Challenge to the Kucinich-tzens! Post your candidate's accomplishments!

[rinsd]

Kucinich supporters tell DU what your guy has done that either makes you proud or want to vote for him or anything that you just think is important for other DUers to know.

And please keep in mind this is supposed to be a positive thread about a candidate's accomplishments.

There are plenty of other threads to bash the various candidates in.

I am planning on doing one of these for all the candidates. On Monday, Gravel supporters will get their turn.

I have previously done threads for

Edwards - http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x3569018

Richardson - http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=3572045&mesg_id=3572045

Biden - http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=3574853&mesg_id=3574853

& Dodd - http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=3577887&mesg_id=3577887

[YOY]

1. Not a Kucinich-tzaen but like what he says:

Wikipedia can answer this for you:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kucinich

You can do the same for any candidate.

As a former Clevelander I liked him as Mayor, but many did not. He's got his stance.

[radiclib]

2. This is an old story

but it bears repeating, because it's an indication of uncommon political courage. As Cleveland mayor, Kucinich refused to allow the sale of the municipal power company to private interests, putting the city into receivership and knowingly costing himself re-election. He did the right thing simply because it was the right thing to do, and survived a botched assassination plot as well. I wish we had other political leaders with even a fraction of Dennis' cojones.
As far as Congressional accomplishments---who does it reflect on that not enough of his colleagues follow his lead on impeachment, single-payer health care or investigating war profiteering, Dennis or the other gutless wonders who call themselves our representatives? If that means he doesn't "play ball" with the best of the congressional schmoozers, to me that's the fault of the system.
On edit: I know I sound defensive, but I don't expect Dennis to be another Ted Kennedy, and as President, he wouldn't have to be.

[bluetrain]

25. Someone tried to assassinate him?

[Lerkfish]

3. I think this is a great idea!

Where is the Clinton thread? Or do you intend to do that at the end, or not at all?
you don't have it in your list.

[Rainbowreflect]

4. He voted against the war from the very start.

He was anti-war when anti-war was not cool. He is passionately pro-peace.

[slick8790]

12. This is supposed to be for his accomplishments.

Not what he's voted for that hasn't happened.

[RaleighNCDUer]

24. "...what your guy has done that either makes you proud or want to vote for him or anything that you

just think is important for other DUers to know."

Casting a principled vote would qualify, even if it was not a winning one. Maybe, expecially if it was not a winning one.

There are a few of us who believe that principles are more important than winning.

[slipslidingaway]

5. Partial list from before...

originally posted here
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=132&topic_id=3562406


Two top priorities for me, the top domestic issue being not for profit health care and the top foreign issue is to stop the NEXT aggression and provide for future security by not making any additional enemies.

In addition Dennis has the courage to not run with the herd, even though that decision might cost him politically.

He did so when he voted no on the trade bill with China back in 2000, he did so in opposing the Iraq War saying there was no conclusive evidence, he did so when he voted no on the Patriot Act, he did so in voting no on the Iran Freedom Act last September.

As a candidate Dennis speaks out on issues that others dare not touch, the privatization of Iraq Oil and the provision placed in the latest Iraq supplemental. Calling for an investigation to the latest Hunt Oil deal and calling for and introducing legislation for paper ballots in a presidential race. He has also spoken out on the need to reform our media and the control by a handful of companies.

He has taken the bold move of introducing articles of impeachment, not only to hold Cheney accountable, but to try and stop the next war.

He cares about everyone, he was the first to call for a cease fire in the summer of 2006 and is the only candidate to visit not just Israel, but also Lebanon in September 2006 and again this year. He held a hearing with the authors of the Lancet study on civilian casualties in Iraq after Bush dismissed the report by saying that the methodology was flawed.

He takes a long view approach when making decisions, for example when voting on the China trade bill he noted that we would lose jobs, our deficit would skyrocket and workers rights in China would not improve. Recently he has spoken out about the theft of oil in Iraq and meet with union representatives from Iraq who have asked for our help.

Some of our candidates propose to fix problems they helped to create, I wish they had the foresight to not create the mess in the first place instead of running with the pack.

originally posted here
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=132&topic_id=3562406

[Freddie Stubbs]

6. He voted against the SCHIP bill

[slipslidingaway]

8. Because it excluded legal immigrant children, I'm sure he knew

this vote would be used to smear him esp. during a Presidential race. Any other candidates fighting or even mentioning those children?


http://kucinich.house.gov/News/DocumentSingle.aspx?DocumentID=75275

"Kucinich: SCHIP Bill Fails To Provide Health Coverage For Legal Immigrant Children

Washington, Sep 25 - Congressman Dennis Kucinich (D-OH), issued the following statement after voting against the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) conference report today:

“I cannot support legislation which extends health coverage to some children while openly denying it to other children,” Kucinich said. “This legislation is woefully inadequate: and I will not support it.

“Legal immigrant children deserve the same quality health care as other children receive. It is Congress’ responsibility to address the main difficulties that prevent legal immigrant children from gaining access to health care. Today, we did exactly the opposite.

“HR 676 guarantees full health care coverage for all children. When considering a universal health care proposal, HR 676, the Medicare for All bill, is the only health care plan that addresses three important issues: quality, accessibility, and cost. HR 676 stands alone in an increasingly crowded field of efforts to provide health care coverage to all,” Kucinich said.

Kucinich voted for the original House-passed version of the bill because it contained language to grant health coverage for legal immigrant children. However, in today’s bill, this language was omitted.

[rjones2818]

9. Because it cut kids from the bill that was approved by the House.

[Freddie Stubbs]

10. Kucinich voted against the bill approved by the House

[slipslidingaway]

14. You missed my reply...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=3581997&mesg_id=3582524


Because it excluded legal immigrant children, I'm sure he knew this vote would be used to smear him esp. during a Presidential race. Any other candidates fighting for or even mentioning those children?


http://kucinich.house.gov/News/DocumentSingle.aspx?Docu...

"Kucinich: SCHIP Bill Fails To Provide Health Coverage For Legal Immigrant Children

Washington, Sep 25 - Congressman Dennis Kucinich (D-OH), issued the following statement after voting against the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) conference report today:

“I cannot support legislation which extends health coverage to some children while openly denying it to other children,” Kucinich said. “This legislation is woefully inadequate: and I will not support it.

“Legal immigrant children deserve the same quality health care as other children receive. It is Congress’ responsibility to address the main difficulties that prevent legal immigrant children from gaining access to health care. Today, we did exactly the opposite.

“HR 676 guarantees full health care coverage for all children. When considering a universal health care proposal, HR 676, the Medicare for All bill, is the only health care plan that addresses three important issues: quality, accessibility, and cost. HR 676 stands alone in an increasingly crowded field of efforts to provide health care coverage to all,” Kucinich said.


Kucinich voted for the original House-passed version of the bill because it contained language to grant health coverage for legal immigrant children. However, in today’s bill, this language was omitted.

[rjones2818]

15. Bingo!

The 'compromise' bill left legal immigrant kids, who were apparently being covered by SCHIP originally, off the list of kids to be covered. I hope Dennis will vote to override, but I understand why he didn't vote for the compromise.

He voted against knocking kids out of the coverage of SCHIP. Period!

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

[slipslidingaway]

18. He cares about EVERY person, you can see that in his actions.

:)

[w4rma]

19. What is a legal immigrant child? Is the child legally different from an American citizen child? (nt)

[slipslidingaway]

20. Yes and found this article...

As noted in the last paragraph there are other bills, no action since March, but it also appears that language covering some legal immigrants was to be included in the current ??? bills and was not? That's my quick read :)

http://www.cbpp.org/4-20-07health2.htm

"A key health policy success of the past decade is the substantial reduction in the number of uninsured children, primarily due to improvements in Medicaid and the creation of the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP).<1> However, while there are fewer uninsured citizen children, the percentage of low-income immigrant children who lack health coverage has climbed since 1996, when federal legislation restricted the eligibility of legal immigrants for Medicaid and SCHIP during their first five years in the United States (Figure 1). The disparities in health insurance coverage between citizen and immigrant children, already large a decade ago, have grown significantly larger. Today, almost half of low-income immigrant children are uninsured...

SCHIP reauthorization, which must be completed this year, offers an opportunity to address these health insurance coverage disparities among some legal immigrants. Congress could include, as part of SCHIP reauthorization, a provision restoring to states the option to provide Medicaid and SCHIP coverage to legal immigrant children and pregnant women during their first five years in the country. Such a proposal is supported by the National Governors Association (NGA) and many other organizations. It was approved by the Senate in 2003...

Health insurance coverage can help immigrant children access cost-effective preventive care instead of waiting for health problems to become so severe that they necessitate more expensive emergency room care. Similarly, providing prenatal care to avoid pregnancy complications is considered more cost-effective than paying for neonatal intensive care after a child is born...

Opportunities to Restore Equity to Legal Immigrant Children and Pregnant Women

The pending SCHIP reauthorization creates an opportunity to improve health coverage for legal immigrant children and pregnant women. Bipartisan legislation that would restore states’ option to provide Medicaid and SCHIP coverage to legal immigrant children and pregnant women during their first five years in the country has been introduced in the House by Representatives Lincoln Diaz-Balart (R-FL) and Henry Waxman (D-CA) (H.R. 1308) and in the Senate by Senators Hillary Clinton (D-NY) and Olympia Snowe (R-ME) (S. 764). This measure also is included in other children’s health bills introduced in Congress,<5> and Senators Jay Rockefeller (D-WV) and Olympia Snowe (R-ME) have indicated that their forthcoming SCHIP reauthorization legislation will include the provision."

[Totally Committed]

7. He is not now, nor has he ever been a...

Clinton or a Bush.

TC

V
V
V
V
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[Freddie Stubbs]

11. In June he promised to hold 9-11 hearings in September

http://www.opednews.com/articles/genera_jim_ciri_071001_kucinich_9_11_hearin.htm

[slipslidingaway]

16. I looked at the other four candidate threads in the OP, not once

did you call attention to any of their faults, real or perceived. There are a few people who constantly try and pull Dennis down on many Kucinich threads, why is it so important to attack him!



Re the 9/11 article and as posted to you earlier when you brought up the same subject.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=3580950&mesg_id=3581093

Do the other candidates even think there are any unanswered questions that need to be explored? Forget about any investigation being reopened under any of the leading candidates IMO.

[BelgianMadCow]

13. Kucinichers?

Kuchinnies
Koochies?
Kuciniacs!
Kucinichites *fumble*

[Lydia Leftcoast]

17. He's the only politician whose speeches ever brought tears to my eyes

for talking about the country's actual needs instead of what the Beltway consultants tell him to talk about.

[Trajan]

21. Kucinich is a good man ....

Why degrade him ? ..... A fellow like him, who is somewhat outside of the mainstream in many ways, is more VISIONARY than functionary .....

Given power, he could move the world .....

This is a negative, fallacious appeal ....

[slipslidingaway]

22. Kick for additional replies n/t

[LWolf]

23. Kucitizens appreciate DK

for his integrity, and for his principled stands.

He actually brings legislation to the floor of the House to work for what he says he stands for. It's true that in the current congress it doesn't pass, but he works for cosponsors, and when he hears that people are concerned, he speaks up about it.

I think it's vital to keep these issues out front and on the floor of the house and the senate, regardless of the current climate. His willingness to take on that challenge, and to stand in opposition to destructive policy, earns him my support. His refusal to support the war or the patriot act WHEN IT COUNTED, just adds to the appeal.

Then there's the fact that he's managed to make it into his 60s without forgetting his roots, without being bought and owned by the establishment. He isn't owned by corporate America.

That's the most meaningful accomplishment, imo.

Specifics?

HR 676. The universal, single-payer, NOT FOR PROFIT health CARE plan.

H.Res. 333 Impeachment of Cheney

HR 808 Department of Peace

HR 6200 Hand counted Paper ballots

HR 1234 Withdrawal from Iraq

There are more, of course, but these are a good start!