Dennis generously gives back money to FDL

[Nikki Stone1]

Still love Dennis. Know he got screwed.

Despite our best efforts to show Dennis Kucinich we had his back - Firedoglake raised more than $17,000 for his campaign in just two days - Kucinich announced this morning that he'll vote yes for the Aetna-PhRMA bailout bill.

I spoke with Dennis following his speech, and his campaign will return the money to those who have donated in support of his pledge to vote against any health care bill that does not have a public option. It's the honorable thing to do.

Once the other 64 members of Congress who pledged the same abandoned Kucinich, it became hard to expect Kucinich to carry the weight of the health care bill on his back alone. That said, it is both disheartening and illuminating to realize that the progressives in Congress have no true commitment to anything but putting on a show.

[Romulox]

1. Unrec. He took that money under false pretenses. nt

[upi402]

4. He changed his position AFTER all was lost for PO

rec

[Romulox]

6. Nonsense. If his vote didn't matter, he wouldn't have been strong-armed into selling out.

:hi:

[Nikki Stone1]

11. You don't know what they threatened.

I guess I'm one of the few that believed Massa

[Romulox]

15. Right. But logically, it doesn't make sense to argue that Kuch's vote didn't matter.

The very act of strong-arming belies that point.

[cali]

20. yes, yes. Obama threatened to kill dennis if he didn't vote his way.

As for Massa what did he really accuse the administration of?

[apocalypsehow]

30. For the sake of argument, let's pretend he was "threatened": so what? Why didn't this man of bold

"courage" and "principles" and "conviction" stand up to the people doing the threatening? The time for such courage, conviction, and standing fast to principles is precisely when the going gets the toughest.

Instead, Dennis called a presser and bailed from his previous position. You can't have it both ways.

[ProSense]

31. Frankly, I'd like to see those making the claim

demand Kucinich reveal how he was threatened.

[apocalypsehow]

37. They won't: Dennis said it, and that's that. He's the E.F. Hutton of that tiny crowd. n/t.

[Hippo_Tron]

43. Sure I do, they didn't threaten shit

There are only two things they can really threaten...

1) A primary challenger

2) No money for the general election

In the first case, the ship has already sailed on that one. In the second case, Dennis is a shoe-in in his district so he doesn't need their money.

So what threat exactly do you think they used against Dennis? Because honestly I don't think they have anything they can threaten him with.

[upi402]

40. but his vote DID matter, as it turns out

that's what my point was actually. as an aside, i believe him when he says his constituents want it. he is about the only politician willing to lose face for the good of the people.

[slipslidingaway]

12. Did Kucinich ask FDL to raise money for him? The first email from FDL

that I saw asking for people to contribute was on Monday.


I can understand why FDL asked for people to support him as he was being targeted, I can also understand why they might have asked him to not take the money. Personally I do not want my contribution returned.


"Last September, progressive groups including MoveOn, DFA and blogs across the country came together to raise over $430,000 for 65 members of Congress who pledged to vote against any health care bill that doesn't have a public option.

Rep. Dennis Kucinich is one of those members who took the pledge and intends to honor it.

And now MoveOn is demonstrating against him because of it. He's being threatened with primary challenges, and President Obama is going to his district today to campaign for the health care bill.



President Obama, MoveOn.org and others are attacking Dennis Kucinich because he opposes any bill without a public option


Support Kucinich's stand and make a contribution today
Hi Debbie,
Last September, progressive groups including MoveOn, DFA and blogs across the country came together to raise over $430,000 for 65 members of Congress who pledged to vote against any health care bill that doesn't have a public option.

Rep. Dennis Kucinich is one of those members who took the pledge and intends to honor it.

And now MoveOn is demonstrating against him because of it. He's being threatened with primary challenges, and President Obama is going to his district today to campaign for the health care bill.

Donate $5 to Rep. Kucinich and let him know that we've got his back for opposing any bill without a public option.

The health care bill that Congress now wants to pass doesn't contain a public option, which would have served as a check on private insurance. Instead, the bill is written as a giant giveaway to big business--it doesn't make health care affordable, it just forces people to buy insurance from unregulated monopolies.

Dennis Kucinich is doing what a member of Congress should do: holding out his vote for something that 80% of the American people want. Now that only 50 votes are needed in the Senate, and 51 Senators have said they'd vote for a bill with a public option, even that last threadbare excuse is gone.

Dennis is asking the question everyone should be asking: why?

If we allow Dennis to be targeted for his principles and have his political career destroyed for simply doing what progressives should be doing, no member of Congress will ever have the political courage to stand up against corporate power again.

Don't let Dennis get skewered for keeping his pledge and voting in the public's interest. Make a contribution to the Kucinich campaign today.

Today, I'm asking you to do what you can to make sure that the message gets sent: we will stand up for members of Congress who stand up to the corporatists.

Please join with me in making that statement by donating to Dennis Kucinich today.

Thanks for all you do,

Jane Hamsher"

[Romulox]

17. He knew damn well that money was raised on the strength of his opposition to "HCR"

Which is why he is so "generously" returning the money while hoping it all blows over.

[slipslidingaway]

25. That email was received Monday afternoon, maybe he had other

things to do in the past 36 hours.

:shrug:

[EFerrari]

24. Really? Than what about the fundraising for Obama's campaign?

Or, is only Dennis to be attacked even though he is doing the right thing?

http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/promises/promise/518/create-public-option-health-plan-new-national-heal/

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

2. I guess 3% of liberals isn't a very good base, even for Kucinich.

[ihavenobias]

8. FYI, the 3% meme has been debunked.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

9. No, it hasn't.

That's an old poll, and a poor comparison even if it was recent.

You get a D for wishful thinking though.

[ihavenobias]

10. Yes, it has.

The question was about support for reform with a mandate with OR without a public option/medicare buy-in. Nothing more, nothing less. There is NOTHING that has changed in the last 3 months to that end.

There is NOTHING that has happened to make the poll irrelevant, despite your claims. If you still insist otherwise you need to support your argument. Do you think the 97% are all or mostly aware of the mandate and lack of public option/medicare buy-in? If so, why?

I would hit eject now if I were you, but if you have some substantive answers, I'll be pleasantly surprised.

[apocalypsehow]

27. No, it hasn't. Simply repeating information proven to be dated makes it no less dated. Try another

meme - this one ain't working out for yah. :thumbsup:

[ihavenobias]

32. I guess I missed the part where you refuted anything I wrote.

Ironic that you should attempt such a debating tactic in light of that fact.

[apocalypsehow]

33. It's not my problem that your eyes seem to go out of focus whenever they gaze at the replies that

have done just that. I'd get that checked out.

[ihavenobias]

34. Again, a comment with 0% substance or facts. Just cheap little jabs.

You better hope I'm the only one that notices.

[apocalypsehow]

36. "You better hope I'm the only once (Sic) that notices" - LOL!

:rofl:

Comedy gold.

[berni_mccoy]

16. LOLOL! Desp. er. ation.

[ihavenobias]

21. I agree, using the 3% poll without the context of the prior poll IS desperation.

[berni_mccoy]

38. What's desperate is trying to use a poll from DECEMBER to counter a poll from last WEEK.

[ihavenobias]

44. Not when the polls are asking different questions. But you already knew that.

At least I assume you're intelligent enough to have already known that simple, undeniable fact.

[ProSense]

3. "Kucinich announced this morning that he'll vote yes for the Aetna-PhRMA bailout bill"

What a lovely sentinment from FDL!

Utterly shameful.

[slipslidingaway]

13. They were frequent visitors and had front row seats in the discussions :) n/t

[girl gone mad]

23. Aren't you one of the ones always screaming that people should "READ THE BILL!!!1!"?

Then you complain about the verdict of those who have read the bill.

Lame.

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

5. Kabukicinich.

[LynneSin]

7. Know he got screwed or assumed he got screwed

And btw, I highly doubt that any of us are anti-Kucinich. Even in my rant I commented about how I wish he was running for that open senate seat in Ohio.

But only Dennis and Obama knows what happened during their conversation. It's not like he lives in a district where there is a risk he could lose.

[TheWraith]

14. Kucinich did the right thing.

Apparently the Firebaggers can't appreciate that.

[mdmc]

18. God bless DK

thanks for the OP Nikki

[Nikki Stone1]

26. You're welcome.

:hi:

[Lord Helmet]

19. Your flexibility (reads blind spot) in reasoning is hilarious. nt

[Nikki Stone1]

22. Thank you for kicking this post.

Appreciate it. :)

[apocalypsehow]

28. Unrec for obvious reasons. n/t.

[Nikki Stone1]

35. But thank you for kicking it.

.

[Starbucks Anarchist]

29. How was he screwed? He agreed to vote yes.

The only one who "screwed" him was himself.

[G_j]

39. Has anyone else ever done this?

I can't imagine 99% of politicians doing this

[Canuckistanian]

41. So FDL gave 17k for this ONE specific vote?

Doesn't that make them a lobbyist?

[mzmolly]

42. Yep,

a bitter lobby at that.