Kucinich announces alliance with far right Republicans in Congress

[HamdenRice]

Has Dennis Kuchinich become the Lieberman of the left? On Democracy Now yesterday, Kucinich acknowledged going on Fox News to make common cause with far right congressional critics of the administration, and said that he would form an alliance with them, and that liberal/conservative distinctions no longer matter to him. This coming from the man who announced early in his 2008 presidential race that he was considering far right winger Ron Paul as his running mate:

http://i3.democracynow.org/2009/12/2/rep_kucinich_on_afghanistan_war_were

AMY GOODMAN: The War Appropriations Bill almost didn’t get passed. There was a lot of opposition in Congress. But what is your sense of what will happen now?
...
Do you find actually on the media—I bumped into you yesterday when you were heading into Fox in Washington, D.C.—that you are making more common cause with those on the right who are actually saying that the struggle is here at home and that we shouldn’t be in Afghanistan spending this money?

REP. DENNIS KUCINCH: The answer to that is yes. and I think we need to look for common cause with people with whom we may have a different way of looking at the world. I cite as an example Congressman Rohrabacher from California. Another example, Congressman Duncan. Congressman Chaffetz from <Utah>. They’re all challenging the war.

The Cato Institute has issued what I think is a very reasoned approach towards getting out of Afghanistan. We need to look for allies across the boards here, and we have to get away from the old thinking that pigeonholes any of us into left/right, liberal/conservative.

<end quote>

Rohrabacher -- anti marriage equality; anti-choice; immigration hardliner; voted against stimulus, mortgage relief, regulating subprime lending, rehabbing public housing; voted against banning job discrimination for sexual orientation; voted for constitutional amendment to restrict marriage to only between a man and a woman; voted to ban gay adoption in DC; strongly pro free trade; strongly anti-environment.

John "Jimmy" Duncan -- member of far right libertarian caucus in the House, Liberty Caucus; extremist anti-choice positions, such as criminalizing inter-state travel by minors to get an abortion; voted against bill to ban job discrimination based on sexual orientation; voted for constitutional amendment banning same sex marriage; voted against stimulus bill; highly rated by Christian Coalition; voted against expanded health care for low income children.

Jason Chaffetz -- staunchly anti-choice; voted no on stimulus; opposed to marriage equality.

http://www.ontheissues.org/CA/Dana_Rohrabacher.htm
http://www.ontheissues.org/House/Jimmy_Duncan.htm
http://www.ontheissues.org/House/Jason_Chaffetz.htm