Take a closer look: Kucinich is the true voice of the people

[Hollow Shells]

The word “democrat” comes from the Greek “demos,” meaning “people.” So the Democratic Party should be the people’s party, as opposed to the parties that favor the elite.

But how many Democrats in Congress or running for president can say that they favor the people rather than special interests?

Other Democrats

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, through her inaction on impeachment and her allowing increased administration spying on us, has shown that she is not protecting the people.

Sen. Hillary Clinton, in sharing a podium with Rupert Murdoch and raking in huge sums of corporate financing, has shown that she is not favoring the people.

Sen. Barack Obama, in changing his mind when corporate interests threaten him about engaging in dialogue with other countries, is really not speaking for the people.

John Edwards, who suggests that debates be limited to “major” presidential candidates, is not standing up for the people.

The only Democrat running for president who has consistently spoken for the people has been Rep. Dennis Kucinich.

Where he stands

Here are some of the ways that Kucinich has done this:

(1) co-sponsoring with Rep. John Conyers HR 676, a universal health plan;

(2) voting against the Patriot Act;

(3) voting against invading Iraq;

(4) promising to withdraw from the World Trade Organization and NAFTA, (4) standing opposed to weapons in space;

(5) voting against a flag-burning amendment;,

(6) advocating a 12-point plan to get our troops safely out of Iraq;

(7) voting to cut off funds for prosecuting the Iraq war;

(8) urging the signing of the Kyoto Protocols to cut down on pollution;

(9) advocating education for all, from kindergarten through college;

(10) urging the creation of a Department of Peace,

(11) ending the phony “war on drugs”;

(12) urging renewal of the environment;

(13) sponsoring HR 333 to impeach Vice President Dick Cheney; and

(14) abolishing the death penalty.

All of these positions favor the people over the wealthy and well-connected.

All the other presidential candidates are Democrats in name only.

Ralph Nader called Kucinich “a genuine progressive.”

The corporate punditry with its big media would prefer our remaining content with ersatz progressives. That way they can continue to run the country from the top down, and the people will be none the wiser.

We decide who’s electable

A common refrain among those who agree with Kucinich’s positions but refuse to support his candidacy is that he is “unelectable.”

The last time I checked, however, a person who garners the most votes gets elected. So the antidote to the unelectablility argument is to vote for him.

Though the odds be long, one might do well to remember the words of President Abraham Lincoln: “The probability that we may fail in the struggle ought not to deter us from the support of a cause we believe to be just.”

http://www.citizen-times.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=200770816113

NO more at link, posted for source.

[Bluzmann57]

1. And, he wants to end NAFTA

and he wants to empower Organized Labor because he knows that a strong nation is built by a strong middle class. Yes, ever since the AFL-CIO forum in Chicago, Kucinich has been more and more my man. He truly is a man of the people. Hell, he's actually one of us. He grew up poor and worked his way up. Isn't that what the American dream is supposed to be?

[spindoctor]

32. He is actively working on impeachment of Bush AND Cheney

NAFTA was mentioned under 4 ;)

[mod mom]

37. but since NAFTA was bestowed on us by a Dem president it must be good-right?.

:sarcasm:

It's time to put an end to corporate rule and bring back the government to the people.

Strength through peace.

[Double T]

2. If YOU want EVERYTHING to be different, KUCINICH 2008.

[Roland99]

14. Hellz yeah!!!!

[redqueen]

3. I'm with Lincoln on that one...

but this party has been triangulating itself into oblivion for a while now.

We'll see...

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

4. Kucinich

is the voice of the people.

Edited to add: Lincoln was dirt poor--for a time in his life, he lived in a three sided lean-to type structure with one side open when his family first moved to Indiana. Kucinich's family lived in their car for a time. Both understand the working person and about living and surviving.

[caseycoon]

5. YES! He speaks for the people!

ALL the people, and he is the only one who does.

[Trillo]

6. Thank you for the nice summary of his platform. n/t

[justinaforjustice]

7. Kucinich's Policies are Great, Others Way Behind.

Kucinich's policies are the best of any of the candidates. He will truly stop the occupation of Iraq, stop further wars of national aggression and restore the civil rights that have been demolished by the Bush administration.

All of the other candidates will represent the interests of the wealthy and the corporations to varying degrees. Except for Kucinch.

We need to push for public financing of all our elections so that the rich people are no longer able to buy our senators, representatives and presidents.

Even Edwards, who is very good on many issues concerning labor and the poor, falls down on his foreign policy positions. He clings to the notion that the U.S. should be the policeman for the world.

Meanwhile, Kucinich's policies would help all the people in the world, not merely those in the U.S. We need Kucinich as president.

[HuskerDU]

8. Yes, Dennis is the right person for the job.

He seems to match me issue for issue. Love the Dept of Peace!

[Summer93]

9. Kick and recommend

I am very glad that you listed all those important points, thanks.

[rjones2818]

10. I support Dennis

because he comes closest to believing what I believe. He's as close as any candidate has come since I've been able to vote.

Go Dennis!
http://dennis4president.com
Choose Peace!

:woohoo:

[mikelgb]

11. k for k

[porkrind]

12. Please log in and K&R

K&R :)

[cui bono]

13. GO KUCH!!!

:applause:

[Sadie5]

16. Dennis will get my vote

And if by chance he dosen't get the nomination, then I will vote for the Democrat who is running. For some time now I have lurked and read how certain Democrats can't be voted for. Well...just who do you plan to vote for, a Republican and get more of the same. Scream at me if it makes you feel better but in the future try to use a little common sense. We can't take another Bush in office.

[onewholaughsatfools]

27. Kucinich is the man, however

You are suggesting that if another democrat beats him and I because of my morals and beliefs, decide not to vote at all because of the Democrat who beat him out. That it will be my fault if a republican wins. I see democrats running for president now who have republican written all over them.....example Clinton and Biden... grins and no screaming allowed here......Blessings

[proReality]

15. K&R n/t

[LWolf]

17. This man has earned my appreciation, my support, and my vote.

He's got all 3.

:thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup:

[burrowowl]

18. DK has my vote in the primaries

Hopefully, he wins.
It wiil hurt my heart to vote for a DLCer.

[Desertrose]

19. a kick and a vote for Dennis

:)

[ProudDad]

20. K&R

I decided years ago to vote my conscience.

Kucinich most matches my conscience...

Just remember folks, you can't hurt anything by voting your conscience in the primaries...

[Lifelong Protester]

21. Gotta admit, the man makes SENSE

I posted that same statement after I watched his video'd response on YOUTUBE after the debate. He is a person from whom you get the definite feeling he IS his own person. I didn't give him much thought before, actually thought he was a bit of a crank, so to speak, but I have changed my mind and hope his campaign keeps getting traction. It will be a hell of a clean up job, but hey, he seems up for it. And it would be cool to have a vegetarian in the WH.

[TSIAS]

22. Interesting you post that

I actually met a co-worker today who supports Kucinich for President. He tried to convince me to vote for DK instead of Obama. He actually made a lot of sense to me.

I love a lot of what Obama is saying, but Kucinich is the real deal when it comes to policy.

[paulk]

23. actually, he voted "yes" on the flag burning amendment

back in 2001, you know, back when he was still an anti-abortionist...

[Mr_Jefferson_24]

24. K & R. nt.

[Douglas Carpenter]

25. those who REALLY wants to help the Kucinich campaign...NOW IS THE TIME TO DONATE!!

you can do it RIGHT NOW on DU/Act Blue.

If those who care about the issues Mr. Kucinich raises donate NOW – HE WILL BE

A TOP-TIER CANDIATE!!


I'm not addressing those who do not support Congressman Dennis Kucinich

and do not agree with him on the issues. I'm addressing those who DO

support Congressman Kucinich and/or do agree with him on the issues:

Donating to the Kucinich 2008 campaign through DU/ACT Blue is very fast.

It's very easy. Do it now!

link:

http://www.actblue.com/entity/fundraisers/12518
---------

Some are supporting Congressman Kucinich because they strongly believe he can win. Others are supporting him because they support his agenda (or at least most of it) and want those issues brought to the center of public debate.

Mr. Kucinich does not have the funding of the top-tier candidates. Corporate lobbyist seeking government favoritism for their special interest won’t be writing their $2300 checks paying for access like they do for other candidates. But small donations DO add up very, very fast. That's how the Dean campaign became a significant force in 2004.

So whether or not you are convinced that Congressman Kucinich could possibly win...if you want the issues only Dennis Kucinich raises brought to the public square, if you believe his message of Strength through Peace is important, that the whole question of corporate control of government is important, that single-payer universal health care is important, if you believe American needs fundamental changes; his campaign needs a lot more money then it has in its coffers now.

IF anywhere near half the people who agree with Congressman Dennis Kucinich on the issues sent him a donation -- he would be a major top-tier contender very, very fast:

Donating through DU/ACT Blue is very fast. It's very easy. Do it now! I did...

link:

http://www.actblue.com/entity/fundraisers/12518

He won't be getting a whole lot from the corporate lobbyist buying access for their special interest and paying for favoritism... so ...

PLEASE DONATE NOW ! you can do it RIGHT NOW on DU/Act Blue.

It's fast. It's very easy. Do it now! I did…..

link:

http://www.actblue.com/entity/fundraisers/12518

---------

Congressman Dennis Kucinich on the Issues:




http://www.dennis4president.com/go/issues/
_______________________________________

Recruit support for Dennis Kucinich --

Email your friends, family, and colleagues

-- link: http://www.actblue.com/entity/12518/asks/new
--

-- link: https://secure.actblue.com/signup

[treestar]

26. So true. We've got to get above the shallowness

And vote for the candidate who agrees with us!

[WillTheGoober]

28. Ok ...

I like Kucinich.
He seems like a great guy -- and I can see myself agreeing with him on most topics, if not all.

But -- Dennis only represents a district.
He has never won an election with a diverse group of people.

Presidents have to represent an entire country -- not just a small district.
We have to be realistic about that if we want to progress this country in a better direction.

Also -- I should say -- I don't support listing off the negatives of other Dems just to bump up a candidate.
Dennis Kucinich is respectable enough and has done enough to stand on his own. I think it's disrespectful to him and to this process to list out why everyone else is bad, just to make him look good. I haven't seen this kind of tactic from Dennis -- and I don't think he'd appreciate winning any vote that way.

Thanks.

[spindoctor]

35. Good assesment. I will take that to heart.

There goes my "I'll-vote-for-Hilary-when-hell-freezes-over" post.

As for the experience question, look at what we had running the country for the past 7 years. If that bunch of clowns can do it (ok, this is debatable) then certainly a man like Kucinich can do it.

It doesn't take experience to govern the US, it takes vision.

[tom_paine]

29. K & R

[spindoctor]

30. Not the voice of the people, the voice of reason

I don't care what "the people" want. Titties 'n beer for half of them.
On all the issues above, there is a right and a wrong. Kucinich is right on all of them. When it was not a popular thing to do he voted against (the people) funding for the Iraqi war. He has proved to be a man of his word and a man of good intentions. That makes Kucinich the voice of reason and I am all for reason when it comes to government.

[NoPasaran]

31. He doesn't speak for this person!

Especially when he talks about his scheme to impose his Orwellian Ministry of Peace on us. If I wanted the government "re-educating" me on how I should act with others, I'd move to North Korea. Keep your collectivist hands off of me!

[spindoctor]

33. What are you talking about?

Orwellian? Re-educating??

Below are the domestic responsibilities for the DP as per H.R.808 sec.102. Can you tell me which of those points classify as either Orwellian or Re-educational?

b) Domestic Responsibilities- The Secretary shall--

(1) develop policies that address domestic violence, including spousal abuse, child abuse, and mistreatment of the elderly;
(2) create new policies and incorporate existing programs that reduce drug and alcohol abuse;
(3) develop new policies and incorporate existing policies regarding crime, punishment, and rehabilitation;
(4) develop policies to address violence against animals;
(5) analyze existing policies, employ successful, field-tested programs, and develop new approaches for dealing with the implements of violence, including gun-related violence and the overwhelming presence of handguns;
(6) develop new programs that relate to the societal challenges of school violence, gangs, racial or ethnic violence, violence against gays and lesbians, and police-community relations disputes;
(7) make policy recommendations to the Attorney General regarding civil rights and labor law;
(8) assist in the establishment and funding of community-based violence prevention programs, including violence prevention counseling and peer mediation in schools;
(9) counsel and advocate on behalf of women victimized by violence;
(10) provide for public education programs and counseling strategies concerning hate crimes;
(11) promote racial, religious, and ethnic tolerance;
(12) finance local community initiatives that can draw on neighborhood resources to create peace projects that facilitate the development of conflict resolution at a national level and thereby inform and inspire national policy; and
(13) provide ethical-based and value-based analyses to the Department of Defense.

[kenfrequed]

34. Absurd

Honestly have you actually read 1984 lately?

The point of mini-pax wasn't that it was that it actually Was the Ministry of Peace, it was that it had nothing at all to do with peace. It was commentary on what we call things and how some things that we name tended to actually be the opposite of what we called them. The Ministry of Peace was actually analogous to a facsist country calling the 'Ministry of War' something like the 'Ministry of Defence.'

The brainwashing aspect was within the 'Ministry of Love.' If you want an example of this kind of double think, or Lutzian Doublespeak than you should really look at bills like the US PATRIOT act. Our founding fathers would have hated it and it strikes at the very heart of our free and liberal form of government worse than any terrorist bomb ever could.

That said, and despite the fact the Department of Peace is a bit silly, I am still supporting Kucinich.

[spindoctor]

36. Isn't it sad that it's silly?

I agree, Department of Peace sounds...well, silly.

But why? Where the f*$%^ did we go that the mere mention of the word peace has become silly and almost synonymous with weak?

[presspeal]

40. Kind of scary...

how much people can willingly misconstrue. I wonder where that comes from? Oh well, Go get them Dennis!:bounce:

[kenfrequed]

50. Yeah

Too true and too sad really.

But I agree, when did 'peace' become a dirty word?

[lonestarnot]

38. Kuchie the man for the job!

[lynnertic]

43. Oh man, somebody get him Charo's endorsement!

Kuchie-Kuchie!


http://www.charo.info/discography.html

[lonestarnot]

49. Kuchie Kuchie Coooo.

[DemKR]

39. livin in america!!!

[tomp]

41. k&r nt

[DeeDeeNY]

42. But wait a minute

He can't make a good president. He's not tall and attractive!

:sarcasm:

[BrainGlutton]

44. Standing up for the INTERESTS of the people is not the same thing as being the VOICE of the people

Otherwise, Pubs would never get fairly elected. And, sometimes, they do.

[rabies1]

45. His popularity has increased in spite mainstream media.

I find this hysterical. No matter how much they cut him out of photos or try to ignore him by not asking questions or giving him face time. His popularity continues to grow phenomenally. The usual media/corporate games aren't working anymore - it's great!

[John Gauger]

46. Kucinich is clearly the best in the Dem field.

He has a real platform and is not afraid to speak the truth. My only objection is to the Kyoto Protocols. They are bullshit and do little to actually help the environment. We need real environmental policy, not corporate-written schlock.

I would like to know a little bit more about the charge against Obama. I've never heard about that before.

I also find it odd that you would bring up Nader's endorsement in this forum. He is not exactly popular around here. I myself am I fan however and his endorsement carries weight with me, probably the only person whose endorsement does. I would warn you to be careful of mentioning Ralph's name, though. I've been down that road many times and it always ends in tears. Go for it if you like, but just be aware of what's ahead if you do. I would point out to his enemies, in further support of Dennis's candidacy, that Ralph has said he will not run if Dennis wins the nomination because he is a true progressive.

Furthermore, I love your assertion that WE choose who is electable. Damn straight.

[johncoby2]

47. No he doesnt!

He can yell and scream all he wants, but if he cant get anything done as president, then he isnt a voice for anyone.

Regardless of what you think dennis is NOT going to be nominated or be president.

[JAbuchan08]

48. So instead of electing someone so "radical" that they can't get anything done

let's elect somebody so "centerist" that they don't bother trying to gett anything done.

[Dukkha]

51. He's a true man of moral conscience

You can support a true voice of the people and maintain your conscience or cave in and support a greedy warmongering politician an who will say anything and do anything for votes rather than represent the people. America is fucked with anyone else, except Gore of course.