Dennis Kucinich's Showdown With the Democratic Leadership

[Algorem]

http://www.truthdig.com/interview/item/20061206_dennis_kucinichs_showdown/

Posted on Dec 6, 2006

By Joshua Scheer

...

Kucinich: At this point the Democratic leadership—the speaker and the majority leader and Rahm Emanuel—are all recommending that the Democrats support the appropriation that is going to be brought forward in the spring, for the purposes of the war in Iraq...

Kucinich: I think this is going to be a serious test of the Democratic Party. We were put in power because people expected a new direction in Iraq. It goes without saying that they expect greater transparency and oversight, but they also expect us to do something to bring the troops home. Now, if Congress goes ahead under Democratic leadership and votes to approve what some are now estimating as an additional $160 billion for the war in Iraq, bringing the total for the fiscal year to $230 billion, the Democratic Congress will have bought George Bush’s war. Now, who would buy a used war from this administration?...

Kucinich: The Democrats came to power because of a strong desire on the part of the voters to get out of Iraq. That’s why people voted Democratic. So now, with the Democratic leadership taking a position saying they’re going to approve the supplemental budget in the spring, this could be seen by many as a breach of faith...

Kucinich: People first of all need to know about this. People need to know that there is an attempt by our leadership to support the supplemental, and what the consequences are.... The most difficult part of the challenge is to get members of Congress to understand that they themselves voted for a bill which went into effect on Oct. 1 that appropriated $70 billion, which could be used to bring the troops home. Unfortunately, our leadership is saying they’re supporting the supplemental as a way of supporting the troops. So if we continue to ignore the money that’s there right now to bring the troops home, we’re losing an opportunity to bring the troops home now. People are now saying that they oppose the war, but they’re continuing to fund it in the name of supporting the troops...



Kucinich to make intentions known "shortly"

http://www.cleveland.com/weblogs/openers/index.ssf?/mtlogs/cleve_openers/archives/2006_12.html#212542


Dennis Kucinich fans might be sleepless with anticipation over a possible presidential run, but he's going to make them wait. The Cleveland congressman just released this statement:

"There is much speculation and rumors about my plans for 2008. Shortly, I
will make my intentions known. In the meantime, I am going to continue to
challenge the Administration and Congress to cut off the funds for the war,
bring all our troops home and end the grave misadventure in Iraq."

So when is "shortly," anyway?

"Shortly is shortly," says Kucinich spokesman Doug Gordon. Considering past parsing of "is," that's actually pretty presidential.

[Ken Burch]

1. The man from Ohio shows his courage once again...

It's looking more and more likely now that, if we want a progressive candidate in the 2008 primaries, a peace candidate, a candidate that speaks to the real issues of the nation and its spirit, that Dennis could be that candidate.

Most progressives DIDN'T back Dennis in 2004.

As a Kucinich supporter that year, I can't tell you how many times I heard some variation of this sentence: "I agree with Dennis more than anyone else, but I'm supporting..."

Well, we saw where that hesistation, that unwillingness of the person who spoke truth to power when no one else would do so, left us. Please learn from that.

If Dennis runs this time, progressives MUST support him.

Honor the truthteller.

Honor the one who dares.

[cascadiance]

5. One less excuse now too. He's married!

[yurbud]

8. now if he would just give up vegetarianism

[NJCher]

2. repositioning

We need repositioning of this concept. The idea of not supporting the war financially has to be put across in the minds of the American public in such a way that it becomes acceptable to cut off funding for all but the trip home.

The best and fastest way to do this is to hold hearings on the war profiteering. That will take place in the new year, but I'm not sure when it starts and how the timing will coincide with this vote.




Cher

[rumpel]

3. Yes to hearings.

Waxman needs all the support.

[pberq]

4. Kick & Nominated - Kucinich: a voice of sanity

[thingfisher]

6. His is a surprisingly lonely voice in the widerness...

It is beginning to look like things will chug along as usual in DC. Now that the Dems have won a slim majority, what are they going to do with their "political capital", to borrow a phrase?

Lack of maeningful action to end the military action in Iraq, indicates that policy is not really in the hands of elected officials but inthe hands of people who operate behind the scenes and who "know better", are 'experts in their field", etc.

Business as usual in DC.

[Vidar]

7. I'm glad Kucinich isn't joining the rest of the collaborators. yet.