My Interviews with Elizabeth and Dennis Kucinich--Now on The BRAD BLOG!

[emlev]

I had the incredible opportunity on Sunday to interview both Elizabeth and Dennis Kucinich in person in San Mateo, California.

Here's my official report!

BLOGGED BY Emily Levy ON 10/24/2007 5:35AM

EXCLUSIVE: Elizabeth Kucinich Says Political System 'Rigged, Fake, Undemocratic'

The BRAD BLOG Speaks with Dennis and His Wife About Voting Rights, Election Reform, Impeachment, and the Need for an Outcry from the American People

Rep. Kucinich Vows to Use 'Privileged Resolution' to Force Vote on Impeachment of Cheney in U.S. House...

Guest Blogged by Emily Levy
ED NOTE: The BRAD BLOG's Emily Levy sat down with Dennis Kucinich on Sunday, just before serving as a hand-counter for votes in the first Democratic San Mateo County Presidential Straw Poll. Results of that poll are below. Kucinich spoke about his plans to force a vote in the U.S. House on the Impeachment of Dick Cheney; on having officially removed his name as co-sponsor of Rep. Rush Holt's flawed Election Reform Bill; his interest in hand-counted paper ballots; and concerns about e-voting systems. As it turns out, however, his wife Elizabeth may have stolen the show with an impassioned speech on what America must do to restore "a rigged and a fake political system," which, she told Levy, is "very, very undemocratic."

===

Candidate Kucinich was surrounded by supporters after his speech to Democrats in San Mateo County, just south of San Francisco, over the weekend. One asked the U.S. House Rep (D-OH) about the failures of the current Congress to protect the Constitution. "If Congress did the right thing," he answered, "they would be talking … about impeachment."

At that point, I broke in with a question:
EMILY LEVY: What do you think it'll take for more of your colleagues to do the right thing?

REP. DENNIS KUCINICH: The American people: an outcry. That's what we ought to be talking about.

EL: What do they hear? What do they hear? I mean, I hear the American people screaming. How come they can't hear?

DK: They aren't. You're exactly right. You know, I introduced House Resolution 333 because I heard from the American people and they said they wanted some response to make Dick Cheney accountable for the statements that he made that took us into a war based on lies. And the statements he made that would take us into a conflict against Iran. Again, more lies.

The President is now openly invoking the specter of World War III with respect to Iran. He ought to be held accountable also. I'm the only member of Congress who stepped forward on the issue of making Dick Cheney accountable. And now we have 21 members who've joined me. That's a step in the right direction. But I'm going to go beyond that. I'm going to call a privileged resolution, at which point, would force a vote --- at least if it's only on a procedural motion --- members are going to have to confront this issue of impeachment. They're not going to escape it. This is a question of defending our Constitution. It really is.

(In a follow up phone call with the Congressman last night, I asked when he intended to introduce the privileged resolution in the House. He said it would happen in "the next few weeks," but couldn't be more specific. Now back to San Mateo...)

Kucinich burst into laughter when I showed him the teabag tag hanging from my shirt pocket. I praised his ingeniously deadpan appearance on The Colbert Report. He searched around in his jacket pocket for his mini-Colbert but was unable to produce the little guy.

More...

[H2O Man]

1. Nominated!

Great job!

[emlev]

9. Thanks!

[slipslidingaway]

2. K&R before reading, thanks n/t

[EFerrari]

3. K&R. Thanks emlev!

[emlev]

11. Thanks for the K&R! nt

[porphyrian]

4. I wish my primary vote for him would count. - n/t

[emlev]

6. Please say more

Are you saying you're in a state with a late primary, or something else?

[porphyrian]

7. Florida. - n/t

[emlev]

8. Ah, yes...

I guess we'll all have to work to make sure you get to vote for him in November, then!
Stranger things have happened (why, in your very own state!).

[porphyrian]

10. Thanks, that would restore some of my quickly waning confidence in the system. - n/t

[Quantess]

21. I wish every state would have their primary on the same day.

In this day and age, you'd think they could make it work.

[stellanoir]

5. Leave it to a beautiful, intelligent, soulful, Brit

to state the obvious with such acuity and succinctness.

Good for both of them and BB.

creatrix bless them all.

K & R'ed

[pnwmom]

12. One more reason Kucinich will never be the nominee -- and shouldn't be.

I know this stuff goes over well here in DU -- but in the general election, any candidate with a 29 yr. old British wife who is perceived to be looking down her nose at American democracy would be eviscerated by the Rethugs, mocked by the media, and distrusted by the typical American voter.

It doesn't matter whether she's right or wrong -- Kucinich himself could say what she said, but SHE, as a British citizen, would come across as judgmental and officious. It's not as if Britain is a sterling example of democracy. She comes from a KINGDOM, after all.

[hootinholler]

15. Shouldn't be?

Please do tell me how the only candidate to pledge to hold this criminal administration accountable shouldn't be our choice?

I'm not sure if Dennis' wife was naturalized or not, but that's not a reason to reject him as a candidate.

-Hoot

[pnwmom]

17. No, he shouldn't be our nominee because he can't win.

He'll be perceived not as a philosopher and a good person, but a huge flake. And his tongue-studded wife doesn't help.

[hootinholler]

18. He can't win like Truman couldn't win.

Give him the floor and he'll win.

I'm so tired of the he can't win bullshit. Dennis has the right mindset on the issues. He's smart, dedicated, non-corporate.

What was the last truly progressive President, eh? These times call for Dennis' lead, and spine.

-Hoot

[pnwmom]

20. Truman wasn't a new agey, thrice-married philosopher with a current

wife less than half his age. And Truman was a veteran, and a pragmatist with a folksy demeanor. I don't see the connection between him and Kucinich except for their willingness to take on corporations. But that won't be enough to get Kucinich elected.

[loudsue]

13. Dennis & Elizabeth get it.

Great interview!

:kick: & rec.

[emlev]

14. Thanks much.

[Viva_La_Revolution]

16. I haven't even read the post yet, but you get a Rec. just for that picture. nt

[mmonk]

19. Thanks Em

[EFerrari]

22. Kick

[emlev]

23. Thanks again!

[EFerrari]

25. Thank you for doing this for us!

:kick:

[emlev]

28. You know what's weird?

I thought if I posted this people would ask me about what it was like to meet them, and no one has. Except Air America in SF, which had me on yesterday to talk about interviewing them.

So if any of you have questions I might be able to answer, go ahead and ask.

And I'll start with this observation:
I don't know what all the fuss is about Dennis being short; he's much taller than I am. And, hey, Stephen Colbert fits in his pocket, so how short could he be?

[EFerrari]

29. LOL! What was is like to meet them?

When I met Cindy I was so moved not only by her height but also by her serenity. If she was any more centered, we could use her as a compass. :)

[emlev]

30. Funny you should ask

and I'd love to hear more about what it was like to meet Cindy Sheehan. Very cool that you got to.

I enjoyed Dennis's mixture of absolute seriousness/dedication and playfulness. He seemed absolutely real and warm. I think he was really listening to everything everyone wanted to say to him, took quite a bit of time, at least a half an hour, after his speech just to stand among the people who surrounded him and give each one a chance to tell him or ask him what they wanted to. One woman sang a song she'd written. Others asked questions and he answered them directly and fully. Others just wanted to thank him or wish him well. Others wanted autographs or photos taken with him. He seemed relaxed, confident, focused and very present. And this after being up on stage and giving a speech that was very much in the campaign style (it's available to watch in the political videos section of DU), though of course with more real content than most.

Elizabeth also seemed calm and centered, confident, smart. Her poise was almost breathtaking. Her mom was there, too, and seemed warm (all of them did) and quite dedicated. She said Dennis is a wonderful son-in-law.

I imagine that with other candidates there would be the feeling that their attitude was, "Gotta get through this and get out of here," but that wasn't true at all in this situation. I suppose the Kuciniches could have been thinking that, but there was no evidence of it in their behavior, body language or even energy. In fact, when someone came up to Dennis while I was interviewing him and said it was time to go, Dennis offered to call me to talk more. I was shocked at that.

But you know what? I was ten times as shocked two days later when he actually called!

There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that he is the real thing, absolutely dedicated, knows he's in a unique position of being able to make an impact on the world (well, it wouldn't be so unique if some of his colleagues would step up!) and going to do everything he can to save us from fascism, World War III, the shredding of The Constitution (pocket-sized or regular), and all the other evils that have befallen this country and the world as a result of the NeoCon agenda.

Plus he laughed at my jokes and liked my button:

[EFerrari]

31. Let's never forget that we had this choice.

:toast:

:hug:

[emlev]

32. I've rarely disliked past tense as much as I did right there. eom

[EFerrari]

33. Sorry, long week. The only bumpersticker on my car

is one of his.

[emlev]

34. Thanks n/t

[Swamp Rat]

24. Yaay!!!

:applause:

[LWolf]

26. Thank you for sharing this.

No surprise from DK; it's exactly what I've come to expect from him. Action and integrity.

Elizabeth speaks my mind as well as hers on the U.S. political process.

[emlev]

27. It was really an amazing experience for me to get to meet them both...

They seemed like such "regular people," warm and relaxed and real. I got to meet Elizabeth's mother, too, who I enjoyed talking with as well. Dennis's dedication is so crystal clear.

[KoKo]

35. thank you Emily....K&R