Kucinich Under Fire The Battle Goes On!
Posted on Feb 7, 2008
Cleveland, Ohio, a city which represents all of the challenges and potential of the American economy, is rightfully the focal point of the Ohio Democratic presidential primary on March 4. The candidate who can deliver an economic platform with solid programmatic initiatives for jobs, health care, education and retirement security can win the state and be on the path to the nomination. Of course, I am no longer a candidate for president. When I was continually locked out of presidential debates, it became apparent that there was no chance. At the same time, labor in Cleveland asked me to come back and defend the 10th District congressional seat.
The FEC [Federal Election Commission] reports released last week show that in the Democratic primary, I am currently being outspent by a margin of 5-1.
Corporate Cleveland has organized its considerable resources behind a candidate who has had a three-week television campaign of a “Swift-boat"-type distortion of my record. I have always felt that the seat never belonged to me, but belongs to working men and women and their families, who are entitled to representation in the Congress, especially given the corporate domination of both political parties.
It is particularly ironic to see the same Cleveland corporate development interests at work trying to take a congressional seat for their own profit, when 30 years ago they used their power to send the city of Cleveland into default over $15 million and then used the default to defeat my reelection bid as mayor! This $15-million default is now dwarfed by the handouts given to each of the same interests by the current city government. Back to the future!
What happens in Cleveland is, of course, relevant to the entire nation. Somewhere, somehow people have to win a victory over corporate control and corporate greed. Cleveland is a great place to begin. And this election is a perfect time to start.
For more information about Kucinich’s campaign, go to www.kucinich.us.
The swift-boating of Dennis Kucinich and Party Politics
Gather.com - Boston,MA,USA
Favors were called in and the local courts ruled in NBC's favor to keep him out of the debates. Dennis fought harder and took his case to the state level
Letters for Feb. 8, 2008
Oneonta Daily Star - Oneonta,NY,USA
... the Des Moines Register, NBC and ABC _ commercial entities and the corporate news media whose owners profit from policies that Kucinich opposes, ...
CQ Politics’ Top 10: Best-Funded Primary Challengers Found in ...
CQPolitics.com - Washington,DC,USA
Joining Cimperman and Kucinich in the Democratic primary are Barbara Anne Ferris, who took 24 percent against Kucinich in a 2006 primary; Rosemary Palmer, ...
Former FN web editor gives his two cents in the current political ...
Flyer News - Dayton,OH,USA
Dennis Kucinich, United States Congressional Representative for Ohio’s 10th District representing the Cleveland area, decided to “throw his hat” into the ...
By the way, if you do not believe any of the above, your own Flyer News wrote an article on Rep. Kucinich when he visited UD back in 2004 that will support all of these facts above. Go to flyernews.com, search Dennis Kucinich � and check it out.
Manipulating America
Online Journal - Silver Springs,FL,USA
Back in reality, Kucinich is in Cleveland fighting for his political life. His fierce stands against the Iraq war, which supposedly Americans wanted to hear ...
Is Dennis Kucinich Getting McKinney'd
http://www.opednews.com/articles/opedne_kevin_ze_080208_is_dennis_kucinich_g.htm
By Kevin Zeese
Former Presidential Candidate Who Advocated Peace and Impeachment Facing Well-Financed Challenge at Home
On the Hill some call it being McKinney’d – the treatment Green Party presidential candidate Cynthia McKinney received when she was in Congress. Twice, rather than protecting the incumbent, the Democrats put up well funded challengers against her. Now, it looks like Dennis Kucinich may be facing the same treatment in Cleveland.
There is a report circulating the web that before the Nevada primary Kucinich was visited by representatives of Nancy Pelosi and the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, the right wing Israeli lobby. They told him that if he would drop his campaigns to impeach Cheney and Bush, they would guarantee his re-election to the House of Representatives. Kucinich threw them out of his office. See, http://portland.indymedia.org/en/2008/02/371899.shtml.
Kucinich has aggressively challenged the Democratic Party leadership in Congress and on the presidential campaign trail on the issues of war, civil liberties, impeachment and big business control of government. He’s even refused to pledge to endorse the party’s presidential nominee.
The Democratic leadership has insisted that impeachment was off the table since taking control of the House in 2006. Congressman Conyers, Chair of the Judiciary Committee, has even refused to investigate whether President Bush and Vice President Cheney have violated the law. But Kucinich pushed the issue. He introduced articles of impeachment against Cheney, then against Bush and he brought the issue up on the House floor. He pushed and pushed to try to make sure the president and vice president were not above the law.
On the campaign trail he didn’t let Senator Clinton or Obama get away with campaign peace rhetoric in the Democratic primary while they voted war funding with no strings attached in the senate. He pointed out that their rhetoric was not consistent with their actions. He pushed the issue of all troops being removed; while Obama and Clinton parse their words carefully making it clear they will withdraw only some of the troops and neither promising a complete troop withdrawal even by 2012.
And he pierced the veil of campaign rhetoric of Democrats who call for “universal health care” but put forward plans that will enrich their donors in the private health insurance industry.
On issue after issue Kucinich pushed against the Democratic Party leadership – now, it seems he is paying a price.
In Cleveland, Kucinich is being challenged by several candidates. The one that is getting the most attention and funding is City Councilman Joe Cimperman. He’s served on the council for ten years and has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars from real estate interests to challenge Kucinich. He’s been saying that Kucinich focuses too much on campaigning for president and not on the district. The Mayor of Cleveland and the Cleveland Plain Dealer has endorsed Cimperman.
Kucinich, who has been focused on the presidential campaign, has very little money in the bank (reportedly only about $30,000). He’s been putting out fundraising appeals (see, e.g., http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LehCxhHPXQ8) and has a fundraiser planned with Sean Penn.
Back home the issue of right wing Israeli lobby funding is becoming an issue. Cimperman put out a press release that urges Kucinich to refute a report in the People’s Weekly World Newspaper that said the “Kucinich campaign charged” that Cimperman’s effort to unseat Kucinich was financed in large part from “a right-wing pro-Israel group.”
Cimperman has been somewhat theatrical in his campaign. He’s been putting up signs “Where’s Dennis?” and describing him as a “Missing Congressman.” Cimperman took the poster to Kucinch’s office and delivered a copy on videotape. See http://youtube.com/watch?v=Pd-8nwj7GWY. Kucinich responded by asking Homeland Security to investigate the filming of government property. Cimperman responded with another video calling Kucinch a hypocrite for violating his privacy while railing against government intrusion into people’s lives. See http://youtube.com/watch?v=lJsC99FDdeQ&feature=user.
No doubt if Kucinch had kow-towed to Nancy Pelosi, been less aggressive in his comments in the presidential debates and agreed to endorse the Democratic presidential nominee, the Democratic Party would be discouraging opponents and coming to the aid of an incumbent who has been in the House since 1996.
But elected officials like McKinney and Kucinch who challenge the Democratic Party line – who think for themselves and feel a responsibility to fight for their constituents and challenge corporate power – are a hindrance to the party leadership. They get in the way and let the public know what is really going on. So, they must be either tamed or made an example of.
If Kucinich gets McKinney’d you can be sure the message will be received. Those, like Congressman Conyers, who’ve been around for awhile (Conyers has been in the House since 1965) know better than to step too far out of line. So, Conyers has remained silent on Bush’s law breaking – protecting his committee chairmanship by being afraid to use it. Conyers has been tamed but Kucinich hasn’t. So, Kucinich needs to be taught a lesson that other members will learn from. The growing revolt of the “Out of Iraq Caucus” needs to be kept impotent. Knocking out Kucinich will prevent others from too loudly disobeying leadership.
Kucinich has faced tough battles in Cleveland before. When he was mayor he stood up to corporate interests that wanted to take over Cleveland’s public utility and survived a recall election. And, Cimperman is not the only challenger, there are several, so the anti-Kucinich vote may be sufficiently divided for the congressman to retain his seat.
If he doesn’t Kucinich may find new political opportunities that give him a bigger platform. Perhaps he will leave the Democratic Party with whom he has had so much disagreement and join Cynthia McKinney in the Green Party (see http://www.runcynthiarun.org/) – a party whose platform is consistent with his. If so a McKinney-Kucinich ticket could be an interesting development in the 2008 election year. The Democrats may regret their punishment of both McKinney and Kucinich.
Authors Website: www.VotersForPeace.US
Dennis Kucinich Movement Meets Strong Resistance
February 8, 2008 | Filed Under Activism
What does the establishment do when it meets strong resistance to its political agenda? Corporations pour money into defaming, destroying and removing the “threat”. Dennis Kucinich is under fire, he’s been one of the loudest voices against the illegal war in Iraq. He has also attempted to push impeachment against President Bush, a true American hero will meet his match over the months that follow as he runs against a Republican for his congressional seat. It’s not just any race, however, he’s being outspent 5:1 and needs help to defeat the opposition.
Below is a message from Dennis Kucinich. It illustrates just how low neo-cons will go to keep anti-establishment figures out of government:
Cleveland, Ohio, a city which represents all of the challenges and potential of the American economy, is rightfully the focal point of the Ohio Democratic presidential primary on March 4. The candidate who can deliver an economic platform with solid programmatic initiatives for jobs, health care, education and retirement security can win the state and be on the path to the nomination. Of course, I am no longer a candidate for president. When I was continually locked out of presidential debates, it became apparent that there was no chance. At the same time, labor in Cleveland asked me to come back and defend the 10th District congressional seat.
The FEC [Federal Election Commission] reports released last week show that in the Democratic primary, I am currently being outspent by a margin of 5-1.
Corporate Cleveland has organized its considerable resources behind a candidate who has had a three-week television campaign of a “Swift-boat”-type distortion of my record. I have always felt that the seat never belonged to me, but belongs to working men and women and their families, who are entitled to representation in the Congress, especially given the corporate domination of both political parties.
It is particularly ironic to see the same Cleveland corporate development interests at work trying to take a congressional seat for their own profit, when 30 years ago they used their power to send the city of Cleveland into default over $15 million and then used the default to defeat my reelection bid as mayor! This $15-million default is now dwarfed by the handouts given to each of the same interests by the current city government. Back to the future!
What happens in Cleveland is, of course, relevant to the entire nation. Somewhere, somehow people have to win a victory over corporate control and corporate greed. Cleveland is a great place to begin. And this election is a perfect time to start.
You can visit his campaign website: Kucinich.us
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