Kucinich2004

2003-05-31T13:49:00.000-04:00

Great quote...
...by Kucinich from the Rural America conference hosted by the upstate New York Dems.

"This administration tells people to pull themselves up by the bootstraps, and then they take away our boots."

2003-05-31T13:47:00.000-04:00

Kucinich on Heath Care
Here's a great interview with Ray Suarez, of PBS's NewsHour, where healthcare is the only topic.

2003-05-29T20:31:00.000-04:00

Medicinal Marijuana
Kucinich is getting big press coverage--TV, newspapers--for his brave stance on making marijuana available to those who need it for medical purposes. Most of it is good or fair.

2003-05-29T11:06:00.000-04:00

Good Fundraising news
From the Santa Cruz Sentinel:

U.S. Rep. Dennis Kucinich, D-Ohio, cleaned up during his visit here Sunday.

...Kucinich raised $70,000 for his presidential bid. The three Kucinich-related events in Santa Cruz were sold out.

... the Kucinich money came from a private dinner that drew 40 people who paid $500 each, and at a Veterans Memorial Building event in downtown Santa Cruz with a $50 admission.

...some who attended the later event gave far more than the admission fee, including one woman who walked up to the stage and handed her unemployment check to Kucinich.

If someone on unemployment can do that...makes you feel like you should be doing your part. Please help Dennis now. Give what you can.

2003-05-29T11:00:00.000-04:00

Kucinich "stepped out in front" on medical marijuana
From The San Francisco Chronicle:

Rep. Dennis Kucinich of Ohio became the first Democratic presidential candidate to endorse the legalization of medical marijuana when he told The Chronicle on Wednesday it should be available "to any patient who needs it to alleviate pain and suffering," regardless of the current federal drug laws. ...

Kucinich said that as president, "I'd sign an executive order that would permit its use."...

Kucinich's policy on the issue has the potential to resonate with voters in California -- and beyond. California voters approved the use and distribution of marijuana with a doctor's prescription in 1996. Alaska, Arizona, Colorado, Hawaii, Maine, Nevada, Oregon and Washington have similar laws.

An October 2002 CNN/Time poll showed that 80 percent of Americans believe that medical marijuana should be legally available. ...

With his statements, Kucinich -- who has made headlines with his strong anti-war stance and proposals to create a U.S. Department of Peace -- has stepped out in front of the Democratic presidential candidates.

2003-05-29T02:46:00.000-04:00

Kucinich Stands out on Gay Rights
From the San Francisco Chronicle:

Democratic presidential candidates running in the 2004 election are more sympathetic to gay and lesbian issues than any field in history...Of the nine announced candidates, only one -- Rep. Dennis Kucinich of Ohio -- specifies a section on "Gay Rights" on his campaign Web page.

The article was in response to a report on lall the '04Dems by the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force. Kucinich's profile starts on page 28.

2003-05-28T18:02:00.000-04:00

Karaoke
PoliticsNH put on a Karaoke contest between the New Hampshire presidential campaign staffs. The whole thing was pretty funny. Kucinich's staffer sang "Only the good die young" by Billy Joel. (No official word on who that staffer was, but the smart money is on Trevor Elkins.) I'll admit I'm a confused by the choice of the song. Isn't very optimistic, is it?

The Gephardt campaign sang "I'm too Sexy" by Right Said Fred, and made up new lyrics applying to each candidate. The relevant section:

And I'm too sexy for Concord, too sexy for Keene
Portsmouth and Manch

The implication, of course, is that Kucinich has ignored the New Hampshire primary thus far, favoring to spend time chasing votes in Iowa, or chasing dollars in California.

2003-05-28T10:35:00.000-04:00

Kuttner issues Clarification
Anyone who caught Robert Kuttner's piece in the Globe last week was probably asking why it made no mention of Kucinich:

...the health plans released by the Democratic presidential contenders are a set of little plans. They leave the current system largely intact and use subsidies and tax credits to reduce the number of uninsured -- as if the whole system were not broken. With slight variations, this is the approach chosen by both former Vermont Governor Howard Dean and Massachusetts Senator John Kerry. And North Carolina Senator John Edwards and Connecticut's Joe Lieberman will likely do the same. Congressman Dick Gephardt ... gives tax breaks to corporations ... For them, the money will be mainly windfall...

The best solution here is national health insurance. We already have it for one segment of the population, through Medicare. The program is easy to understand, and even fits on a bumper sticker: ''Medicare for all.''

You see I knew I'd heard that phrase--"Medicare for All"--before. It was odd, nay, irresponsible, in a column that gave a laundry list of candidates not to mention that Kucinich has proposed exactly that.
So today Kuttner stuck this at the bottom of his editorial.

Clarification: Last week I urged Democratic presidential candidates to embrace bolder health care reforms, arguing that the best approach would be Medicare For All. I neglected to credit one declared candidate, Ohio Congressman Dennis Kucinich, for sponsoring just that strategy.

2003-05-27T23:29:00.000-04:00

Not just preaching to the choir
From the San Francisco Chronicle:

Ohio Rep. Dennis Kucinich kicked off a presidential campaign visit to Northern California on Saturday...

John Thompson, 68, a retired magazine publisher from Nicasio, also cited environmental concerns in his support for Kucinich. He was drawn to the candidate's sense of integrity, too.

"I've never seen a politician who comes from the heart so much," he said.

Thompson added that he is a lifelong Republican about to switch parties.

2003-05-27T23:22:00.000-04:00

Kucinich at Emily's list
Here's some video footage--in Real Audio--of Dennis adressing the Emily's List Presidential Forum. It's a very edited version of his remarks, but you can see the steam get going at the end of the clip. Here's how the Washington Post described the moment:

Kucinich attacked Bush for going to war in Iraq and for failing to focus on the threats to economic security at home. "I know where weapons of mass destruction are," he said to rising applause and eventually a standing ovation. "Joblessness is a weapon of mass destruction. ... And when the government lies to the American people, that is a weapon of mass destruction."

2003-05-27T22:51:00.000-04:00

Praise from Unusual Quarters...
Jay Nordlinger, managing editor of the National Review had this to say on Kucinich's recent Iowa Public TV interview.

Finally, let me say something complimentary about Rep. Dennis Kucinich... In Iowa, the following exchange took place: "Congressman, according to your website, you're a vegetarian." "Right." "Why should people in Iowa support a president who is anti-meat?" "Corn is a vegetable."

Marvelous answer. Prepared or not, it was terrific — charming, engaging, smart. A second questioner immediately chimed in, "We often use corn to feed our livestock" — but Kucinich had done pretty well.

2003-05-27T18:50:00.000-04:00

WaPo: Military Record May Gain Role in 2004 Presidential Race

Rep. Dennis J. Kucinich (D-Ohio) also voted against using force in Iraq, and has been an outspoken critic of the Bush administration on the topic. But in a recent interview he noted that he is from a "family of military service," with his father and two siblings having served. He also said that he was "very disappointed" when he was classified as ineligible for military service because of a heart murmur. "We need to expand the definition of service to one's country," he said. "All service is honorable."

2003-05-27T18:48:00.000-04:00

The Note on Kucinich

Representative Kucinich's bus rolls through Sacramento, Stockton, Fresno and Sunnyvale today. Tomorrow, it's San Jose, Cupertino, Palo Alto, Santa Rose and San Rafael. Thursday: San Rafael, Corta Medera, San Francisco, and Berkeley.

We presume that Kucinich will then hop aboard a plane because he's scheduled to be in Manchester, New Hampshire on Friday. Lake Placid, New York and Madison, Wisconsin on Saturday. Then Des Moines and Chicago on Sunday.

2003-05-27T18:04:00.000-04:00

Date: Tue, 27 May 2003 16:36:05 -0400
Subject: Kucinich Opposes War Drums over Iran -- and Media Monopoly
From: Kucinich Campaign

KUCINICH BUILDING INSURGENT CAMPAIGN...
SPEAKS OUT AGAINST WAR AND CORPORATE DOMINANCE

As he tours Northern California reaching big audiences of new voters and
raising much-needed funds, Dennis J. Kucinich continues to raise his voice
on issues that distinguish him from the other presidential candidates.
Today, he continued his antiwar leadership in Congress by challenging the
Bush administration on its dangerous rhetoric and stance toward Iran. Last
week, he stood up against the surrender of public property -- the broadcast
airwaves -- to giant media corporations.

As ranking Democrat on the Government Reform Subcommittee on National
Security, Emerging Threats and International Relations, Kucinich issued
the following statement today:

"The rhetoric and posturing by this Administration over Iran serves only to
validate impressions in the region that the United States is empire building.
It is disturbing that as our nation is just beginning to learn that it was
misled in the build-up to war in Iraq, that this Administration is seeking to
continue its dangerous policy in the region with an aggressive posture towards
Iran. Now more than ever, it is critical that the United States work with our
friends and allies in the Middle East to root out terrorists cells and implement
a peaceful solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict."

***
Last week, Kucinich blasted the federally-assisted corporate takeover of U.S.
media in formal comments filed with the Federal Communications Commission.
Kucinich's protest comes as the FCC seems prepared to announce new, even more
deregulatory rules on media ownership.

"Walking further down the path of deregulation skews the national discourse and
is directly contrary to the welfare of the public. It is adamantly not in the
public interest to grant a few corporations the privilege to broadcast their
views and augment their voice to the American people at the expense of the many."

Kucinich focused attention on Clear Channel, a company with ties to the Bush
Administration that now owns 1200 stations nationwide: "Clear Channel's national
and dominant presence, a direct result of deregulation, threatens an imbalance
in the public discourse -- an imbalance caused by the government granting one
corporation the power to dominate the public airwaves, and the privilege to
amplify its voice on public property. It is well documented that Clear Channel
has removed on-air personalities from stations that it has bought, and replaced
those local announcers with more centralized voices."

***
Please spread the word about the Kucinich campaign for peace, justice, national
health insurance, sustainable development, equal rights and diverse, de-monopolized
mass media. Despite the media mantra of 'longshot' and 'darkhorse,' the campaign is
gaining ground as people learn that Kucinich has a history of winning longshot races.
For background on the campaign: [http://www.kucinich.us]

To donate to the campaign: [https://www.kucinich.us/contribute.php]

Please forward this to others.

2003-05-27T18:01:00.000-04:00

Campaign Email:
Date: Tue, 27 May 2003 15:55:38 -0400
Subject: Kucinich in N.H., Friday, May 30
From: Kucinich Campaign

PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE DENNIS J. KUCINICH IN NEW HAMPSHIRE(joined by Granny D)

Congressman Kucinich is visiting New Hampshire on May 30, 2003. He will
describe his vision for a safe, free and just America: including workers'
rights, Medicare Part E (healthcare for Everyone), properly funded public
education, protection of the environment and human rights.

We would like to invite you to join us for a Public Forum at the New
Hampshire Institute of Art 148 Concord Street, Manchester NH

Friday, May 30th - 7 PM

Granny D, NH's legendary democracy activist, will be introducing Dennis.
After a short speech there will be plenty of time for Questions & Answers.
Come meet this unique presidential candidate who truly speaks for the people,
guiding us into the change America is waiting for.

For additional information about this event please call Trevor Elkins at
603-781-7215 or e-mail NHHQ@kucinich.us

http://www.kucinich.us

The NH Institute of Art is wheelchair accessible. For directions and parking
please go to www.nhia.edu.

2003-05-23T22:46:00.000-04:00

Just spent a few moments playing around with the right-hand side bar. Not too shabby, I think. Please send suggestions, endorsees, links I may have missed, etc.

2003-05-23T10:41:00.000-04:00

Hello hypothetical reader:

Right now I'm way too busy, but I'll be taking some time over the next coupla weeks to get things humming. I'm not sure exactly what direction this blog will go in, but I'm not ashamed to admit that I've got designs on emulating these not so consistently progressive folks.

If you want to help out, have a question, have a suggestion, etc. drop me a line at kucinichblog@yahoo.com

In the meanwhile, check out Kucinich's offical site, and toss him some cash. He needs it.