We won't have Dennis Kucinich to kick around anymore.

[WilliamPitt]

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2012/05/16/kucinich-announces-retirement-from-congress/

, sir.

Hater's gonna hate; this is DU, after all. But spare it in this thread, please.

A good man is being toasted here.

[Gregorian]

1. I hope it's just an intermission.

Had he been knocked out by a conservative it would have been a disaster. As it stands, he spoke for me on every issue. We need more like him. But those types of non-corporate representatives have it rough in this political machine.

I hope he finds a way to be effective while he reconfigures his context.

[valerief]

2. I love me some DK. I hope he can find a better way to help the world than the U.S. Congress.

What a POS the U.S. Congress is. There are very few gems like DK amongst all the turds.

[Skittles]

3. I voted for him

one of the few true liberals we had

[Egalitarian Thug]

4. This is too bad, maybe people will listen to him now that he doesn't

have "politician" hung on him.
K&R

[rsmith6621]

5. I Told Dennis A Few Weeks ago....

...When he was in Seattle that if he needed help packing a UHaul for Washington State I would be happy to pack it for him and drive the truck as well.

Im glad I had the honor to meet him.

[eridani]

46. I told him that he would have to get involved locally for a couple of years before

--running for anything. I'd love it if he'd start his third political career in WA State.

[Nuclear Unicorn]

6. "A good man is being toasted here."

In a good sense or a bad sense?

[WilliamPitt]

15. Thanks

For kicking my thread.

[hifiguy]

7. DK is far more than OK with me.

One of the true good guys in politics. He will be much missed.

[Auggie]

8. DK fought corporations for as long as I remember ...

he's a true hero of the 99%.

[hlthe2b]

9. He was a man of conviction... a rarity in politics.

I'll raise a glass, for sure.

[Vidar]

10. Dennis and Feingold were the best we had.

[cyclezealot]

11. Now he's a free man.

The Congress is what need be kicked around. Now he is free to be the Truth Teller , now he is away from the corruption of congress.

[obxhead]

29. That's just it.

Even while in Congress he always brought up the hard truths and fought for us, the 99%. It's a shame he's out, but I hope he continues the good fight.

[cyclezealot]

41. It was the OWS people that changed the dialogue from that of the Tea Idiots.

Not opposition from within the Congress. By adding Kucinich 's voice to those like minded forces, DK could have greater impact on the outside as from within. Its movements that foster change from there leaders evolve. Dennis ' Friends in the media from where DK came will be doing all they can to encourage Kucinich to find his proper role.

[ConservativeDemocrat]

12. I disagreed with DK a lot, and wondered about effectivness...

...however I never believed that he was anything but an extremely brave, honest, congressman, who did his best to represent his district and his beliefs, along with giving voice to a segment of American of political thought that rarely is allowed a microphone on the national stage.

So, my hats off to you, Sir. And I wish you all the best.

- C.D. Proud Member of the Reality Based Community

[fascisthunter]

13. right on, Will!

[stevedeshazer]

14. A guy I am proud to have voted for.

Back at ya.

[flvegan]

16. Cheers to Dennis.

Nice thread.

[myrna minx]

17. A toast to you Dennis.

[sabrina 1]

18. A real Democrat. Honest, fearless and always on the side of the people.

He did fight Corps long before most people knew what they were up to and put his life on the line to do so.

To say he was 'ineffective' is not an indictment of him, but an indictment of Congress. He was right about almost everything this country is now having to deal with. He rarely, to their disgrace, had the support of his colleagues on the issues about which he has now been proven to have been correct. He could have caved and taken the money like the rest of them, but instead he kept trying. And the record will show that at least a few of our members of Congress tried to do what was right during this awful period of our history.

[awoke_in_2003]

24. +1...

far too many people think the most important this is political victory. Political victory is nice, but it is trumped by character, a trait far to many of our democratic politicians lack. This guy stood up to the Cleveland mafia- standing up to the lilly livers in congress was probably easy for him.

[sabrina 1]

26. People also think that 'effectiveness' in Congress means

getting bills passed. Well, lots of Republicans get bills passed, Bush got Congress to sign on to so much truly damaging legislation that you have to wonder why anyone still thinks that 'getting Bills passed' alone, denotes 'effectiveness'.

Kucinich as far as getting his bills to the floor and a few of them passed, was as effective as most in Congress. But the kind of legislation he would have liked to pass and tried to pass, the bills he sponsored, was like trying to get Bush to stop lying about Iraq. The fault that he could not get good legislation passed, lies with the sell-outs in Congress, not with him.

In order to get GOOD legislation passed, you need real representatives of the people. Unfortunately we have far too many Corporate representatives. And now we have one less Rep of the People.

[awoke_in_2003]

36. +1000. Nt

[ljm2002]

19. Here's to Dennis...

...a man of great courage and integrity, and by that token, a rarity in our Congress. He'll be missed.

K&R

[Zorra]

20. We are losing a great Democratic legislator. Progressive, compassionate, insightful, intelligent,

and honest.

A toast, to a man of genuine integrity.


Remember this, old friends?

The Bloodstained Path
by Dennis Kucinich
The Progressive magazine, November 2002

Unilateral military action by the United States against Iraq is unjustified, unwarranted, and illegal. The Administration has failed to make the case that Iraq poses an imminent threat to the United States. There is no credible evidence linking Iraq to 9/11. There is no credible evidence linking Iraq to Al Qaeda. Nor is there any credible evidence that Iraq possesses deliverable weapons of mass destruction, or that it intends to deliver them against the United States.
----
We know that each day the Administration receives a daily threat assessment. But Iraq is not an imminent threat to this nation. Forty million Americans suffering from inadequate health care is an imminent threat. The high cost of prescription drugs is an imminent threat. The ravages of unemployment is an imminent threat. The slowdown of the economy is an imminent threat, and so, too, the devastating effects of corporate fraud.

We must drop the self-defeating policy of regime change. Policies of aggression and assassination are not worthy of any nation with a democratic tradition, let alone a nation of people who love liberty and whose sons and daughters sacrifice to maintain that democracy.
---
America cannot and should not be the world's policeman. America cannot and should not try to pick the leaders of other nations. Nor should America and the American people be pressed into the service of international oil interests and arms dealers.

http://www.thirdworldtraveler.com/Iraq/Bloodstained_Path.html

[barbtries]

21. maybe he'll run again.

he's not that old is he? love him.

[white_wolf]

22. I've heard rumors he might run against Kasich for governor.

I don't know how accurate that is, but it would be nice. Perhaps he could undo some of the damage Kasich caused there.

[barbtries]

27. great.

i hope he doesn't just retire though he's earned it.

[DianaForRussFeingold]

23. Thank you for showing us True Courage and Integrity

'Dennis Kucinich had the courage to save Cleveland's Municipal Electric System.

[Blue_Tires]

25. he had my vote in the 08 primary...

[annabanana]

28. He will be missed.. good man.

[Zalatix]

30. Haters? I'll bite on that one.

I hate that he's retiring.

[brer cat]

31. Thank you, Dennis and godspeed.

"Knowing love, I will allow all things to come and go. To be as supple as the wind, and take everything that comes with great courage. My heart is as open as the sky. Life is right in any case."

The above lines are from a letter Dennis sent in March to his email followers.

[KoKo]

32. + All I can give...a good man goes down...

We will miss his voice in the House of Representatives...but, given what we know about them...he's better out of there.

I expect to see more of him going forward. In ways that will be good for the betterment of us all.

[vanlassie]

38. Wow. Too good for our stinkin Congress

[scarletwoman]

33. I'll proudly raise a glass for Dennis and wish him health and long life!

I caucused for him in 2004, all the way up to the MN State Convention. I only heard him speak live once, at a campaign rally at the UofM that year. He impressed me no end, so clearly was he possessed of a great mind and a great heart, and an unequivocally progressive spirit.

He always spoke for me, for the values I most hold dear. I sincerely hope that down the road he finds new ways to keep fighting for us 99 percenters, as he did so tirelessly throughout his political career.

Dennis!

[fishwax]

34. he'll be missed in Congress, but

I'm sure he'll continue to fight in other ways.

[Beringia]

35. I was happy to vote for him

I imagine he will be continue to be active in something or other.

[felix_numinous]

37. The way Dennis is treated

is exactly like I would be treated if I were involved in government. It is like he was set example of--to anyone who dare have views so outlandish as ours. He isn't in the 1% insider's club, because he doesn't play the game.

[sabrina 1]

40. And he could have been in the 1% if he chose to. And had he done that, he would be a Senator by now

and the same people, many of them sadly on the 'left' who criticize him now, would be telling us what a great
'leader' he is.

We get the government we deserve, I have come to completely believe that over the past few years.

[pa28]

39. I've got to say that I did a 180 in my opinion of Congressman Kucinich.

I worked nearly full time for another candidate in 2004 and really treated Kucinich as sort of a political joke. Now I really regret the things I said about him.

He was telling the truth about quite a few things back then and somehow I thought he was just some kind of marginal figure who was using valuable party oxygen with his ranting. Over time I realized he was talking about the right things.

Best wishes to you Congessman. I hope you find your way into public life again.

[AnotherMcIntosh]

42. K&R

[Major Nikon]

43. I can't imagine this being the last we'll see from DK.

2 years from now he'll be back on the campaign trail somewhere.

[alittlelark]

44. I LOVE him much more than I HATE him.

If he had had 1-2 fewer marriages it coulda been GREAT!!!


He is the ideal candidate aside from that pesky 'Dennis Kucinich'.

[Rhiannon12866]

45. K&R! Dennis has been my candidate since 2003.

He was tireless and had the courage of his convictions. He was the best and this is our loss...

[pacalo]

47. I deeply appreciate everything that Dennis Kucinich has done to check the frauds & crooks

and for looking out for the people's interest.

I salute you, dear sir:

[pecwae]

48. Enjoy your retirement, DK!

You've earned the right to relax for few months.

I can't see him stepping out completely, but can understand if he opts for just that.

[JDPriestly]

49. I hope that Dennis Kucinich will keep working for honesty, openness and justice, as he always had.

[voteearlyvoteoften]

50. Saw him on CSpan today

Fighting the bill that paves the way for warfare against Iran and any other country that has nuclear capability.
What part of Peace Not War does congress not understand!

[OnyxCollie]

51. Here's to you, Dennis!

[RoccoR5955]

52. Not the only TRUE Liberal to retire.

Kucinich is one of the rare true liberals to brighten the doors of the House in my lifetime, but he is not the only one this year to announce his retirement.
Another, less heard of Liberal, Congressman Maurice Hinchey (D NY22)is also retiring.
They will both be sorely missed. They are both the REAL DEAL.

[sellitman]

53. I met him years ago and have been a huge fan ever since

Thanks for this thread. I hope his next endeavor in life is fuffilling.

Thanks Dennis

[Dont call me Shirley]

54. Love you Dennis, we will miss you! Dems are ridding the progrssives from the party.