Goodbye Dennis Kucinich

[soundforbjt]

Sorry to see Dennis leaving. He and especially his hot wife will be missed.

 

[Craig234]

Assuming Obama wins in 2012, I would not be surprised to see Denis get named to head some policy making organization and become more effective than he was as a minority congressman.

Many of the ideas Kucinich got through were initially unpopular, but they worked so well they were not repealed.

I'm not so sure. Dennis butted heads more than anything with Obama.

 

[Craig234]

He's going to have more time to go on talk shows, where he feels more comfortable anyways.

I don't think that's right. Members of Congress make time for talk shows; Dennis is a lot less likely, and he war already unlikely, to get invites. How is he 'more comfortable' on TV?

 

[chowderhead]

I didnt agree with him but at least it seemed like he was consistent with his views. Which is very refreshing from an elected official. He earned my respect for that and think he will be missed.

Kucinich changed his pro-life views to pro-choice in order to run for President in 2004. He also supported the Republican gerrymander in Ohio which led to his defeat. He and his spokesperson also left the door open to a potential run for a house seat in Washington State.
I am glad the Kleeber elf lost.

 

[Genx87]

This is an interesting point. People often say this about Ron Paul as well. It seems that the ideologue gets points for consistency and "believing in something" whereas the moderate is seen as mendacious and untrustworthy. Do we value compromise and pragmatism or ideological consistency more?

Pragmatism and compromise is just slang for politicians to weasel their way onto the right side of the debate at the time when they need it most. Mitt Romney is great at doing this. Pro choice until he decides to run for president.

 

[sm625]

Yay the warmongers and death cultists get to dance on the graves of america once again. People need to learn the difference between politics and statesmanship. I didnt agree with Kucinich on most of what he espoused, but if there were more like him who understand civic duty then our political system wouldnt be half the utter and complete joke it is now.

Of course this just goes right over most people's heads. They're like "what's he talkin bout?" Then they go back to their usual programmed chirping...
"Mine... mine... mine... mine... mine..."

 

[micrometers]

I can't say I ever really cared for him. HE seemed to be more concerned with the ideological DailyKos crowd than for actually getting anything accomplished.

 

[FerrelGeek]

Kucinich got beat by being Gerrymandered into another district and facing another popular democratic incumbent.

If he runs again in a GOP district, he could win instead.

No, he would not win in a GOP district.

 

[Thump553]

There is some talk of Kucinich moving to Washington to poach on an open seat there. He has until mid-April to decide.

I'd hate to see him go-all the crazies shouldn't be just on one side of the isle.

 

[Craig234]

I can't say I ever really cared for him. HE seemed to be more concerned with the ideological DailyKos crowd than for actually getting anything accomplished.

What a bizarre position.

You attack him having the right positions, demanding he 'get the wrong thing done'.

 

[Jhhnn]

It looks like this buffoon is finally going to be leaving Congress. I'm sure that the fringe far-left will be sad that their leading champion of creating a "Department of Peace" and other hippyish nonsense is out of office. This is a good thing for the Democratic party though, they need more centrists and fewer extremists, especially since the Republicans seem intent on turning themselves into the party of right-wing evangelical nutcases.


http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs...ratic-primary/2012/03/06/gIQA5vO5vR_blog.html

Heh. The only "Extremists" in Congress are on the Right, in the Republican Party.

Kucinich was about as far "Left" as any Congressman in a long while, but he was a milquetoast semi-socialist by international standards, and a man of some principles.

 

[MotF Bane]

He was better than many politicians, and held consistently to principles... most of the time. But not always, and those principles he held didn't always line up with the Constitution.

Well, I guess I'd rather have him than a lot of the other idiots in office.

 

[IronWing]

Now he can focus on 2016.

 

[micrometers]

What a bizarre position.

You attack him having the right positions, demanding he 'get the wrong thing done'.

I suppose my issue is that I tend to care mainly about the house leadership. I just read that the mafia actually sent a hit man to kill him while he was governor of Cleveland. That is something.

 

[halik]

It looks like this buffoon is finally going to be leaving Congress. I'm sure that the fringe far-left will be sad that their leading champion of creating a "Department of Peace" and other hippyish nonsense is out of office. This is a good thing for the Democratic party though, they need more centrists and fewer extremists, especially since the Republicans seem intent on turning themselves into the party of right-wing evangelical nutcases.


http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs...ratic-primary/2012/03/06/gIQA5vO5vR_blog.html

My sentiments exactly; that guy was a waste of space.

 

[glenn1]

Many of the ideas Kucinich got through were initially unpopular, but they worked so well they were not repealed.

Name some. Even reviewing what he cites on his own .gov webpage as his "authored and co-sponsored legislation," I'm not sure if any of it has passed, ever. I don't have a problem with Kucinich or his politics, but let's not assign him credit for legislative accomplishments he doesn't have - being a "big ideas" guy who inspired folks on his side of the aisle is a more honest praise of him.

In Congress, Kucinich has authored and co-sponsored legislation to create a national health care system, preserve Social Security, lower the costs of prescription drugs, provide economic development through infrastructure improvements, abolish the death penalty, provide universal prekindergarten to all 3, 4, and 5 year olds, create a Department of Peace, regulate genetically engineered foods, repeal the USA PATRIOT Act, and provide tax relief to working class families.

 

[sportage]

how long before the divorce?

Yeah she will drop him like a hot rock.
Kool married to a senator. Not kool married to an ugly short guy.

 

[Don Vito Corleone]

Yeah she will drop him like a hot rock.
Kool married to a senator. Not kool married to an ugly short guy.

He isn't a senator.

My sense is that she is an idealistic hippie type and seems to actually love Kucinich, so I wouldn't expect to see her ditch him.

 

[halik]

He isn't a senator.

My sense is that she is an idealistic hippie type and seems to actually love Kucinich, so I wouldn't expect to see her ditch him.

I'm betting divorce within 5 years, need to create a contract for that on intrade.

 

[werepossum]

I didnt agree with him but at least it seemed like he was consistent with his views. Which is very refreshing from an elected official. He earned my respect for that and think he will be missed.

Ditto.

 

[Craig234]

I suppose my issue is that I tend to care mainly about the house leadership. I just read that the mafia actually sent a hit man to kill him while he was governor of Cleveland. That is something.

That doesn't really respond, but thanks for the hit man story, didn't know that. It shows Kucinich cleaning up Cleveland, and getting defeated for reward.

 

[halik]

That doesn't really respond, but thanks for the hit man story, didn't know that. It shows Kucinich cleaning up Cleveland, and getting defeated for reward.

LOL yeah according to his self-edited wiki page.

Meanwhile in reality:

When Cleveland voters ousted Kucinich as mayor in 1979 after a tumultuous two years in which he barely survived a recall election and the city defaulted on its debts, the so-called boy mayor seemed washed up at age 33.

http://www.cleveland.com/politics/index.ssf/2012/03/rep_dennis_kucinichs_career_ha.html

The MAYORAL ADMINISTRATION OF DENNIS J. KUCINICH (1977-79) was characterized by disputes and turmoil as the Democratic mayor survived an attempted recall election and was faced with Cleveland's DEFAULT on its financial obligations. Kucinich's political career began with his election to Cleveland City Council in 1969, where he served 3 terms while completing his B.A. and M.A. in speech communication from CASE WESTERN RESERVE UNIVERSITY. in 1973. Elected clerk of municipal court in 1975, Kucinich held the position for 2 years, then was elected mayor. In spite of the urban populism he espoused and his genuine concern for the workingman, the mayor's confrontational style of politics and the quality of some of his appointments created opposition. His public firing of Police Chief Richard Hongisto precipitated a recall movement by those who felt he was unable to govern the city. By June 1978 enough valid signatures had been acquired to schedule a special recall election, and in Aug. the mayor retained his post by a narrow margin (see RECALL ELECTION OF 1978).

As the city's financial condition worsened, pressure was put on Kucinich to sell the city's municipal light plant to the CLEVELAND ELECTRIC ILLUMINATING CO., but the mayor refused, believing that Muny Light's competition with CEI kept the city's electric rates at a reasonable level. When the city was unable to pay off $14 million in short-term notes owed to 6 local banks in Dec. 1978, Cleveland became the first major American city to default on its debt since the Depression. To provide more revenue, voters approved an increase in the city income tax from 1% to 1.5% in Feb. 1979 but turned down the sale of Muny Light to CEI. In Nov. 1979 Kucinich was defeated for reelection by Republican George Voinovich. At a special election held in Aug. 1983, Kucinich was elected to Cleveland City Council from Ward 12 for another term. In 1985 he gave up his council seat to run for governor of Ohio, but withdrew from the race. In 1994 he won election to the State Senate. In 1996 Kucinich won election to the United States House of Representatives.

http://ech.case.edu/ech-cgi/article.pl?id=MAODJK

His two-year term as Mayor was controversial almost from the start. He appointed a 19-year-old to a key city position, a 24-year-old with less than a year's experience as a stockbroker was named the city's finance director, and almost half his key appointments were black. He rejected a $41-million federal grant to begin construction of a downtown "people mover". He publicly feuded with the city's popular Police Chief, and fired him live on TV for insubordination. The Police Department later went on strike, protesting proposed budget cuts. He fought against allowing Republic Steel to construct a new ore dock on a city-owned pier, and the company ended up relocating to nearby Lorain, Ohio. The city had been in financial ruins when Kucinich took office, as the previous administration had misspent tens of millions of dollars of bond funds. Ohio's largest bank, then called Cleveland Trust and now known as Ameritrust, threatened to yank the city's line of credit unless Kucinich sold the city-owned electric system, Cleveland Public Power (CCP), then called Municipal Light, to CCP's competitor, Cleveland Electric Illuminating (CEI). He refused to sell the utility, forcing the city into default. Kucinich narrowly survived a recall election, then lost when he ran for a second term as Mayor.

http://www.nndb.com/people/763/000024691/


And finally a 1980 reflection on Kucinich's 2 years in Cleveland:
http://www.clevelandmagazine.com/ME...19&tier=4&id=3D22A22C9CC74D55BDD0908CDAFC9D21

Ranked #7 worst mayor in US History:
http://www.nytimes.com/books/first/h/holli-mayor.html

 

[halik]

Kucinich changed his pro-life views to pro-choice in order to run for President in 2004. He also supported the Republican gerrymander in Ohio which led to his defeat. He and his spokesperson also left the door open to a potential run for a house seat in Washington State.
I am glad the Kleeber elf lost.

From what I've read, the original republican gerrymander is what lead to him getting elected and this time he got shafted by the democratic chair:

http://www.cleveland.com/opinion/index.ssf/2012/01/map_shows_the_route_to_kucinic.html

Part of what happened is Kucinich got mugged by his own party chair. Four people with firsthand knowledge of what transpired, but who declined to be identified for fear of retribution, fingered Ohio Democratic Party Chairman Chris Redfern as a key proponent of changing the boundaries to benefit Kaptur.

The change makes it likely that much of Greater Cleveland, the foundation of the state's Democratic base, will be represented in Congress for the next decade by someone who resides in western Ohio.

 

[werepossum]

LOL yeah according to his self-edited wiki page.

Meanwhile in reality:


http://www.cleveland.com/politics/index.ssf/2012/03/rep_dennis_kucinichs_career_ha.html



http://ech.case.edu/ech-cgi/article.pl?id=MAODJK




http://www.nndb.com/people/763/000024691/


And finally a 1980 reflection on Kucinich's 2 years in Cleveland:
http://www.clevelandmagazine.com/ME...19&tier=4&id=3D22A22C9CC74D55BDD0908CDAFC9D21

Ranked #7 worst mayor in US History:
http://www.nytimes.com/books/first/h/holli-mayor.html

Excellent, informative post, thanks. One small thing in Kucinich's defense though - he didn't create Cleveland's financial problems, he only bungled their resolution due to his extreme political views. A free market conservative would have certainly sold the municipal electric plant, but Cleveland might still have ended up in default.

LOL about the Mafia hit man. Brings to mind a bunch of swarthy guys saying "We gotta wax this mayor, he's so horrible even WE can't make money in Cleveland."