Presidential hopeful John Edwards has agreed to a three-way debate between Congressman Dennis Kucinich and Hillary Clinton on MSNBC’s Hardball With Chris Matthews. The announcement comes after Edwards was caught whispering to Clinton in front of an open microphone about squeezing some less “serious” candidates out of future debates.
Translation: “Hillary, if I gotta stand there one more time and listen while Santa’s Little Helper blabs about sleeping in cars when he was a kid, I’m gonna sever my own head.”
Strangely, just as Edwards accepted the challenge, Dennis’ camp reported that the Elf had fallen ill to food poisoning while traveling to Florida for a campaign event. It’s a suspicious story, considering the Elf has consistently backed out of congressional debates in his last three elections. Could diarrhea be his latest excuse? – Jared Klaus
This article appears in Jul 18-24, 2007.
This is a disgusting blog entry. We as Americans should be celebrating people like Dennis Kucinich who offer truth and integrity in a sea of politics as usual. Kucinich is a hero to thinking people everywhere. Along with Mike Gravel and Ron Paul (although I disagree with much of Paul’s stances I at least respect him as a speaker of truth.)
I can’t thank the electorate in Cleveland enough for sending a man with unmatched integrity and an impeccable voting record to represent America in congress! Thank you Cleveland!! Now, aside from that, Dennis is the very best candidate running for president. The democratic electorate are either sleeping and they need to be woken up, or they just do not know of him due to a sever lack of exposure. I look forward to the debate between him, Edwards, and Hillary as Americans need to realize that there is a clear difference between all three of their plans. Dennis is for the people while Hillary and Edwards are for the corporations. We deserve things like universal health care, a reversal of the patriot act, immediate withdrawal from Iraq, and the cancelation of NAFTE. One guy will give us that, that being Dennis Kucinich!
I am sure Dennis is still up to the debate with Edwards and Hillary.
It is sad that Cleveland scene does not appreciate and value their Congressman the way many activists in the rest of the country do. You don’t know what you have until you lose it, and hopefully Cleveland will lose him when he wins the presidency.
I don’t know how much they are paying you to blog here, but is it worth it? Are you really better off with the country under corporate rule? When your job is outsourced, how will you feel? Please stop with the attacks and work toward a country that you can feel proud of, and think of the future you are leaving to the children.
My favorite president of all time is FDR. If you like FDR you will like Dennis Kucinich.
Dennis Kucinich represents the worker, the evryman. He is not the product of privileged wealth. He does not see it as a great strategic business maneuver to use corporate takeovers and bankruptcies to rob people of their pensions. He understands, first hand, what a pension means to someone who has devoted a lifetime to his job. What social security means. He represents the everyman.
If you are one of the country’s wealthiest 5%, you can afford not to hear what he has to say. The other 95% of us, ignore his platform to our own detriment
http://kucinich.us/issues
Dennis J. Kucinich
Ten Key Issues
1. Universal Health Care
2. International Cooperation: US out of Iraq, UN in
3. Jobs and Withdrawal from NAFTA and WTO
4. Repeal of the “Patriot Act”
5. Guaranteed Quality Education, Pre-K Through College
6. Full Social Security Benefits at Age 65
7. Right-to-Choose, Privacy and Civil Rights
8. Balance Between Workers and Corporations
9. Environmental Renewal and Clean Energy
10. Restored Rural Communities and Family Farms
I WILL VOTE FOR KUCINICH IN 2008
Am I the only sane person reading the Scene blog?? It’s clear that, at the least, I’m the only true resident of Greater Cleveland that has thus far posted a response to this article.
I say that because, a true Clevelander knows that Dennis Kucinich has been MIA in Cleveland for years because of his ridiculous and ego-driven quest to be President. He does not serve the 10th District at all, and he is a HUGE hypocrite when it comes to anything related to debating an opponent, considering he has continually refused to debate his opponents in the congressional races.
Do any of these Kucinich-supporting lemmings have any sort of explanation for debate hypocrisy of their favored “presidential candidate” (and I use that phrase in the loosest possible sense)?
Actual Clevelander:
I think what happens is that every time we post a Kucinich blog, campaign volunteers get google alerts to respond. They seem to have bought the rhetoric, like we once did, but haven’t had the benefit of watching Captain Self-Interest for all these years. So when they hear Kucinich’s rap they think it’s real, not Denny pushing his favorite agenda, which is the advancement of Denny. I don’t think they know his debate history, or how he used to be stridently anti-abortion when he wanted to kiss our Catholic asses, etc. But they’ll find out soon enough. In the meantime, just sit back and enjoy the weirdness.
Look spare me the whining. I live in NJ and have a representative that doesn’t even believe in evolution.
You want what perfection? You’re complaining because Kucinich had a stance that the people of Ohio knew what he stood for and thus he didn’t need to debate. This is what your problem is?
You are searching for a splinter in the eye of a candidate where most have beams in their eyes.
Kucinich changed his stance from that of a more pro-life one to that of a pro-choice one. Is it criminal to grow as a person?
Let me examine your beliefs throughout your lifetime. Have you ever changed your mind? About anything? I certainly hope so.
Self-serving? He made what would normally be a career-killing decision when he refused to sell Muny Light to CEI.
Please spare us. Any politician I have ever heard of would not have made this decision, but would have crumbled and sold. Kucinich did this for what? His own political advancement?
It is clear that he stood up for his values (my values, and the values of the majority of Americans, who are not out buying new fabric to remodel the dining chairs on their yachts, but would merely like to rely on their pensions being there when they are 65.
Do you have any idea, as likely young people, who likely believe that it won’t happen to you—-what it is like to have laws in this country that allow big business to create schemes that sacrifice your security—security that you earned—because it suits their greedy self-serving financial interests?
Why are people interested in backing candidates who have no experience as members of the working class? How can they possibly have the experience to understand what the average American has to cope with. The growing disparity between the wealthy and the rest of us. Have a look at some facts. The results of supply-side economics.
http://www.huppi.com/kangaroo/4Inequality.htm
Does every average guy who makes $75-$100k fancy himself wealthy and side with the interests of the super-rich? I know people who make 100k and align themselves in this fashion. As if their measly 100k puts them in a league with the wealthy.
I am tired of being represented by the wealthy–who have no experience in common with the average American.
The USA is made up of working class people. White or Blue Collar, we are mostly working-class people. It is time our interests were given a modicum of consideration.
In response to Cindy D….with all due respect the issue here is Kucinich’s lack of effort in HIS OWN DISTRICT. We could care less what someone from NJ things of our little elf-man. My dog has a better chance at winning the Presidency than he does yet he continues to waste time on a quest that he has ABSOLUTELY NO CHANCE OF ACHIEVING while completely ignoring the problems in his own district. A successful politician uses his past accomplishments to climb the ladder; if the voters really looked at what he has done to the city as mayor and the 10th district as a representative he would be flipping burgers and not running for President. Hopefully this recent stunt will be the last straw with the voters.
I will make you a deal, when Mr. 2% gets bumped from the primary we will send him to NJ, after all you guys love taxes and crappy living conditions, he will fit in perfectly.
With similar due respect Kevn B. You aren’t making a point. A point requires an argument and substantiation. I haven’t heard any argument, merely a complaint that he doesn’t debate; another complaint that he changed his opinion on an issue; and some empty assertions.
What in the world is your point? Aside from bashing a candidate you simply don’t care for.
Dennis is embarrassing, but I have to lay the blame squarely on our own shoulders. I live in his district, and am ashamed that my neighbors re-elect Kucinich with the consistency that is his droll, empty, rhetoric.
Still, we are to blame. It’s like in Ghostbusters when Zool comes and takes over Daina’s apartment. The Ghostbusters arrive to make things right and Zool gives them a choice to “choose your destroyer.†Well, the tenth district is Ray. Ray accidentally choses a bright white vegan monster with a smile that slowly destroys our city while trying to please outsiders, presumably from New Jersey. It’s just like that.
Cindy,
Just because you label something a “complaint,” does not make it one.
Kevin B, Pete Kotz, and myself are simply articulating a commonly heard argument against Kucinich by people living both inside and outside of his district, but within northeast Ohio: that Dennis is an ego-driven career politician who has finally gone off the deep end and believes his own palaver. However, you are understandably unaware of these complaints because you are a resident of NEW JERSEY who has no contact whatsoever with Cleveland, except for your queer love affair with Kucinich.
He does nothing, and has done nothing, for his own district, especially since he announced his candidacy for the presidency just TWO WEEKS after his ’06 re-election, and just FOUR WEEKS after he personally denied having any interest in running again for the Presidency.
Dennis is a hypocrite – he complains (there’s your word, Cindy!) that he can’t get on the stage with the big-name presidential candidates, but then turns around and refuses to debate his congressional opponents because his “constituents know where he stands.” Well, Edwards, Obama, Clinton, and mainstream Democrats know where Kucinich stands . . . and that’s just to the left of batshit crazy. I guess there’s no need for him to take the stage in those presidential debates.
He also has recently shown his amazing ability to pander. Pete Kotz is correct; Kucinich was an ardent supporter of the pro-life movement when he originally ran for the 10th District because the majority of his constituents were Catholic; however, now that he is attempting to appeal to Democratic voters all over the nation, he conveniently has become pro-choice. That’s not “growth,” Cindy, that’s political pandering.
If you can’t see our point, Cindy, I can’t make it any more clear to you:
It’s not that Greater Clevelanders don’t care for Kucinich, it’s quite the opposite: he doesn’t care for us.
I see a glimmer of an argument. But, I sense that it is more of a goal here to pass around mutual pity and disparage comments from non-Clevelanders, than enlighten–god forbid– an OUTSIDER with facts.
I will comment on one thing before I depart. It is not hypocritical to criticize mainstream candidates for seeking to block less known candidates from being heard in debates, regardless of whether you intend to take part in those debates/ any debates or not.
Pardon me, a lowly New Jersian, for interfering in your “insider’s” sock puppet party. Is there life beyond Ohio? Sorry, I forgot to bring my puppet.