Dennis Kucinich

Dennis KucinichFrom Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Jump to: navigation, searchDennis Kucinich

Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Ohio's 10th district Incumbent Assumed office January 3, 1997 Preceded by Martin Hoke Member of the Ohio Senate from the 23rd district In office January 3, 1995 – January 2, 1997 Preceded by Anthony Sinagra Succeeded by Patrick Sweeney 53rd Mayor of Cleveland In office January 26, 1978 – November 6, 1979 Preceded by Ralph J. Perk Succeeded by George Voinovich Personal details Born Dennis John Kucinich (1946-10-08) October 8, 1946 (age 66) Cleveland, Ohio Nationality American Political party Democratic Party Spouse(s) Helen Kucinich (divorced) Sandra Lee McCarthy (1977–1986, divorced) Elizabeth Kucinich (2005–present) Children Jackie Kucinich Residence Cleveland Alma mater Cleveland State University Case Western Reserve University Religion Roman Catholic Website Official website

Dennis John Kucinich (pron.: /kuːˈsɪnɪtʃ/; born October 8, 1946) is the U.S. Representative for Ohio's 10th congressional district, serving since 1997. He was also a candidate for the Democratic nomination for President of the United States in the 2004 and 2008 presidential elections.[1]

The district includes most of western Cleveland as well as suburbs such as Parma and Lakewood. He is a member of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce.

From 1977 to 1979, Kucinich served as the 53rd mayor of Cleveland, Ohio, a tumultuous term in which he survived a recall election and was successful in a battle against selling the municipal electric utility before being defeated for reelection by George Voinovich.

Through his various governmental positions and campaigns, Kucinich has attracted attention for consistently delivering "the strongest liberal" perspective.[2] This perspective has been shown by his actions, such as bringing articles of impeachment against President George W. Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney, and being the only Democratic candidate in the 2008 election to have voted against invading Iraq,[3] although eventual nominee Barack Obama had also opposed the Iraq War at the time it was started, even though he had not been in Congress at the time.

Because of redistricting following the 2010 state elections, Ohio's 9th congressional district absorbed part of Cuyahoga County, abolishing Kucinich's district and pitting him against 9th district incumbent Marcy Kaptur in the 2012 Democratic primary, which he lost.[4][5][6][7][8]

Personal life

Kucinich was born in Cleveland, Ohio, on October 8, 1946, as the eldest of the seven children of Frank and Virginia Kucinich.[9] His father, a truck driver, was of Croat ancestry; his Irish American mother was a homemaker.[10] Growing up, his family moved 21 times and Dennis was often charged with the responsibility of finding apartments they could afford.[11]

He attended Cleveland State University from 1967 to 1970.[12] In 1973, he graduated from Case Western Reserve University with both a Bachelor and a Master of Arts degree in speech and communication.[13] Kucinich was baptized a Roman Catholic.[12] Kucinich married Sandra Lee McCarthy in 1977; they had a daughter named Jackie in 1981 and divorced in 1986.[14] He married his third wife, Elizabeth Harper, a British citizen, on August 21, 2005. The two met while Harper was working as an assistant for the Chicago-based American Monetary Institute, which brought her to Kucinich's House of Representatives office for a meeting.[15]

Dennis was raised with four brothers, Larry, Frank, Gary and Perry; and two sisters, Theresa and Beth Ann. On December 19, 2007, Perry Kucinich, the youngest brother, was found dead in his apartment.[16][17][18] On November 11, 2008, his youngest sister, Beth Ann Kucinich, also died.[19]

Kucinich's political career began early. After running unsuccessfully in 1967, Kucinich was elected to the Cleveland City Council in 1969 at the age of twenty-three.[10] In 1972, Kucinich ran for a seat in the United States House of Representatives, losing narrowly to incumbent Republican William E. Minshall, Jr. After Minshall's retirement in 1974 Kucinich sought the seat again, this time failing to get the Democratic nomination, which instead went to Ronald M. Mottl.

Kucinich ran as an Independent candidate in the general election, placing third with about 30% of the vote. In 1975, Kucinich became clerk of the municipal court in Cleveland and served in that position for two years.[20]

Mayoral administration of Dennis Kucinich

Kucinich was elected Mayor of Cleveland in 1977 and served in that position until 1979.[21] At thirty-one years of age, he was the youngest mayor of a major city in the United States,[10] earning him the nickname "the boy mayor of Cleveland".[22] Kucinich's tenure as mayor is often regarded as one of the most tumultuous in Cleveland's history.[22][23] After Kucinich refused to sell Muni Light, Cleveland's publicly owned electric utility, the Cleveland mafia put out a hit on Kucinich. A hit man from Maryland planned to shoot him in the head during the Columbus Day Parade, but the plot fell apart when Kucinich was hospitalized and missed the event. When the city fell into default shortly thereafter, the mafia leaders called off the contract killer.[24]

Specifically, it was the Cleveland Trust Company that suddenly required all of the city's debts be paid in full, which forced the city into default, after news of Kucinich's refusal to sell the city utility. For years, these debts were routinely rolled over, pending future payment, until Kucinich's announcement was made public. In 1998 the Cleveland City Council honored him for having had the "courage and foresight" to stand up to the banks, which saved the city an estimated $195 million between 1985 and 1995.[25]

Post-mayoralty

After losing his re-election bid for Mayor to George Voinovich in 1979, Kucinich initially kept a low profile in Cleveland politics. He criticized a tax referendum proposed by Voinovich in 1980, which voters eventually approved. He also struggled to find employment and moved to Los Angeles, California, where he stayed with a friend, actress Shirley MacLaine.

During the next three years, Kucinich worked as a radio talk-show host, lecturer, and consultant. It was a difficult period for Kucinich financially. Without a steady paycheck, Kucinich fell behind in his mortgage payments, nearly lost his house in Cleveland, and ended up borrowing money from friends, including MacLaine, to keep it.

On his 1982 income tax return, Kucinich reported an income of $38. When discussing this period, Kucinich stated, "When I was growing up in Cleveland, my early experience conditioned me to hang in there and not to quit... It's one thing to experience that as a child, but when you have to as an adult, it has a way to remind you how difficult things can be. You understand what people go through."

In 1982, Kucinich moved back to Cleveland and ran for Secretary of State; however, he lost the Democratic primary to Sherrod Brown. In 1983, Kucinich won a special election to fill the seat of a Cleveland city councilman who had died. His brother, Gary Kucinich, was also a councilman at the time.

In 1985, there was some speculation that Kucinich might run for mayor again. Instead, his brother Gary ran against (and lost to) the incumbent Voinovich. Kucinich, meanwhile, gave up his council position to run for Governor of Ohio as an independent against Richard Celeste, but later withdrew from the race. After this, Kucinich, in his own words "on a quest for meaning," lived quietly in New Mexico until 1994, when he won a seat in the Ohio State Senate.

House of Representatives In 1996, Kucinich was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, representing the 10th district of Ohio. He defeated two-term Republican incumbent Martin Hoke by three percentage points. However, he has never faced another contest nearly that close, and has since been re-elected six times.

Committee assignments

Committee on Education and the Workforce Subcommittee on Workforce Protections Subcommittee on Health, Employment, Labor, and Pensions Committee on Oversight and Government Reform Subcommittee on Regulatory Affairs, Stimulus Oversight and Government Spending (Ranking Member) [edit] Domestic policy voting record

Kucinich helped introduce and is one of 93 cosponsors (as of Feb. 22, 2010) in the House of Representatives of the United States National Health Care Act or HR 676 proposed by Rep. John Conyers in 2003, which provides for a universal single-payer public health-insurance plan.

In 2008, Kucinich introduced articles of impeachment in the House of Representatives against President George W. Bush for the invasion and occupation of Iraq.

Although his voting record is not always in line with that of the Democratic Party, on March 17, 2010, after being courted by President Barack Obama, his wife and others, he reluctantly agreed to vote with his colleagues for the Healthcare Bill without a public option component.

Kucinich voted against the USA PATRIOT Act, against the Military Commissions Act of 2006, and was one of six who voted against the Violent Radicalization and Homegrown Terrorism Act. He also voted for authorizing and directing the Committee on the Judiciary to investigate whether sufficient grounds existed for the impeachment of Bill Clinton.

Kucinich criticized the flag-burning amendment and voted against the impeachment of President Bill Clinton. His congressional voting record has leaned strongly toward a pro-life stance, although he noted that he has never supported a constitutional amendment prohibiting abortion altogether. In 2003, however, he began describing himself as pro-choice and said he had shifted away from his earlier position on the issue.

Press releases have indicated that he is pro-choice and supports ending the abstinence-only policy of sex education and increasing the use of contraception to make abortion "less necessary" over time. His voting record since 2003 has reflected mixed ratings from abortion rights groups.[36]

He has criticized Diebold Election Systems (now Premier Election Solutions) for promoting voting machines that fail to leave a traceable paper trail. He was one of the thirty-one who voted in the House to not count the electoral votes from Ohio in the United States presidential election, 2004.

Foreign policy record

Kucinich has criticized the foreign policy of President Bush, including the 2003 invasion of Iraq and what he perceives as growing American hostility towards Iran. He has always voted against funding it. In 2005, he voted against the Iran Freedom and Support Act, calling it a "stepping stone to war".[39] He also signed a letter of solidarity with Hugo Chávez in Venezuela in 2004.[40]

He advocates the abolition of all nuclear weapons, calling on the United States to be the leader in multilateral disarmament.[41] Kucinich has also strongly opposed space-based weapons and has sponsored legislation, HR 2977, banning the deployment and use of space-based weapons.[42]

Kucinich advocates US withdrawal from the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) because, in his view, it causes the loss of more American jobs than it creates, and does not provide adequate protections for worker rights and safety and environmental safeguards. He is against the Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA) for the same reason.[43]

Kucinich is also in favor of increased dialog with Iran in order to avoid a militaristic confrontation at all costs. He expressed such sentiments at an American Iranian Council conference in New Brunswick, New Jersey which included Chuck Hagel, Javad Zarif, Nicholas Kristof, and Anders Liden to discuss Iranian-American relations, and potential ways to increase dialog in order to avoid conflict.[44]

He believes the US should move aggressively to reduce emissions that cause climate change because of global warming[45] and should ratify the Kyoto Protocol, a major international agreement signed by over 160 countries to reduce the amount of greenhouse gases emitted by each signatory.[46]

Kucinich and Ron Paul are the only two congressional representatives who voted[47] against the Rothman-Kirk Resolution,[48] which calls on the United Nations to charge Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad with violating the genocide convention of the United Nations Charter based on statements that he has made. Kucinich defended his vote by saying that Ahmadinejad's statements could be translated to mean that he wants a regime change in Israel, not death to its people and supporters, and that the resolution is an attempt to beat "the war drum to build support for a US attack on Iran."[49] In October 2009, Kucinich and Ron Paul were the only two congressional representatives to vote against H.Res.175 condemning the government of Iran for “state-sponsored persecution of its Bahá’í minority and its continued violation of the International Covenants on Human Rights.”

On January 9, 2009, Kucinich was one of the dissenters in a 390-5 vote with 22 abstentions for a resolution recognizing Israel's "right to defend itself [against Hamas rocket attacks]" and reaffirming the U.S.'s support for Israel. The other 4 "no" votes were Gwen Moore of Wisconsin, Maxine Waters of California, Nick Rahall of West Virginia, and Ron Paul of Texas.[50]

Kucinich is the only congressional representative to vote against[51] the symbolic "9/11 Commemoration" resolution.[52] In a press statement[53] he defended his vote by saying that the bill did not make reference to "the lies that took us into Iraq, the lies that keep us there, the lies that are being used to set the stage for war against Iran and the lies that have undermined our basic civil liberties here at home."

In a visit to the rest of the Middle East in September 2007, Kucinich said he did not visit Iraq because "I feel the United States is engaging in an illegal occupation."[54] Kucinich was criticized for his visit to Syria and praise of the President Bashar al-Assad on Syria's national TV.[55] He praised Syria for taking in Iraqi refugees. "What most people are not aware of is that Syria has taken in more than 1.5 million Iraqi refugees," Kucinich said. "The Syrian government has actually shown a lot of compassion in keeping its doors open, and being a host for so many refugees."[56]

Despite Kucinich's committed opposition to the war in Iraq, in the days after the September 11, 2001 attacks he did vote to authorize President Bush broad war making powers,[57] the Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Terrorists. The Authorization was used by the Bush Administration in its justification for suspension of habeas corpus in the Guantanamo Bay detention camp and its wiretapping of American citizens under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. Kucinich voted along with 419 of his House colleagues in favor of this resolution, while only one Congresswoman opposed, Representative Barbara Lee.

In March 2010, the House rejected a Kucinich resolution regarding the War in Afghanistan by a vote of 356–65.[58] The resolution would have required the Obama administration to withdraw all American troops from Afghanistan by the end of the year.[59][60] Kucinich reportedly based the resolution on the War Powers Resolution of 1973.[59]

In March 2011, Kucinich criticized the Obama administration's decision to participate in the UN intervention in Libya without Congressional authorization. He also called it an "indisputable fact" that President Obama's decision is an impeachable offense since he believes the U.S. Constitution "does not provide for the president to wage war any times he pleases," although he has not yet introduced a resolution to impeach Obama.[61] In response, Libyan officials invited Kucinich to visit that country on a "peace mission", but he declined, stating that he "could not negotiate on behalf of the administration."[62]

[edit] 2004 Presidential campaign Kucinich speaks out against the occupation of Iraq at the 2004 Democratic National Convention.Kucinich was criticized during his 2004 campaign for changing his stance on the issue of abortion.[35] His explanation was "I've always worked to make abortions less necessary, through sex education and birth control. But the direction that Congress has taken, increasingly, is to make it impossible for women to be able to have an abortion if they need to protect their health. So when I saw the direction taken, it finally came to the point where I understood that women will not be truly free unless they have the right to choose."[63]

Ralph Nader praised Kucinich as "a genuine progressive",[citation needed] and most Greens were friendly to Kucinich's campaign, some going so far as to indicate that they would not have run against him had he won the Democratic nomination. However, Kucinich was unable to carry any states in the 2004 Democratic Primaries, and John Kerry eventually won the Democratic nomination at the Democratic National Convention.

[edit] Press coverageOn December 10, 2003, the American Broadcasting Company (ABC) announced the removal of its correspondents from the campaigns of Kucinich, Carol Moseley Braun and Al Sharpton.[64]

The announcement came one day after a Democratic presidential debate hosted by ABC News' Ted Koppel, in which Koppel asked whether the candidacies of Kucinich, Moseley Braun and Sharpton were merely "vanity campaigns", and Koppel and Kucinich exchanged uncomfortable dialog.[65]

Kucinich, previously critical of the limited coverage given his campaign, characterized ABC's decision as an example of media companies' power to shape campaigns by choosing which candidates to cover and questioned its timing, coming immediately after the debate.[64]

ABC News, while stating its commitment to give coverage to a wide range of candidates, argued that focusing more of its "finite resources" on those candidates most likely to win would best serve the public debate.[65]

[edit] Polls and primariesIn the 2004 Democratic presidential nomination race, national polls consistently showed Kucinich's support in single digits, but rising, especially as Howard Dean lost some support among peace activists for refusing to commit to cutting the Pentagon budget. Though he was not viewed as a viable contender by most, there were differing polls on Kucinich's popularity.

He placed second in MoveOn.org's primary, behind Dean. He also placed first in other polls, particularly Internet-based ones. This led many activists to believe that his showing in the primaries might be better than what Gallup polls had been saying. However, in the non-binding Washington, D.C. primary, Kucinich finished fourth (last out of candidates listed on the ballot), with only 8% of the vote. Support for Kucinich was most prevalent in the caucuses around the country.

In the Iowa caucuses, he finished fifth, receiving about 1% of the state delegates from Iowa; far below the 15% threshold for receiving national delegates. He performed similarly in the New Hampshire primary, placing sixth among the seven candidates with 1% of the vote. In the Mini-Tuesday primaries, he finished near the bottom in most states, with his best performance in New Mexico where he received less than 6% of the vote, and still no delegates. Kucinich's best showing in any Democratic contest was in the February 24 Hawaii caucus, in which he won 31% of caucus participants, coming in second place to Senator John Kerry of Massachusetts and winning Maui County, the only county won by Kucinich in either of his presidential campaigns. He also saw a double-digit showing in Maine on February 8, where he got 16% percent in that state's caucus.

On Super Tuesday, March 2, Kucinich gained another strong showing with the Minnesota caucus, where 17% of the ballots went to him. In his home state of Ohio, he gained 9% in the primary.

Kucinich campaigned heavily in Oregon, spending 30 days there during the two months leading up to the state's May 18 primary. He continued his campaign because "the future direction of the Democratic Party has not yet been determined"[66] and chose to focus on Oregon "because of its progressive tradition and its pioneering spirit."[67] He won 16% of the vote.

Even after Kerry won enough delegates to secure the nomination, Kucinich continued to campaign until just before the convention, citing an effort to help shape the agenda of the Democratic Party. He was the last candidate to end his campaign. He endorsed Kerry on July 22, four days before the start of the Democratic National Convention.[68]

[edit] 2008 Presidential campaignMain article: Dennis Kucinich presidential campaign, 2008

Kucinich speaking on the campaign trail, January 2007.On December 11, 2006 in a speech delivered at Cleveland City Hall, Kucinich announced he would seek the nomination of the Democratic Party for President in 2008. His platform[69] for 2008 included:

Creating a single-payer not-for-profit system of universal health care that provides full coverage for all Americans by passage of the United States National Health Care Act. The immediate, phased withdrawal of all U.S. forces from Iraq; replacing them with an international security force. Guaranteed quality education for all; including free pre-kindergarten and college for all who want it. Immediate withdrawal from the World Trade Organization (WTO) and North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). Immediate repeal of the USA PATRIOT Act. Fostering a world of international cooperation. Abolishing the death penalty. Environmental renewal and clean energy. Creating a moratorium on Genetically Modified Organism (GMO). Implementation of H.R. 676, which integrates traditional medicine with complementary and alternative medicine (CAM). Ban offshore drilling. Halt all Biochemical Aerial Spraying of Pesticides and other toxins. Preventing the privatization of social security. Providing full social security benefits at age 65. Creating a cabinet-level "Department of Peace" Ratifying the ABM Treaty and the Kyoto Protocol. Introducing reforms to bring about instant-runoff voting. Protecting a woman's "right to choose" while decreasing the number of abortions performed in the U.S. Lowering the voting age to 16 Ending the War on Drugs. Legalizing same-sex marriage. Strongly promoting workers' rights. Ending the H-1B and L-1 visa Programs Restoring rural communities and family farms. Strengthening gun control. Legalizing medicinal marijuana and decriminalizing non-medical possession. Kucinich described his stance on the issues as mainstream.[70]

Kucinich told his supporters in Iowa that if he did not appear on the second ballot in any caucus that they should back Barack Obama:

"I hope Iowans will caucus for me as their first choice ... because of my singular positions on the war, on health care and trade," Kucinich said. "But in those caucus locations where my support doesn't reach the necessary threshold, I strongly encourage all of my supporters to make Barack Obama their second choice."[71][72]

At a debate of Democratic presidential candidates in Philadelphia on October 30, 2007, NBC's Tim Russert cited a passage from a book by Shirley MacLaine in which the author writes that Kucinich had seen a UFO from her home in Washington State. Russert asked if MacLaine's assertion was true. Kucinich confirmed and emphasized that he merely meant he had seen an unidentified flying object, just as former US president Jimmy Carter has.[73] Russert then cited a statistic that 14% of Americans say they have witnessed a UFO.[73]

On November 16, 2007, Larry Flynt hosted a fundraiser for Kucinich at the Los Angeles-based Hustler-LFP headquarters, attended by Kucinich and his wife, which has drawn criticism from Flynt's detractors. Attendees included such notables as Edward Norton, Woody Harrelson, Sean Penn, Robin Wright Penn, Melissa Etheridge, Tammy Etheridge, Stephen Stills, Kristen Stills, Frances Fisher, and Esai Morales. Campaign representatives declined to comment.[74][75]

In December 2007, author Gore Vidal endorsed Kucinich for president.[76]

Kucinich's 2008 presidential campaign was advised by a steering committee including Progressive Democrats of America (PDA) Founder Steve Cobble, long-time Kucinich press secretary Andy Junewicz, former RFK, McCarthy, Humphrey, McGovern and Carter political consultant Michael Carmichael, former Carter Fundraiser Marcus Brandon, Ani DiFranco Tour Manager Susan Alzner, West Point Graduate and former Army Captain Mike Klein, former Communications Director of Democrats Abroad Sharon Manitta and New Jersey-based political consultant Vin Gopal. The campaign was seen as a platform to push progressive issues into the Democratic Party, including a not-for-profit health care system, same-sex marriage, increasing the minimum wage, opposing capital punishment, and impeachment.

On Monday, January 7, 2008 actor Viggo Mortensen endorsed Kucinich's presidential campaign in New Hampshire.[77] On Thursday, January 10, 2008, Kucinich asked for a New Hampshire recount based on discrepancies between the machine-counted ballots and the hand-counted ballots. He stated that he wanted to make sure "100% of the voters had 100% of their votes counted."[78]

On Tuesday, January 15, 2008, Kucinich was "disinvited" from a Democratic presidential debate on MSNBC. A ruling that the debate could not go ahead without Kucinich was overturned on appeal. Kucinich later responded to the questions posed in the MSNBC debate in a show hosted by Democracy Now!

Kucinich dropped his bid for the Democratic nomination on Thursday, January 24, 2008, and did not endorse any other candidate. He later endorsed Barack Obama after he had won the nomination. On Friday, January 25, 2008, he made a formal announcement of the end of his campaign for president and his focus on reelection to Congress.

On August 27, 2008, he delivered a widely publicized speech at the Democratic National Convention.[84]

Congressional campaigns

Until 2012, Kucinich had always been reelected to Congress by sound margins in his strongly Democratic-leaning districts, and had up until this election far won primary challenges against him for the Democratic nomination convincingly.

2006 -- Kucinich defeated another Democratic primary challenger by a wide margin and defeated Republican Mike Dovilla in the general election with 66% of the vote.

 2008  District 10 His opponents included Cleveland City Councilman Joe Cimperman and North Olmsted Mayor Thomas O'Grady. In February 2008 Kucinich raised around $50,000 compared to Cimperman's $228,000,[85] but through a YouTube money raising campaign he managed to raise $700,000, surpassing Cimperman's $487,000.

Cimperman, who was endorsed by the Mayor of Cleveland and The Plain Dealer, criticized Kucinich for focusing too much on campaigning for president and not on the district. Kucinich accused Cimperman of representing corporate and real estate interests. Cimperman described Kucinich as an absentee congressman who failed to pass any major legislative initiatives in his 12-year House career. In an interview, Cimperman said he was tired of Kucinich and Cleveland being joke fodder for late-night talk-show hosts, saying "It's time for him to go home." An ad paid for by Cimperman's campaign stated that Kucinich has missed over 300 votes, but by checking the ad's source, the actual number was 139. However, Kucinich is well known for his constituency service.

A report suggested that representatives of Nancy Pelosi and American Israel Public Affairs Committee would "guarantee" Kucinich's re-election if he dropped his bid to impeach Dick Cheney and George W. Bush, though Kucinich denies the meeting happened. It was also suggested that Kucinich's calls for universal health care and an immediate withdrawal from Iraq made him a thorn in the side of the Democrats' congressional leadership, as well as his refusal to pledge to support the eventual presidential nominee, which he later reconsidered.

Kucinich took part in a debate with the other primary challengers. Barbara Ferris criticized him for not bringing as much money back to the district as other area legislators and authoring just one bill that passed during his 12 years in Congress. Kucinich responded "It was a Republican Congress and there weren't many Democrats passing meaningful legislation during a Republican Congress."

Kucinich won the primary, receiving 68,156 votes out of 135,589 cast to beat Cimperman 52% to 33%.[95]

Kucinich defeated former State Representative Jim Trakas in the November 4, 2008 general election with 153,357 votes, 56.8% of those cast.

2010 Kucinich defeated Republican nominee Peter J. Corrigan and Libertarian nominee Jeff Goggins in the November 2, 2010 general election with 101,343 votes, 53.1% of those cast.[96]

 2012 Redistricting threw Kucinich into the same district as another Democratic incumbent, Marcy Kaptur. The two competed in the Democratic primary on March 6, 2012, but Kucinich lost after an increasingly bitter campaign. Kucinich had been endorsed by another House member, Barney Frank of Massachusetts.[97]

Kucinich was mentioned frequently as a possible 2012 candidate for congress in the state of Washington, and even openly admitted exploring the idea, but ultimately decided against running and decided to retire from congress when his term ends in January 2013.

Political positions

Political positions of Dennis Kucinich Based on his voting record in Congress, the American Conservative Union (ACU) gave Kucinich a conservative rating of 9.73%,[101] and for 2008, the liberal Americans for Democratic Action (ADA) gave him a liberal rating of 95%.[102]

Monetary reform

In the aftermath of the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008, Kucinich has called for the Federal Reserve System to be put under control of U.S. Treasury.[103] Additionally, banks shall no longer be allowed to create money, putting an end to fractional-reserve banking.[104] He cites Stephen Zarlenga as the initiator of that proposal.

Plan for Iraq

On January 8, 2007 Kucinich unveiled his comprehensive exit plan to bring the troops home and stabilize Iraq. His plan includes the following steps:[105]

1.Announce that the US will end the occupation, close the military bases, and withdraw. 2.Announce that existing funds will be used to bring the troops and the necessary equipment home. 3.Order a simultaneous return of all US contractors to the US and turn over the contracting work to the Iraqi government. 4.Convene a regional conference for developing a security and stabilization force for Iraq. 5.Prepare an international security peacekeeping force to replace US troops, who then return home. 6.Develop and fund a process of national reconciliation. 7.Restart programs for reconstruction and creating jobs for the Iraqi people. 8.Provide reparations for the damage that has been done to the lives of Iraqis. 9.Assure the political sovereignty of Iraq and ensure that their oil is not stolen. 10.Repair the Iraqi economy. 11.Guarantee economic sovereignty for Iraq. 12.Commence an international truth and reconciliation process, which establishes a policy of truth and reconciliation between the people of the US and Iraq. [edit] Space Preservation Act of 2001Kucinich introduced the first Space Preservation Act, on October 2, 2001, with no cosponsors. The bill was designed to "preserve the cooperative, peaceful uses of space for the benefit of all humankind."

The bill was referred to the House Science, the House Armed Services, and the House International Relations committees. The bill died in committee (April 9, 2002) because of an unfavorable executive comment received from the Department of Defense.

Impeachment proceedings against Dick Cheney

US House Resolution 333 On April 17, 2007, Kucinich sent a letter to his Democratic colleagues saying that he planned to file impeachment proceedings against Dick Cheney, then Vice President of the United States.[107] Kucinich planned to introduce the impeachment articles on April 24, 2007, but in light of Cheney's visit to his doctor for an inspection of a blood clot, Kucinich decided to postpone the scheduled press conference "until the vice president's condition is clarified."

Kucinich held a press conference on the evening of April 24, 2007, revealing House Resolution 333 and the three articles of impeachment against Cheney. He charges Cheney with manipulating the evidence of Iraq's weapons program, deceiving the nation about Iraq's connection to al-Qaeda, and threatening aggression against Iran in violation of the United Nations charter. Kucinich opened his press conference by quoting from the Declaration of Independence, and stated: "I believe the Vice President's conduct of office has been destructive to the founding purposes of our nation. Today, I have introduced House Resolution 333, Articles of Impeachment Relating to Vice President Richard B. Cheney. I do so in defense of the rights of the American people to have a government that is honest and peaceful."

During the first Democratic Presidential debate at South Carolina State University, none of the other candidates' hands went up when the moderator, Brian Williams, asked if they would support Kucinich's plan to impeach Cheney. In response, Kucinich retrieved a pocket-sized copy of the U.S. Constitution from his coat and expressed the importance of protecting and defending constitutional principles.

This is a pocket copy of the Constitution which I carry with me, because I took an oath to defend the Constitution. We've spent a lot of time talking about Iraq here tonight and America's role in the world. This country was taken into war based on lies. This country was taken into war based on lies about weapons of mass destruction and Al Qaeda's role with respect to Iraq, which there wasn't one at the time we went in. I want to state that Mr. Cheney must be held accountable. He is already ginning up a cause for war against Iran. Now, we have to stand for this Constitution, we have to protect and defend this Constitution. And this vice president has violated this Constitution. So I think that while my friends on the stage may not be ready to take this stand, the American people should know that there's at least one person running for president who wants to reconnect America with its goodness, with its greatness, with its highest principles, which currently are not being reflected by those who are in the White House. —Dennis Kucinich, New York Times, April 27, 2007[111]

By January 29, 2008, 24 other Congressional representatives became cosponsors.[112] Six of these were members of the House Judiciary Committee: Tammy Baldwin, Keith Ellison, Hank Johnson, Maxine Waters, Steve Cohen and Sheila Jackson-Lee. In addition, Congressman Robert Wexler, supported by Representatives Luis Gutierrez and Tammy Baldwin, began openly calling for impeachment hearings to begin.

Cheney impeachment articles introduced

On November 6, 2007, Kucinich used special parliamentary procedure and moved for a vote on impeaching the Vice President.[113] House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer and House Speaker Pelosi opposed the measure and stood by previous comments that, "impeachment is not on our agenda," and they initially moved to table the bill. When that attempt failed, Mr. Hoyer quickly moved to refer the bill to the House Judiciary Committee. That motion succeeded.[113]

Opposition to H1B/L1 visa programs

Kucinich has been a vocal opponent of the H1B and L1 visa programs. In an article on his campaign website, he states:[114]

The expanded use of H-1B and L-1 visas has had a negative effect on the workplace of Information Technology workers in America. It has caused a reduction in wages. It has forced workers to accept deteriorating working conditions and allowed U.S. companies to concentrate work in technical and geographic areas that American workers consider undesirable. It has also reduced the number of IT jobs held by Americans. [edit] Plan to ban handgunsIn the aftermath of the Virginia Tech massacre in Blacksburg, Virginia, Kucinich proposed a plan that he says would address violence in America. Kucinich is currently drafting legislation that includes a ban on the purchase, sale, transfer, or possession of handguns by civilians.[115]

The congressman has pushed for gun control, even as a city councilman. He kept a pistol in his house for a period in 1978 (under the recommendation of the police) when he was the target of a Mafia plot. He no longer keeps the pistol.[116]

[edit] Support for reinstating the Fairness DoctrineKucinich is also involved in efforts to bring back the Fairness Doctrine, requiring radio stations to give liberal and conservative points of view equal time, which he and other critics of talk radio argue is not presently the case. Fellow Democrat Maurice Hichney, Vermont's independent Senator Bernie Sanders, and others have joined him in this effort.[117] Conservatives have criticized these plans, alleging that what they believe to be a liberal-dominated Hollywood, academia, new media, and mainstream media would not be subject to these regulations.[118][119][120]

[edit] Animal welfare and rightsKucinich addresses the issue of factory farming in his policy encouraging independent, family-owned, and organic farming. This would help lead to "the meat that we consume coming from happy and healthy free-range animals," Kucinich states on his campaign website.[121]

Kucinich is one of the few vegans in Congress.[9] He became vegan in 1995.[122] He has maintained a diet for many years that excludes animal products in accordance with his conviction that "all life on our Earth [is] sacred."[121][123]

[edit] Free Market Drug ActKucinich believes that the prices for patented drugs are unreasonably high, and that patent monopolies have created a restricted, unfree drug market. "Simply put, if drug manufacturers were operating in a free market like most other businesses in the US, drug prices would be significantly lower." On September 29, 2004, he introduced H.R. 5155, the Free Market Drug Act; a system where the National Institutes of Health would fund research, thus disconnecting the manufacturing of drugs from research and increasing competition among private manufacturers.[124]

[edit] Energy policyAs mayor of Cleveland in the 1970s, Kucinich favored the city's existing Municipal Light System and opposed construction of the Davis-Besse Nuclear Power Plant and Perry Nuclear Power Plant on Lake Erie. Kucinich opposed a planned regional radioactive waste dump, and has long advocated renewable energy and efficient energy use.[125]

In 2010 Kucinich stated that new nuclear reactors are not cost-effective, and that they are a slow way of meeting electricity needs as it takes five or six years for new reactors to come on line. He also said that new nuclear reactors are a risky way to meet electricity needs.[126]

[edit] Attempts to impeach George W. BushMain article: Movement to impeach George W. Bush On June 10, 2008, Kucinich introduced 35 articles of impeachment against President George W. Bush on the floor of the House of Representatives.[127][128][129] On June 11, the resolution was referred to the House Judiciary Committee.

Calling it "a sworn duty" of Congress to act, co-sponsor Robert Wexler stated: "President Bush deliberately created a massive propaganda campaign to sell the war in Iraq to the American people and the charges detailed in this impeachment resolution indicate an unprecedented abuse of executive power."[130]

On July 10, 2008, Kucinich introduced an additional article of impeachment accusing Bush of misleading Congress into war.[131][132][133]

On July 14, 2008 Kucinich introduced a new resolution of impeachment against George W. Bush, charging him with manufacturing evidence to sway public opinion in favor of the war in Iraq. This resolution was also sent to the judiciary committee.

Democratic leaders Steny Hoyer and Nancy Pelosi opposed the impeachment efforts.[citation needed] None of them ever progressed to a full House vote.

[edit] Youth rightsIn a Democratic debate during the 2008 Presidential Election, Kucinich and Mike Gravel were the only two candidates who favored lowering the legal drinking age to 18 as it is in the vast majority of the world. Kucinich further said that the voting age should be lowered to 16.[134]

[edit] Military intervention in LibyaKucinich objected to the 2011 military intervention in Libya missile strikes and questioned whether they weren't impeachable offenses. Kucinich also questioned why Democratic leaders didn’t object when President Barack Obama told them of his plan for US participation in enforcing the Libyan no-fly zone. He said Obama's action in Libya was "a grave decision that cannot be made by the president alone", and stated that failing to first seek approval of Congress was in violation of the Constitution.[135][136]

On August 31, Al Jazeera reported that a document had been found in the headquarters of the Libyan intelligence agency which according to the author appears to be a summary of a conversation between Kucinich and an intermediary for Saif al-Islam Gaddafi in which the congressman asked for information about the anti-Gaddafi National Transitional Council (NTC), possible links of it to al-Qaeda and corruption evidences, to lobby US lawmakers to put an end to NATO airstrikes and suspend their support for the NTC.[137] It also listed information necessary to defend Saif al-Islam against International Criminal Court war crimes charges.[137] Kucinich defended himself in a message to The Atlantic Wire, saying that the document in question is simply a summary of Kucinich's public positions on the Libyan campaign by a Libyan bureaucrat who never consulted with Kucinich himself. "Al Jazeera found a document written by a Libyan bureaucrat to other Libyan bureaucrats. All it proves is that the Libyans were reading the Washington Post... Any implication I was doing anything other than trying to bring an end to an unauthorised war is fiction."[137][138]

[edit] Electoral historyMain article: Electoral history of Dennis Kucinich [edit] RecognitionIn 2003, Kucinich was the recipient of the Gandhi Peace Award, an annual award bestowed by the Religious Society of Friends-affiliated organization Promoting Enduring Peace.[9]

After Kucinich lost to Marcy Kaptur in the 2012 Democratic primary, Rep. Keith Ellison (D-Minn.) said of Kucinich, "At the end of the day, we’re really going to miss Dennis. Dennis is a transformative leader. He stood up and spoke eloquently, passionately about Iraq, Afghanistan, Iran. He was a consistent voice for peace... He almost didn’t vote for the health care bill because it wasn’t good enough."[139]

[edit] See also2008 Democratic Party presidential primaries 2008 Democratic presidential candidates United States presidential election, 2008 List of United States Representatives from Ohio Kucinich Resolution [edit] References1.^ Milicia, Joe (January 24, 2008). "Kucinich abandons White House bid". WRAL-TV. Archived from the original on January 27, 2008. http://replay.web.archive.org/20080127142007/http://www.wral.com/news/political/story/2350974/. 2.^ 5:38 p.m. ET (2004-07-29). "Democrats make it official - Politics- msnbc.com". MSNBC. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/5548952/. Retrieved 2010-05-24. 3.^ "Kucinich Excluded From Des Moines Register Debate". Scoop. 2007-12-14. http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0712/S00192.htm. Retrieved 2010-05-24. 4.^ ["http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0312/73713.html" "Ohio House primaries: Reps. Dennis Kucinich, Jean Schmidt fall"]. "http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0312/73713.html". 5.^ Kane, Paul (March 13, 2012). "Kucinich trailing in battle for redistricted seat". The Washington Post. http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/kucinich-faces-uphill-battle-for-redistricted-seat/2012/03/05/gIQA6MFrvR_story.html. 6.^ Alex M. Parker (February 9, 2012). "Friendly Fire Coming in House Re-Elections?". U.S. News and World Report. http://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2012/02/09/friendly-fire-coming-in-house-re-elections. 7.^ Andrea Billups (February 6, 2012). "Kaptur, Kucinich face off in Ohio". The Washington Times. http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2012/feb/6/kaptur-kucinich-face-off-in-ohio/?utm_source=RSS_Feed&utm_medium=RSS. 8.^ Kevin Milliken (January 16, 2012). "Kaptur, Kucinich square off for one congressional seat". La Prensa. http://www.laprensatoledo.com/Stories/2012/012012/kaptur.htm. 9.^ a b c "About Dennis Kucinich." Dennis for President. July 24, 2007. <http://www2.kucinich.us/files/pdfs/about_dennis.pdf> 10.^ a b c Okamoto, Lynn (2003-09-07). "Kucinich's hard childhood a 'gift' yielding strength, compassion". Des Moines Register. Archived from the original on 2004-02-09. http://web.archive.org/web/20040209061551/http://www.dmregister.com/news/stories/c4788998/22187297.html. 11.^ Ramer, Holly (2007-08-15). "Kucinich speaks from experience on homelessness". Boston Globe. Archived from the original on 2008-09-07. http://replay.web.archive.org/20080907134710/http://www.boston.com/news/local/new_hampshire/articles/2007/08/15/kucinich_speaks_from_experience_on_homelessness/. Retrieved 2007-08-16. 12.^ a b c "Presidency 2004 DENNIS J. KUCINICH (Democrat - Ohio)". Politics1.com. http://www.politics1.com/kucinich.htm. Retrieved July 25, 2007. 13.^ "About Dennis." Congressman Dennis Kucinich. July 25, 2007 http://kucinich.house.gov/Biography/ 14.^ Ryzik, Melena. "Recommend E-MAIL Dennis J. Kucinich". Times Topics (The New York Times Company). http://topics.nytimes.com/topics/reference/timestopics/people/k/dennis_j_kucinich/index.html. Retrieved November 20, 2010. 15.^ Theiss, Evelyn (2005-10-30). "How Kucinich Found Love". Cleveland, Ohio: The Plain Dealer. Archived from the original on 2005-10-30. http://www.commondreams.org/headlines05/1030-04.htm. Retrieved 2008-01-13. 16.^ Kucinich's brother found dead in home, CNN, December 19, 2007 17.^ Dennis Kucinich's brother found dead, MSNBC, December 19, 2007 18.^ Perry Kucinich, Dennis' younger brother, found dead in apartment, December 19, 2007, Alana Baranik, Cleveland Plain Dealer 19.^ McRae, Sarena (2008-11-11). "Beth Ann Kucinich, 48, musician, artist, sister of Congressman Dennis Kucinich". Cleveland Plain Dealer. http://www.cleveland.com/obituaries/index.ssf/2008/11/beth_ann_kucinich_48_musician.html. Retrieved 2009-03-26. 20.^ Bartimole, Roldo (1992-07-18). "25 Years of Cleveland Mayors: Who Really Governs?" (PDF). 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Portland.indymedia.org. http://portland.indymedia.org/en/2008/02/371899.shtml. Retrieved 2010-05-24. 94.^ "U.S. Rep. Dennis Kucinich, 4 challengers debate". cleveland.com. http://www.cleveland.com/news/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/news/1202808813169900.xml&coll=2. Retrieved 2010-05-24. 95.^ "Kucinich Wins Chance To Keep U.S. Rep. Seat". WEWS. March 5, 2008. Archived from the original on May 26, 2008. http://web.archive.org/web/20080526140309/http://www.newsnet5.com/news/15495659/detail.html. Retrieved August 26, 2011. 96.^ Representative To Congress: November 2, 2010 97.^ Frank, Barney. "Congressman Barney Frank for Dennis Kucinich in Ohio’s New Ninth". http://kucinich.us/congressman-barney-frank-dennis-kucinich-ohio%E2%80%99s-new-ninth. Retrieved 2012-01-26. 98.^ Northeast Ohio. "Dennis Kucinich holding back on future plans, but not on criticism for victorious rival Marcy Kaptur". cleveland.com. http://www.cleveland.com/open/index.ssf/2012/03/dennis_kucinich_holding_back_o.html. Retrieved 2012-11-09. 99.^ Sabrina Eaton/The Plain Dealer. "Rep. Dennis Kucinich won't run for Congress in Washington state". cleveland.com. http://www.cleveland.com/open/index.ssf/2012/05/rep_dennis_kucinich_wont_run_f.html. Retrieved 2012-11-09. 100.^ Ken Lambert, Seattle Times. "Rep. Dennis Kucinich's Washington state supporters urge him to run, but party leadership says keep out". cleveland.com. http://www.cleveland.com/open/index.ssf/2012/04/rep_dennis_kucinichs_washingto.html. Retrieved 2012-11-09. 101.^ "2007 U.S. House Votes". American Conservative Union. Archived from the original on October 28, 2008. http://web.archive.org/web/20081028160409/http://www.acuratings.org/2007house.htm. Retrieved August 26, 2011. 102.^ "ADA Congressional Voting Record 2008". ADA Today. Americans for Democratic Action. http://www.adaction.org/media/votingrecords/2008.pdf. Retrieved 2009-03-26. 103.^ Dennis Kucinich States His Intention To Put The Federal Reserve Under Government Control on YouTube retrieved 2010-05-24}} 104.^ "Dennis Kucinich Explains Our Current Economic Situation". Video.google.com. 2009-01-26. http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-2864340017700873183. Retrieved 2010-05-24. 105.^ "Dennis Kucinich's 12 Point Plan to End the Iraq War". Kucinich for President Volunteer Organizing Site - DK2008.us. Archived from the original on January 6, 2008. http://web.archive.org/web/20080106130210/http://dk2008.us/endthewar. Retrieved August 26, 2011. 106.^ "Library of Congress (Thomas)". Thomas.loc.gov. http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d107:HR02977:@@@X. Retrieved 2010-07-17. 107.^ Ann Akers, Mary (April 17, 2007). "Articles of Impeachment To Be Filed On Cheney". The Washington Post. http://blog.washingtonpost.com/sleuth/2007/04/articles_of_impeachment_to_be.html. Retrieved 2007-04-30. 108.^ "Cheney returns to work after leg check-up". Reuters. April 24, 2007. http://www.reuters.com/article/newsOne/idUSN2439727520070424. Retrieved 2007-04-30. 109.^ "Kucinich Introduces Impeachment Articles Against Cheney". The Washington Post. April 24, 2007. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/04/24/AR2007042401542.html. Retrieved 2007-11-07. 110.^ Johnson, Alex (April 26, 2007). "Democrats seek to seize initiative on Iraq". MSNBC. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18326264. Retrieved 2007-05-01. 111.^ "The Democrats' First 2008 Presidential Debate". The New York Times. April 27, 2007. http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/27/us/politics/27debate_transcript.html?pagewanted=18&_r=1. 112.^ Library of Congress, H.RES.333, Summary as of: 04/24/2007 — Introduced, THOMAS 113.^ a b "Brady Supports Kucinich Move to Impeach Cheney". The Philadelphia Bulletin. November 7, 2007. http://www.thebulletin.us/site/news.cfm?newsid=18997962&BRD=2737&PAG=461&dept_id=576361&rfi=6. 114.^ "Dennis on outsourcing American jobs". Dennis Kucinich on H-1B and L-1 Visas. http://workersrights.kucinich.us/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=20&Itemid=34. 115.^ "Kucinich Offers Comprehensive Plan to Address Violence in America" (Press release). Dennis J. Kucinich. 2007-04-18. http://kucinich.house.gov/News/DocumentSingle.aspx?DocumentID=62819. 116.^ Eaton, Sabrina (2007-04-27). "Kucinich packed heat after 1978 Mafia death plot". The Plain Dealer Politics Blog. http://blog.cleveland.com/openers/2007/04/kucinich_packed_heat_after_197.html. 117.^ Fred Lucas (January 17, 2007). "Democrats' New 'Fairness' Push May Silence Conservative Radio Hosts, Critics Say". CBS News. Archived from the original on March 29, 2008. http://web.archive.org/web/20080329083302/http://www.cnsnews.com/news/viewstory.asp?Page=/Nation/archive/200701/NAT20070117a.html. Retrieved August 26, 2011. 118.^ "John Berlau: Is the Fairness Doctrine on its Way Back?, October 31, 2006". Humanevents.com. 2006-09-15. http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=17793. Retrieved 2010-05-24. 119.^ Hunter, Derek (2007-05-17). "'Fairness Doctrine' Anything but Fair". The Politico. http://dyn.politico.com/printstory.cfm?uuid=960F8E19-3048-5C12-0091F4C92C213AF7. 120.^ Will, George F. (2007-05-07). "Fraudulent 'Fairness'". Newsweek. http://www.newsweek.com/id/35081. 121.^ a b Animal Welfare, Kucinich for President 2008, Inc. Retrieved April 18, 2011. 122.^ "Hardball" 21 July 2012 interview with Chris Matthews 123.^ Jennifer Duck, Kucinich Brings Home the Bacon, Vegan-Style, ABC News. May 4, 2007. 124.^ [3], Kucinich for patent free drugs. 125.^ "New Hampshire's Nuclear Primary". Thenation.com. http://www.thenation.com/doc/20080121/wasserman. Retrieved 2010-05-24. 126.^ Dennis Kucinich. Dennis Kucinich: New Nuclear Reactors would be too Risky U.S. News, July 19, 2010. 127.^ "Rep. Kucinich introduces Bush impeachment resolution". AP/MSNBC. 2008-06-10. Archived from the original on June 13, 2008. http://web.archive.org/web/20080613035124/http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25068638/. Retrieved 2008-06-10. 128.^ "Rep. Kucinich introduces Bush impeachment resolution". Associated Press. Archived from the original on June 10, 2008. http://web.archive.org/web/20080610174554/http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5iE21FOVAfMfEbAE5LDwiYm8fGh4QD916SHJ01. Retrieved August 26, 2011. 129.^ video[dead link] 130.^ "sun-sentinel.com, U.S. Rep. Wexler calling for impeachment of President Bush". Sun-sentinel.com. Archived from the original on July 9, 2008. http://web.archive.org/web/20080709090748/http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/broward/sfl-flb3bdigest06113sbjun11,0,5100560.story. Retrieved 2010-05-24. 131.^ "OpEdNews". OpEdNews. http://www.opednews.com/articles/What-Dennis-Has-Done-by-David-Swanson-080710-738.html. Retrieved 2010-05-24. 132.^ rtsp://video1.c-span.org/15days/e071008_kucinich.rm 133.^ "Draft Version of New Article of Impeachment". AfterDowningStreet.org. http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/node/34684. Retrieved 2010-05-24. 134.^ Parker, Jennifer (2007-10-09). "Group Stirs Debate on Legal Drinking Age". ABC News. http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/story?id=3708133. Retrieved 2010-01-18. "Of course, they should be able to drink at age 18, and they should be able to vote at age 16" 135.^ Liberal Democrats in uproar over Libya action; Politico; March 19, 2011 136.^ Dennis Kucinich: Obama's Libya Attack An Impeachable Offense; Talking Points Memo; March 21, 2011 137.^ a b c Elshayyal, Jamal (August 31, 2011). Secret files: US officials aided Gaddafi. Al Jazeera. Accessed August 31, 2011 138.^ Uri Friedman (August 31, 2011). Al Jazeera Says Kucinich Worked With Qaddafis, Kucinich Denies The Atlantic Wire 139.^ Jonathan Allen and Alex Isenstadt (March 7, 2012). "Dennis Kucinich loss is end of an era". Politico. http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0312/73757_Page2.html. [edit] External linksFind more about Dennis Kucinich at Wikipedia's sister projects Definitions and translations from Wiktionary Media from Commons Learning resources from Wikiversity News stories from Wikinews Quotations from Wikiquote Source texts from Wikisource Textbooks from Wikibooks

Congressman Dennis Kucinich official U.S. House site Re-Elect Congressman Kucinich official campaign site Background and collected news at The Washington Post Biography at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress Voting record maintained by The Washington Post Biography, voting record, and interest group ratings at Project Vote Smart Congressional profile at GovTrack Congressional profile at OpenCongress Issue positions and quotes at On the Issues Financial information at OpenSecrets.org Staff salaries, trips and personal finance at LegiStorm.com Appearances on C-SPAN programs Collected news and commentary at The New York Times The Peace Alliance Works by or about Dennis Kucinich in libraries (WorldCat catalog) Dennis Kucinich at the Open Directory Project Campaigns Wikia - Dennis Kucinich Dennis Kucinich Interview at PR.com, November 17, 2008 [4] Pictures of Helen Kucinich with Dennis Kucinich [show]Offices and distinctions Political offices Preceded by Ralph J. Perk Mayor of Cleveland 1978–1979 Succeeded by George V. Voinovich United States House of Representatives Preceded by Martin R. Hoke Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Ohio's 10th congressional district 1997–present Succeeded by Incumbent

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Persondata Name Kucinich, Dennis John Alternative names Kučinić, Dennis (Croatian) Short description Ohio politician Date of birth October 8, 1946 Place of birth Cleveland, Ohio Date of death living Place of death

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Real Time Dennis Kucinich Video Cafe

Dennis Kucinich- Health Care Reform Is ALL About the Left!

Fear that you have no

Dennis Kucinich Video Cafe

March 06, 2012 10:24 PM

Kaptur Defeats Kucinich in Ohio Primary Race - Will Face Joe 'the Plumber' Wurzelbacher in General

By Heather

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Well we can thank Republican redistricting in Ohio for forcing the voters there to choose between Marcy Kaptur and Dennis Kucinich. Kaptur won the Ohio Democratic primary for the newly drawn district and will now face off against, get this... Samuel Joseph Wurzelbacher, otherwise known as "Joe the Plumber" in the general election.

Ed Schultz noted during MSNBC's interview with Kaptur that it was likely strong support from the unions there that pulled her through with her win in the primary race.

I hate the fact that the voters in Ohio ended up having to choose between the two of them even as unhappy as I was with Kaptur after her support of the Stupak amendment during the health care debate. Regardless of the issues I've had with either of them, they're minor when you look at both of their overall voting records and what it means for liberals and our issues to lose a Democratic seat in the House.

Kaptur was gracious during her interview here and said that she had not had a chance to speak to Kucinich yet after her win. I sadly can't say the same for Kucinich after reading this. As much as I've really liked Dennis and have been a supporter of his over the years, I've got to say, this is just graceless and looks like sour grapes. I'm really disappointed he decided to respond this way.

Kucinich: Kaptur Campaign 'Utterly Lacking In Integrity':

Dennis Kucinich had some not-so-nice words for his primary opponent following a tough loss in Ohio. Kucinich said Marcy Kaptur ran a campagin "that was utterly lacking in integrity" while also failing to congradulate her, tweets Chad Pergram.

The one upside to come out of Ohio is mean Jean Schmidt won't be returning since she lost to former Army Reserve Major Brad Wenstrup. The downside is he's further to the right than Schmidt should he win the general election.

Tags: Dennis Kucinich, Ed Schultz, House of Reprensentatives, Jean Schmidt, Joe the Plumber, Joe Wurzelbacher, Lawrence O'Donnell, marcy kaptur, MSNBC, Ohio, Primary, Rachel Maddow, redistricting

Dennis Kucinich Video Cafe

Rep. Dennis Kucinich Gets Gov. Scott Walker to Admit Stripping Collective Bargaining Rights Was Not a Fiscal Issue

By Heather

From Rep. Kucinich's office during Darrell Issa's Koch Caucus today:

Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker Admits that Stripping Collective Bargaining Rights of Workers “Not a Fiscal Issue” – Does Not Save Taxpayers “Any” Money :

Congressman Dennis Kucinich (D-OH) today scored an admission from Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker that his decision to strip the rights of public workers to bargain collectively “doesn’t save any” money for the Wisconsin taxpayers. [...]

“Your proposal would require unions to hold annual votes to continue representing their own members. Can you please explain to me and members of this committee how much money this provision saves for your state budget?” question Kucinich.

After an unresponsive answer by Governor Walker, Kucinich pressed, “Did you answer the questions? How much money does it save, Governor?”

“It doesn’t save any,” admitted Governor Walker.

Kucinich then requested permission to enter into the record a letter from the State of Wisconsin’s Legislative Fiscal Bureau (page 3 specifically), a nonpartisan state budget agency that confirmed Governor Walker’s efforts had no effect on the state’s budget.

“The Bureau was asked to identify provisions in the Governor’s bill that are non-fiscal; non-fiscal policy items that have no state fiscal effect. This letter confirms the obvious; that Governor Walker’s effort to repeal the rights of state workers is a non-fiscal policy item. No effect on the state budget shortfall,” said Kucinich.

The Chairman of the Committee then took the highly unusual step of reserving the right to object to the document’s the inclusion in the record.

Kucinich concluded by thanking Governor Walker for clarifying the purpose of his attack on workers’ rights.

“The attack on collective bargaining right is a choice, not a budget issue. ...Governor Walker has inadvertently done a public service …and brought this issue to the forefront.”

After the hearing, Kucinich referred to the letter from the Legislative Fiscal Bureau. “My good friend, Chairman Issa, inadvertently exposed the limitations of his key witness, Governor Walker, by refusing to permit into evidence a document that demonstrated that collective bargaining was a non-fiscal issue. Chairman Issa called attention to it and ensured it would get much broader circulation, for which I am very appreciative.”

Skeleton Closet - Kucinich, The Dark Side

Dennis Kucinich is a very scrappy little (5'7") guy with a tough background. As a kid, his parents moved constantly, cramming 7 kids into 2 bedroom apartments or even, at times, a car parked outside the steel mill where his dad worked. He was elected as the nation's youngest mayor (of Cleveland) in 1977, and was known mostly for scrapping with established politicians, banks and just about everybody else. After he fired his police chief -- live, on the 6 O'Clock news -- he was so unpopular that he wore a bulletproof vest when he threw out the first pitch at an Indian's baseball game, and had police sharpshooters lined up all along the roof of the building.

After he was unceremoniously booted from office in his 1979 reelection fight, though, he drifted toward California and New Mexico, living for a while in his "dear friend" Shirley MacLaine's house, and began what he calls ""a journey into the poetry of my own life." Now, he has made quite a journey from scrappy poor kid to quixotic New Age lefty presidential candidate.

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Quotes

"Dennis Kucinich has spent his life fighting for the little guy -- and that little guy is Dennis." -- David Martin, the Cleveland Scene

"The energy of the stars becomes us. We become the energy of the stars. Stardust and spirit unite and we begin: one with the universe, whole and holy. From one source, endless creative energy, bursting forth, kinetic, elemental; we, the earth, air, water and fire-source of nearly fifteen billion years of cosmic spiraling." -- Kucinich, in the "Journal of Concious Evolution"

"As a bachelor, I get a chance to fantasize about my first lady. And you know maybe Fox will want to sponsor it as a national contest or something. But in any event I would want definitely want someone who would not just be there by my side, but be a working partner because I think we're in a day in age when partnerships are imperative to making anything happening in the world. And I certainly want a dynamic, out-spoken woman who was fearless in her desire for peace in the world and for universal single-payer health care and a full employment economy. If you are out there call me." -- Kucinich, Nov. 5, 2003

"After I lost the [mayoral] election in Cleveland in 1979, I moved to California for a while. I actually remember walking in the area around L.A. known as MacArthur Park, and I was thinking of that song and thinking of the lyrics where they talk about 'Someone left the cake out in the rain. It took so long to make it.' And it goes on, raising the question of whether I'll ever have that recipe again." -- Kucinich

"There's no one in America who believes in Dennis Kucinich more than Dennis Kucinich. We used to say back here in Ohio, you've got to drive a stake through the guy's heart to get him out of it." -- Tim Hagan, former Cuyahoga County Democratic President

"My journey has spanned political, social, economic and even spiritual gulfs. And because of that journey, I really have a sense of the potential for oneness which exists in this nation and in the world community. I see how it all fits together . . ." -- Kucinich, in Beverly Hills

 

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New Age Mystic

Kucinich likes to portray himself as a progressive, but for him that takes a turn not seen in mainstream politics since Jerry "Moonbeam" Brown ran for president. While his website tries to paint him as a down to earth midwesterner with a page titled "Polka, Bowling and Kielbasa", Kucinich is certainly the only admitted Vegan in the race (that is, a vegetarian who won't consume any animal products at all, including milk and honey.) The only kielbasa he'll be eating is made of tofurkey.

The blue collar kid from Cleveland now supports creating a Department of Peace. "I have a holistic view of the world," he explains. "I see the world as interconnected and interdependent and that leaves no room for war." He is also friends with Shirley MacLaine, who is the godmother of his daughter and attended his third wedding in 2005.

Other policy positions of his get a bit "out there" as well. In 2001, he introduced a bill to ban space-based and other exotic weapons, including "radiation, electromagnetic, psychotronic, sonic, laser, or other energies . . . for the purpose of information war, mood management, or mind control of such populations."

Included in the ban were "chemtrails," supposed airplane emissions that change the weather or cause rashes in schoolkids, if you listen to the Art Bell radio show anyway. Chemtrails were removed in a revised draft of the bill. "I'm not into that," Kucinich told The Cleveland Plain Dealer. Really? Kucinich was the legislation's sole author.

As snide as I'd like to be, I can't improve on Kucinich's own mysticism, so here's some more from the article in New Connexion magazine:
"In our soul's Magnificent, we become conscious of the cosmos within us. We hear the music of peace, we hear the music of cooperation, we hear music of love. In our soul's forgetting, we become unconscious of our cosmic birthright, blighted with disharmony, disunity, torn asunder from the stars in a disaster ..."

UFOs Put Ideas In His Head

Dennis' close friend Shirley Maclaine has an interesting story about him in her book, "Sage-ing While Age-ing." (Yeah, I know.) Shirley says he had a close encounter with a UFO at her house in Washington state that he found very moving.

"The smell of roses drew him out to my balcony where, when he looked up, he saw a gigantic triangular craft, silent, and observing him. It hovered, soundless, for 10 minutes or so, and sped away with a speed he couldn't comprehend. He said he felt a connection in his heart and heard directions in his mind."

I can't make that one any weirder or funnier, either.

Led Cleveland Into Bankruptcy

Critics are quick to charge that Kucinich "led Cleveland into bankruptcy" as a young (31) mayor, called "Dennis the Menace" by the press, and his administration was certainly messy. One book recently named him as the 7th worst mayor of American history, not for any reasons of corruption or scandal, but due to his "abrasive, intemperate, and chaotic administration." He survived a recall vote after only ten months in office by 231 votes (out of 120,000) and was voted out after one term by Republican George Voinovich, even through Democrats outnumbered Republicans 8 to 1. When he threw out the first pitch at a Cleveland Indians game, he wore a bullet-proof vest and had sharpshooters positioned on the stadium roof.

In many ways though history has vindicated Kucinich, at least on the bankruptcy. The city was already headed toward bankruptcy when Kucinich took office, and financial advisers were telling him to sell the city-owned electric company to stave it off. He refused this power play and the banks called in the city's loans, triggering bankruptcy. But the utility remains public, and, according to a study by Cleveland magazine, the utility's low rates saved customers about $195 million over the past 10 years. In fact, he got back into Congress in 2002 campaigning on the success of his effort to keep that utility.

Looking For Love

Like so many New Age devotees desperately searching for universal love, Kucinich lacked a steady love partner during the 2004 elections. The twice-divorced dad, however, not only admitted it but went public with his search for a love connection during a 2004 debate in Manchester, New Hampshire, announcing his criteria for a first lady: "a dynamic, out-spoken woman who was fearless in her desire for peace in the world and for universal single-payer health care."

To help out, the PoliticsNH website started a personals area for Kucinich women wannabees. One of the first was Gina Marie (33) from New Jersey, who noted that "Madonna and Jennifer Lopez are probably two of the most recognizable, powerful women in our country yet they are not helping all Americans gain access to affordable healthcare." It's hard to argue with that logic.

Well, something must have worked, because in 2005, Dennis married his third wife, Elizabeth Harper of London England. She's an attractive, 6 foot tall woman 31 years younger than him. If he's elected, she will be the first First Lady with a tongue piercing. They met when she visited his congressional office; he proposed on the second date, and they married 30 days later.

Flip Flop

While most politicians change their positions from time to time -- in fact, all good ones do, because they are learning and open to change -- Kucinich has made a dizzying switch on abortion with no apparent principle to back it up (other than, "I want to win some Democratic primaries.")

As a Congressman, he amassed one of the most anti-abortion voting records in Congress, one especially unusual for a Democrat. Fair enough, Kucinich was raised Catholic. He voted to criminalize partial birth abortions, to deny American servicewoman the right even to pay for their own abortions overseas, to prevent Washington, D.C. from funding abortions for poor women with nonfederal dollars, against research on RU-486, even against health coverage of basic contraception for federal employees. In 1996 he told Planned Parenthood that he did not support the substance of Roe v. Wade. He received a a 95 percent position rating from the National Right to Life Committee, versus 10 percent from Planned Parenthood and 0 percent from NARAL.

Now that he wants to run as a progressive Democrat though, he is waffling all over that stance. He told The Nation magazine that "I believe life begins at conception and that it doesn't end at birth." (Huh?) He said he was not in favor of either a Human Life Amendment that would constitutionally protect "life" from the moment of conception, nor the overturning of Roe v. Wade, and presented his votes as votes not against abortion per se but against federal funding of the procedure. That's not consistent with his votes on the servicewomen and Washington DC issues mentioned above, however. And while told The Nation he was not in favor of "criminalizing" abortion, he voted for a partial-birth-abortion ban that included fines and up to two years in jail for doctors who performed them, except to save the woman's life.

When pressed, Kucinich said "I haven't been a leader on this. These are issues I would not have chosen to bring up." Well, he has been at least a devoted follower of the anti-abortion position, until it became politically inconvenient. And if he's not a leader, why should anyone elect him as president?

 

 

Sources

"Shirley MacLaine claims Kucinich had UFO encounter", by Mark Naymik, Cleveland Plain Dealer (newspaper), October 23, 2007

"Meet Democrat Dennis Kucinich's Wife: She's a New Age, Tongue-Pierced Brit", the London Sunday Times, May 20, 2007

"Ohio's comeback kid", by Sandy Nelson, Campaigns & Election,; Sep97, Vol. 18 Issue 8, p51

"Regressive Progressive?", Katha Politt, the Nation, 5/27/2002, Vol. 274 Issue 20, p10

"Spirit and Stardust", by U.S. Rep. Dennis Kucinich, New Connexion Magazine, September 2002

Hollow Man, BY DAVID W. MARTIN The Cleveland Scene (newspaper), March 19, 2003

"Democratic candidate draws support from peace activists, New Age gurus", by MALIA RULON, (Associated Press), San Francisco Chronicle, Friday, May 30, 2003

"The American Mayor," by Melvin Holli

"Field Notes: Dennis Kucinich", ABC-News Online, Nov. 6, 2003

"Who Wants To Be a First Lady?", PoliticsNH.Com, November 5, 2003

"Dennis Kucinich: The combative mystic". by Mark Caro, Chicago Tribune, November 7, 2003

 

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