WHO IS REP. DENNIS KUCINICH (D-OH)? Dems' Choice To Lead Key National Security Subcommittee

RNC ^ | October 26, 2006

[Ooh-Ah]

Thursday, October 26, 2006
AMERICA WEAKLY: Who Is Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-OH)?

      

WHO IS REP. DENNIS KUCINICH (D-OH)?

Dems' Choice To Lead Key National Security Subcommittee Would Use "Warm Glow Of Peace" Against Terrorists_____________________________________

 

REP. KUCINICH WOULD LEAD KEY NATIONAL SECURITY SUBCOMMITTEE

 

If Dems Win House, Rep. Kucinich Would Chair Government Reform Committee's Subcommittee On National Security:

 

Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-OH) Is Currently Ranking Member Of The Government Reform, Subcommittee On National Security, Emerging Threats And International Relations. (Rep. Dennis Kucinich, http://kucinich.house.gov, Accessed 9/29/06)

• "Focusing Primarily On Terrorism, The Subcommittee Has Looked ... At Domestic Preparedness, Response Capabilities And Military Force Protection ... As Well As Department Of Defense Weapon Acquisition Programs ..." (House Committee On Government Reform, http://reform.house.gov, Accessed 9/29/09)

REP. KUCINICH WOULD TARGET TERRORISTS USING "WARM GLOW OF PEACE"

 

Rep. Kucinich's Plan For Dealing With Terrorists: Look Deep In Their Hearts "To Enkindle The Warm Glow Of Peace":

 

Rep. Kucinich: "We prepare for war so grandly; let us prepare for peace grandly by looking fearlessly and deep into the hearts of those who wish us harm, and find that spark of recognition that connects us to a common humanity and from that draw a flicker of hope to enkindle the warm glow of peace." (Rep. Dennis Kucinich, Congressional Record, 7/20/06, p. H5494)

 

Rep. Kucinich Called For A "Department Of Peace":

 

Rep. Kucinich Wants To Create Department Of Peace Where Non-Violence Would Be "Organizing Principle" For Foreign Policy. Rep. Kucinich: "I've been working on the idea of creating a Department of Peace, where non-violence would become an organizing principle in our society, not only for international problems, but for domestic, as well ... What I envision is nothing less than a transformation of the social and political structure through changing the consciousness of the nation and the world about matters of war and peace ..."  (Ian Miller, "Rep. Dennis Kucinich [D-Ohio]," The Hill, 6/21/00)

• Rep. Kucinich: "It is time to jettison our illusions and fears and to transform age-old challenges with new thinking. This is the idea behind my proposal to establish a Department of Peace." (Rep. Dennis Kucinich, www.kucinich.us, Accessed 9/29/06)

REP. KUCINICH WOULD BLOCK MONITORING AND PROSECUTION OF TERRORISTS

 

Rep. Kucinich Opposed Giving Attorney General The Ability To Designate Domestic Terror Groups:

 

Rep. Kucinich: "We cannot justify giving the Attorney General the ability to designate domestic terror groups." (Rep. Dennis Kucinich, Remarks At Southern California Americans For Democratic Action, Los Angeles, CA, 2/17/02)

 

Rep. Kucinich Opposed The PATRIOT Act:

 

Just One Month After The September 11^th Terrorist Attacks, Rep. Kucinich Voted Against Passage Of The PATRIOT Act. (H.R. 3162, CQ Vote #398: Passed 357-66: R 211-3; D 145-62; I 1-1, 10/24/01, Kucinich Voted Nay)

• In 2006, Rep. Kucinich Voted Three Times Against Passage Of The PATRIOT Act Reauthorization. (S. 2271, CQ Vote #20: Adopted 280-138: R 214-13; D 66-124; I 0-1, 3/7/06, Kucinich Voted Nay; H.R. 3199, CQ Vote #414: Adopted 257-171: R 214-14; D 43-156; I 0-1, 7/21/05, Kucinich Voted Nay; H.R. 3199, CQ Vote #627: Adopted 251-174: R 207-18; D 44-155; I 0-1, 12/14/05, Kucinich Voted Nay)

Rep. Kucinich Opposed Terrorist Surveillance:

 

Rep. Kucinich Voted Against The Electronic Surveillance Modernization Act, Which Would Make It Easier To Monitor Terrorist Communications. (H.R. 5825, CQ Vote #502: Passed 232-191: R 214-13; D 18-177; I 0-1, 9/28/06, Kucinich Voted Nay)

• In June, Rep. Kucinich Opposed A Resolution Expressing "[S]upport For Intelligence And Law Enforcement Programs To Track Terrorists And Terrorist Finances ..." (H. Res. 895, CQ Vote #357: Adopted 227-183: R 210-8; D 17-174; I 0-1, 6/29/06, Kucinich Voted Nay)

Rep. Kucinich: "We cannot justify giving the CIA the ability to target people in this country for intelligence surveillance." (Rep. Dennis Kucinich, Remarks At Southern California Americans For Democratic Action, Los Angeles, CA, 2/17/02)

• Rep. Kucinich: "The President's program of spying on Americans is illegal, unjustified, a gross abuse of executive authority and a danger to the basic rights of every American." ("What Ohio Delegation Thinks Of Wiretaps," The Columbus Dispatch, 1/17/06)

Rep. Kucinich Opposed Military Tribunals For Terrorists:

 

Rep. Kucinich And 159 Other House Democrats Voted Against Authorizing Military Tribunals For Dangerous Terrorist Suspects, Including Alleged 9/11 Mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammad. (H.R. 6166, CQ Vote #491: Passed 253-168: R 219-7; D 34-160; I 0-1, 9/27/06, Kucinich Voted Nay)  

• Rep. Kucinich: "[T]his bill is everything we don't believe in." (Rep. Dennis Kucinich, House Floor, 9/27/07)

• Two Days Later, Rep. Kucinich And 161 House Democrats Again Voted Against Authorizing Military Tribunals. (S. 3930, CQ Vote #508: Adopted 250-170: R 218-7; D 32-162; I 0-1, 9/29/06, Kucinich Voted Nay)    

REP. KUCINICH WAFFLED ON TAKING MILITARY ACTION AGAINST AFGHANISTAN

 

Rep. Kucinich Said U.S. Action In Afghanistan Was Not Justified:

 

"Democratic Presidential Candidate Dennis J. Kucinich Said ... U.S. Military Action Against Afghanistan In Response To The Sept. 11, 2001, Terrorist Attacks Was Not Justified And Has Proved To Be A 'Disaster' And A 'Nightmare.'" (Edward Walsh, "Kucinich Denounces w:st="on">U.S. Tactics In Afghanistan," The Washington Post, 11/20/03)

 

But Then Rep. Kucinich Said He "Misspoke":

 

"But Two Hours Later, He Called A Reporter To Clarify His Remarks. ... Throughout The Interview, Kucinich Returned Repeatedly To The Importance Of 'International Cooperation' In Resolving Conflicts." (Edward Walsh, "Kucinich Denounces U.S. Tactics In Afghanistan," The Washington Post, 11/20/03)

• Rep. Dennis Kucinich: "On the philosophical question as to whether it was justified, the answer is yes. ... The record on that is clear ... I misspoke." (Edward Walsh, "Kucinich Denounces U.S. Tactics In Afghanistan," The Washington Post, 11/20/03)

ULTRA-LIBERAL REP. KUCINICH WOULD WEAKEN OUR NATIONAL DEFENSES

 

Kucinich Opposed Creation Of Department Of Homeland Security:

 

Rep. Kucinich Voted Twice Against Creating Homeland Security Department. (H.R. 5005, CQ Vote # 367: Passed 295-132: R 207-10; D 88-120; I 0-2, 7/26/02, Kucinich Voted Nay; H.R. 5710, CQ Vote #477: Passed 299-121: R 212-6; D 87-114; I 0-1, 11/13/02, Kucinich Voted Nay)

• Rep. Kucinich Said Proposed Homeland Security Bill Would "Terrorize Workers." "It is ironic that a bill to fight terrorism we have a provision to terrorize workers." (PBS' "The NewsHour With Jim Lehrer," 7/26/02)

Rep. Kucinich Repeatedly Voted Against Defense Spending Bills:

 

Kucinich Voted 10 Times Against Passage Of Defense Appropriations Bills, Which Totaled Approximately $3 Trillion For Our Nation's Defenses.  (H.R. 2266, CQ Vote #442: Adopted 356-65: R 202-17; D 154-47; I 0-1, 9/25/97, Kucinich Voted Nay; H.R. 4103, CQ Vote #471: Adopted 369-43: R 204-10; D 165-32; I 0-1, 9/28/98, Kucinich Voted Nay; H.R. 2561, CQ Vote #494: Adopted: 372-55: R 214-7; D 158-47; I 0-1, 10/13/99, Kucinich Voted Nay; H.R. 4576, CQ Vote #413: Adopted 367-58: R 207-10; D 159-47; I 1-1, 7/19/00, Kucinich Voted Nay; H.R. 5010, CQ Vote #457: Adopted 409-14: R 218-1; D 190-13; I 1-0, 10/10/02, Kucinich Voted Nay; H.R. 2658, CQ Vote #335: Adopted 399-19: R 222-1; D 177-17; I 0-1, 7/8/03, Kucinich Voted Nay; H.R. 2658, CQ Vote #51 3: Adopted 407-15: R 223-1; D 184-13, I 0-1, 9/24/03, Kucinich Voted Nay; H.R. 4613, CQ Vote #418: Adopted 410-12: R 221-0; D 188-12; I 1-0, 7/22/04, Kucinich Voted Nay; H.R. 2863, CQ Vote #669: Adopted 308-106: R 202-16; D 106-89; I 1-0, 12/19/05, Kucinich Voted Nay; H.R. 5631, CQ Vote #486: Adopted 394-22: R 221-2; D 172-20; I 1-0, 9/26/06, Kucinich Voted Nay)

 

Rep. Kucinich Wanted To Cut Defense Spending:

 

During 2004 Presidential Campaign, Rep. Kucinich Supported $60 Billion Cut From Pentagon Budget. "Kucinich's proposed cuts - amounting to $60 billion or about 15 percent of current Pentagon outlays - would be used to help pay for pre-kindergarten care for all children age three to five and a government-run health insurance program covering all Americans." (Tom Curry, "Kucinich Spices Up The Race," MSNBC.com, 7/14/03)

Six Months Before September 11^th Attacks, Rep. Kucinich Sponsored Amendment To Cut Defense Spending By $65 Billion. (H. Con. Res. 83, CQ Vote #66: Rejected 79-343: R 0-217; D 78-125; I 1-1, 3/28/01, Kucinich Voted Yea)

 

In 2000, Rep. Kucinich Was One Of 69 House Democrats Who Voted To Cut Defense Spending By Approximately 25 Percent And Increase Domestic Spending By As Much As 50 Percent. (H. Con. Res. 290, CQ Vote #70: Rejected 70-348: R 0-212; D 69-135; I 1-1, 3/23/00, Kucinich Voted Yea)

 

Rep. Kucinich Repeatedly Opposed Missile Defense:

                     

Rep. Kucinich Voted Against Missile Defense At Least 7 Times. (H.R. 5122, CQ Vote #142: Rejected 124-301: R 6-221; D 117-80; I 1-0, 5/11/06, Kucinich Voted Yea; H. Con. Res. 95, CQ Vote #85: Rejected 134-292: R 1-225; D 132-67; I 1-0, 3/17/05, Kucinich Voted Yea; H. Con. Res. 393, CQ Vote #88: Rejected 119-302: R 0-220; D 118-82; I 1-0, 3/25/04, Kucinich Voted Yea; H.R. 1588, CQ Vote #221: Passed 361-68: R 223-1; D 138-66; I 0-1, 5/22/03, Kucinich Voted Nay; H.R. 4546, CQ Vote #158: Passed 359-58: R 212-1; D 146-56; I 1-1, 5/10/02, Kucinich Voted Nay; H.R. 4546, CQ Vote # 145: Rejected 159-253: R 2-206; D 156-46; I 1-1, 5/9/02, Kucinich Voted Yea; H.R. 4, CQ Vote #59: Passed 317-105: R 214-2; D 103-102; I 0-1, 3/18/99, Kucinich Voted Nay)

 

In Wake Of Major Terrorist Attacks, Rep. Kucinich Voted Against Intelligence Funding:

 

August 7, 1998: U.S. Embassy Bombings In East Africa. (U.S. State Department Website, www.state.gov, Accessed 2/26/06)

• October 7, 1998: Rep. Kucinich Voted Against The FY 1999 Intelligence Authorization. (H.R. 3694, CQ Vote #487: Adopted 337-83: R 174-47; D 163-35; I 0-1, 10/7/98, Kucinich Voted Nay)

• May 13, 1999: Rep. Kucinich Voted For An Amendment To Cut Intelligence Funding Back To The FY 1998 Level. (H.R. 1555, CQ Vote #129: Rejected 68-343: R 6-213; D 61-130; I 1-0, 5/13/99, Kucinich Voted Yea)

February 23, 1997: Palestinian Sniper Kills One Danish Tourist After Opening Fire On The Empire State Observation Deck. (U.S. State Department Website, www.state.gov, Accessed 2/26/06)

• July 9, 1997: Rep Kucinich Voted Two Times For A Five Percent Across-The-Board Cut To Intelligence Funding. (H.R. 1775, CQ Vote #253: Rejected 142-289: R 27-198; D 114-91; I 1-0, 7/9/97, Kucinich Voted Yea; H.R. 3694, CQ Vote #137: Rejected 120-291: R 21-196; D 98-95; I 1-0, 5/7/98, Kucinich Voted Yea)

• July 9, 1997: Rep. Kucinich Also Voted To Cut By 0.7 Percent Intelligence Spending Cut. (H.R. 1775, CQ Vote #255: Rejected 182-238: R  23-199; D 158-39; I 1-0, 7/9/97, Kucinich Voted Yea)

REP. KUCINICH WOULD WITHDRAW FROM IRAQ, LEAVING IT TO THE TERRORISTS

 

Rep. Kucinich Supported Cut-And-Run Iraq Strategy:

 

In June 2006, Rep. Kucinich Voted For Withdrawal From Iraq And Against The Resolution "Declaring That The United States Will Prevail In The Global War On Terror, The Struggle To Protect Freedom From The Terrorist Adversary." (H. R. 861, CQ Vote # 288: Adopted 256-153: R 214-3; D 42-149; I 0-1, 6/16/06, Kucinich Voted Nay; H. Res. 861, Introduced 6/12/06)

 

In 2005, Kucinich Co-Sponsored Bill Proposing Full Withdrawal Of U.S. Troops By October 2006. "The bill, entitled 'Homeward Bound,' requires the Administration to announce not later than December 31, 2005 a plan to withdraw U.S. troops from Iraq, and to begin bringing our troops home not later than October 1, 2006. This will be the beginning of the end of the war in Iraq." (Rep. Dennis Kucinich, "Iraq Withdrawal Bill Critical And Timely," www.kucinich.us, 6/29/05, Accessed 9/29/06)

• In 2005, Rep. Kucinich Also Co-Sponsored Legislation "To Prohibit The Use Of Funds To Deploy United States Armed Forces To Iraq." (H.R. 4232, Introduced 11/4/05)

In 2003, Rep. Kucinich Voted Against Funding Our Troops In Afghanistan And Iraq:

 

In 2003, Rep. Kucinich Voted Against $87 Billion For Military Operations And Reconstruction In Iraq And Afghanistan. (H.R. 3289, CQ Vote #601: Adopted 298-121: R 216-5; D 82-115; I 0-1; 10/31/03, Kucinich Voted Nay)

• The $87 Billion Supplemental "[P]rovide[d] Extra Money For Body Armor For Soldiers ..." ("Highlights Of Iraq, Afghanistan Measures," The Associated Press, 10/17/03)

REP. KUCINICH HAD ROCKY TENURE AS MAYOR OF CLEVELAND,

 CLASHING WITH FIRST REPSONDERS AND RUNNING THE CITY INTO FINANCIAL RUIN

 

FLASHBACK: As Mayor, Kucinich Clashed With Law Enforcement, Firefighters:

 

Mayor Kucinich Proposed Laying Off Half Of Cleveland's Police And Firefighters, But Plan Did Not Go Through. "The city recently canceled the wholesale layoffs of 2,000 employees, including half its police and firefighters, when banks decided not to take immediate action to collect $14 million in defaulted city notes." ("Cleveland Laying Off 400, Police Union Will Resist," The Washington Post, 1/3/79)

• According To Cleveland Police Patrolmen's Association President William McNea, Kucinich Made "A Campaign Promise ... That There Would Never Be A Police Layoff." ("Layoff Threatens Safety Workers," The Washington Post, 12/6/78)

Later, Mayor Kucinich Decided To Lay Off 275 Police. "Mayor Dennis J. Kucinich said ... 400 of Cleveland's 10,000 public employees, including 275 police, will be laid off ... The layoffs ... will be spread among several city agencies but will not affect the fire, recreation, snow removal and street repair departments. ("Cleveland Laying Off 400, Police Union Will Resist," The Washington Post, 1/3/79)

 

FLASHBACK: Mayor Kucinich Led City Of Cleveland Into Default:

 

With Mayor Kucinich At The Helm, Cleveland Fell Into "Largest Municipal Default Since The Great Depression." "The city was plunged into default when midnight struck ... as Mayor Dennis Kucinich and the Cleveland city council failed to reach agreement on a plan to avert fiscal disaster. ... Cleveland owed six local banks a total of $14 million, and the city treasury another $3.5 million, but could not come up with the cash. It was the largest municipal default since the Great Depression." (Steven P. Rosenfeld, The Associated Press, 12/5/78)

 

REP. KUCINICH HAS AN ULTRA-LIBERAL VOTING RECORD

 

Rep. Kucinich Has Admitted He's A Liberal:

 

Rep. Kucinich: "I'm from the universal-health-care wing of the Democratic party. I'm from the Roe v. Wade-litmus-test wing of the Democratic party. I'm from the abolish-the-death-penalty wing of the Democratic party ... I'm from the gun-control wing of the Democratic party."  (Tom Curry, "Kucinich Spices Up The Race," MSNBC.com, 7/14/03)

• Rep. Kucinich Is A Member Of The Congressional Progressive Caucus. (Congressional Progressive Caucus Website, www.bernie.house.gov, Accessed 8/14/06)

Third Parties Ranked Rep. Kucinich To The Ultra-Left Of His Party:

 

The Nonpartisan National Journal Rated Rep. Kucinich More Liberal Than 93.7% Of The House Of Representatives In 2005. (The  National Journal Website, www.nationaljournal.com, Accessed 6/14/06)

• On Foreign Policy, National Journal Rated Rep. Kucinich More Liberal Than 96% Of The House Of Representatives In 2005. (The National Journal Website, www.nationaljournal.com, Accessed 6/14/06)

Rep. Kucinich Has An 88 Percent Lifetime Rating From Americans For Democratic Action In 2005. (Congressional Quarterly Website, www.cq.com, Accessed 9/29/06)

• Rep. Kucinich Has A 13 Percent Lifetime Rating From The American Conservative Union. (Congressional Quarterly Website, www.cq.com, Accessed 9/29/06)

Rep. Kucinich Has A 98 Percent Lifetime Rating From The AFL-CIO. (Congressional Quarterly Website, www.cq.com, Accessed 9/29/06)

• Rep. Kucinich Has A 19 Percent Lifetime Rating From The U.S. Chamber Of Commerce. (Congressional Quarterly Website, www.cq.com, Accessed 9/29/06)

   

PDF Format

 

[TommyDale]

If this isn't enough to scare Republicans into voting this year, nothing is.

[conservativehusker]

OMG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[mutley]

Great post for Halloween! Scary stuff!

[Suzy Quzy]

He's a TRUE COMMUNIST!!!

[driftdiver]

"Rep. Kucinich: "It is time to jettison our illusions and fears and to transform age-old challenges with new thinking. This is the idea behind my proposal to establish a Department of Peace." (Rep. Dennis Kucinich, www.kucinich.us, Accessed 9/29/06)"

Is it possble that age-old challenges are based on the reality of human behavior and not on wishful thinking?

[chimera]

You said it. Any idiot cut-off-your-nose-to-spite-your-face "conservatives" out there who are thinking about staying home to "teach them a lesson" may get more than they bargained for, in spades, when kooks like Kucinich start running things. I'll take a RINO any day to a nutcase like Kucinich. People like Pelosi and Dennis the Menace are perfectly willing to risk losing a city of millions to appease the terrorists. Evidently for these d-bags, "looking deeply into the hearts" of the barbarians takes precedence over protecting the lives of our own families and fellow citizens.

[Ooh-Ah]

Also from RNC, see:

MEET NANCY PELOSI'S (D-SF)
THREE DEM INTEL OPTIONS
Pelosi's Three Choices To Chair House Intel Committee Are Either
Under Investigation, Impeached, And/Or Weak On Terror

[onyx]

BUMP!

[whitedog57]

His nickname is "Dennis the Red." He is a Communist, more than you know. Very dangerous man - one of the "useful idiots" who believe that capitalism is the enemy and the state can do everything better (with your money, of course).

[Baynative]

WHO IS REP. DENNIS KUCINICH (D-OH)?

[aShepard]

And, in related news, maybe Barney Frank should be in charge of the page program.

[angcat]

Rep. Kucinich: "We prepare for war so grandly; let us prepare for peace grandly by looking fearlessly and deep into the hearts of those who wish us harm, and find that spark of recognition that connects us to a common humanity and from that draw a flicker of hope to enkindle the warm glow of peace." (Rep. Dennis Kucinich, Congressional Record, 7/20/06, p. H5494)



This guy must be smoking some good weed!

[Disambiguator]

This is the same guy who had an endorsement from a fictional mystical character during the Democratic Presidential Primary (a.k.a. The Comedy Hour).

He's a full-tilt barking moonbat.

[donozark]

See also:Susan Lindauer. AKA:Inmate # 56064-054 (BOP.gov) to her fellow prisoners in stir.

[nascarnation]

I was living in Cleveland when the "boy mayor" led the city to bankruptcy.
It's been downhill ever since.
How the folks up there ever elected this idiot in the first place is beyond understanding.

[Rb ver. 2.0]

[RockinRight]

All that can be summed up in one beautiful word:

Moonbat.

[chimera]

I know about Dennis going back to his disastrous stint as Mayor of Cleveland. He literally bankrupted that town and then got his a$$ kicked by George Voinovich, who is kind of a RINO but a darned sight better than Dennis. But then a few years later the idiot voters sent Dennis to Congress.

I've seen him on O'Reilley and I know that he is a "peace at any price" kind of dirty 'Rat. Trouble is, idiots like Dennis and most of the 'Rats don't know that the barbarians we're up against now don't want peace at any price. They want to kill us. The "peace" that the Islamist killers seek is the peace of the grave, the peace of utter annihilation. You can't have "peace at any price" like Dennis and the 'Rats want if your opponent seeks to kill you rather than make peace with you.

[ridge]

I want to jettison this fruit-cake along with Western Europe, North Korea, and Islam. They will have a nice home on the moon. They can transform age old memes and a neolithic cult with a department of peace.

[Uncle Miltie]

[Miss Marple]

OMG! I forgot about Granfather Twilight's pro-Dennis illustrated story! That had to have been one of the most hilarious things I ever saw posted!

[Dr. Bogus Pachysandra]

I really can't say what I'd like to about Dennis the Menace, cuz I like being on this forum. He's an immature, twisted commie twerp. The worst! I wonder why Sandy walked out on him? Actually, I don't wonder about that at all. It's obvious!

[Carl LaFong]

A few days ago, this pin head,dumb-ass little twerp announced he was organizing a class action lawsuit against the Coast Guard for conducting live ammunition excercises in Lake Erie because the lead and copper in the ordnance would pollute the drinking water of Northern Ohio.

[rashley]

He was known as "Dennis the Menace" back when he was bankrupting Cleveland. That an idiot like Kucinich can get elected (then re-elected over and over) never ceases to amaze me. The mean IQ of his district can't be over about 80.

[Carl LaFong]

80 may be the collective IQ of his district.

[griswold3]

Sherrod Brown is even more to the left than this guy!!
Pray for Ohio!

[edpc]

Who is Dennis Kucinich? Pictures say a lot. Words obtained from these images state it well.....

[HarmlessLovableFuzzball]

Wasn't he going to become the Secretary of Peace in the Kerry Administration ?

[chimera]

Kucinich ruined that place and it took years to recover. The town was the laughingstock of the nation when this clown was in charge. And then the idiot voters reward him for his utter incompetence by sending him to Congress.

Now the stupid electorate is poised to run a good Christian man out of the Senate and replace him with an avowed secular-progressive leftist (Sherrod Brown) who is even more leftist than Kucinich in his voting record. All ostensibly because they (the voters) are mad at Bob Taft and George Bush. Gee, that makes a lot of sense. Put into office some scumbags who wouldn't lift a finger to prevent places like Cleveland and Cincinnati being blown off the map by the jihadists because you are supposedly mad at people who would. Real smart, voters. I tell you, sometimes the stupidity of people really frosts my butt.

[RichInOC]

Dennis Kucinich and Bug-Eyed Earl from Max Cannon's "Red Meat" cartoons...Separated at Birth?

[.cnI redruM]

OMG! He had a children's book author write him endorsements from fairy-tale cartoon characters back in 2004.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1036162/posts

[Mr. Jeeves]

Rep. Kucinich: "We prepare for war so grandly; let us prepare for peace grandly by looking fearlessly and deep into the hearts of those who wish us harm, and find that spark of recognition that connects us to a common humanity and from that draw a flicker of hope to enkindle the warm glow of peace." (Rep. Dennis Kucinich, Congressional Record, 7/20/06, p. H5494)

Where Kucinich errs, like many essentially well-meaning liberals (not that he himself is in any way well-meaning) is in thinking that such an approach can be pursued through a massive, top-down governmental structure such as a "Department of Peace", when in reality such efforts have to be carried out from the bottom-up - one heart at a time.

But liberals are never patient, and want their grand schemes carried out NOW - through the use of government guns pointed at those who are recalcitrant about pursuing the path of peace and love. Look at all the demented posts on DU for examples.

[Ooh-Ah]

Bump--ya gotta see this!

[eleni121]

Who is he? He is a Ferengy left behind for comic relief.

Go Kucinich! Make Hillary spend money...but watch your puny back Denny.

[hippyhater]

He is at again.... He goes to Syria and thumbs his nose at our soldiers in Iraq.. Now,I am suppose to believe he cares..

December 3, 2007

The Honorable Henry A. Waxman, Chairman
Committee on Oversight and Government Reform
U.S. House of Representatives
2157 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515

Dear Chairman Waxman:

I write to request an investigation into the causes for the continuing delay in the distribution of federal benefits to disabled retired veterans who were injured in combat or hazardous duty. Lockheed Martin processes all military retired and annuitant pay for the Defense Finance and Accounting Service (DFAS), the federal agency responsible for delivering such benefits to veterans. This investigation should examine the role of Lockheed Martin in perpetuating the delay.

Congress created new benefits for combat-related disabled veterans when it entitled certain veterans to receive both Combat Related Special Compensation (CRSC)</l%20>[1] and Concurrent Retirement and Disability Pay (CRDP)</l%20>[2] beginning in 2003 and 2004, respectively.

By September, 2006, a backlog existed of 133,000 cases involving veterans potentially eligible for the new benefit.

Lockheed agreed to eliminate the backlog and deliver the federally mandated benefits by September 2007.</l%20>[3] By April 2007, Lockheed needed an additional 5 or 6 weeks beyond the initial target date of September 2007.</l%20>[4] But by August 2007, Lockheed had failed to meet the extended deadline. It reported that it had completed 98,000, or 75% of the cases and promised that the remaining cases would be complete by November 15, 2007.</l%20>[5] However, by November 2007, Lockheed had in fact only reviewed the cases of 84,300, or 64% of the original pool of 133,000 veterans.

At the current time, over five years since Congress created the benefit, tens of thousands of eligible veterans have still not received their benefits, and the number may be growing. New cases may be accumulating at a rate of 1,200</l%20>[6]-2,500</l%20>[7] per month according to DFAS. Thus, another 16,800 to 35,000 cases may have accumulated since Lockheed had set its first unmet deadline.

Reportedly, Lockheed had briefed three high ranking officials in DFAS and the VA in a way that led all three to understand the magnitude of the backlog to be considerably smaller than it actually was. The truth was discovered only when non-Lockheed DFAS senior executive, Lee Krushinski “sat down with everybody and really went through the numbers, drilling into them.”</l%20>[8]

Federal benefits are meaningless if the intended beneficiaries do not receive them. It seems that DFAS’ reliance upon Lockheed has effectively denied benefits to which many thousands of veterans are entitled.

Sincerely,

_________________________
Dennis J. Kucinich
Member of Congress