The Kucinich ego

[oberliner]

IT IS not difficult to figure Rep. Dennis Kucinich out. The diminutive Cleveland congressman has a giant-sized ego that seeks a national platform for sustained attention. It is the reason the 60-year-old liberal Democrat has launched a second bid for president.

<snip>

He kept the war at the forefront of his quixotic campaign, hammering away at the steep cost of the unjustified pre-emptive invasion whenever possible. And he was right.

But to use the results of the recent midterm elections as an excuse to run again for president on an anti-war platform undermines the good he did two years ago.

<snip>

But it's not about him. It's about the nation finding new direction through new leadership. Conversely, the announced Kucinich campaign for president in 2008 is about him.

And frankly, his 10th District constituents deserve better. They re-elected their congressman to a sixth term with 66 percent of the vote.

http://toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061217/OPINION02/612160337/-1/OPINION

[Eurobabe]

1. My grandfather HATED Kucinich (he was a Repub, bless him, RIP)

He hated the fact that he was mayor of Cleveland in the 70s. I remember him ranting about it as a kid.

But that's good enough reason for me to vote for Koochman. LOL, sorry Gramps, but you are wrong on this one.

[Felinity]

2. Bullshit. n/t

[Mass]

3. It is not about ego. It is about bringing some issues to the national stage.

There are some ideas and issues that do not get any media time because they are considered too marginal by the MSM, whether they are or not. It is important that people like Kucinich who have something to bring to the discussion are part of the discussion. If the Toledo Blade does not get that, too bad for them.

[Vincardog]

4. And he is to liberal to win right?

Fk that we need some one to push the progressive agenda proudly. I am backing
Rep. Dennis Kucinich until someone more progressive comes along.

[Cascadian]

43. The DLC and Republican Lite people want to shut us up.

They want the Democratic Party all to themselves and screw the rest of us who are deemed too "left" or "liberal". I have really had my belly full of their rhetoric and I will say that they are not going to dominate this party without a fight.

John

[Freddie Stubbs]

60. Even he knows that he is far to uncharismatic to be elected

He will run another halt-hearted campaign, simultaneously running for his House seat because he knows that the Presidency is out of reach.

[Zorra]

100. Well, Bu*h is about as charismatic as a week old roadkill toad.

Yet somehow he got elected.

Oh, yeah...he didn't get elected.

Never mind.

[nam78_two]

5. Dear reporters-please never ever mention Kucinich

without mentioning his height :eyes:

Or if its Hilary or any other female politician -please mention what they wore. sheesh

[nashville_brook]

9. do they ever say, "the portly Gingrinch" or "the fat Hastert" ??

no and no. fuckurs.

[nam78_two]

13. Though "florid Kennedy" works

apparently :eyes:

[Sparkly]

14. "simian Bush" ?

[treestar]

91. Exactly! Why don't they? Isn't that a threat to good health, too?

It sure was mentioned about Bill Clinton, too, and he never was as fat as either of those two!

[nashville_brook]

6. and what about the Obama ego? or the Clinton ego?

or the ego of anyone seeking office?

sheesh -- the use of the word "diminutive" really pisses me off here.

[Cascadian]

44. More like the Clinton ego.

Does anybody REALLY think she is going to breeze through the nomination? She probably thinks she will win. This woman will lose the election for the Democrats. Obama I honestly have no problem with to be honest.


John

[Name removed]

7. Deleted sub-thread

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[no_hypocrisy]

8. Ego aside, how about his sincerity and integrity? That goes a

long way.

[MOB]

10. Well re: his integrity

Re: his integrity, how could you say he has any when he allows himself to be used a stooge by the Kerry / Edwards people?

[nashville_brook]

15. uh huh

:popcorn:

[MOB]

17. do something unusual and

think about it for a minute for saying something

[Vanje]

28. Whos stooge

are you?

[GreenArrow]

39. that might say more about the integrity of the Kerry/Edwards people

than it does Kucinich, and it might say even more about the fundamental worldview of the Dem party establishment.

[eridani]

56. Excuse me. That's called supporting the winner of the primary--

--after you've lost. It's what members of parties that are actually serious about electoral politics do.

[J Miles]

62. On the other hand

Those of us with principles...

[eridani]

78. Do what? Refuse to participate in electoral politics if their candidate doesn't win?

It actually does make a difference who holds office. Noam Chomsky voted for Nader as a protest vote because he lives in MA, where Kerry was a sure bet. However, he noted that even small differences between Repubs and Dems make real differences in peoples' lives, and strongly recommended supporting Kerry in states where the outcome was in reasonable doubt.

[Orangepeel]

11. everyone who runs for President has a giant-sized ego

it isn't specified in the Constitution, but to run for the job, it's as necessary as being a natural born citizen over 35.

:shrug:

Kucinich was never on my short list of candidates and won't be again, but he has as much right to run as anyone else.

[Nederland]

72. Kucinich will always be on the short list

:) Sorry, couldn't resist.

[NV1962]

12. Blah, blah, blah... What a piece of bunk. If DK didn't exist, we'd have to invent him! (n/t)

[AtomicKitten]

16. I like Dennis Kucinich.

And it requires ego to take a shot at the top job.

[nam78_two]

20. A Gore-Kucinich ticket would rock

Though,it would be lovely to see the talking-heads talk for an entire hour about them with probably 30% of the time devoted to their anti-war, pro-environment stances, about 20% of the time about how no one likes either of them because they are ELF supporting communists and the rest evenly split between Kucinich's height and Gore's weight :eyes:.....

[AtomicKitten]

22. Wouldn't it be lovely to decide an election on issues

rather than on fluff?

[nam78_two]

24. Would work for me

Very nice pic of Al btw...

[I Have A Dream]

32. Don't you know that "diminutive" men don't have the right to a big ego?

Only "tall" men do.

:sarcasm:

[AtomicKitten]

37. he's tall by proxy

[jus_the_facts]

18. His constitutents deserve him and so does the rest of the world....

...I'm sure they'd LOVE it if he were nominated. :wtf: :crazy:

[paulk]

19. DK's is a vanity campaign this time around

The Toledo Blade gets it right.

DK had something to add to the conversation in 2004, but this time around he's nothing more than a distraction. The country needs real world solutions, not DK's tilting at windmills.

[Eric J in MN]

23. How is spending billions upon billions of dollars on the Iraq War...

...as if we have unlimted money realistic?

[paulk]

34. how does your post have anything to do with mine?

:shrug:

[Eric J in MN]

35. Hillary Clinton saying we should stay in Iraq

...isn't offering more of a "real world solution" than Dennis Kucinich saying we should leave.

[Cascadian]

42. Which people does Hillary listen to?

Kucinich hears what people are saying what they want. He is among the most in-touch politicians we have. Who does Hillary listen to? It sure as hell isn't me. Kucinich speaks for me as does Al Gore.


John

[paulk]

68. what does Hillary Clinton have to do with this thread?

or with my post?

[Union Thug]

26. Well, he's keeping this Green leaning voter from abandoning

the Democrats completely. And my guess is that I am not alone.

Real world solutions? Like what exactly?

[paulk]

36. I would call a real world solution

something that has a real chance of happening, given the numbers in Congress. Very little of what DK proposes fit that criterion.

[Union Thug]

38. for example?

I'm not trying to be a contrarian, I'm just curious what you are concered about.

[paulk]

85. here is a perfect example:

http://www.rawstory.com/news/2006/Kucinich_We_could_exit_Iraq_in_1218.html

Sixty days? The estimates I have seen from the military run from 6 months absolute minimum to a year. Is DK planning on leaving all of our gear behind? I'm sure there are plenty of countries in the region who would love to get their hands on our ordinance. And backwards engineering is a bitch. There is no way this is going to happen.

And he talks of "inviting the international community" to come in and help us out. How? How is he going to do this? Why would another country be willing to have their soldiers blown up in lieu of ours? This is pie in the sky fantasy, not a real world plan.

[eridani]

57. Thanks for sticking up for the Republican memes.

Not. Just because Repubs have convinced a lot of people that Social Security is in trouble and should be privatized by saying so over and over endlessly, that's obviously no reason for Dems to try the same trick with universal health care, or putting resources into inventing the next energy economy instead of imperial thuggery. :sarcasm:

[paulk]

69. I'm not sticking up for "Republican memes"

I'm talking about putting forth legislative initiatives that have a real world chance of being enacted - something that Republicans will have a say in, obviously.

[eridani]

79. Remind me to never have you write my eBay offers for me

If I wanted $100 for an item, but would take $50, you'd put $50 in the header. Not me--I'll ask for the maximum that I want. If you want a kitten, ask for a pony. Keep putting out real proposals for universal health care, and keep talking about it, and maybe as many people might come to believe us as now believe Republicans who have been yammering about privatization of Social Security for years on end.

[paulk]

80. I am a very successful e-bayer, with a 100% rating

:)


and I don't understand your continued references to social security.

Is thread a discussion of social security?

[eridani]

81. No, it's about what policies I want Dems to advocate

Repubs don't let the fact that Social Security is a pop8lar program stop them from constantly attacking it. Why won't Dems constantly advertise what they really want to do, regardless of what Repubs and the corporate elite think? Kucinich constantly does this, and makes even the best of our other potential candidates look like wusses for not doing the same.

[paulk]

84. ok

but, does he need to run for President in order to push these issues? Can't he do it just as effectively as a member of the House?

I would argue that Kucinich actually hurts the causes he extolls. When he is able to only get 3% from his own party membership in a primary, he marginalizes both himself and his issues.

[eridani]

88. Those issues belong in the presidential debates n/t

[GreenArrow]

92. that's what Bush and Co. have done the last six years --

shoot for the moon -- and they have managed to get all sorts of egregious, foul crap that they wanted. They state the maximum of what they want, usually more than they should expect to get. If they have to compromise down, they still are getting the better of the deal since they asked for everything to begin with. Too often, the Democrats start from a low compromise position, which then gets compromised down further, resulting in crap. On the health insurance issue, the Democrats position should be Single Payer NOW, and they should repeat it loudly and often. Don't start off with a compromise position, start off by saying what you want.

The trouble is, I believe there are a sizable number of lawmakers in the party who do not want a Single Payer plan, never mind what their constituents want.

[eridani]

93. Bingo!

If you want a puppy, ask for a pony.

[rman]

66. that's such a convincing argument

not

[paulk]

70. and your's is....

what?

An argument?

A rebuttal?

just another knee jerk post?

[rman]

74. You make nothing but unsubstantiated accusations

You offer nothing to argue.

[paulk]

76. really?

Point them out.

One by one, Rman.

I want to see it.

I want to see what "unsubstantiated accusations" I've made in this thread.

Do you consider agreeing with a newspaper article an "unsubstantiated accusation"?

I mean, really - what's your point?

[Eric J in MN]

21. Dennis Kucinich may be the only presidential candidate...

...who wants the US to leave Iraq now.

He may be the only presidential candidate who wants the 2008 presidential race to be hand-counted with paper ballots.

He may be the only presidential candidate who wants a Department of Peace.

I'm glad he's running.

[Common Sense Party]

53. I am sincere here: What will the Department of Peace do?

How will it differ from the State Department?

[Eric J in MN]

83. Here is a list.

http://www.thepeacealliance.org/content/view/20/68/

We Need a Dept. of Peace…

* To reduce domestic and international violence

* To gather and coordinate information and recommendations from America’s peace community

* To teach violence prevention and mediation to America’s school children

* To effectively treat and dismantle gang psychology

* To rehabilitate the prison population

* To build peace-making efforts among conflicting cultures both here and abroad

* To support our military with complementary approaches to ending violence

[Union Thug]

25. Who the fuck cares about the relative size of his ego? I'm interested

in his politics, and they are SPOT ON, in my opinion. I will support him in the primaries during this cycle just as I did in 2004.

GO DENNIS!

[longship]

27. Dear Toledo Blade,

I sent the Blade the following LTTE:

It is obvious that the Toledo Blade does not understand the important issues today, let alone Representative Kucinich's rationale for mounting another Presidential bid. ("The Kucinich Ego", December 17, 2006.) Your claim that he is using "the results of the recent midterm elections as an excuse to run again for president on an anti-war platform" is amongst the most misplaced arguments I've recently heard. And to compound it by claiming that a second run will in anyway "undermine the good he did two years ago" is outright delusional.

What does the Toledo Blade think that the 2006 midterm election was about? The people of the United States seem to know something which the Blade does not, or will not admit. The midterm elections were all about the Iraq war and the utter failures of the Bush administration to do the right thing there, and in New Orleans, and on a myriad of other issues which seem to escape the Toledo Blade's editorial staff. It is for these reasons that Dennis Kucinich is again running for president.

This is decidedly not about ego, especially after his 2004 campaign. Most people have no delusions about Kucinich's 2008 chances, which are likely next to nil. But his campaign is nonetheless important for any number of other reasons, particularly that somebody has to stand up for principles which, without Kucinich in the campaign, would not be heard.

I imagine that Kucinich would have run in 2008 no matter what majority he had obtained in the election, or even if he had lost. I would have hoped that the Blade editors would understand this, or would have specifically asked Rep. Kucinich instead of making things up. However, maybe then the editors might have entitled their editorial, "The Kucinich Principles" instead of the baseless attack that was published.

Thank you an opportunity to comment.

Sincerely yours,

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

30. Good LTTE

hope they print it.

[nealmhughes]

29. That is a mighty big ego for a truckdrivers's son.

Is that what the Blade and other DK detractors think?

That he is too big for his breeches?

Well, DK is the only working class candidate right now. From, of, and for the workers, not corporations, not status quo, not a triangulated platform, but one of honesty and integrity.

He is over 35. He was born in the USA. He is a registered voter. He is an elected Democratic Representative from Ohio. What prevents him from running for President?

Nothing.

Perhaps those who dismiss so rapidly are afraid that their own "But we're really just like Moderate Repubicans!" message will get rent asunder.

Democrats are supposed to be about People, not Corporations. Peace and prosperity, and against war uless attacked. Democrats are supposed to be the party of conservation and new ideas, not closed door meetings of invited "strategists", "corporate leaders" and their candidates deciding our agenda.

[billbuckhead]

31. Dennis has always been the anti-Iraqi war candidate from day 1

Dennis has also represented the democratic wing of the Democratic party for decades. I'd vote for him before many others.

[mdmc]

33. lame

real lame

[Cascadian]

40. That argument about his ego is a crock of crap!

I'm sorry but it is. The main reason Kucinich is running to bring attention to the fact many in the Democratic Party hierachy are going in the wrong direction or no direction when it comes to Iraq. He is an old-style pro-peace, pro-labor Democrat and he simply wants the party to go back to it's roots as I do. He is passionate, articulate, and believes what he says. America and the Democrats could do with a thousand Dennis Kuciniches in our ranks. All this talk of an ego is baseless. Let him run. The Democrats need him and Al Gore to put the pitchfork in some of our leaders' asses.


John

[Cascadian]

41. You DLCers and Republican Lite Dems....

Leave Kucinich alone and let him run. The Democrats need him. He has a viable message to convey and you are not going to shut out the progressives and lefties in the party no more. I am really getting sick of you all who are trying to hijack the party from us. And by the way, it was the people who won this last election not you guys!


John

[talk hard]

87. man, you sure label Democrats pretty randomly

you just keep the division going

[Stevepol]

45. DK is a man of principle and integrity.

I didn't support him in 2004 because I thought he didn't have a chance to win, tho I really felt closer to his platform than to that of any other candidate. I thought Kerry with his battalions of lawyers and boatloads of money he said he was ready to use to make sure the vote was fairly counted would be the most likely to succeed, since I knew the voting machines would tilt the election Bush's way. I was mistaken.

This time I'm for DK from Day One until he's no longer running. Who else is there to present the real issues and democratic principles of the country? Even if he loses, he still wins. You don't lose if you run on principle. And by the way when you live in behalf of a principle, you are doing the most unselfish and ego-diminishing thing you can do. You are making yourself one with truth itself, you're losing your ego in something higher.

Go DK.

[Freddie Stubbs]

61. People of "principle and integrity" aren't afraid to take stands of issues

http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2006/roll196.xml

http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2006/roll391.xml

http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2006/roll042.xml

[Imagevision]

46. Kucinich will make guyz like Hillary, Biden,Gore rethink their strategy's

Harry Reid said today it's ok to send more troops to Iraq but on a 6-90- day basis.

Sen. Edward Kennedy D-Mass., said, "I respect Harry Reid on it, but that's not where I am."

Kennedy, like Reed, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said there would be widespread opposition by members of his committee if Bush proposed a troop increase. Bush seems to think it's not really all that bad...

[The Count]

48. In all fairness, Gore's inclusion in this bunch is odd....(he's not even my candidate

but I am listening to all anti-war voices)

[The Count]

47. Damn right! How dares he speak about the war - and not even have a cool

backdrop, like say, Ground Zero,the 9th ward of NOLA or an aircraft carrier! How dares he be so small and talk so big?
The nerve to use the November elections (which should be totally forgotten, I tell ya!) to say that we wanted to stop the war!
Why, I never!

[porkrind]

49. What a lame hit piece

Sounds like it was written by Rove and Co. Get real.

:puke:

[oberliner]

51. This is not a hit piece - The Toledo Blade endorses Democrats

The Toledo Blade endorsed Kerry in 2004 and Sherrod Brown in 2006.

Kucinich told Ohio voters that he had no plans to run for President again as he was campaigning in the recent Congressional election.

In my view, he should continue to champion those causes for which he has fought from his position as U.S. Representative.

His running for president, in my opinion, does not help our chances of taking back the White House in 2008.

[Warren Stupidity]

59. That is a non sequitor.

The fact that the Toledo Blade endorses Democrats in no way disproves that it didn't run a hit piece against one potential Democratic candidate. They don't like Kucinich.

[Katzenjammer]

64. Of course it's a hit piece. It just fits in with your politics. (nt)

[bvar22]

50. What a smelly load of crap!

Anyone who tries to brand DK as just the Anti-War candidate is NOT paying attention!
DK is MUCH MORE:

He is also the ONLY Democratic Candidate who supports Single Payer Universal HealthCare for ALL Americans. Beware of Democrats who try to sell you "Affordable HealthCare" by tryinbg to make it look like Universal healthCare. It is not.

DK is the ONLY Democratic Candidate who opposes "Free Trade" in its current incarnation. DK advocates the withdrawal from ALL Trade Agreements, and re-negotiation of each trade agreement on a bi-lateral basis with emphasis on Human (Worker's) Rights and Environmental Protection. ALL the other Democratic candidates mouth vague platitudes about "having to do something, make some adjustments" but NONE offer a PLAN to deal with the exodus of American jobs, 3rd World Corporate Predation, and Global Environmental degradation.

The DLC and "Old Boy" establishment Democratic Party are not really afraid of Dennis Kucinich, but they ARE terrified of his message. They will try to marginalize him any way they can. They cannot attack his message, so they will attack him personally, and attempt to frame him as a single issue nut. You can see them at work on this thread.

GO DK!
Get the WORD OUT.
The MAJORITY of Americans (Democrat & Republican) AGREE with DK on the issues!

The Democratic Party is a BIG TENT, but there is NO ROOM for those
who advance the agenda of THE RICH (Corporate Owners) at the EXPENSE of LABOR and the POOR.

[Clark2008]

82. Um, no he wasn't.

Wesley Clark also supported single-payer health insurance:

http://www.mydd.com/story/2006/1/30/17455/5250

In health care, we need to take better advantage of modern technology to practice evidence-based medicine, in which treatments and practices are based on statistically proven results - not commercial advertising - and doctors and hospitals are held accountable for their performance, not just by the threat of malpractice but by the day-to-day quality of their results. We need to harness the innovation of our biotech, pharmaceutical, and health insurance industries better to serve the public good, not just the private gain of shareholders. No child in America should grow up without regular medical check-ups and care - or regular exercise and physical fitness - and every adult should be provided access to the kinds of diagnostic testing and preventive treatments which can slow the onset of aging diseases like diabetes, atherosclerosis, and Alzheimer's. Additional insurance coverage should be directed to catastrophic illness and injuries, the kind that wreck families and shatter productive lives. And inevitably this will mean transitioning over time from a work place centered, private payer system toward greater reliance on some form of single-payer system to ease administrative burdens and reduce costs.

[Tom Joad]

52. Kucinich is one of the congresspeople to support a cease-fire in the war against Lebanon

and that has many people upset.

But instead of following the Bush/olmert line that "israel must finish the job" Kucinich said that the US should use its influence to call for a quick cease-fire.

aipac was furious. So were Democrat leaders. Not to mention the bushies.

But if Kucinich were President many lives would have been saved. He would not have dithered like Bush did (and few in congress protested Bush's initial inaction), but would have pressed for a ceasefire very quickly... not waiting until it looked like Israel was not going to get any victory.

[oberliner]

54. He should continue to work for peace as a U.S. Representative

And not devote his time to campaigning for president rather than working to serve the people in Ohio who just re-elected him about a month ago. Some, in fact, may have been encouraged to vote for him because he told those voters that he had no plans to run for president in 2008.

[Tom Joad]

55. While it sounds like the Dem leadership may be calling for MORE

troops to be sent in Iraq, i think a dissenting voice is refreshing.

[Warren Stupidity]

58. Same then for the others, right?

Obama, Clinton et al all elected to represent their constituents and have no business do anything else, like for example running for president.

What a pile of nonsense. Kucinich does not hurt our chances of winning in 08. Kucinich forces other candidates to address the issues he raises, issues that they would rather pretend didn't exist or were not credible. Issues that might very well be more popular and energizing with the voting public than the centrist crap that other candidates mumble by rote.

He brings the left wing of the Democratic Party to the table, and you know what, we are here, we vote, we organize, we fund, we have more rights to have our views supported than the corporate asshats over at the DLC.

[oberliner]

67. Exactly! Go Edwards!

Kucinich is great. I just don't think it's good idea for him to run for president.

But if having him in the race is necessary to bring the left wing of the Democratic Party to the table then by all means.

Whatever it takes to ensure that the Republicans do not got the White House in 2008 is ok by me!

[Tom Joad]

71. Yes, it would be wonderful to have one of the main backers of theIWR

in the oval office... Americans owe much to John for that! Especially the families of 3,000 serviceman... the lives of these families will never be the same. (Edwards did say sorry about that... hey, that's nice... just a little error in judgement millions of Americans were protesting BEFORE the war started)

Edwards is also a main backer of the Patriot Act... Thank you John...But if you get into the White House, you will know all my views anyway, so no need for me to say anything here.

Edwards can also be counted on to back Israel's every move, no matter how foolish or self-destructive... Like Israel's insane attack on Lebanon that left Israel and the US more hated in the region more than ever before... unlike Kucinich and his crazy ideas about an early cease-fire.

Edwards is already acting so "presidential". emulating the current white house occupant.

Sweet.

[oberliner]

77. self-delete

Peace.

[ellisonz]

102. If he in fact did say that...

He needs to stick to his statements, and especially since it is to his district.

2003 Dean > Kucinich
2007 Edwards/Obama > Kucinich

2008 is a damn important election and if the "left-wing" need Dennis to run to justify their belonging to the Democratic Party then God help us if there is a GOP administration sworn in on Jan 24, 2009.

[Zodiak]

63. This is a stupid hit piece

as if I care about Kucinich's ego. As if anyone cares about his ego.

He announces his candidacy, and the only thing the gatekeepers can think to say against him is that he is short and has an ego. At least he isn't stupid and he doesn't possess a habit of enabling Republicans at every turn.

[MaggieSwanson]

65. DJK's response to a similar question

posed by The Nation...

Q: I saw Stephen Hess of the Brookings Institution on CNN saying that candidacies like yours are just an ego trip. Is this an ego trip for you?

DJK: I've spent the last five years of my life warning our nation about the path to war and about our occupation of Iraq. There are probably easier ways to pamper oneself.


The entire interview is here... http://www.thenation.com/doc/20070101/scheer

How is opening himself up to the traditional media sneer an ego trip for anyone?

Dennis speaks for me, so I will stand with him.

-M

[Name removed]

73. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[NoSheep]

75. Everyone who runs for President has a giant ego, no?

[jcrew2001]

86. Newsradio

Kucinich's first goal of finding a new wife has been accomplished. He was more successful than Jimmy James from Newsradio, who ran for president to try to find a new wife, but failed when Lisa exposed his charade.

[mmonk]

89. Every single politician running for president has a big ego.

I'd rather choose the ones whose positions are correct and just such as Kucinich.

[treestar]

90. But where does he stand on the issues and what kind of president

would he be; those are the only issues - anybody who runs needs a big ego, or perhaps more precisely, a thick skin.

I'm tired of hearing about personal lives and personal qualities - in this country, we need to get over this and concentrate on the issues.

We need to get over needing a saint (there are none) or a charismatic leader. Just someone who will do the job of carrying out the duties of the executive branch. That's all the President is, after all.

[ecstatic]

94. We can't say that about him unless he goes 3rd party

Then and only then would we be able to say that he put his own interests above that of the nation and this party.

[mdmc]

95. DK is God

little ego and all...

[Lydia Leftcoast]

96. The establishment Dems hate him because he shows them up

for the craven wimps that they are.

[Cascadian]

97. Didn't we discuss this a couple of weeks ago?

The real reason Kucinich is running for President because he wants the Democratic Party to move away from a pro-corporatist agenda as well as getting our troops home from Iraq. I hope, I really, really hope, that the powers that be in the Democratic Party do not squander this opportunity they have been given to start setting things right like getting out of Iraq and getting raising the wages of workers among other things.

I agree wholeheartedly with this Opinion piece in regards to the 2008 Presidential Election is not about Kucinich. He is running because it is not about him. It's about saving this country and saving the Democratic Party from the Neocon/DLC cabal and keeping the party for the people. I believe there will is an effort underway among the DLC to discredit those Democrats on the left and those who are not on board with the DLC/Corporatist agenda. This is why I consider the DLC an even bigger threat than the Republicans. They are a cancer.


John

[Rosa Luxemburg]

98. I don't see why it is a problem for him to run

good for him!

[WinkyDink]

99. Integrity has no term limits.

[Zorra]

101. That article was probably sponsored by some

piece of shit war profiteering corporation that wants to put a muzzle on Dennis and his plain truth common sense democratic populism.