Dennis Kucinich = Hero

[Cronus Protagonist]

Medals are nice and all that, but Dennis is my hero. He's my hero for standing up to the bankers during his mayorship and saving public transport for the people.

He's my hero for standing up to almost the entire congress and a sizeable chunk of the country in voting against the war.

Dennis is my hero for not giving up and fighting back against gargantuan odds and being voted into one of the highest offices in the land. He's my hero for standing up against the entire corporate fascist state here in the US and stating categorically that he will require trade agreements to provide for living wages and basic healthcare in the countries involved. He's my hero for standing for a single payer non-profit healthcare system despite the inevitable attacks from the HMO lobby. I could go on and on and on, but I'll stop here by pointing to one of his most notable heroic acts;
Dennis is my hero for writing and delivering speeches like this:

http://cronus.com/prayer

If we're to compare the substance of heroism, character, courage, acting in the face of fear - Dennis has heroism in spades. He doesn't have to fire a gun or kill foreigners to be my hero.

Dennis, you're my hero.

FUCK BUSH Buttons, Stickers & Magnets

[Zomby Woof]

1. and to that I say...

Woof! :D :hi: This DK supporter thanks you!

[Myra]

2. Amen.

Love you DK.

[corporatewhore]

3. He is my hero

because he has stood up to Nafta and the wto when all the other dems were pandering to the corps.He has stood up for every unioner environmentalist and maquiladora worker anybody who has ever believed in doing whats right over whats profitable

[Kanary]

4. Might I Add...

He's *my* hero because of his proposal for a Dept of Peace!

Imagine... peace in our homes, peace in our schools, peace on our streets...

Maybe even (gasp) Peace In Washington, D.C. :)

For me personally, though, Dennis is my hero because I know he will stand up for me and make sure that I don't fall through a shredded safety net! Dennis is the first and so far the only candidate I can feel certain about in that regard.

Walk in peace and safety, Dennis.... you are, indeed, a hero!

Kanary

Kucinich 2004!

[PissedOffPollyana]

5. He joined my list at that point too...

Gandhi, Mandela, J.Lennon, T.S.Dreisel (aka Dr. Seuss), ML King, Chaplin and Dennis Kucinich

Sometimes it takes more courage to fight against the war than in it. I too could go on and on about every way that DK has fought against the odds and powers that be for real progress, real change, real equality. This is the courage we need now, the sort that is not afraid to admit that we can be better, the sort that is not afraid to put humanity over profit or illusions of power.

I wonder if we are civilized enough as a society to appreciate the profound importance of real progress instead of symbolic victories? It seems every generation has someone who tries to inspire such a respect for others; some are fortunate enough to actually have a government shaped by that principle.

I fervently hope that we are so lucky. At least we are lucky enough to experience the promise of it, but I'd rather have the whole enchilada... color me greedy like that!

[Cronus Protagonist]

54. I should also mention another hero, Cynthia McKinney

I think I should also mention another political hero here, not to change the subject, but Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney is another hero of mine. Particularly for standing up in Congress and putting this into the congressional record:

Ms. McKINNEY. "Mr. Speaker, I am worried about what is happening to our great country today. I fear that many of us cannot see what is happening here. Maybe we are too close. Maybe there are even people who do not want us to see; but our friends and allies in Europe and elsewhere are reporting that they are seeing disturbing developments in our country, like the fading of our fundamental constitutional rights, the creation of a war machine that threatens world peace, the spending of a generation of Americans on this war on terrorism, and even an attack on truth in government by forming the Office of Strategic Influence to lie to us and to the rest of the world. The President even asked Hollywood to make these developments palatable to the American people.

With this as a backdrop, I would just like to ask that Members close their eyes and imagine being drawn deeper and deeper into black space. If Members keep their eyes closed and if they close them good and tight, they will be able to imagine themselves going faster and faster and deeper and deeper into a black unknown.

All of a sudden we see a bright light at a distance far away, but faster and faster and closer and closer it becomes brighter and brighter; and in one instant, with one grand motion, we can cross from the darkness into the light. But just before we make the crossing, a huge booming voice coming from nowhere, and at the same time coming from everywhere, booms all around us: You unlock this door with the key of understanding. Beyond it is another dimension, a dimension of hearing that which is not spoken, a dimension of seeing that which is invisible, a dimension of reading that which is not written.

We are moving into a land of both shadow and substance, of things and ideas. Welcome. We just crossed over into the Twilight Zone, otherwise known as George Bush's America. For it is here and only here that the White House could receive warning after warning of massive attacks that were going to take place on American soil, the attack happens, and both the President and the Vice President, in separate phone calls to TOM DASCHLE, ask that Congress not investigate what happened and why. That could only happen in the Twilight Zone.

more...

http://cronus.com/zone/

[spychoactive]

6. i couldn't agree more!

i am new to the DU and i am new to the DK cause, i am on board and will do whatever i can, i only hope he has a shot...

i am only one BUT!

i am one MORE!

one love
spike

[MuseRider]

14. WELCOME to DU

and to the DK cause.

[spychoactive]

17. thank you so very much

one more reason i am on Dennis Kucinich's bandwagon: the people supporting him seem...kinder...yes that's a word that applies...kinder

i still don't know what 'freep' means tho...

*shrugs*
fighting the good fight in pennsylvania
spike

[PissedOffPollyana]

30. I've notived that too...

There is a far more empathetic quality to the platform and tone of the Kucinich campaign. It is the result of when your head confirms that your heart is right.

I am very proud to represent a candidate who firmly believes that there is no victory in symbolic gains for the few. If anyone does not have health care, we have won nothing. If gay & lesbian Americans cannot have the same equality as other Americans, we have won nothing. If corporate interests and military misadventures to feather their nests trump the needs of the American people, we have won nothing.

We are making inroads in the American psyche, despite what the media tells us. I see it in the faces of new people who join our local campaign.

First they laugh at you.
Then they fight you.
Then you win.

The beauty of it is, like no other candidate I've ever seen in my lifetime, when Dennis Kucinich wins, we all do.

[NuckinFutz]

44. Welcome, Spike!

From a sister Pennsylvanian.

Dennis is the One!

[redqueen]

21. Welcome to the Movement, spychoactive!

Yes, you are only one, but...

https://www.kintera.org/AccountTempFiles/cf/{FB0ABCB2-A3BE-48FC-B8F5-CC31FFF3E4A3}/header3.jpg

:)

[spychoactive]

22. for what it's worth:

thank you so much...for what it's worth, the one person i am has now brought six friends into the Kucinich camp, now there's seven of us, where there weren't any before...imagine if they each get six friends...you get my drift...

happy to be making a difference

:)

spike

[twilight]

25. in Dennis' words ...

EVERY PERSON MAKES A DIFFERENCE!

I've managed to convert several myself! Keep up the good work and welcome to the DU! :D



:dem: :kick:

[Kanary]

26. Glad to meet you, spike!

:hi: :hi: :hi:


Welcome to the posting world of DU, and I'm happy to see you are an enthusiastic supporter of Dennis Kucinich!

It's worth a *lot* to me..... I consider that each person who sees the wisdom of Dennis also has some understanding of the issues for which he fights, and that includes me.

Here's to you and your 6 friends!

:toast:

Kanary

Kucinich 2004!

[ThirdWheelLegend]

7. Kucinich does lead by example

He addresses so many important issues and has an amazing amount of knowledge on so many issues.
Dennis is a hero to many!

TWL

[hippywife]

8. If you liked Prayer

click here for tons of Audio and Video:

http://kucinichwatch.com/

click here and scroll down to his speech in March of 2003 "Imagine America" . Truly incredible and very reminiscent of JFK:

http://kucinichwatch.com/audio.htm

Yes, he is truly a hero in this house, too!! :)

[cyclezealot]

9. Can't get turned on by potential chameleon's..

Some want DK to be in some backwater cabinet post where he can be shut up...Head of the Progressive Caucus is where he will continue to speak up for the American people.. It is impossible to have him not speak his conscience.
Through his connection with liberal advocacy organizations or head of the Progressive Caucus his future will be up front- fighting for us, whether he is in the White House or not.
I get so tired of the likes of Jim McDermott he sponsors along with DK 'Single Payer' Health insurance, but settles for second best in his endorsements. What is wrong with these people. Some kind of pragmatic sell out to 'monied interests' and not sticking to principal.
Everyone who says DK is the best choice, yet goes along with second best; DK would be president.. DK's problem is not his abilities, but stunts like Ted Kopel's/ABC control of information and stacking the deck against those who threaten corporate elements like Disney News.
DK we have not seen your likes since Martin Luther King/Bobby Kennedy. You are a hero figure. To bad the American people did not have the vision to rally around people who threaten these corporate interests. They would seem to be our natural allies.

[hippywife]

10. That's why this country is such an over achiever

when it comes to conspicuous consumption and wretched excess. It's population is too easily marketed to and too easy to convince they need things they do not.

[blm]

34. I agree. DK's hurdle was always media bias against him

and all of his issues and his sincere advocacies for them were drowned out in favor of the faux populist rhetoric coming from a longtime centrist.

Creepy. Completely media manipulated.

[maddezmom]

11. kick for Dennis!!

:toast:

[LWolf]

12. He is our champion.

If we're to compare the substance of heroism, character, courage, acting in the face of fear - Dennis has heroism in spades. He doesn't have to fire a gun or kill foreigners to be my hero.

For me, either.

One of my favorite DUers (thanks, DR!) introduced me to Dennis last January or February; I'd never heard of him. I read through his speeches and was surprised at the way they resonated. The way they expressed my perspective on almost every issue. Then I looked at his history and his record and was surprised again. He is a politician like none I've ever known. So I signed on and started paying attention. Not a month has passed by that he wasn't working on something important. Not just talking about it. Working on it. He doesn't let his constituents down while campaigning; he shows up for work, campaign or no. He doesn't let an issue get by. If it needs the light of day; if people need a champion, he is there. He is steady as a rock. Indomitable. Unfailingly courageous.

I got to meet him twice. Both times reinforced all I'd discovered. And I discovered that he relates to people one-on-one like no politician I'd ever met. Every single person is real to him. I wish I could get a video of the peace day house party in studio city last september. He wowed that crowd. I watched them, people like myself, yearning for what he offered. Someone in public office who actually works for what we value. Someone who offers hope, not dread. A man ready to lead us.

Dennis is truly a champion of the people. And we are ready for the America he will lead us to.

[Desertrose]

52. Hi LWolf....easy to turn people on to Dennis

....he is a real "walk your talk" kinda guy...
Unafraid to speak out and speak up!
Has workable solutions that he readily shares....
comes from the heart...a spiritual/political warrior ....

IMHO we can't do any better than Dennis Kucinich.....
...and I am believing that the American people are finally ready for him.....

:hi: Hey Lwolf- got to speak with him on the phone one day last week while working on the Navajo Nation connect...that was sooooo cool!
(I'll email ya)

:hug: & :loveya:
DR

[LWolf]

64. Do!

Do tell! I'm watching my box.

:hug; & :loveya:

Kelley

[loudnclear]

13. He's my hero too. And I am still batting 1000%

Just because you lose, doesn't mean you weren't right...just think McGovern. He was courageous and right! And America chose Barabas.

[goodhue]

15. mine too

Courage, America!

[KG]

16. DK is on my very short list of personal heros.

thanks for this post. heroism comes in many forms.

for me, his kind of heroism is the most meaningful.

[Droopy]

18. Another DK fan checking in

He's the only candidate who inspires me.

[knight_of_the_star]

19. Well said

Any man or woman who stands up for what is right is a hero in my book any day.

[Ficus]

20. a hero to me as well

He along with Paul Wellstone and Russ Feingold are my political heroes. I can't think of any better and more principled people to model my political career after.

[redqueen]

23. He's my hero, too

Having the courage to stand up for what's right is rare in these days of compromise for short-term gain.

He's a light in the dark. America needs him. The world needs him.



"Few are willing to brave the disapproval of their fellows, the censure of their colleagues, the wrath of their society. Moral courage is a rarer commodity than bravery in battle or great intelligence. Yet it is the one essential, vital quality for those who seek to change a world that yields most painfully to change."
-- Robert F. Kennedy

[twilight]

24. DK is my hero and my hope and I support him 100%!

and I will continue to support him 100% until he is the next President!

Be sure to check out his website and store (which has lots of great stuff for sale that counts as campaign contributions!) at www.kucinich.us :D

How many other 'candidates' have a Prayer for America?



:dem: :kick:

[letthewindblow]

27. Mine too!

Dennis :yourock:

:kick:

[adriennel]

28. liking him more and more

everyday. he was once at the bottom of my candidate list, now he's moving to the top. I am tired of Dems who follow the status quo or are too wishy-washy to stand up for what they really believe in. and during the last debate, it seemed to me that DK had refined his speaking technique, which was initially a problem for me (too Ross-Perot-ish).

I may just vote for DK. Then again, I change my mind several times a day :-)

[spychoactive]

29. come on in the waters fine!

once you seriously listen to the man's message you will be swept away as i was...i am truly inspired and that hasn't happened in SO SO SO long, usually i am voting dem, because it is not rep...but it sure does feel good to back someone i actually believe in...and you will enjoy it as well...give him a shot!

one more
one love
spike

[redqueen]

32. So well said... I feel exactly the same way

"usually i am voting dem, because it is not rep...but it sure does feel good to back someone i actually believe in..."

Doesn't it though? I'm so glad I'm not voting for someone because I think they're more acceptable. I'm proud to be voting for someone I think is right for America! :D

[spychoactive]

33. it's what it should be all about

this is exactly what primary elections are for!

wow, the more i think about it the better it feels...three of my six friends each gathered two friends...where I was one, now WE are thirteen...wait did i do that math right??

nevertheless

onward thru the fog!

left is right!

[dpbrown]

31. Nicely said!

I'd change "transport" to "power" but why quibble.

Go, Dennis!

[Nederland]

35. Amazing

Boy, a regular DK love fest going on here. I'm sensing there will be a lot of broken hearts when the single digit man drops out.

[loudsue]

36. "Doesn't play nice w/ others" = Nederland

:spank: Please close the door on your way out.

:kick:

[Nederland]

43. Funny

I've never asked anyone to leave DU. What does it say about a person when they feel that people who disagree with them must leave?

[loudsue]

46. Not asking you to "leave DU", Nederland...

I just thought your comments were totally uncalled-for on this thread.

[redqueen]

48. FWIW

I thought that your meaning was pretty intuitive. :shrug:

[blindpig]

37. I suppose everybody's got one......................

but do you have to show it here?

[letthewindblow]

38. We don't care about our hearts being broken

It will be more than worth it!

[redqueen]

39. Correction

There will be many people disappointed IF he doesn't place well in the early primaries.

However, that happening is assuming a lot on your part.

The truth is, our hearts could not be broken where Kucinich is concerned. Learning that we can still have confidence that at least ONE politician isn't interested in 'playing ball' and is only committed to representing the people he is elected to serve has, for me at least, been the kind of experience that will energize me and give me hope to last a lifetime.

That hope will fuel my efforts in many other efforts, and no matter what happens in NH, Iowa, etc... my faith in my government has been given a little extra life support.

[spychoactive]

63. the same goes for me

i am energized by his presence, and my faith in politics has been restored...any "poor" showing will reflect on the left wing as a whole, not on kucinich's supporters...constantly backing a candidate because he/she is more "electable" only brings more of the same...i for one am finding the status quo an increasingly hard pill to swallow...moderate=almostrepublican

one love
spike

[Ficus]

40. Um no

I hope no one supports DK because they REALLY think he's going to win.

But, win or lose, DK isn't going anywhere.

[info being]

45. Don't worry...our hearts are broken every day

living in this Fascist country. We're used to it.

[Cronus Protagonist]

58. I don't think he's worried about that at all

Seems to me he's gloating about DK lagging in funding more than any concern about our well-being.

FUCK BUSH Buttons, Stickers & Magnets

[KG]

49. you don't get it.

this thread is about how some feel about a different kind of hero.

some are heroes for a few minutes under pressue.

some are heroes every goddam day. DK is that kind hero.

we hold DK in high esteem now, and will in the future no matter what the election outcome is.

[Cronus Protagonist]

56. They can't argue with that, KG! (eom)

FUCK BUSH Buttons, Stickers & Magnets

[Cronus Protagonist]

57. You pee in your friends jacuzzis, don't you?

Just wondering.

FUCK BUSH Buttons, Stickers & Magnets

[Isome]

61. A regular lovefest...

Yeah, and how dare we participate in a thread of pure positivity about the candidate of our choosing? That's just ridiculous! It would be better if we all went to a positive thread about ANOTHER candidate and proceeded to make snide remarks about whether he/she will be the nominee. That makes more sense the lauding our own candidate for his vision, achievements, and proposed platform.

[jpgray]

41. Cronus = Correct

:D

[info being]

42. He's my hero. I love him

And I've never said that about any politician...not even Nader.

[Cronus Protagonist]

62. Me too - Dennis is the only politician I would trust with my bank account

FUCK BUSH Buttons, Stickers & Magnets

[GreenPartyVoter]

47. I think he's the tops :)

:loveya:

[adriennel]

50. can someone clarify

DK's stand on abortion. I hear he was an active pro-lifer. What is his position now? and did it change because he is running for president? thanks.

[Ficus]

59. absolutley

From http://www.kucinich.us/faq.php


Q: Why your switch on abortion?

I've had a journey on this issue in the last couple of years, influenced by women in my life. Before I became a presidential candidate, that dialogue led me to broaden my view and change my voting pattern. I whole-heartedly support a woman's right to choose. I have come to believe it's not just about the right to choose, but about a woman's role in society as being free and having agency and the ability to make her own decisions. When I voted recently against a ban on late-term abortions, I stated on the House floor: "I believe that equal protection under the law and the right of privacy should be freedoms enjoyed by women as well as men. But women will not be equal to men if this constitutionally protected right is denied." I want to keep working to make abortion less necessary, through sex education and birth control. But with reproductive choice under attack, I will only support someone for the Supreme Court if he or she embraces privacy rights and Roe v. Wade.


edit: spelling

[info being]

60. Pro-choice

He changed it and you can trust his word.

[Ficus]

71. yes

I do.

[adriennel]

72. thanks! however....

I would not call voting for the "late term abortion" ban pro-choice. So there is still a little bit of doubt in my mind regarding this issue (note: to me, reproductive rights is a make-or-break issue for all candidates...I'm not trying to bring DK down, just trying to understand : )

[ThirdWheelLegend]

73. He voted against the ban!

:)

Ack,where did you hear he voted for the ban?

Kucincih voted against the PBA ban and took to the floor of the house to speak strongly against it.

Not only that, Kerry and Kucinich are the only two candidates that have said that being upholding RvW would be a litmus test for any SCOTUS appointees.

TWL

[adriennel]

74. oops

I mis-read the FAQ on his web site. Sorry :(

[ThirdWheelLegend]

75. no problem

:)

Just wanted to set the facts straight. :)


TWL

[LWolf]

65. I ran across this yesterday.

I've heard him on the issue, and he resolved it with me. But here's another perspective:

http://www.sojo.net/index.cfm?action=magazine.article&issue=soj0401&article=040147d

Having read with great interest your "Open Letter to Dennis Kucinich" (by Danny Duncan Collum) in the September-October 2003 issue of Sojourners, I welcome this opportunity to respond. You are quite right in observing that at the heart of my presidential campaign is a compelling desire to build up the democratic culture of this nation, and to encourage an economic order that serves the needs of ordinary citizens.

I suspect that, indeed, you and I are in agreement about a good number of issues that affect the everyday lives of Americans. So it is with respect that I listen to your concerns about my personal and public views concerning abortion and a woman’s right to choose. I was previously a supporter of anti-choice legislation. My position on this sensitive issue has changed. The change was gradual, and often painful, but always immersed in a contemplative awareness of the very real ways that lives are affected.

I had candid, open conversations with many women as I sought to better understand the complexities of this issue. The heartfelt stories and decisions that I heard caused me to reconsider the impact of my personal and political voice. I do not take lightly the serious nature of pregnancy, nor of the responsibility a woman holds in deciding either to terminate a pregnancy or to carry a pregnancy to term. But, I also must respect the many factors that only she can weigh in coming to her decision. And when decisions are made, it is my sincere hope that she will seek the counsel of others whom she trusts and respects, such as her doctors, her partner, perhaps other family members or close friends, and certainly her spiritual leaders.

I further believe that a woman’s right to choose must be protected as a prime tenet of personal privacy and gender equality. Within this context a woman is free to make her own choices, with full consideration of the implications, including the overlapping medical, social, and spiritual ones. This is a decision for a woman to make, not for her government to make for her, and I cannot in good conscience criminalize her choices.

Like many, I would prefer to see the occasion for pregnancy termination to be acutely reduced. I continue to be a strong supporter of birth control and sex education being widely available to all persons of childbearing age. The May-June 2002 issue of Sojourners cites a list of 10 rules for effective sex education endorsed by The National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy, including "tailor material to age, culture, and experience" and "train peer leaders." These are excellent guidelines, and I would add that in many ways they apply to persons throughout the span of their reproductive years.

I also wish to assure you that my position on a woman’s right to choose is not motivated by hope of political or financial gain for my presidential campaign. Quite to the contrary, the Kucinich for President campaign is very much a grassroots effort. I have not sought, not will I accept, donations from corporations or PACs. It would be unconscionable for me to accept money or political support in exchange for a shifting of my beliefs or positions. Donations to my campaign are coming from open, warm-hearted individuals who are committed to advancing a national community based on principles of peaceful partnership, economic and social opportunity, and good will toward the rest of the world.

As a member of the U.S. House of Representatives, my concerns for the American community have been broad-based and farsighted. Through my presidential campaign and beyond, I will continue these efforts to ensure that all citizens are included in the envisioning of a new America. I encourage a continued exchange of both information and imagination about ways to sensitively address the challenges ahead. Staff and readers of Sojourners are invited to contact me through the Kucinich for President campaign office at 11808 Lorain Ave., Cleveland, OH 44111; [phone]; www.kucinich.us.

Dennis J. Kucinich, Cleveland, Ohio

[JohnKleeb]

51. My ripple of hope during these troubled times is that man

:toast: To Dennis
Thank you so much

[TNOE]

53. Oh if ONLY the good guys could win

MODS - this is an e-mail - so okay to post whole thing.

ARE THE POLLS WRONG ABOUT KUCINICH?

That's the headline of an article at Utne.com that shows that the www.kucinich.us website is the second most read presidential campaign site, and which presents other reasons to believe Kucinich's low ranking in some polls is misleading. Here's the article.

Yesterday, www.kucinich.us disappeared from Google and other search engines. We have reason to believe that someone sent very numerous requests to search engines requesting that the site be listed (which it already was), and that as a result it was removed. Google considers programs that submit to hundreds of search engines at once as spam and removes sites using these tools from its indexes. It's unlikely but conceivable that this was even done by an overzealous supporter.

The last thing you should do is contact the search engines. We're doing so. But you should do this right away: put a link to www.kucinich.us on any website you control, and make the link use the words "Kucinich for President," and put the www.kucinich.us address in the signature of your Emails. Despite this setback, the site had its biggest day ever yesterday, so this is no time to get disheartened!

WHAT ARE PRIMARIES FOR?

The Democratic caucuses and primaries are the time to support the candidate who has the best chance of defeating George W. Bush. Clearly, that candidate is Dennis Kucinich. The primaries are not the time for supporting the candidate who you think has the best chance of winning the primaries. That's exactly as useful as staying home. Why is Dennis the one to beat Bush?

1.-Dennis' platform fits his record. He opposes the "PATRIOT Act" now, and is the only candidate who voted against it. He opposes the war now, and is the only candidate who voted against it or who opposed it from the start. And he is the only one who will bring our troops home in 90 days.

2.-Dennis cannot be attacked for planning to cut services or raise taxes because he is the one candidate with the guts to cut the bloated Pentagon budget and end the occupation of Iraq. He makes proposals and explains how he will pay for them. And his tax plan is laid out in detail at http://www.kucinich.us/taxes_under_kucinich.php

3.-Dennis and most Americans want single-payer universal health coverage. President Bush and most other candidates want to keep the HMOs and private insurance companies in charge.

4.-Dennis is the only candidate with a plan to end NAFTA and withdraw from the WTO, replacing these corporate trade agreements with fair bilateral trade based on workers' rights, human rights, and the environment. The other candidates side with the current President in wanting to maintain NAFTA and the WTO.

5.-Dennis has a history of attracting swing voters and "Reagan Democrats" in winning elections against better-funded Republican opponents, it is Dennis Kucinich. He has repeatedly defeated entrenched incumbents. He beat a Republican incumbent for mayor in 1977, for state senator in 1994 (overcoming the national right-wing tide) and for Congress in 1996.

6.-Dennis' Congressional district includes the suburb of Parma, Ohio, described as "one of the original homes of the Reagan Democrats." An Ohio daily calls it a "conservative Democratic district," which he carried by 74% in 2002. Being a success there may be a better predictor of national success than holding statewide office in a liberal stronghold like Vermont or Massachusetts.

7.-Dennis, unlike some other candidates, opposes the death penalty, will end the war on drugs, supports the Kyoto treaty, will take us to 20 percent renewable energy by 2010, and will back no justice who will not uphold Roe v. Wade.

8.-Dennis attracts third party voters and Ralph Nader supporters.

9.-Ohio has 20 electoral votes. It is the state that is key to national victory; only two candidates in the 20th century have won the presidency without carrying Ohio.

BRILLIANT COLUMN IN DES MOINES REGISTER: http://desmoinesregister.com/opinion/stories/c5917686/22992327.html

POST YOUR COMMENTS ON KUCINICH SITE:
http://kucinich.us/i-switched.php

COME TO IOWA AND NEW HAMPSHIRE:
http://www.kucinich.us/doortodoor2004.php

KEEP THE MONEY FLOWING:



PRINT AND FRAME THIS:

KOPPEL: When you hear some of your colleagues here -- you know, I get a little bit of a sense of sour grapes here, that if anyone else on this stage had gotten Al Gore's endorsement, he would have been happy to have it. What do you think?

KUCINICH: Well, I can't say I was really counting on it.

(LAUGHTER)

But let me say, Ted, let me say -- let me say that some of the best talent in American politics is on this stage right now.

(APPLAUSE)

And with all due respect to you, Ted Koppel, who I've admired over the years greatly...

KOPPEL: There's a zinger coming now, isn't there?

KUCINICH: Yes.

(LAUGHTER)

To begin this kind of a forum with a question about an endorsement, no matter by who, I think actually trivializes the issues that are before us.

(APPLAUSE)

For example, at this moment there are 130,000 troops in Iraq. I mean, I would like to hear you ask during this event what's the plan for getting out. This war is not over. I have a plan, which is on my Web site at kucinich.us, to get the United States out of Iraq.

KUCINICH: I want to talk about that tonight, and I hope we have a substantive discussion tonight and that we're not going to spend the night talking about endorsements.

(APPLAUSE)

KOPPEL: Well, we've got...

(APPLAUSE)

BREAK----

KOPPEL: This is a question to Ambassador Braun, Reverend Sharpton, Congressman Kucinich. You don't have any money, or at least not much. Reverend Sharpton has almost none. You don't have very much, Ambassador Braun.

KUCINICH: We've raised $4.5 million. I mean, that's not nothing.

(LAUGHTER)

KOPPEL: You've got about $750,000 in the bank right now, and that's close to nothing when you're coming up against this kind of opposition. But let me finish the question. The question is, will there come a point when polls, money and then ultimately the actual votes that will take place here in places like New Hampshire, the caucuses in Iowa, will there come a point when we can expect one or more of the three of you to drop out? Or are you in this as sort of a vanity candidacy? Reverend Sharpton, you go first.

BREAK---

KOPPEL: When do you pull out?

KUCINICH: After I -- when I take the oath of office, when you're there to cover it...

(LAUGHTER)

(APPLAUSE)

... and I can tell you, Ted, you know, we started at the beginning of this evening, talking about an endorsement. Well, I want the American people to see where the media takes politics in this country. To start with endorsements...

(APPLAUSE)

We start talking about endorsements, now we're talking about polls, and then we're talking about money. Well, you know, when you do that, you don't have to talk about what's important to the American people. Ted, I'm the only one up here that actually...

(APPLAUSE)

... I'm the only up here on the stage that actually voted against the PATRIOT Act and voted against the war -- the only one on this stage. I'm also...

(APPLAUSE)

... I'm also one of the few candidates up here who's talking about taking our health-care system from this for-profit system to a not-for-profit, single-payer universal health care for all.

(APPLAUSE)

I'm also the only one who has talked about getting out of NAFTA and the WTO and going back to bilateral trade...

(APPLAUSE)

... conditioned on workers' rights, human rights and the environment. Now...

KOPPEL: Congressman?

KUCINICH: ... I may be inconvenient for some of those in the media, but, you know, I'm sorry about that.

(APPLAUSE)



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[Cronus Protagonist]

55. I have the video of that exchange

It was a blast. And it was fun to see almost all the other contenders agreeing with Dennis.

FUCK BUSH Buttons, Stickers & Magnets

[Zorra]

66. Dennis is a patriot in the tradition of the founders

of this country. He stands up for what is right and is not in the corporate pocket. He really is a modern day hero-statesman figure. Legislators and public officials like DK are so rare, and I'm glad Dennis is around to help keep alive the hope that someday our country will regain the freedoms and start again on the direction that the founders envisioned.

[snoochie]

68. You said what I wanted to

Kucinich is one of the most respectable, most honest politicians I've ever heard of. I honestly cannot understand why anyone would not support him, if they agree with his positions.

I suppose out of fear ... too bad.

I'm proud to support him, and can't wait to cast my vote for him.

Something tells me it will be the happiest vote I've ever cast. :)

[tlcandie]

67. When you've seen, heard and felt the real thing you can't accept

an imitation! DK is the REAL thing! Choosing ABB will be like standing in the brilliant sunlight and walking into the shadows Then skin gets goose flesh from the chill that results from the lack of warmth that caresses your being.

Welcome!! :hi:

EDIT: I've heard so many supporting and vouching for Wellstone. Would they not have supported him for president either because he was unelectable?

[redqueen]

76. That's a very good question

"I've heard so many supporting and vouching for Wellstone. Would they not have supported him for president either because he was unelectable?"

Based on the comments I've read, yes. Fear-based thinking... letting the Republicans set the agenda... :(

[govegan]

69. Kucinich is the best.

[spychoactive]

70. so far nothing i have heard can sway me

being new here i am sort of suprised how much time folks spend bashing others candidates rather than tout their candidates merits...i think this is part of our problem, many will spend so much time bashing the other candidates, that it will leave a stink on whomever does get elected to run...if we all focused on the positive aspects only, our final candidate would be better off no matter who it is...but with freedom of speech comes dissension, it just kills me to see my left wing so fragmented...

nothing anyone can say would sway me from voting for dennis kucinich

so what if he did flip on abortion, so what if he voted to veto clinton, it's called saying what you believe despite what the masses will think, and i have nothing but respect for him for being that way, i can feel the support growing for our man...

i now have many friends and family spreading the word, where last month i was only one, unfortunately living in pennsylvania, the primaries always seem to be a "done-deal" by the time we get to vote...


think positively, act positively, vote kucinich!

:)
spike