"Kucinich Campaign Becoming a Laugher" [View All]

[SaveElmer]

http://www.cleveland.com/tipoff/index.ssf?/base/opinion/116928540372900.xml&coll=2

U.S. Rep. Dennis Kucinich, once again running for president, often talks about his opposition to war and his idea for a Department of Peace.

But it's his approach to health care that really might gain traction.

If laughter is the best medicine, Kucinich's futile campaign may cure all that ails us.

Once a punching bag as Cleveland's boy mayor, he's now a punch line.

American Greetings made a card touting the fact that he had "thrown his hat" into the presidential race. The card then describes the hat as pointy with bells, skewering the elfen congressman. And on NPR's "Wait Wait . . . Don't Tell Me!" show last weekend, host Peter Sagal read a list of Democratic presidential hopefuls, including Kucinich, "who is, of course, the official hopeless candidate of 'Wait, Wait . . . Don't Tell Me' - and that is a title Kucinich will hold until John Kerry announces his bid."

Ouch.

David Letterman, who had Kucinich on his show during his last presidential campaign to deliver the famed "Top 10 List," is working Kucinich back into his act with regularity. Thursday night, he flashed the banner, "Dennis Kucinich: All the way in '08" followed by this announcement: "Before every speech, he gets ripped on vodka!" Then came the clip of Kucinich, with a low, sorrowful voice, singing "Sixteen Tons" during his speech this month to the Rainbow/PUSH coalition.