Kucinich Won't Rally for Obama till he gets Answers
2 comments Posted by The Punk Patriot at 8:56 AM
| Posted: 06/27/08 10:23 AM [ET] | |
| Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-Ohio) has yet to officially endorse Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) for president and indicated he will not rally his liberal supporters this fall until he knows “what the party stands for.” In an interview this week, Kucinich said it is too early to see which direction the Democratic Party is headed this election year. Pressed on when a formal endorsement of Obama would be announced, Kucinich replied, “[Obama and I] will be talking.” |
Kucinich, who attracted a small but avid following when he ran for the White House in 2004 and this year, is not the only Democrat who has not endorsed Obama. But he is an anomaly because many of the other endorsement holdouts are conservative or centrist Democrats.
An unabashed liberal, Kucinich stumped for both Al Gore in 2000 and Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) four years ago. The Ohio lawmaker told The Hill in June of 2004 that he was rallying the liberal base for Kerry, a role that he said at the time "could make all the difference" in the general election campaign.
Kucinich also spoke at the 2004 Democratic National Convention, which featured addresses from all 10 of the candidates who vied for the nomination that year. He has yet to be asked to speak at this year’s event, and was unsure whether he eventually would be getting a spot in the program.
“That’s not up to me,” he said.
Asked if he will play a similar role in 2008 that he did in 2004, Kucinich replied, “That depends on what the party stands for. It all depends.”
He is not shy in criticizing his party, having consistently lambasted Democratic leaders in Congress for continuing to fund the Iraq war. More recently, he publicly expressed his dissatisfaction with the compromise bill on the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA).
Kucinich refused to comment on Obama’s stance toward the FISA bill. Obama recently announced he would be supporting the measure but would try to remove its controversial provisions that offer immunity to telecommunications companies who had assisted in the Bush administration’s warrantless wiretapping program.
He described his relationship with the Illinois senator as "cordial," and mentioned that he had started to do organizing work on Obama’s behalf within his Northern Ohio district.
Some were led to believe that Kucinich would endorse Obama sooner because at the Iowa caucuses, the congressman called on his backers to make Obama their second-choice candidate.
Like Kucinich, many of the other non-endorsers did not elaborate on why they had not yet publicly backed Obama. Referring to the possibility of supporting Obama, a spokeswoman for Rep. Hilda Solis (D-Calif.) said, "That is a conversation [my boss and I] have not had yet."
In response to the same question, the office of Rep. Ed Pastor (D-Ariz.), refused to comment. Both Solis and Pastor, members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC), endorsed Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.).
Rep. Gene Taylor (D-Miss.), who has not endorsed a candidate, has been critical of Obama, Clinton and Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) for skipping a May vote on an amendment to a flood insurance bill that would add coverage provisions for wind damage.
Taylor authored the measure, which may come up for debate again when the House and Senate meet to conference on the final bill this summer.
He explained that the stance the candidates take on his provision will influence who he supports. "The way they vote will affect how I vote."
The Obama campaign declined to comment.
My Fellow Americans,
In his Nomination Acceptance Address before the 1968 Republican National Convention, Richard Nixon proclaimed: "My fellow Americans, I believe that historians will recall that 1968 marked the beginning of the American generation in world history. Just to be alive in America, just to be alive at this time is an experience unparalleled in history. Here's where the nation is." These inspiring words, which were uttered forty years ago, are as true in the present as they were in the past.
Like 1968, 2008 will be remembered as a pivotal year in the history of our country. Ever-mindful of the grave state of the union, let us author a future of progress, peace, and prosperity, by means of fulfilling our common civic duty. May we translate our words and voices into votes for the presidential candidate who can bring about true change. Indeed, we know where the nation is, but we have the power to radically transform it for the better.
If we are truly desirous of lasting, substantive change in our country, this transformation must first be realized on the level of thought, before it can be actualized in the realm of reality. Instead of centering attention on battling one another for personal gain, our elected officials ought to labor in common mission for the benefit of this great nation. Because hyper-partisan politics, Clintonian triangulation, and an "ideological gridlock" have rendered our federal government completely impotent on the issues that matter, we must elect a president who can effectively facilitate and lead a tri-partisan coalition government.
Obviously, a conservative Republican president would be a continuation of the status quo, and such is intolerable to the average American. Only a charismatic Democrat can unite fellow Democrats, like-minded Independents, and sympathetic Republicans around a progressive agenda for America's future. May this year come to be regarded as the defining moment that America chose peace over war, people over lobbyists, and fair trade over free trade, among other possible achievements. Before we pass the cherished torch of freedom to the next generation, let us be sure to kindle that fire. Be part of history! Vote Democratic!
Strength Through Peace - Peace To All Beings!
James
I attend a public university. After months of trying to ignore the Ron Paul-ites on campus, I could not take it anymore. A self proclaimed Libertarian in my politics class decided that he was going to lecture the class on how amazing Ron Paul is. Something needed to be done. I simply pointed out the fact that, with Ron Paul's desire to eliminate the department of education, our public school would no longer be what it is. Tuition would skyrocket. It would become a private institution. That always shuts them up. I recommend it.
