $$$ to a politician in the future…I’d STILL be laughing! But I did. And it feels like more than just writing posts. GO FOR IT! (And get some bumper stickers too!)
So far, 21 cosponsors have signed-up to support Dennis Kucinich’s H.RES.333 (impeaching Richard B. Cheney, Vice President of the United States, for high crimes and misdemeanors). If your representative isn’t listed, please e-mail, or write snailmail, and ask why they’re not. If they are listed, thank them. (The last cosponsor joined August 4th.)
Rep Baldwin, Tammy [WI-2] - 8/1/2007; Rep Brady, Robert A. [PA-1] - 7/24/2007; Rep Clarke, Yvette D. [NY-11] -6/6/2007; Rep Clay, Wm. Lacy [MO-1] - 5/1/2007; Rep Cohen, Steve [TN-9] - 8/4/2007; Rep Ellison, Keith [MN-5] - 6/28/2007; Rep Farr, Sam [CA-17] - 7/12/2007; Rep Filner, Bob [CA-51] - 7/12/2007; Rep Jackson-Lee, Sheila [TX-18] - 8/4/2007; Rep Johnson, Henry C. “Hank,” Jr. [GA-4] - 6/28/2007; Rep Kilpatrick, Carolyn C. [MI-13] - 9/7/2007; Rep Lee, Barbara [CA-9] - 6/7/2007; Rep McDermott, Jim [WA-7] - 7/10/2007; Rep Moran, James P. [VA-8] - 7/10/2007; Rep Payne, Donald M. [NJ-10] - 8/1/2007; Rep Schakowsky, Janice D. [IL-9] - 5/1/2007; Rep Towns, Edolphus [NY-10] -9/27/2007; Rep Waters, Maxine [CA-35] - 6/12/2007; Rep Watson, Diane E. [CA-33] - 10/16/2007; Rep Woolsey, Lynn C. [CA-6] - 6/7/2007; and Rep Wynn, Albert Russell [MD-4] - 5/10/2007
Remember, they’re not going to do anything unless you stir the pot. Granted, this congress isn’t doing the job it was sent to Washington to do. But, it’s still up to YOU to make sure their “feet are to the fire”.
Be part of the groundswell. Otherwise, you’re just pissin’ in the wind.
I have been calling for Dennis to say “Impeach Bush” since the last congressional Election.
In fact the reason why the Dems won congress back at all was the underlying promise of Impeachment.
I am glad now that I kept myself registered Dem so I can vote for him in the primary…if there is one in Florida.
If Dennis stays with this brave needed stand with the constitution in his pocket, the call to impeach will grow and even if it fails, will force a landslide for the Dems in Congress because folks will reason if they had the votes, the Dems could have impeached him…. People like to vote for courage!
This should give hope to most of us and I am so glad if he will work to Impeach both partners in High Crimes Parasites, because showing this courage will be a reason to inspire a big. big turnout at the primary and general elections…if we are still around.
I got a feelin, now that MAD is back, We will still be around.
I only wish he could be president. I agree on all of his policies. BUT:
I agree that the Dems haven’t done all they can. And it is true they can’t break a filibuster. We need to elect enough, probably 9 and 10 for sure next election. And for sure a Dem Prez no matter who. The Supreme court is on the verge and one more conservative on it can undo everything that is still intact. And that will last for another 20 years. I don’t contend this is more important than lives being lost isn’t the most pressing issue, but it is important to realize that one more wingnut judge and they will overturn not just Roe v. Wade, but Social security, medicare, most large social programs. Remember Social Security only survived by a 5 to 4 vote in the 30s despite a court that at that time was liberal. Think of the damage that could be done, millions of seniors in poverty, no healthcare for them. Medicaid, Schip. If you don’t think that the right wingers won’t push for all of this as they become more and more emboldened, you are wrong. If you listen to right wing talk, their overall objective is to totally overturn the new deal of FDR, the new society of the 60s and 70s of the war on poverty, medicare, etc.
The electorate in the last 7 years has made the Dems extremely gun shy and the constant lies from prez and repugnets do echo across the land and it is unfortunate that this still resonates in the red states. I live in Georgia and hear the wingnuts exicited that this can occur in our lifetime; Roberts, Alito, Thomas, Scalia are licking their chops for just one more wingnut Supreme court judge and we can begin. Justice Breyer, liberal is 87, Ginsberg, Stevens, and Souter in their 70s DANGER! DANGER! DANGER! Roberts, Alito, Scalia, Thomas, just licking their chops for one more wingnut
We must support the Dems and nurse them along no matter what!!! Don’t vote for any 3rd party candidates, don’t sign any petitions to get other candidates on the ballot in any state. THIS COMING ELECTION IS THAT IMPORTANT.
REMEMBER DIVIDE US AND THEY WIN!!!!!!.
“REMEMBER DIVIDE US AND THEY WIN!!!!!!”
Divide us into what - the critical and the blind? If you think this constant badgering is going to suddenly cause a massive bout of amnesia over the legacies of both parties since at least 1980, you are wrong. We’re not divided - we don’t agree with your approach, that’s all.
If nothing else, DK’s efforts will at least get him the chance to make a speech to the convention. That may be the only part of either convention I watch.
Kucinich is one of very few who stands for the best America could be. What does it say about us that he is not the frontrunner? How could a politician, in the worse sense of the word who, at best will be another Bill, the best Republican president of the 20th Century, like Hillary be “the candidate” (I didn’t know that the media did the voting). How dare the media decide for us who will be our next president? …and what is wrong with us that we allow them to do it?
I will vote for any Democrat in 2008 but if it’s not Kucinich, Edwards or Dod, I’ll go to the polls with a closepin on my nose! I long for the day when I will finally be able to vote for someone I truly believe in…
Go Dennis! Impeaching the gang in Washington is the only way to stop their illegal activity. What are the cowardly Dems waiting for? WWIII?
I am sick of these cowards apologizing to the republican criminals! It reminds me of that song in the “King and I” “Tell us how low to go, your majesty, give us a kick if you please, your majesty… oh, that was good, YOUR MAJESTY!”
Lori
It’s all been said above…Go Kucinich, I hope you win
Good luck, Dennis! We’re on your side - always, and in everything!
mimirae you’re an idiot. Stop posting such long URLs or else learn how to shorten them.
How naive and brain-dead Democrats care, do you honestly think that DK will win the nomination from Hillary and her powerful Military-Industrial Complex supporters, are you Dem Kool-aid drinkers that innocent? Do you think the DLC machine would ever allow it to happen?
The Democratic Party is rotten to the core and DK is part of the cancer. He’ll support Hillary at the end. He supported Senator Coward in 2004 didn’t he? He’ll support Pelosi against Sheehan. Yes, Pelosi, Bush’s Monica Lewinsky. Pelosi, who put impeachment off the table and gave Bush even more money for the war than he had asked for. She, who made Bush’s spying legal. She, who got tough on Pete Stark for telling the truth. You Dem Kool-aid drinkers make me SICK.
What are your naysayers but a bunch of sheep following the media! No one is unelectable unless YOU don’t vote for them. You are falling into a trap by saying, well, I wanted to vote for someone who could WIN against the republicans. WAKE UP! Our country was not founded by a bunch of wimps who said, oh gosh, we’d better not fight the British because they’re just so much bigger than us and so inevitabley stronger. Ignore the media hype and bs, you know how it is so slanted and biased anyhow. LOOK AT THE RECORDS! EDUCATE YOURSELVES!! AN IGNORANT ELECTORATE IS THE PUPPET OF THE MASS MEDIA AND THE CORPORATIONS WHO CONTROL THAT MEDIA. Kucinich deserves to win based on his values and his courage AND HIS RECORD.
Good for you, Kucinich. And good luck. You are a man of your word, and any American who values honesty, integrity, common good sense, and repsect should send a contribution and encourage other voters to vote for you. Be the dark horse and beat the media’s favorites. You’re OUR favorite.
Let’s hope for Dennis, but the media has the final say and believe me, as ditto gbyatx explains: the corporate system elects the next President. You won’t see Dennis on prime time. The next President will be Hillary or Ugh Giulini. Can you image this New Yorker as next Pres? Only corrupt yes men/women will be elected and will your vote count?
Bush needs to be let go due to incompetance.
We are the only developed nation in the world who is not taking care of the healthcare of all people.
Countries such as India do not mind chlorea, countries such as Africa do not mind malaria.
These diseases infect the richer people as well.
He is also making education more expensive and not helping people through the global tribulation of jobs going overseas. Plenty of funding and tax breaks for this.
Seems he found a lot of money to help people in california. There is plenty of money there for what Bush wants to do with it.
This is cruel injustice. I do not have a country.
Lets all cheer Dennis on as he tilts at his windmills.
Then, after the primaries are done and the results of this rigged game are revealed (Dennis loses btw), then lets do something effective to change this country. And it ain’t gonna involve the Democratic Party except that they need to be the target of a major political ass-kicking.
The number of responses showing support for Dennis Kucinich are an indication of how we Americans as a people are getting more and more fed up with the dishonesty and criminal behavior of our government, especially when it comes to foreign policy.
The following link is to a movie called “The War on Democracy” by John Pilger. Although it covers mainly the recent history of Latin America, it offers a good look at the evil nature and consequences of America’s international policies. And, as it states in its final conclusion, the film is representative of America’s policies throughout the world, including Iraq and Iran.
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-3739500579629840148
I am attracted to Dennis Kucinich because by keeping impeachment alive he seems to be fighting back against the truly evil nature of American foreign policy. As far as I can tell, he is the only presidential candidate doing so.
celebrity -
when you’re desperate there’s sometimes a hard-to-trace line between hopeful realism and delusional optimism. Madison Avenue ad men know all too well how to blur this line to create delusional optimism. I don’t think progressives need, or should be part of, that kind of reality hyping.
We need to be hopeful about Kucinich, yes. But not hopeful to the point that it blinds us to the hard work and pitfalls ahead.
my horrid parentheses above (as you call them), indicating a DK loss is likely, acknowledge only the present reality, lest I waste energy and credibility by being delusionally optimistic about supporting him.
But I DO support him, and will channel the energy of hopeful realism into work for him that may later justify greater optimism about his prospects. This is merely of way of not squandering energy in a battle that’s far larger than any particular candidate’s chances of winning one nomination or election.
If we succumb to defeatism, we are done! We’re up against a well oiled media machine that forever repeats the mantra of “unelectability”; but just because they keep saying it, doesn’t make it true. As some of you have pointed out, the media have their own axes to grind; and a Kucinich presidency would throw a monkey wrench into their business-as-usual plans [sorry for mixing metaphors].
Elections and presidencies are unpredictable when a candidate refuses to sing from the same hymnal as that provided by “conventional wisdom” and financed by plutocrats who control political campaigns. It’s up to “We The People” to hearten ourselves and our fellow citizens by refusing to base our votes on the criteria that the media pronounce most important…or most ’sensible’.
I just heard that Senator Mike Gravel has been scratched from the ‘debate’ to be televised by NBC on October 30. NBC has come up with a set of criteria that were obviously designed to cull the herd of candidates to a more manageable number. It wouldn’t surprise me if Dennis K. were to be similarly dis-invited.
I sent the following to the NBC pooh-bahs:
TO: chuck.todd@nbcuni.com
CC: viewerservices@msnbc.com, directors@corporate.ge.com, ombudsperson@corporate.ge.com, jeff.zucker@nbcuni.com, lynn.calpeter@nbcuni.com, steve.capus@nbcuni.com
>>>>>
Dear Mr. Todd:
I don’t expect to be voting for Senator Gravel in next year’s presidential balloting; but I am still VERY interested in hearing what he has to say. The man is serious about debating the issues, and he represents a perspective that deserves to be considered.
Judging by the attitudes I see among my friends, there are many citizens out here who will be basing their voting decisions on information they glean from the media. Why have you decided to exclude Senator Gravel (and his unique perspective) from next week’s presidential forum? Does it make for more drama to treat only the so-called “Top Tier” candidates as serious contenders?
I suggest that candidates like Senator Gravel, Congressman Kucinich, Governor Richardson and the other “marginal” contenders, far from being a distraction to the audience, actually encourage more focus on issues…issues other than whether one wears a flag on his lapel or pays too much money for his haircut or just looks like an elf. Most of us who watch and listen to political debates are grown-ups, and we crave information from the media….not sound bytes, bogus “issues” and “gotcha” exchanges.
‘We The People’ also like to make our own decisions about which candidates are worth listening to. As I’ve said, we are grown-ups. As I see it, the media ought to concern themselves with providing as much information about the issues and the candidates as possible, not with limiting voters’ political alternatives (particularly when the anointed ‘frontrunners’ have almost interchangeable–and necessarily bland–ideas about everything).
So, Mr. Todd….how about inviting ALL the legitimate candidates to future debates? ….And how about respecting them (and your audience!) enough to allot sufficient time for all participants to make their positions clear (and for the audience to consider those positions)?
Regards,
————————————————-
“A popular government without popular information, or the means of securing it, is but a prelude to a farce or tragedy, perhaps both.” — James Madison
tetti_tatti: Why don’t you take your negativity and misplaced anger back to your RED STATE website?!
Anybody know history as recent as 1984 and 1988?
A respected figure from the civil rights movement challenged the Democrats. He had a very progressive platform, nearly identical to Kucinich’s. The campaign united a lot of progressives both within and without the Democratic Party. These progressives created an organization meant to be an on-going coalition to push for their progressive platform. In 1988, the campaign went all the way to the nominating convention and received 29% of primary votes cast.
That was Jesse Jackson and the Rainbow Coalition. Today, Jackson is not considered in the same breath as Kucinich on the left wing of the Democratic Party. Jackson and the Rainbow Coalition had one and only one accomplishment - to keep progressives trapped within the Democratic Party.
And that, today, is Kucinich’s only actual accomplishment.
Learn some history, and you can see that the movements that gave us hope - the labor movement, the civil rights movement, the women’s movement - all have gone into the Democratic Party and died. These movement accomplished their greatest gains OUTSIDE the Democratic Party, forcing the D.P. to the left. Hell, these movements forced Nixon to the left.
Too long the peace movement has given the Democrats their time, money, votes - and most importantly - hope. Progress will be OUTSIDE the Democrats, not within them.
“I don’t take myself seriously, but I take the issues very seriously.”
This is why he’s getting my vote. Aside from that, he is the only candidate I trust who will work for the interests of “the people” and not for the perverted interests of the super-rich and powerful.
Kucinich is truly a candidate for the people. That’s why he’s leading the poll on Democracy For America. http://democracyforamerica.com/
He passed Obama this afternoon and now is well ahead of him.
Maybe there IS hope for America!
Reading down through the comments on this thread, there have been so many I’d want to reply to…
1st, I am surprised at all the people who refer to Dennis’ looks as a minus. I think he’s quite good looking. Far more handsome than most of the others. But I agree that his height is something that many small minded people would unconsciously allow to influence themselves against him. I think he knows this, and that is why he joked about his height at a recent debate (when Edwards stepped up next to him to emphasize it). Looks shouldn’t matter, but they do.
2nd: I too am sick of hearing how people like his positions, but he’s ‘not electable.’ Of course he’s electable. If everyone who says they like his positions but can’t support him because he’s not electable - would instead support him and vote for him - whalaaa.. he’d win.
3rd - He and Ron Paul are not alike at all. Grouping them on a ticket doesn’t make sense to me. Why? They have such opposite views on a variety of issues.
4th - IMO, the criticisms of his anticipated future endorsement of Hillary are illogical. Of course he should support her (or anyone else who gets the nomination) over any of the Republicans. She may hold many positions we don’t like, but she’d protect much that we do. The fact is, ANY Democrat would be better than any Republican. I’d be very disappointed in Dennis if he ran a 3rd party campaign, because he would only help a Bush-lite Republican win the White House, as Nadar definately helped place the presidency in Bush’s hands. (Sorry you Nadar fans, but that is the truth).. We are a two party system, not a parliamentary system. Dennis will be loyal to his party as he works to change it from the inside - as we all should be doing.
Dennis Kucinich is the best and brightest of the Democratic party. He is of the same cloth that FDR, Kennedy, and Johnson were. Not like Clinton who compromised far too much. He is principled, and honest. Imagine that - an honest politician.
I will vote for him in whatever election his name is on the ballot for. I have nothing but admiration and respect for him. I support his views, but am especially thankful that he is for single payer universal healthcare… that he supports same sex marriage…. and that he understands the importance of internation respect and of talking to countries we have labeled our enemies.
There are two key controls of democracy:
1. How people get their information
Web based news is transforming how we get information, Commondreams being one of the best examples, though there are many…
2. The voting system
The US voting system needs to incorporate RUNOFF VOTING.
It is an easy and fair system that promotes citizens voting their conscience. After the votes are tallied, a candidate who is well behind is dropped, and all of his votes roll over to the second choice candidates on those ballots.
It is a voting system that is currently being used in city and county municipalities across the US, and gaining popularity.
Look it up.
Vote your conscience.
I am quite angered with congress and the public who mostly appear to care less about what happens to the dollars sent to Iraq. As noted in Vanity Fair at http://www.vanityfair.com/politics/features/2007/10/iraq_billions200710
there are at least another $9 billion or so missing.
Yet with all this missing money, the Republicans have the nerve to say we can’t afford S-CHIP by finding what they say is a current policy abuser to show why the program should be cancelled. I think it’s clear that the regressives (Republicans) are truly the party of the rich when they allow billions to vanish into thin air in Iraq while they find any excuse to prevent lower to middle class Americans to get ahead at home. Certainly the GOP motto must be “Rich friends first, country second!”
Go Dennis! Way to go!
Just go with Dennis J Kucinich for president. Yes, he can win. It’s up to us and to hell with corporate, whore for the neo cons media.
Progressives must keep on the offensive attacking the contradictions and BS of the official 9/11 wild conspiracy theory nuts, as Paul Craig Roberts is already on board on this. With him and Robert Fisk showing needed skepticism about this official piece of garbage passed off as the gospel truth even though those who put it out were W’s hand picked panel with nobody from W’s administration testifying under oath and W not testifying at all even though this had to do with the mass killing of Americans on American soil and W’s predecessor having to testify under oath about a sexual matter.
DK got my vote !!!
SINCE GRAVEL HAS BEEN KICKED OUT OF THE DEBATES, DENNIS IS ALL THAT IS LEFT OF THE LEFT AND I WONDER IF HE WILL BE NEXT!
I REALLY LIKE DENNIS AND WHAT HE STANDS FOR. I HOPE HE WINS BIG TIME.