Dennis Kucinich Appears Headed to General Election in 10th District Congressional Race
Despite a well-financed, aggressive opposition campaign and the distractions of a failed presidential bid, U.S. Rep. Dennis Kucinich appears to have survived a strong primary challenge.
The 10th District Democratic congressman was facing his first threat of losing the seat he has held for 12 years. Kucinich spent thousands of dollars on television ads and agreed to debate his opponents - chief rival Cleveland Councilman Joe Cimperman and three other candidates.
The 61-year-old former Cleveland mayor said he was encouraged by the results. “I am also encouraged because I know of all the hard work you have all put in,” he told supporters at the North Shore AFL-CIO Federation of Labor union hall.
Cimperman hammered away at Kucinich’s second long-shot presidential bid, constantly citing votes he missed in Congress while running for the White House and the financial support he received from Hollywood stars like Sean Penn.
Cimperman, 37, spent at least $500,000 trying to win the seat and gained the endorsement of Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson.
“We took someone who ignored the district for 12 years and made him pay attention,” said Cimperman, speaking from Around the Corner in Lakewood.
Cimperman, who lives outside the district, said it was too early to say whether he would consider another run for the 10th District seat. The district encompasses Cleveland’s West Side and Cuyahoga County’s western suburbs.
While Cimperman said he always considered the campaign a two-way race, the crowded field did not help his chances.
Rosemary Palmer, campaigning in the HopeMobile bus, entered the race after her son, Marine Lance Cpl. Edward “Augie” Schroeder, was killed in Iraq.
Barbara Ferris, president and founder of the International Women’s Democracy Center, was trying for a third time to unseat Kucinich.
During the campaign, North Olmsted Mayor Thomas O’Grady cited his military career and blasted Cimperman.
Kucinich probably will face Republican Jim Trakas, a former state representative from Independence who had to give up his seat because of term limits.
After 36 years, residents of the 16th Congressional District will have a new representative in November with Republican Ralph Regula’s decision to step down.
State Sen. Kirk Schuring and Ashland County Commissioner Matt Miller were in a close race for the Republican nomination. Democrat John Boccieri, a state senator, was leading.
The 16th District covers all of Stark and Wayne counties and parts of Ashland and Medina counties.
Democratic Rep. Betty Sutton, who represents the 13th District, appears headed to a race against David Potter in November. Rep. Steve LaTourette, a Republican in the 14th District, will face Bill O’Neill, a former appeals court judge.
Plain Dealer reporter Michael Sangiacomo contributed to this story.
© 2008 The Plain Dealer
Fantastic! Tremendous! Congratulations, Dennis, to you and to Elizabeth! Although we miss you in the presidential campaign, it is much more important to insure your voice continues to be heard in the house.
It’s nothing short of amazing that over the objections of the moneyed class and the corporate press in Ohio, the people continue to see you for what you are: hard-working and honest. Keep up your good work!
“…a failed presidential bid….”
I don’t care, I’m still planning to vote for him.
skeezyks:
Grow up, would you??!?!?!
Support Nader, support Gravel, support both. Dennis WON’T be on the ballot. In 2004, Nader wanted him to run as an independent, and he cowed to the Democratic Party.
So, this time around, will Dennis defer at the convention, or will he stand outside the Democrats and support the true progressives? Bear in mind, Nancy Pelosi and AIPAC stopped by his office, offering him a guaranteed re-election if he dropped impeachment proceedings. He threw them out of his office. So, assuming he’s for Sheehan over Pelosi, will he be for Nader or Gravel rather than Obama.
Regardless, congratulations on your victory, Dennis!
DENNIS!!!!! Way to go!!!!! Ya-HOO!!!!
We need your voice in Congress, Dennis! WE LOVE YOU! Congratulations on your victory against your moneyed opponents! Clevelanders know who speaks for them, Ohioans know who speaks for them, Americans know who speaks for them, and it’s YOU, Dennis, who has always stood up to the special interests and bravely spoken truth to power!
YAY, DENNIS!!!!!!
DK has publically said that the confrontation with Pelosi about his seat did not happen. Please do not continue that rumor! It is true, however, that the DCCC wanted DK primaried. They lost that effort. Will they support DK in November? I smell a Lieberman mess from the dimmwits against DK.
Congrats DK! I’m still voting for you or Gravel in the primary here in Oregon. Third party or Independent in November? Don’t know. A lot caqn happen between now and then.
Peace Czar wrote: “In 2004, Nader wanted him to run as an independent, and he cowed to the Democratic Party.”
I am a registered Green Party voter in Maryland, and a strong Kucinich supporter.
The difference between Ralph Nader and Dennis Kucinich is that Kucinich is dedicated to the hard work of building and organizing a strong progressive political constituency. Kucinich chooses to do this tough work within the context of the Democratic Party, pushing the Democrats to return to their traditional populist progressive roots. It is a long-term project and Dennis has proved that he has the guts and determination to stick with it for the long haul. And he has often been more successful than people realize: in 2002 he led the House opposition to authorizing Bush’s invasion of Iraq, and as a result the House Democrats voted overwhelmingly against the authorization.
Nader is nothing but a dilettante. He appears every four years and treats the Green Party as his toy to play with. In between elections he does NOTHING — ABSOLUTELY NOTHING — to help build and organize the Green Party, or to build and organize progressives within the Democratic Party. His only apparent motive for running is the greater glory of Ralph Nader.
In 2000, Nader said that there was “NO DIFFERENCE” — and that’s a direct quote, “NO DIFFERENCE” — between Al Gore and George W. Bush. Nader was too intelligent and too well informed to believe that laughable, blatant falsehood. It was, in fact, a deliberate LIE. At that moment, Nader became just another dishonest politician, cynically telling deliberate lies to get votes.
I plan to vote for the Green Party’s presidential nominee in November — unless it is Ralph Nader, in which case I will vote for the Democrat. Fortunately, it is unlikely to be Nader, since (after saying in 2000 that he was running to help build the Green Party) Nader is not even seeking the Green Party’s nomination this year.
Congratulations to Dennis! I love the guy! I hope he beats the Republican in the fall. We need to keep a few true progressives in Congress. We need Dennis to be on the radar screen in Washington. Someone at least to challenge the bullies to go to the mat. It takes a vegetarian!
Finally! I got some value for money.
Sometimes heros need a little help and a few bucks.
“Congratulations to Dennis! I love the guy! I hope he beats the Republican in the fall.”
He will. Cleveland is a traditional blue-dog democratic town, so the Democratic primary IS the election.
Welcome back, Dennis.
CONGRATULATIONS, DENNIS! You took on the corporate lies and WON and you WON FOR US!!
If we had an honest media, you would have won the presidency, too, the same way you won back your congressional seat last night!
WE LOVE YOU, DENNIS KUCINICH!!! You ARE our leader.
Some good news from yesterdays voting, thanks.
It’s utterly predictable that someone managed to turn this into a rant against Nader.
Both Nader and Kucinich are principled, honest, intelligent, and capable. It seems a defining trait of American leftist politics that you “eat your own” and waste untold energy and money flinging mud at each other, which the Republicans pick up and repeat. How many times have the left “snatched defeat from the jaws of victory” in this manner?
Nader didn’t cause Gore to lose. Gore caused Gore to lose — and I might say, to our benefit. I believe that, like Jimmy Carter, Gore has been much more effective as a high-profile citizen than he ever could have been as a president facing Republican majorities in both houses.
The system is broken. Democracy is firmly in the hands of corporate interests. Rather than put your effort behind fixing the system, you instead attack the messenger whose rallying cry is that the system is broken? That doesn’t make sense.
The Republican “dirty tricks research department” is the Democratic party. Do you think Clinton and Obama will learn that before the Pennsylvania primary? Not likely. I’m sure McCain’s people are collecting and studying all the Billary/O-bomb-em attack ads as we speak.
I am so relieved that DK won the primary. It was so clear that the media had been ordered to sideline him from day one. Operation Mockingbird was obviously not shut down in 1979.
Note how the Plain Dealer spends most of the article hammering Kucinich and pumping up and quoting the losing candidate they were backing against DK. I’m surprised CD couldn’t find anything better on this race than this.
I used to see exactly the same thing about Cynthia McKinney in the Atlanta Newspapers (Journal and Constitution).
This whole race, and what happened to McKinney in GA should be clear signs that progressives are not wanted or welcome in the Democratic Party. Or I quess they want us there, but they want us to sit down, shut up and vote without question for their pro-war, pro-corporate candidates.
The various Kucinich campaigns have always been held up as the counter-point to Nader. The message has always been that we should play in the rigged game inside the dem party instead of supporting our own candidates. But look what happens.
The presidential nominations are rigged such that a candidate like Kucinich can not win. Look at the way they are geared towards big money. In an internal party race, the Dems could set whatever clean-election type rules they wanted. Instead they deliberately throw the whole thing as wide open to big money as federal laws allow.
Look at the debates. Look at how they push DK off to the side, deny him time to answer questions, or just ask him stupid questions that have nothing to do with the issues of the day. Usually something about 30 min into the debate like “OK, congressman Kucinich, aren’t you just in the race as a spoiler? Why are you doing this? Ok, now lets go back to another 30 min straight of softballs to Obama and Hillary.
And that’s when they even let him in the debates.
Then, after wasting lots of time and effort and money on this hopeless quest to win a rigged game, the Dems turn around and try to take his congressional seat from him. The voters in Cleveland are smart enough to keep him, but its obvious the Dem party leadership wanted him gone.
That’s the takeaway from this. Progressives are not welcome in the Dem party. They don’t want us. If we do have any success inside their party like Kucinich or McKinney, the Dem party leadership will work hard to squash it and take it away.
We’ve got to build our own movement. I like DK. I just wish he’d see the light and get out of that awful party that plainly doesn’t want him around anyways.
YIPPEE, YAHOO, HURRAY!!! Congragulations, Dennis Kucinich, on your win. We need you in Washington to continue fighting for the people of this nation (and the world) against the bottom feeding corporate sharks, warmongers, and the lying liars and cronies on Capital Hill. The corporate liars could not undo you. YOU ARE THE BEST, Dennis. Way to go!! Whew!
Dennis,
I am appreciative of the Ohio Democrats who believe as I do that your and Elizabeth’s messages must be heard both at the local and national level. The country needs to have independent and courageous statesman and women especially in these very troubling times.
On March 5th, 2008 3:00 pm, Jan Steinman wrote:
“Nader didn’t cause Gore to lose. Gore caused Gore to lose — and I might say, to our benefit.”
Actually, I think that the Supreme Court had more to do with Al Gore losing than did Al.
And maybe it did benefit us, but it sure didn’t benefit an untold number of Iraqis.
CONGRATULATIONS DENNIS!!!
A well deserved victory.
Now, let’s get down to the important business of Impeachment!!!!
peace czar/comarc, especially—- please–do a little research, find out what you’re talking about before you write here.
First of all, I’m a 35 yr Dennis supporter and friend. I, along with a great many unionists, worked our asses off to get him over this hump. It is us, org’d labor, who are Dennis’ shock troops, who’ve fought for him, who mann the lines and have been with him since he was a kid here in Cleveland. I just say this to say that I do know and love Dennis, work with/for him and actually know what I’m talking about.
The Pelosi piece is bullshit, never happened! ‘Nuff said!
As for; “The Democrats try to take his congressional seat,” you don’t have a clue. Dennis is a committed progressive Democrat, and always has been. In this fight, Jimmy DiMora, head/Democratic Party in Cuyahoga County, supported Dennis, as did all the major figures in that party here. The attack on Dennis came from a massive infusion of corporate money, from every major corporation in the Cleveland area, plus huge donations from Zionist elements (picked up thru AIPAC).
Further, it is progressive Democrats, not the conservative DLC types, who have seniority and are in line to take over all major congressional committees if the Democrats elect majorities in the House/Senate, and president. If we can defeat our worst enemies, elect Democratic majorities, we will be in place to actually pass some progressive legislation next year.
As for the “Nader” piece, there is not now, nor as there ever been (nor will there ever be, as long as Nader is just a scab), ANY connection between Dennis Kucinich and Nader. Dennis represents majority opinion within his working class district on Cleveland’s west side. He has been getting reelected easily. However, his run for president (after he’d told folks in his previous election that he wouldn’t run) opened him up to attack, and the corporate money was there, ready to exploit any weakness. Dennis is working very hard to defeat the ultra-right GOP in the upcoming elections. He will be supporting the Democratic ticket in the fall, not a tiny spliting sect like the ‘greens.’ Dennis’ knows that the only way to defeat Bush/ultra-right/GOP is with unity! His life has been spend in/around the org’d labor movement, and he knows that only with unity can we win! Further, while many on this site like to talk about HR 676, the bill Dennis/John Conyers co-sponsored. It is the only bill for a single-payer real natl health care system. Dennis knows, as we all do, that the only chance to pass that bill is if there is a Democratic presidentcy, and big Democratic majorities in both houses.
When he dropped out of the presidential race, he asked his supporters to vote for Obama.
Dennis will also have a fight on his hands in the fall election. I’d like to invite folks to donate to his reelection. As well, if you’re near Cleveland, unions will be mobilizing to help him, walk precients, ph banks, etc. I’d strongly encourage folks who state how much they “love” Dennis to actually listen to what he says, to actually work with him and help him in our fight. This will be a million times more helpful than making up stories about Dennis, “advicing” him on what he should do or appaulding him from afar! We will need all the help we can get to defeat our sorst enemies, the GOP, in the fall, and after that to pass real gains for our people.
Yay to Ohio Dems and DK. Our democratic system may not be
completely dead?
I am furious at the DCCC for hanging Dennis out to dry for speaking the truth. I’m on their calling list for contributions (probably because I gave money to Kerry in ‘04), and have consistently refused to give them anything, mostly for backing the wrong candidates in ‘06 - like Duckworth in IL. I give to individual candidates only and suggest all progressives do likewise.
I want to call for all progressives to refuse to support the Democratic establishment financially. The only way these traitors lose power is to lose their financial base. The DCCC helped finance Cimperman, and for that sin, Rahm Emanuel and the rest of those bastards can go perform an unnatural act on themselves. An incumbent Congressman in a heavily one-party “safe” district who only gets 50% in the primary has been seriously crippled by his own people. And for what? For telling the truth about how bad things really are for average people, and what really needs to be done against the corporatocracy.
We need to do the same thing to Speaker Pelosi by supporting the independent candidacy of Cindy Sheehan. We need put the fear of Dog in her also, showing her she cannot take the progressive base for granted. I’m sure Pelosi wasn’t crude enough to directly go to Dennis and threaten him, but I’m also sure that Cimperman’s campaign would not have had nearly the support it got without the tacit understanding that it was supported by higher-ups in the party.
With the ascension of Bernie Sanders to the Senate, Dennis has become “America’s Congressman”, to steal a term from Thom Hartmann. We need to stand with him.
As a native Ohioan from Akron now on the West coast, I am deeply relieved Kucinich–such an honorable, honorable figure–prevailed in securing the nomination for reelection, and shame on the Cleveland Plain Dealer for doing all in their power to silence this voice of conscience in the House of Representatives.
Again, to ‘truthteller,’ as annoyed, frustated as I am with the convervative sector of the Democratic Party, we need to be factual when we talk about this thing. I worked closely with Dennis in his campaign and he is a friend. We mobilized to get him back in. I saw the financial donation lists from Cimperman (Corporate Joe), who was Dennis’ main oppontent. It was NOT DCCC money. It was filled by maxed out donations from every big corporation in Cleveland, especially the Millers and the big developers. As well, there were a great many wealthy Jewish names, that got there thru appeals from AIPAC. One strange one was the Food, Commercial Workers Union (UFCW), who maxed out a donation to Dennis’ opponent. From what we could find out, that one was some weird personality crap between some union “leader” and Dennis. Significantly, all Unions (esp. the Steelworkers, Teamsters, UAW, CWA) mobilized for Dennis, and supported him financially. The UFCW donation to Dennis’ opponent was NOT released to the press or, more significantly, to the members of the UFCW, who’d have been pissed.
Point being, it was NOT, although many here would like to pin that tail on the donkey, Democratic money that funded Cimperman’s run. It was overwhelmingly GOP, corporate and AIPAC money.
I do, however, agree with your finacial approach. For some time now, my union (USWA–steelworkers) have done that, ie giving to the pro-labor candidate, not the Party. I’m afraid my impact is going to be by putting boots on the ground, not finacially.
i am relieved dennis kucinich will continue to have a perch in the US congress, we need more progressive voices in congress (voices like cindy sheehan and ralph nader). without a chorus of progressive voices in congress we’re doomed, irrespective of who wins the presidency. progressive voices in congress influence the perspective of more centrist politicians, merely by there presence.
thank you unionguy for sharing your insight about this race…
please donate to sheehan…..
….peace………….
Yippeeee! Finally, some good news!!!! Congratulations, sweet, smart man.
We miss you like crazy and we do still need you in the White House… sadly, not everyone is hip to the truth, though… YET.
Good luck… we’re behind you. And for our country, we’ll see you in 2012!
unionguy, thank you for giving information on the matter of Kucinich’s opponent’s financing, but a question: is it for sure that AIPAC organizationally was supporting Kucinich’s opponent (that is, encouraging donations to Kucinich’s opponent)? Is there evidence of this?
And when you say “GOP” as distinguished from “corporate” money, is there evidence of coordinated GOP party targeting of Kucinich, as opposed to some Republican-corporate local types acting on their own? If so, was this Cleveland GOP or did it come from higher than GOP-Cleveland?
Just seeking clarification in the interests of accuracy, thanks.
Well, you’ve got the system down pat unionguy, call someone names insult there beliefs then ask them for money. You sir, are a true Beltway Democrat, even your forum name smacks of the same disingenuousness.
“Barbara Ferris, president and founder of the International Women’s Democracy Center, was trying for a third time to unseat Kucinich.”
http://www.iwdc.org/about/bafbio.htm
After reading her bio, I can’t imagine why she would want to unseat Kucinich, except to replace him with a woman.
Congratulations to Dennis Kucinich! The men and women of this country need you in Congress to continue fighting for equality and justice.
unionguy—-since DK’s seat was being(seriously) challenged, did the DLC or the DNC send him an infusion of cash to beat back the charge? You seem so clear that they were not out to get DK, but I am not clear how you can be. Local leaders are not what we are referring to—we are talking about the folks up just a tad higher.
unionguy;
The DCCC may not have openly given money to Cimperman, but did they lend any financial support to their loyal member, Rep. Kucinich? You didn’t say where he got his financial support from, but I’d be surprised if much of it came from the “D-Triple-C” indirectly somehow. I will admit that my accusation of their financing of Cimperman was mostly speculation, not without a basis in past experience as to how they conducted the ‘06 campaign. They don’t exactly go out of their way to find the most progressive candidates.
I’m on your side. I’ve been union for over 20 years myself, although I’m not active in union affairs and am far to the left of most of my brothers (my union has endorsed Hillary - bleh!) Like one other poster here, I’m also from Akron, and remember the way Dennis was done dirty in the ’70’s for standing up for the common man. We haven’t come very far in 30 years, have we? Please extend my best wishes to him and Elizabeth for me, please!
unionguy, how about your steelworkers place a limit on the size of the enterprise they work for and get themselves involved in building business ties between small local steel recyclers, fabricators and consumers. We need to cut the big guys out of the loop. We’re moving to replace capitalist auto manufacturing with local craftsman shops that turn out 200 mpg series diesel electric commuter vehicles and 150 mpg utility vehicles for the local market. We need organized labor to join the progressive march.
The benefits for union members include 1.) greater job stability via eliminating the roller coaster of stupid capitalist greed, 2.) higher pay via lower labor exploitation, and 3.) greater peace of mind knowing that one’s labor is serving the people instead of greed-stricken capitalists.
“This whole race, and what happened to McKinney in GA should be clear signs that progressives are not wanted or welcome in the Democratic Party.”
Of course you’re right, COMarc: progressives aren’t wanted in the Democratic Party. We should have known this a long time ago, though, without Kucinich or McKinney being factored in. George McGovern and the creation of the superdelegates should have been all the notice we needed, and that was more than 30 years ago.
truth… I’m not quite sure of where all of Dennis’ money came from. I know all the Unions, (with the exception of the UFCW), maxed out donations for him. Also, after on line, public appeals a lot came in in small donation amounts. He got some official Democratic Party money, but I’m not sure of the amounts at this time. It isn’t that I’m not saying, its that we made a major issue out of ‘Corporate Joe’ Cimperman’s business money, and just found out amount Dennis’ money when someone mentioned it.
The boots on the ground were 95% Union made! All major Unions mobilized big time. The Democratic Party, as you mentioned, endorsed Dennis, period. They actually don’t have troops to send anyplace, so we didn’t get them, either. In truth, the Democratic Party in Cleveland has few actual ‘clubs’ that meet, organize, etc. Those that do so are on the West Side, and have a major left/working class presence. Those clubs brought some folks out. Of course, what I term the “mainstream” or “working Class” left, around the CP in Ohio, did massive amounts of work for Dennis.
Where I was some damned disappointed (and it shows some in my comments on here) was the near total absence of help from the “peace folks,” the older peace movement, the ‘radicals,’ etc. That is where I got so goddamned pissed. We got plenty of “advice,” without any work!
In terms of a GOP concentration, with Dennis’ absence (running for prez), there was a sense that he was vunerable, and big money was brought in. With his 51% victory, I think the Republicans will see some blood in the water and will throw some funds that way. Jim Trakis, the GOP candidate, isn’t the normal “sweatsock” that they run against him. I do see labor’s support as solid, and with the big mobilization in the fall against the GOP, Dennis should be in pretty good shape.
Next on the agenda is to get Dennis reelected in November, and build the widest possible coalition to fight for change in the fall to replace the Republicans in DC. Further, there needs to be discussion in N Ohio about where progressives/union folks/pro-labor candidates can be recruited to run against conservative/corporate Democrats in the city. There aren’t any elected Republicans here.
Just a couple further comments— It certainly is true that Dennis is far from being a favorite of the top Democratic Party folks nationally. I’m sure they wouldn’t have been unhappy if Dennis got knocked off. However, I saw no eveidence of any interference (or help) coming from them. Clearly, with the level of labor support, it would’ve been suicide for them to try to openly come in and attack Dennis.
On that point, however, there clearly is a battle royal going on nationally between progressives and DLC types for control of that party. Dennis, along with Sherrod Brown of Ohio, John Conyers and the Congressional Black Caucas in the main, the Congressional Progressive Caucas (the largest caucas now), are on our side in this fight.
Finally, ToeBot (above)—- Yor insulting comments; that I am a “true Beltway Democrat” who asked people for money and “insults” them, and that my “forum name smacks of disinguinuousness,” I can only reply that your head is so far up your ass you don’t have any idea when its daylight!
I am a very proud 30 year steelworker, who have been active in my union, building coalitions, fighting for worker’s rights since the 60’s. I was involved in the civil rights and peace movement, first in Appalachia, later in Ohio. I was Chair of my, 9,000 member USWA local’s Grievance Committee for many years, led a strike committee during our union’s 10 mo strike against USX in ‘86, and led Solidarity movments for the Pittston Miners in ‘89 and the Ravenswood workers in ‘90. I’ve been a Jesse delegate and helped organize huge groups to Solidarity Day demos, as well as to many, many peace marches. I helped organize the Blue/Green Alliance in Ohio and am now mobilizing retirees as well as working on org’g for the AFL-CIO.
As for “asking people for money and insulting them,” is do admit to asking folks for money for Dennis. As well, I’ve asked workers many times to donate to help others on strike or in need of help. Lately, I’ve been asking for funds to support Jobs with Justice coalitions, and have asked folks to support local union papers and have pushed subs for the “People’s World. I really don’t think I insulted folks when I did any of that.
Further, along with 3,000 other Republic steelworkers, I had my pension/health care stolen in ‘02 by the Bush PBGC. We had 5 suicides and more broken marriages, bankruptcies, legal problems, medical emergencies, etc. than I could possibly count. I was in charge of mobilizing steelworkers to build the political fight to get our pensions back (Dennis and Sherrod helped greatly).
Be glad to compair credentials with you anytime! I’m as far away from a fucking “Beltway Democrat” as you are from being a Rhodes scholar. That much is just bullshit, but when you call my ‘forum name’ “disinguinuous” you issue an ignorant insult that exposes your lack of understanding, knowledge. I have paid my dues, and have earned the right to proudly put “unionguy” down as my name. If we were in the same room those would be, as they say, “fighting words!”
Grow up, would you??!?!?!
A truly mature person knows it’s unrealistic to expect maturity from others.
human—
you’re right! thanks
FROM THE VIRGINIA SUBURBS OF GREATER CLEVELAND –
Congratulations, Dennis! Glad to hear my meager dollars joined up with some other dollars to keep our hero in the House.
We sent him some spinach
’cause we hearts Kucinich
he’s Dennis the hero, man!
Sorry - couldn’t help myself!
Congratulations, Dennis!