<html><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; ">Why doesn't Dennis challenge Obama for the Democratic nomination, as Sen. Eugene McCarthy challenged Lyndon Johnson in 1968?<div><br></div><div>--CGE</div><div><br></div><div><br><div><div>On Mar 14, 2012, at 9:32 PM, David Johnson wrote:</div><br class="Apple-interchange-newline"><blockquote type="cite"> <div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); position: static; z-index: auto; "> <span style="display:none"> </span> <!--~-|**|PrettyHtmlStartT|**|-~--> <div id="ygrp-mlmsg" style="position:relative;"> <div id="ygrp-msg" style="z-index: 1;"> <!--~-|**|PrettyHtmlEndT|**|-~--> <div id="ygrp-text"><div> <br class="webkit-block-placeholder"></div><div><font size="2" face="Arial"> <div id="top_bg" class="page"> <div class="sizer"> <div id="topex" class="expander0"> <div id="top_left"> <div id="top_right"> <div id="headimg"> <div id="above" class="clearfix"> <div class="block-wrapper odd"> <div id="block-block-8" class="block block-block "> <div class="content"><a href='<a href="http://d.tradex.openx.com/ck.php?n=af970eed&cb=0.7456302168251752'">http://d.tradex.openx.com/ck.php?n=af970eed&cb=0.7456302168251752'</a> target='_blank'><img src='<a href="http://d.tradex.openx.com/avw.php?zoneid=6430&cb=0.7456302168251752&n=af970eed'">http://d.tradex.openx.com/avw.php?zoneid=6430&cb=0.7456302168251752&n=af970eed'</a> border='0' alt='' /></a> <div style="HEIGHT: 0px;"></div></div></div></div></div> <div id="header" class="clearfix"> <div id="logo"><a title="Home" href="http://blackagendareport.com/"><img alt="Home" src="http://blackagendareport.com/sites/www.blackagendareport.com/files/zeropoint_logo.png"> </a></div> <div id="top-elements"> <div id="search-box"> <br><mailscannerform18822 form="" id="search-theme-form" accept="UTF-8" method="post" action="/content/freedom-rider-farewell-congressman-kucinich"> <div> <div id="search" class="container-inline"> <div id="edit-search-theme-form-1-wrapper" class="form-item"><input id="edit-search-theme-form-1" class="form-text" title="Enter the terms you wish to search for." maxlength="128" size="15" name="search_theme_form"> </div></div></div></mailscannerform18822></div> <div id="toplinks"></div></div> <div id="name-and-slogan"></div> <div class="brclear"></div> <div id="navlinks" class="navleft"> <ul class="menu"> <li class="expanded first"></li></ul></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div> <div id="body_bg" class="page"> <div class="sizer"> <div class="expander0"> <div id="body_left"> <div id="body_right"> <div id="middlecontainer"> <div id="wrapper"> <div class="outer"> <div class="float-wrap"> <div class="colmain"> <div id="main"> <h1 class="title">Freedom Rider: Farewell Congressman Kucinich</h1> <div class="tabs"></div> <div id="node-12935" class="node odd full-node node-type-blog"> <div class="meta"> <div class="submitted">Wed, 03/14/2012 - 01:43 — Margaret Kimberley</div></div> <div class="terms"> <ul class="taxonomy"> <li class="vocab-term"><a title="" href="http://blackagendareport.com/category/us-politics/obama-health-care" rel="tag">Obama health care</a> | </li> <li class="vocab-term"><a title="" href="http://blackagendareport.com/category/us-politics/kucinich-defeated" rel="tag">Kucinich defeated</a></li></ul></div> <div class="content"><span class="print-link"><span class="print_html"><a class="print-page" title="Display a printer-friendly version of this page." href="http://blackagendareport.com/print/content/freedom-rider-farewell-congressman-kucinich" rel="nofollow">Printer-friendly version</a></span></span> <div class="field field-type-filefield field-field-main-image"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item odd"><img class="imagecache imagecache-feature400 imagecache-default imagecache-feature400_default" title="" alt="" src="http://blackagendareport.com/sites/www.blackagendareport.com/files/imagecache/feature400/dennis_kucinich_0.jpg" width="400" height="300"> </div></div></div><div> <br class="webkit-block-placeholder"></div><p><font face="Times"><font size="2"><font face="Arial, sans-serif"><font size="3"><b>b</b></font></font><font face="Arial, sans-serif"><font size="3"><b>y BAR editor and senior columnist Margaret Kimberley</b></font></font></font></font></p><p><font face="Times"><font size="2"><font face="Arial, sans-serif">With the gerrymandered defeat of Dennis Kucinich, the Congress has lost its last, best progressive. “Called crazy or wacky, Kucinich is nothing more than what other Democrats ought to be.” Kucinich stood firm, when all in the Progressive and Black Caucuses folded. “If there is no room for one, not even </font><font face="Arial, sans-serif"><i>one</i></font><font face="Arial, sans-serif"> true Democrat, then there should no longer be any allegiance to that party.”</font></font></font></p><div> <br class="webkit-block-placeholder"></div><p><font color="#280099"><font face="Arial, sans-serif"><font size="4"><b>Freedom Rider: Farewell Congressman Kucinich</b></font></font></font></p><p><font face="Times"><font size="2"><font face="Arial, sans-serif"><font size="3"><b>b</b></font></font><font face="Arial, sans-serif"><font size="3"><b>y BAR editor and senior columnist Margaret Kimberley</b></font></font></font></font></p><p align="center"><font color="#2323dc">“<font face="Times"><font size="2"><font face="Arial, sans-serif"><font size="3"><i>His eight terms in congress will end this year because he was not tolerated by the rulers.”</i></font></font></font></font></font></p><p><font face="Arial, sans-serif"><font size="2">If America were a democracy in the truest sense of the word, our political representatives would in fact represent our interests. They would fight for public education and against wars. We would have single payer health care and affordable housing. Banks would not be permitted to devastate our communities with red lining or foreclosures and the top 1% wouldn’t be allowed to create bubble economies which create havoc around the world.</font></font></p><p><font face="Times"><font size="2"><font face="Arial, sans-serif">But our country is a democracy in name only. We do get to cast our votes periodically, but anyone who does want to represent the interests of the people is not tolerated by this system.</font></font></font></p><p><font face="Times"><font size="2"><font face="Arial, sans-serif">Dennis Kucinich is such a person. His eight terms in congress will end this year because he was not tolerated by the rulers. Kucinich’s congressional career ended because of the time honored yet often corrupt process of gerrymandering districts. Electoral district lines are redrawn every ten years based on census data, and because the state of Ohio lost population, it also lost congressional seats. </font></font></font></p><p><font face="Times"><font size="2"><font face="Arial, sans-serif">The Ohio rulers in the Republican-run state legislature decided to redraw lines which pitted two Democratic incumbents, Dennis Kucinich and Marcy Kaptur, against one another. The new district was mostly made up of Kaptur’s old district, and Kucinich was defeated in the primary election.</font></font></font></p><p align="center"><font color="#2323dc">“<font face="Times"><font size="2"><font face="Arial, sans-serif"><font size="3"><i>Anyone who wants to represent the interests of the people is not tolerated by this system.”</i></font></font></font></font></font></p><p><font face="Times"><font size="2"><font face="Arial, sans-serif">The corporate media and their pundits were always quick to dismiss Kucinich, and wasted no time in kicking him now that he is down and out. Called crazy or wacky, Kucinich is nothing more than what other Democrats ought to be. He represents the interests of most Americans, and calls out the powerful for their abuse.</font></font></font></p><p><font face="Times"><font size="2"><font face="Arial, sans-serif">The rightward shift in American politics puts anyone who truly believes in democracy on the outs. When Kucinich sponsored articles of impeachment against George W. Bush, his effort was righteous but doomed, and doomed by his own. </font></font></font></p><p><font face="Times"><font size="2"><font face="Arial, sans-serif">His fellow Democrats couldn’t get behind him because some of them were collaborators with the Bush regime. Then Speaker Nancy Pelosi couldn’t support articles of impeachment which charged Bush with the crime of torture because she was briefed on and tacitly supported the practice. It is but one example of why Kucinich’s political career was also doomed, and why he finally was unable to dodge that last bullet.</font></font></font></p><p><font face="Times"><font size="2"><font face="Arial, sans-serif">Dennis Kucinich stood up when no one else would. In 2006, when the first reports surfaced indicating a death toll of </font><font color="#0000ff"><u><a href="http://blackagendareport.com/content/kucinich-black-candidate"></a></u></font><u><a href="http://blackagendareport.com/content/kucinich-black-candidate"><font face="Arial, sans-serif">1 million Iraqis</font></a></u><font face="Arial, sans-serif"> at the hands of the United States, it was Kucinich, alone among members of congress, who demanded answers. Not one other member of Congress, not from the Progressive Caucus, or the Congressional Black Caucus joined him. It is that kind of bravery which finally cost him his political career.</font></font></font></p><p align="center"><font color="#2323dc">“<font face="Times"><font size="2"><font face="Arial, sans-serif"><font size="3"><i>He finally was unable to dodge that last bullet.</i></font></font><font face="Arial, sans-serif"><font size="3"><i>”</i></font></font></font></font></font></p><p><font face="Times"><font size="2"><font face="Arial, sans-serif">If there can be any criticism of Kucinich it should be leveled over his support of Barack Obama’s </font><font color="#0000ff"><u><a href="http://www.blackagendareport.com/?q=content/obama-inc-triumphs-kucinich-folds-his-hand-health-care"></a></u></font><u><a href="http://www.blackagendareport.com/?q=content/obama-inc-triumphs-kucinich-folds-his-hand-health-care"><font face="Arial, sans-serif">health care plan</font></a></u><font face="Arial, sans-serif">. For many years Kucinich was steadfast in his support of single payer health care, Medicare for all. But Obama was having none of it, and as always crushed the party’s progressive wing in order to get his way. He threatened to campaign against any Democrats who wouldn’t support his wolf in sheep’s clothing corporate health care bail out. Kucinich succumbed to the Obama steamroller and lived to see another day in 2010, but his number was up in 2012 and he will soon be a former member of congress.</font></font></font></p><p><font face="Times"><font size="2"><font face="Arial, sans-serif">In an era when presidential campaign spending hits the 1 billion dollar mark, and the once progressive Congressional Black Caucus is as corporate controlled as any other, the likelihood of true democracy is slim. The pressures which compromised Kucinich in the health care debate and which finally took him out altogether will not permit his like to emerge again.</font></font></font></p><p><font face="Times"><font size="2"><font face="Arial, sans-serif">In an era when representing the desires of the people makes one a political outlaw, it is time to ask some hard questions. If there is no room for one, not even one true Democrat, then there should no longer be any allegiance to that party. When the attorney general in a Democratic administration asserts a government right to assassinate at will, then it is passed time to leave that party behind.</font></font></font></p><p align="center"><font color="#2323dc">“<font face="Times"><font size="2"><font face="Arial, sans-serif"><font size="3"><i>The pressures which compromised Kucinich in the health care debate and which finally took him out altogether will not permit his like to emerge again.”</i></font></font></font></font></font></p><p><font face="Times"><font size="2"><font face="Arial, sans-serif">If Dennis Kucinich, who was truly antiwar, is shown the door, while the drone-dropping Obama sits in the oval office, then we know everything we need to know. Supporting the Democratic Party is a losing proposition, as Kucinich discovered when his support of the health care bill only postponed his inevitable political demise. We should laud the many courageous stands he took on our behalf, but learn a lesson from that experience. </font></font></font></p><p><font face="Times"><font size="2"><font face="Arial, sans-serif">Hopefully Kucinich will find other ways to make a political impact. His voice is an important one, and shouldn’t be silenced because he is now out of office. Perhaps being out of Congress will give him greater power, the power to move people to political action without the constraints of party loyalty. It is difficult to imagine a better person for the job.</font></font></font></p><p><font face="Times"><font size="2"><font color="#280099"><font face="Arial, sans-serif"><i>Margaret Kimberley's Freedom Rider column appears weekly in BAR, and is widely reprinted elsewhere. She maintains a frequently updated blog as well as at </i></font></font><font color="#0000ff"><u><a href="http://freedomrider.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"></a></u></font></font><u><a href="http://freedomrider.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><font color="#280099"><font face="Arial, sans-serif">http://freedomrider.blogspot.com.</font></font></a></u><font color="#280099"><font color="#280099"> </font><font color="#280099"><font face="Arial, sans-serif"><i>Ms. Kimberley lives in New York City, and can be reached via e-Mail at Margaret.Kimberley(at)BlackAgendaReport.com</i></font></font><font color="#280099"><font face="Arial, sans-serif">.</font></font></font></font></p> <div id="group-id-tids-2506" class="advertisement group-tids-2506"> </div> <div class="advertisement group-tids-2506">Comments </div></div></div> <div id="comments" class="block"><a id="comment-32615"></a> <div class="comment odd clear-block"> <h3 class="title"><a class="active" href="http://blackagendareport.com/content/freedom-rider-farewell-congressman-kucinich#comment-32615">I don't know what Obomber and</a></h3> <div class="submitted"><span class="comment-name">beverly</span> - <span class="comment-date">03/14/2012 - 21:40</span> </div> <div class="content"><p>I don't know what Obomber and henchmen said to Kucinich when they had him on Air Force One (probably threatened his and/or his family's lives) to get him to vote for that horrid health deform bill. If threat didn't involve bodily harm, Kucinich should have taken the high road and voted his conscience. The party had been dirisive and dismissive of him for years. Even if voting no cost him re-election, he had in enough years to qualify for a nice pension and certainly could have supplemented his income with a professor gig at a liberal arts college. Voting yes did him no good; I'm sure most party money went to Kaptur's campaign, not Kucinich's. </p></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></font></div><div><br class="webkit-block-placeholder"></div> </div> <!--~-|**|PrettyHtmlStart|**|-~--> <div style="color: #fff; height: 0;">__._,_.___</div> <div id="ygrp-actbar" style="clear: both; margin-bottom: 10px; white-space: nowrap; color: #666; padding-top: 15px;"> <div> <a href="mailto:dlj725@hughes.net?subject=Re%3A%20%28no%20subject%29" style="margin-right: 0; padding-right: 0;"> Reply to <span style="font-weight: 700;">sender</span></a> | <a href="mailto:sf-core@yahoogroups.com?subject=Re%3A%20%28no%20subject%29"> Reply to <span style="font-weight: 700;">group</span></a> | <a href="http://groups.yahoo.com/group/sf-core/post;_ylc=X3oDMTJwdTZkZmJxBF9TAzk3MzU5NzE0BGdycElkAzc4OTI2NjMEZ3Jwc3BJZAMxNzA1MDYwMzc1BG1zZ0lkAzM1ODcEc2VjA2Z0cgRzbGsDcnBseQRzdGltZQMxMzMxNzc4ODMw?act=reply&messageNum=3587">Reply <span style="font-weight: 700;">via web post</span></a> | <a href="http://groups.yahoo.com/group/sf-core/post;_ylc=X3oDMTJlMjVzMWRkBF9TAzk3MzU5NzE0BGdycElkAzc4OTI2NjMEZ3Jwc3BJZAMxNzA1MDYwMzc1BHNlYwNmdHIEc2xrA250cGMEc3RpbWUDMTMzMTc3ODgzMA--" style="font-weight: 700;">Start a New Topic</a> </div> <a href="http://groups.yahoo.com/group/sf-core/message/3587;_ylc=X3oDMTM0OGdyZzg3BF9TAzk3MzU5NzE0BGdycElkAzc4OTI2NjMEZ3Jwc3BJZAMxNzA1MDYwMzc1BG1zZ0lkAzM1ODcEc2VjA2Z0cgRzbGsDdnRwYwRzdGltZQMxMzMxNzc4ODMwBHRwY0lkAzM1ODc-">Messages in this topic</a> (<span style="font-weight: 700;">1</span>) </div> <!------- Start Nav Bar ------> <!-- |**|begin egp html banner|**| --> <!-- |**|end egp html banner|**| --> <!-- |**|begin egp html banner|**| --> <div id="ygrp-vital" style="background-color: #e0ecee; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; padding: 10px;"> <span id="vithd" style="font-weight: bold; color: #333; text-transform: uppercase; ">Recent Activity:</span> <ul style="list-style-type: none; margin: 0; padding: 0; display: inline;"> </ul> <div style="clear: both; padding-top: 2px; color: #1e66ae;"> <a href="http://groups.yahoo.com/group/sf-core;_ylc=X3oDMTJlYjRwODYyBF9TAzk3MzU5NzE0BGdycElkAzc4OTI2NjMEZ3Jwc3BJZAMxNzA1MDYwMzc1BHNlYwN2dGwEc2xrA3ZnaHAEc3RpbWUDMTMzMTc3ODgzMA--" style="text-decoration: none;">Visit Your Group</a> </div> </div> <div id="ft" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11px; margin-top: 5px; padding: 0 2px 0 0; clear: both;"> <a href="http://groups.yahoo.com/;_ylc=X3oDMTJkYm5jaTVuBF9TAzk3NDc2NTkwBGdycElkAzc4OTI2NjMEZ3Jwc3BJZAMxNzA1MDYwMzc1BHNlYwNmdHIEc2xrA2dmcARzdGltZQMxMzMxNzc4ODMw" style="float: left;"><img src="http://l.yimg.com/a/i/us/yg/logo/us.gif" height="15" width="137" alt="Yahoo! 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