Dennis Kucinich

Kucinich: Targeted Killings 'An Assault On The Constitution'

Sahil Kapur | March 9, 2012, 5:38AM

Outgoing Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-OH) -- who lost a brutal primary battle on Tuesday to Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D-OH) -- vehemently criticized the Obama administration's program of targeted killings of US citizens abroad without due process, declaring it a "dangerous" violation of the Constitution that ought to meet resistance from Democrats and Republicans alike.

"Any assault on the Constitution ought to be challenged," Kucinich told TPM in a Thursday interview at his Capitol Hill office. "This is absolutely an assault on the Constitution."

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Dennis Kucinich

Kucinich: 'Defeat Has Never Had Power Over Me'

Sahil Kapur | March 8, 2012, 5:36PM

Less than 48 hours after suffering defeat in a brutal primary contest, a pensive Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-OH) says his political career isn't necessarily over. In an interview in his Capitol Hill office, Kucinich told TPM he's "open" to new possibilities but hasn't made up his mind about what he'll do next.

Kucinich pointed out that of the 40 elections he's contested, he has won 32 of them and lost eight, including four unsuccessful bids for Congress before he finally came to Washington in 1997.

"I'm no stranger to defeat," he told me. "But defeat has never had power over me. It's never changed me. Nor has victory. So I'm at peace with where things are with respect to me. And I'm open for whatever possibilities are out there."

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Libya

House Rebukes Obama's Handling Of Libya

Benjy Sarlin | June 3, 2011, 4:34PM

The House issued a rebuke to President Obama over his handling of the Libya conflict, passing a Republican resolution with bipartisan support demanding he justify US intervention and provide Congress with more information. A tougher resolution from Dennis Kucinich (D-OH) that would have called on US to withdraw entirely failed in a separate vote.

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Libya

Boehner Offers Own Libya Resolution To Head Off Kucinich's Anti-War Bill

Benjy Sarlin | June 3, 2011, 9:12AM

Seeking to head off a growing revolt in the GOP against America's involvement in Libya, Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) is offering a resolution demanding the White House not deploy ground troops in the country.

The resolution states that President Obama "has failed to provide Congress with a compelling rationale based upon United States national security interests for current United States military activities regarding Libya" and requests detailed information from the White House on the mission.The legislation is intended to head off more aggressively worded resolutions by lawmakers like Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-OH), which demand a withdrawal of US forces.

Kucinich's resolution was scheduled for a vote on Wednesday, but House leaders pulled it at the last second when they became concerned it had enough Republican votes to pass. Boehner told reporters on Thursday that rank and file Republicans were concerned not only with the Libya conflict, but Afghanistan and Iraq as well.

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Dennis Kucinich

Speaker Boehner Concedes GOP Is Conflicted On Libya After Abruptly Pulling Anti-War Resolution

Benjy Sarlin | June 2, 2011, 11:46AM

House Republicans will huddle on Thursday to discuss their members' position on Libya a day after unexpectedly withdrawing a resolution disapproving of the conflict. Speaker John Boehner conceded to reporters that many House Republicans are concerned by the military operation and called on President Obama to "step up" his explanations for the conflict.

On Wednesday schedulers abruptly canceled a vote on a resolution calling on the US to withdraw all forces from the conflict. The measure's sponsor, Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-OH), told reporters he believed House leaders pulled the legislation after realizing it might succeed with Republican backing.

"They changed their mind," he said after it was withdrawn on Wednesday. "They felt, well, it's going to pass."

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Dennis Kucinich

Poll: Washington Voters Wouldn't Roll Out Welcome Mat For Kucinich

Jon Terbush | May 24, 2011, 3:34PM

Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-OH)

Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-WA)? A new PPP poll out Tuesday suggests voters in Washington state are largely unreceptive to the thought of the Ohio congressman moving west and running for office in their state.

In the poll, 39% of registered voters said Kucinich should not run for Congress from a new district that will be drawn next year as a result of last year's census reapportionment, while 12% said he should run. A bright spot fo Kucinich though, should he move to Washington and decide to run, is that a 48% plurality of voters are still undecided.

Also, while a 53% majority of voters there don't know Kucinich well enough to form an opinion of him, a greater percentage of voters don't like him (28%) than the percentage who do like him (19%.)

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Redistricting

Dennis Kucinich Running for Reelection In .... Washington State?

Benjy Sarlin | May 3, 2011, 3:59PM

Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-OH)

Threatened by redistricting, anti-war gadfly Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-OH) may return to the scene of his famed UFO encounter in search of re-election.

The Seattle Times checked in with the congressman's office after he was observed spending an inordinate amount of time in Washington State -- where Kucinich once communed with an apparent alien at Shirley MacLaine's house, according to her memoir -- to find out whether he was scoping out a potential backup district. Kucinich's response certainly seemed to encourage the idea.

"After people found out that Congressman Kucinich's district could be eliminated or substantially altered in congressional redistricting by the Ohio Legislature's Republican majority, Congressman Kucinich received requests from people in twenty states, including Washington State, encouraging him to move and run in their area," a spokesman, Nathan White said in a statement. "Congressman Kucinich appreciates the interest expressed in his public service. As he has repeatedly said, he fully intends to remain in Congress; he just doesn't know in what district he will run. In the meantime, he is devoted to serving Ohio's 10th district as it currently stands."

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Scott Walker

On Capitol Hill, Walker Defends Fight With Unions: "We Are Doing Something Truly Progressive"

Benjy Sarlin | April 14, 2011, 2:00PM

Gov. Scott Walker (R-WI)

Testifying before the House Oversight Committee, Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker (R) defended his administration's combative approach to unions amid aggressive questioning from House Democrats and his fellow witness, Vermont Governor Pete Shumlin (D).

"In Wisconsin, we are doing something truly progressive," Walker said in his opening remarks. "In addition to holding the line on spending and finding efficiencies in state government, we are implementing long term budget reforms focused on protecting middle class jobs and middle class taxpayers."

Ranking Democrat Elijah Cummings (D-MD) and others repeatedly pressed Walker to explain why he targeted collective bargaining rights when unions had already agreed to budget cuts to help close a deficit.

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Dennis Kucinich

Dennis Kucinich: No Federal Funds For Libya Military Operations

Melissa Jeltsen | March 22, 2011, 2:34PM

Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-OH)

A day after suggesting President Obama should be impeached for committing the U.S. to military intervention in Libya without consulting Congress, Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-OH) announced that he will introduce an amendment to prohibit federal funds from being used in the military operation.

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Libya

Dennis Kucinich: Obama's Libya Attack An Impeachable Offense

Benjy Sarlin | March 21, 2011, 1:31PM

Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-OH)

A number of Democratic and Republican lawmakers are concerned about the White House's air assault on Libya, but Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-OH) raised the rhetoric to 11 on Monday, suggesting President Obama should be impeached.

"President Obama moved forward without Congress approving. He didn't have Congressional authorization, he has gone against the Constitution, and that's got to be said," Kucinich said in an interview with Raw Story. "It's not even disputable, this isn't even a close question. Such an action -- that involves putting America's service men and women into harm's way, whether they're in the Air Force or the Navy -- is a grave decision that cannot be made by the president alone."

According to Kucinich, Obama's decision "would appear on its face to be an impeachable offense," though he questioned whether Congress would ever move forward with a trial in practice.

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Afghanistan

GOP Rep: Republicans Are Turning On The War In Afghanistan

Evan McMorris-Santoro | March 9, 2011, 4:09PM

Rep. Walter Jones (R-NC)

A bipartisan group of House members are pushing a new plan to end the war in Afghanistan. Many of the lawmakers who spoke at event on Wednesday announcing the new effort have been outspoken on ending what has become America's longest military conflict for years, but one Republican, Rep. Walter Jones (NC), says the names on the list of legislators opposing the Afghanistan conflict are expanding on his side of the aisle.

"The number of Republicans is slowly growing," Jones told reporters. "There were 12 tea party-types who won election that we checked to see what their position was on Afghanistan and 12 said for either policy reasons or financial reasons we need to get out."

Jones said some veteran Republicans are also signing on to an end to the war, which has has been met with growing public discontent according to public opinion polls. "In time, they're beginning to say, 'I don't know what we're trying to accomplish, there seems to be no end point,'"Jones said. "It is slowly on the Republican side changing to [support for] getting our troops out."

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Dennis Kucinich

Kucinich: My Health Care Proposals Include Dental (VIDEO)

Eric Kleefeld | February 1, 2011, 12:42PM

Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-OH) is still being asked about his lawsuit, settled last week, over an olive pit in a Capitol Hill cafeteria sandwich that destroyed one of his teeth.

In an appearance Monday night on Lawrence O'Donnell's MSNBC show, Kucinich elaborated (again) on the extent of his mouth injuries, also explaining that his public appearances post-injury were done without knowledge of the extent of the damage until an infection set in, and that multiple dental implants were done with varying success.

"This was a very difficult series of dental and medical events that I had to deal with," said Kucinich. "I didn't ask for it. It just happened. But I'm glad it's over. And it really is resolved. And it was resolved amicably, which is the way that I like to resolve disputes."

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Dennis Kucinich

Kucinich Settles Olive-Pit Lawsuit -- And Elaborates On Mouth Injuries

Eric Kleefeld | January 28, 2011, 5:02PM

Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-OH)

Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-OH) announced today that he has settled his lawsuit against the company that runs the House cafeteria, which resulted from a 2008 tooth injury involving an olive in a sandwich wrap. And in his statement, he makes it very clear to the reader just how awful this injury was for him.

"The terms of the settlement are confidential; however, I feel that the defendants have responded fairly and reasonably," Kucinich said at the conclusion of his press release. "I don't want to have to make another dental visit for a very long time, and will be making no further comment on this matter."

But that's not all. Seeing as how Kucinich's lawsuit was widely ridiculed in the media -- for example, Roll Call quoted a tort reform lobbyist who openly declared, "If I'm the cafeteria ladies, I'm spitting in his food when I see him coming" -- Kucinich felt it necessary to explain to the public that this truly was a serious injury, which involved many, many complications and many, many follow-up appointments.

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John Dingell

John Dingell Runs Through Litany Of Violent Rhetoric On House Floor (VIDEO)

Brian Beutler | January 12, 2011, 4:37PM

Rep. John Dingell (D-MI)

Members of Congress have, by and large, stayed out of the partisan fray over violent rhetoric in the wake of the Arizona shooting spree. But there have been some exceptions. Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-TX) took the opportunity to muse that the government may be withholding information about the crime because Jared Loughner is a flag-hating Marxist liberal who might embarrass President Obama.

Rep. John Dingell (D-MI), by contrast, ran through a litany of now-infamous statements by high-profile politicians, leaving blank the names of people and issues under threat.

"Let me read some statements that I have seen to be pretty awful," he said on Wednesday.

Here they are in order:

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Redistricting

Kucinich To Supporters: Where Will I Run If My District Is Eliminated?

Eric Kleefeld | December 29, 2010, 4:38PM

Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-OH)

Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-OH), the staunch progressive and two-time presidential candidate, is now sounding the alarm to his supporters: He may have to run in a completely different district.

As a result of the post-Census reapportionment, Ohio has lost two House seats, going down from 18 districts to 16. And as such, it's widely believed that Kucinich's seat could be chopped up -- ironically, Kucinich's political real estate could be redistributed among his neighbors by Ohio's Republican legislators. As he writes in an e-mail to his supporters:

I will not wait until the Ohio Legislature produces a new map to start thinking of the options. The question will not be: Who is my opponent? The question will be: Where is my district? Seriously.

We are going to have to prepare for a different kind of election, possibly in a different place because my district may be eliminated. We are going to have to organize in a different way, now. The question will remain: Where?

(Via CNN.)

Elijah Cummings

Switcharoo: Towns Out Of Oversight Spot, Kucinich Backs Cummings

Ryan J. Reilly | December 14, 2010, 7:14PM

Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-MD)

Rep. Ed Towns (D-NY) made the surprise announcement on Tuesday night that he'll be stepping down as ranking member of the House Oversight Committee, setting up a fight between Reps. Carolyn Maloney (D-NY) and Elijah Cummings (D-MD) for the right to square off with incoming Oversight Chairman Darrell Issa (R-CA).

"After much thought, Chairman Towns today made the decision not to seek the Ranking Member position on the Oversight and Government Reform Committee," a spokesman said in a statement.

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Oversight Committee

New York Congressmen Back Towns To Take On Issa

Brian Beutler | November 18, 2010, 2:22PM

Rep. Edolphus Towns (D-NY)

New York House Democrats, including members who lost their seats on November 2, want fellow New Yorker Edolphus Towns to keep the top spot on the Oversight Committee next year.

"As members of the New York delegation, we are supporting our colleague Rep. Edolphus Towns, current Chairman of the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform to become the committee's Ranking Member," the 25 Dems wrote in a letter to colleagues.

More on the brewing battle between towns and Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-OH) for the ranking member position here.

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Darrell Issa

Inside The High Stakes Fight To Take On Darrell Issa

Brian Beutler | November 17, 2010, 2:04PM

Reps. Ed Towns (D-NY) and Dennis Kucinich (D-OH)

The race is officially on to determine who will take on Darrell Issa next year as top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee. But this contest is in a lot of ways more complicated than the other post-election power struggles we've seen in the last couple weeks. And unlike, say, the House Democratic Whip struggle, which centered on an inside-baseball leadership position, the stakes here are very public and very high.

The two principle combatants are the current Oversight Committee chair, Edolphus Towns, and Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-OH) -- one of the committee's senior members.

According to Democratic aides who agreed to speak off the record to discuss the contest candidly, there's no easy answer here.

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Darrell Issa

Kucinich Confirms Oversight Run, Says Issa Is 'Reckless'

Ryan J. Reilly | November 17, 2010, 10:37AM

Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-OH)

Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-OH) sent his colleagues a letter on Wednesday confirming that he is seeking the post of ranking member of the House Committee for Oversight and Government Reform.

Also in the running for the ranking member position is current House Oversight Committee Chairman Ed Towns (D-NY). Towns has faced criticism from fellow Democrats who don't think he would be a strong enough counterweight to Issa. The White House, however, has said they expect their relationship with Towns to continue. The Congressional Black Caucus would likely resist efforts to oust Towns, who is a member of the caucus.

Kucinich criticized Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA), the chairman-in-waiting of the Oversight Committee, for making what he called unsubstantiated claims about the Obama administration.

"Mr. Issa, through his eagerness to make unsubstantiated charges and to draw conclusions in advance of evidence, reveals a lack of restraint and basic fairness," Kucinich wrote. "This conduct in the Chairman of the Committee will degrade Congress' oversight credibility and undermine the institution of the House through a lack of restraint in the use of subpoena power."

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2010 elections

Biden And Kucinich Pen Democratic Fundraising E-mails Around Health Care Bill

Eric Kleefeld | March 24, 2010, 12:45PM

Vice President Joe Biden and Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-OH)

The Democrats' Congressional campaign arms have sent out a pair of fundraising e-mails from two big names that were involved in passing the health care bill, in two very different ways: Vice President Joe Biden, who spoke with Senators throughout the process -- and Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-OH), whose switch to supporting the bill, after he'd previously opposed it for not going far enough, helped bring it over the finish line.

"Just over a year ago, President Obama and I were sworn into office to preside over a country in desperate need of change," Biden writes in his e-mail for the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee. "One year later, we have signed historic health care reform into law. Republicans want to exact a political price for our success. Their plan is this: Use the midterm elections to strengthen their numbers, weaken Democrats, repeal health care reform and destroy President Obama. And they are more than willing to lie to do it."

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Democrats

Pelosi Picks Off No Votes -- But Has Yet To Woo Toughest Reps On Health Care

Brian Beutler | March 18, 2010, 6:01PM

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA)

The past day and a half have gone pretty well for House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Yesterday saw a number of in-play Democrats come out in support the final health care reform package, and netted her her first commitment from a member--Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-OH)--who voted against the House health care bill in November. Today, the Congressional Budget Office gave the legislation a winning score, and she won more commitments, and her second and third converts from no-to-yes: Reps. Bart Gordon (D-TN) and Betsy Markey (D-CO).

But here's the rub: Pelosi still lacks the votes to pass it. Some former supporters of reform continue to say they'll vote against the current legislation. And though many members are coming around, very few of them are in the elusive pool from which Pelosi needs to draw: Members who voted against reform in round one.

And she's running out of easy pick-ups.

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Health Care

From Holding Out To Whipping Health Care -- How Dennis Kucinich Is Helping Dems Pass Reform

Christina Bellantoni | March 18, 2010, 9:31AM

Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-OH)

A few hours after Rep. Dennis Kucinich switched his support to become a critical vote for the health care bill, he took to the House floor to ask wavering colleagues to join him. Astonished colleagues pointed to Kucinich (D-OH) darting from member to member on the House floor yesterday, saying privately they'd never seen him get so involved in whipping a vote.

It's not just progressives he's targeting to keep in the fold, it's everyone, a top Democratic aide told me. Members know that Kucinich - a staunch antiwar liberal long in favor of a single-payer system and often going out on a limb with his own agenda - is setting aside deep ideology to help get something passed. "It's a totally new dynamic. People are realizing he's doing it for history," the aide said.

Rep. Barney Frank (D-MA) told me last night in the House Speaker's lobby that Kucinich's support is "a sign of Democrats recognizing how important this is."

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Democrats

Kucinich To Vote Yes On Health Care Reform--Here's Why

Brian Beutler | March 17, 2010, 11:20AM

Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-OH)

After much hand wringing, the Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-OH)--one of the House's most progressive members--has decided to support health care reform after long opposing it. Why did he change his mind?

Kucinich cited two main motivating factors in his decision: a hard sell by President Obama, and a belief that the legitimacy of his presidency might be on the line.

"I've had four separate meetings with the President," Kucinich said at his press conference this morning. "When the President of the United States wants to have a conversation with you, you take that seriously."

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Switcheroo

Kucinich Switches To Yes On Health Care

Laura Colarusso | March 17, 2010, 10:20AM

Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-OH)

Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-OH) announced this morning that he will in fact vote for the Senate health care bill. Kucinich's switch was a major pickup for Democrats who are clinging to a razor thin majority on health care reform and have been struggling to find the votes to get it passed.

"This is not the bill I wanted to support," Kucinich said. "However after careful discussions with President Obama, Speaker Pelosi, my wife Elizabeth and friends, I decided to cast a vote in favor of the legislation."

Kucinich originally voted no on the House version of the bill last fall, citing concerns the legislation didn't go far enough to help struggling Americans. He repeatedly said he couldn't support the Senate bill before his announcement today.

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2010 elections

Pressure Points -- Inside The House Dems' Health Care Persuasion Campaign

Christina Bellantoni | March 15, 2010, 12:59PM

President Barack Obama and Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA); inset (clockwise): Rep. John Tanner (D-TN), Rep. Scott Murphy (D-NY), Rep. Jason Altmire (D-PA), Rep. John Boccieri (D-PA), Rep. Bart Gordon (D-TN) and Rep. Brian Baird (D-WA).

Democratic leaders and President Obama have mounted a major persuasion campaign, trying to get the party on board with the all-speed-ahead push on health care reform legislation. They are offering wavering members - who voted "No" the first time around or are thinking to switch and oppose health care this time - in-person talks with the president and are walking members through how health care reform would help constituents in each lawmaker's district.

Rep. Scott Murphy (D-NY) is one of the 37 House Democrats who voted against the health care legislation last fall in the House, and is a top target of House leaders who need to win over several Democrats like him if they want to pass the bill this week. Inundated with calls asking him to vote "Yes," Murphy is carrying the Senate bill around with him and his staff is insisting to the thousands of callers to his office on both sides of the health care debate that he wants to read every word before making a decision.

"We have to just rip the band-aid off and have a vote -- up or down; yes or no," House Democrats were told in a memo Friday, written by leadership and obtained by TPMDC. The leadership team also has spent time with members' staffs to help explain all of the benefits that would kick in quickly - especially reforms to the practice of insurance companies excluding customers on the basis of preexisting conditions.

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Health Care

Kucinich Confirms His Opposition To Dems' Health Care Reform Plan--Even If He's The Deciding Vote (VIDEO)

Brian Beutler | March 9, 2010, 9:13AM

Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-OH)

Plenty of pressure is being brought to bear on Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-OH) to vote for comprehensive health care legislation. The high-profile progressive, and former presidential candidate, voted against the House health care bill in November because it lacked a sufficiently robust public option.

Now, faced with a Senate bill that contains no public option whatsoever, he says he plans to vote no again...even if that means he becomes the Ralph Nader of health care.

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Health Care

Leaning No: Will Kucinich Become The Ralph Nader Of Health Care Reform?

Brian Beutler | March 8, 2010, 4:55PM

Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-OH)

As the health care reform fight enters its final days, most eyes are on about two dozen pro-life and vulnerable Democrats in the House, where the greatest number of votes remain in play. But could the fate of reform actually rest in the hands of a long-serving progressive?

House Democrats are doing whatever they can to secure the 216 votes they'll likely need to pass the Senate bill, and it's shaping up to be a squeaker. Abortion foes are threatening to defect, as are some squeamish vulnerable Dems. Balancing them out, leadership hopes, are several members who voted "no" on the House health care bill in November, but are now back in the mix--these are, for the most part, retiring members, and freshmen from competitive districts.

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