Greed, corruption, bailouts, and smears

Mike Patterson is volunteer of the year!

The Fight Americans Can’t Afford to Lose

Everyday Americans are in the fight of their lives. Their jobs, their homes, their pensions, their savings, a modest standard of living - all under assault by rising prices, tightened credit, corporate greed, and a Congress that has bailed out Wall Street financial interests at the expense of taxpayers and to the detriment of struggling homeowners.

The fight is far from over, and the ONE Congressman who has been the leader in defending your interests needs your help to continue being your voice in Washington.



Dennis Kucinich has been sounding the alarm for years. He has led the opposition to these obscene giveaways to corrupt interests that have been gambling with your hard-earned dollars. He's been demanding direct assistance to Americans whose lives and futures are at risk - proposing real economic recovery programs that will create millions of jobs and put money in the pockets of working men and women all across the country.

But, as Dennis continues fighting for the interests of everyday Americans, he's also fighting to hold on to his seat in the House of Representatives against a Republican who's raising money, spending money, and aggressively seeking to put Ohio's 10th Congressional District into GOP hands.

The honest, decent, hard-working families of this country can't afford to lose the fight of their lives. And they can't afford to lose Congressman Dennis Kucinich.



Please contribute as generously as you can - $20, $50, $100 or more - so that we continue to be represented by a man with the courage and the vision to always represent our best interests. His voice is crucial to our future. And your support has never been more important.

Thank You
Re-Elect Congressman Kucinich Committee



Upcoming Events

If you plan to be in the Cleveland area, consider attending one of these upcoming events:

Sunday, Oct 12, join Dennis and Dierdre Hall of 'Days of our Lives' at our Annual Supporter Appreciation Picnic. Free of charge, but please make reservations now.

Oct. 22 - Evening with Melissa Etheridge, Cleveland, Ohio - Reservations required.

Happy Birthday to our favorite Congressman

Today, October 8th, is Congressman Dennis Kucinich's birthday, and all of us in the campaign are pausing for just a moment to say "Happy Birthday, Dennis. Thank you for all that you've done over the years and all that you continue to do."

If you'd like to say "Thank You" too, consider supporting his campaign as a way to do that.

There won't be any big, lavish parties today. No champagne corks popping. No fireworks and no glitz. Not his style. Not ours. And most likely, not yours either.

Instead, it’s a day filled with the joy of knowing him, the smiles and laughter that come from sharing priceless stories about his younger years, and the gratitude we have for his service to our nation and his commitment to our people. Plus, a chance to offer our best wishes for MANY more years.

So, on this special occasion, please consider showing your appreciation for Dennis Kucinich and his work in Congress by making a contribution to his campaign so we can keep him right where he belongs - in Washington. D.C. - representing, defending, and fighting for Americans here in Ohio and all across the nation.

If you would like to wish him well in person and you plan to be in the Cleveland area, consider attending one of these upcoming events:

Sunday, Oct 12, join us at Dennis' Annual Supporter Appreciation Picnic with Deidre Hall. Free of charge, but please make reservations now.

Wednesday, Oct. 22, "An Evening with Melissa Etheridge." Reservations required.

We'd love to see you, and so would Dennis and Elizabeth!


The entire campaign staff.

The Bailout and What's Next

Dear Friend,

Yesterday marked a day that will go down in history, when Congressional Democrats and Republicans alike took on full responsibility to protect the interests of taxpaying Americans, and defeated the deceptive bail out bill, defying the dictates of the Administration, the House Majority Leadership, the House Minority Leadership and the special interests on Wall Street.

Obviously Congress must consider quickly another course. There are immediate issues which demand attention and responsible action by the Congress so that the taxpayers, their assets, and their futures are protected.

We MUST do something to protect millions of Americans whose homes, bank deposits, investments, and pensions are at risk in a financial system that has become seriously corrupted. We are told that we must stabilize markets in order for the people to be protected. I think we need to protect peoples' homes, bank deposits, investments, and pensions, to order to stabilize the market.

We cannot delay taking action. But the action must benefit all Americans, not just a privileged few. Otherwise, more plans will fail, and the financial security of everyone will be at risk.

The $700 billion bailout would have added to our existing unbearable load of national debt, trade deficits, and the cost of paying for the war. It would have been a disaster for the American public and the government for decades and maybe even centuries to come.

To be sure, there are many different reasons why people voted against the bailout. The legislation did not regard in any meaningful way the plight of millions of Americans who are about to lose their homes. It did nothing to strengthen existing regulatory structures or impose new ones at the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Federal Reserve in order to protect investors. There were no direct protections for bank depositors. There was nothing to stop further speculation, which is what brought us into this mess in the first place.

This was a bailout for some firms (and investors) on Wall Street, with the idea that in doing so there would be certain, unspecified, general benefits to the economy.

This is a perfect time to open a broader discussion about our financial system, especially our monetary system. Such a discussion is like searching for a needle in a haystack, and then, upon finding it, discussing its qualities at great length. Let me briefly describe the haystack instead.

Here is a very quick explanation of the $700 billion bailout within the context of the mechanics of our monetary and banking system:

The taxpayers loan money to the banks. But the taxpayers do not have the money. So we have to borrow it from the banks to give it back to the banks. But the banks do not have the money to loan to the government. So they create it into existence (through a mechanism called fractional reserve) and then loan it to us, at interest, so we can then give it back to them.

Confused?

This is the system. This is the standard mechanism used to expand the money supply on a daily basis not a special one designed only for the "$700 billion" transaction. People will explain this to you in many different ways, but this is what it comes down to.

The banks needed Congress' approval. Of course in this topsy turvy world, it is the banks which set the terms of the money they are borrowing from the taxpayers. And what do we get for this transaction? Long term debt enslavement of our country. We get to pay back to the banks trillions of dollars ($700 billion with compounded interest) and the banks give us their bad debt which they cull from everywhere in the world.

Who could turn down a deal like this? I did.

The globalization of the debt puts the United States in the position that in order to repay the money that we borrow from the banks (for the banks) we could be forced to accept International Monetary Fund dictates which involve cutting health, social security benefits and all other social spending in addition to reducing wages and exploiting our natural resources. This inevitably leads to a loss of economic, social and political freedom.

Under the failed $700 billion bailout plan, Wall Street's profits are Wall Street's profits and Wall Street's losses are the taxpayers' losses. Profits are capitalized. Losses are socialized.

We are at a teachable moment on matters of money and finance. In the coming days and weeks, I will share with you thoughts about what can be done to take us not just in a new direction, but in a new direction which is just.

Thank you,


Dennis
www.Kucinich.us
216-252-9000 877-933-6647

PS Watch the 47 minute 'Money as Debt' animated documentary in http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-9050474362583451279. This is a useful, though by no means definitive, introduction to the topic of debt and the monetary system. Let me know what you think.

Economic Recovery Plan being rushed with no alternatives

Congressman Dennis Kucinich says the massive bailout for Wall Street is being rushed by Congressional leaders with no opportunity to discuss alternatives that would help homeowners facing foreclosure and no adequate oversight or regulations.

Make Wall Street pay for its own mistakes

Congressman Kucinich tells "Democracy Now" anchor Amy Goodman, "We need to find a way to help Wall Street pay for its own problems ...stock transfer tax, cancellation of dividends...make the shareholders and the investors have to pay for the funny business that was going on Wall Street. Why make the taxpayers pay?''

Read more: DemocracyNow.org

KUCINICH'S MAIN STREET RECOVERY PLAN

Dear Friend,

While Wall Street and the Bush Administration try to blackmail Congress into a $700 billion bailout for corporations that have shown zero concern about the plight of the American people through the last decade, I have been working on a comprehensive alternative. Today, I am releasing a plan for economic recovery that will provide not only economic stimulus, but also fairness for everyday people on every "Main Street" in America. The plan is detailed below, and it will also be available on the campaign website www.kucinich.us.

Of course, this is a plan that has not only economic implications, but also moral and spiritual implications as well. The social, economic, and political divisions in our nation must be healed. We can make a new beginning, seizing this moment of crisis and transforming it into a moment of rebirth for our nation. I hope you will take the time to read it, consider it, and share it with your friends. I welcome your comments and your support.

More tomorrow.

Thank you,


Dennis
www.Kucinich.us
216-252-9000 877-933-6647

Kucinich’s Main Street Recovery Plan

1. Health Care for All: Insurance companies make money not providing health care. As the co-author of HR 676, a universal, single-payer, not-for-profit health care system, Medicare for All, I understand millions of Americans want health care that is accessible and affordable.

Medicare for All will help businesses large and small, create jobs as well as save the jobs of thousands of people including those of doctors, nurses and other healthcare workers who are currently leaving medicine because it is run by the insurance companies. $1 in every 3 dollars of the $2.4 trillion spent annually in America for health care goes to the insurance companies. If we take that money ($800 billion in unproductive wasteful spending) and put it directly into care, we will have enough money to cover everyone. We are already paying for Medicare for all, but not receiving it. HR 676 changes that!

2. Prescription Drug Benefit for Seniors: HR 6800 is the MEDS Act, which provides a fully paid prescription drug benefit, under Medicare, for all seniors. I wrote this bill to help alleviate the economic pressure that comes from the high cost of prescription drugs. We can pay for it by letting the government negotiate drug prices with the pharmaceutical companies as well as by permitting re-importation.

3. Stop the Oil Companies’ Price Gouging: As you know, I was the first one to step up to challenge of the corrupt price gouging and market speculation of the oil companies by proposing a windfall profits tax, on oil and natural gas companies, with revenues put into tax credits for the purchase of fuel-efficient American-made cars. However, it may be that nationalization is the only way to put an end to the oil companies' sharp practices.

4. Protecting the American Homestead: As Chairman of the Domestic Policy Oversight Subcommittee, I am working to protect your basic right to have a roof over your head, whether as an owner or renter. I have investigated and helped to expose the manipulation of mortgage markets, and I am crafting a new federal policy so that neighborhoods with the highest number of foreclosures get the most help.

5. Jobs for All: Congressman LaTourette and I have co-authored the bi-partisan New Deal-type jobs program, HR 3400, "Rebuilding America's Infrastructure." It will create millions of good-paying new jobs rebuilding our roads, bridges, water systems and sewer systems.

6. American Manufacturing Policy: I am drafting the American Manufacturing Policy Act, which for the first time, will state that the maintenance of U.S. steel, automotive, and aerospace industries are vital to our national economic security and must be maintained through integrated public-private cooperation, new trade policies, and investment.

7. Works Green Administration: I am also drafting plans for a green New Deal jobs program, in which the government creates millions of jobs by incentivizing the design, engineering, manufacturing, distribution and maintenance of millions of wind and solar micro-technologies for millions of homes and businesses, dramatically lowering energy costs and reducing our dependence on oil.

8. Fair Trade: The U.S. has lost millions of good-paying jobs, and more jobs have been out-sourced. As you know, I have helped to lead the way in opposition to trade giveaways. I strongly urge repeal of NAFTA. We must include workers' rights, human rights and environmental quality principles in all trade pacts. We must also protect the Great Lakes' water resources from the reach of multi-national corporations.

9. Education for All: I know families need help with the rising cost of day care. That is why I introduced HR 4060, a universal pre-kindergarten program to ensure that all children ages 3-5 have access to full-day, quality day care.

10. Protecting Pensions: I am working to change bankruptcy laws so pensioners' claims will be first, ahead of banks, and that corporate executives who misuse workers' pension funds are subject to criminal penalties. I want to fully fund the Pension Benefit Guarantee Board.

11. Social Security: From my first moments in Congress, I have exposed Wall Street's efforts to privatize Social Security and attacked it in the Democratic Caucus when it was being proposed. Can you imagine where seniors would be today if Social Security had been turned over to the stock market? Social Security is solid through 2032 without any changes.

12. Protect Bank Deposits: I will work to make sure the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) has sufficient funds to provide for insurance of deposits up to $200,000 at all banks and savings and loans. This is an urgent matter since so many banks are said to be vulnerable.

13. Protect Investors: Bring back strong regulation to Wall Street. As Chairman of the Domestic Policy Subcommittee, I challenged the Wall Street hedge fund speculators as a threat to small investors. I intend to keep active watch over the machinations on Wall Street.

14. Strength through Peace: You'll remember when I led the effort against the ill-conceived Iraq war, which has now cost more than 4,100 US soldiers' lives, cost U.S. taxpayers between $3 trillion and $5 trillion, and resulted in the deaths of more than a million Iraqis. We must bring our troops home and end the war. We must engage in diplomacy. We must reduce the military budget, and we must stop outrageous cost overruns by the likes of Halliburton.

15. Safety in America: I am proud of my work for peace. In July 2001, I introduced a bill, which today is HR 808, that for the first time creates a comprehensive plan to deal with the issues of violence in American society, particularly domestic violence, spousal abuse, child abuse, gang violence, gun violence, racial violence, and violence against gays by establishing a Cabinet-level Department of Peace and Restorative Justice. This proposal has sparked a national movement and when implemented will save tax payers millions of dollars.

16. Monetary Policy: It is long past the time that we looked at the implications of our debt based monetary system, the privatization of money created by the 1913 Federal Reserve Act, the banks fractional reserve system and our debt-based economic system. Unless we have dramatic reform of monetary policy, the entire economic system will continue to accelerate wealth upwards. I am currently working on drafting legislation for an 'American Monetary Act' to address these and other issues in order to protect the economic wellbeing of America.

Video: An interview with Congressman Dennis Kucinich

Check out this video: An interview with Congressman Dennis Kucinich

Protecting the public interest in any economic "bailout"

From kucinich.us

The U.S. government has been turned into an engine that accelerates the wealth upwards into the hands of a few. The Wall Street bailout, the Iraq War, military spending, tax cuts to the rich, and a for-profit health care system are all about the acceleration of wealth upwards. And now, the American people are about to pay the price of the collapse of the $513 trillion Ponzi scheme of derivatives. Yes, that’s half a quadrillion dollars. Our first trillion dollar compression bandage will hardly stem the hemorrhaging of an unsustainable Ponzi scheme built on debt "de-leverages."

Does anyone seriously think that our public and private debts of some $45 trillion will be paid? That the administration's growth of the federal debt from $5.6 trillion to $9.8 trillion while borrowing another trillion dollars from Social Security has nothing to do with this? Does anyone not see that when we spend nearly $16,000 for every family of four in our society for the military each year that we are heading over the cliff?

This is a debt crisis, not a credit crisis. Just as FDR had to save capitalism after Wall Street excesses, we have to re-invigorate our economy with real - not imaginary - growth. It does not address the never-ending war on the middle class.

The same corporate interests that profited from the closing of U.S. factories, the movement of millions of jobs out of America, the off-shoring of profits, the out-sourcing of workers, the crushing of pension funds, the knocking down of wages, the cancellation of health care benefits, the sub-prime lending are now rushing to Washington to get money to protect themselves.

The double standard is stunning: their profits are their profits, but their losses are our losses.

This bailout will not bring real jobs back to America. It will not bring back jobs that make things. It does not rebuild our schools, streets, neighborhoods, parks or bridges. The major product of this financial economy is now debt. Industrial capitalism has been destroyed.
In the next few days I will push for a plan that includes equity for every American in any taxpayer investment in this so-called bail-out plan. Since the bailout will cost each and every American about $2,300, I have proposed the creation of a United States Mutual Trust Fund, which will take control of $700 billion in stock assets, convert those assets to shares, and distribute $2,300 worth of shares to new individual savings accounts in the name of each and every American.
I will also insist that all of the following issues be considered in whatever Congress passes:

1. Reinstatement of the provisions of Glass-Steagall, which forbade speculation

2. Re-regulation of the finance, insurance, and real estate industries

3. Accountability on the part of those who took the companies down:
a) resignations of management
b) givebacks of executive compensation packages
c) limitations on executive compensation
d) admission by CEO's of what went wrong and how, prior to any government bailout

4. Demands for transparencey
a) with respect to analyzing the transactions which took the companies down
b) with respect to Treasury's dealings with the companies pre and post-bailout

5. An equity position for the taxpayers
a) some form of ownership of assets

6. Some credible formula for evaluating the price of the assets that the government is buying.

7. A sunset clause on the legislation

8. Full public disclosure by members of Congress of assets held, with possible conflicts put in blind trust.

9. A ban on political campaign contributions from officers of corporations receiving bailouts

10. A requirement that 2008 cycle candidates return political contributions to officers and representatives of corporations receiving bailouts

And, most importantly, some mechanism for direct assistance to homeowners saddled with unreasonable or unmanageable mortgages, as well as protection for renters who have lived up to their obligation but fall victim to financial tragedy when the property they live in undergoes foreclosure.

These are just some thoughts on the run. You will hear more from me tomorrow.



Dennis Kucinich

The Campaign of Lies and Smears Against Kucinich

Dear Friend,

Immigration and Healthcare are serious matters. That's why the Republican smear machine is going into overdrive to misrepresent the facts and mislead voters about Congressman Dennis Kucinich's record. Read this and know why this election is important for Ohio and America, and arm yourself with the facts to expose Republican falsehoods and fiction which are being circulated in printed literature in Ohio's 10th Congressional District.

FICTION: Republicans say "Kucinich voted against Children's Health Insurance Program (S-Chip) because it did not cover children of illegal immigrants."

FACT: Dennis stood up for the children of LEGAL immigrants. Dennis voted against one version of the S-CHIP bill specifically because it did not cover the children of LEGAL immigrants. He stood up and spoke out strongly to protect the health care of more than 400,000 children in America who were ignored and excluded from coverage in the bill. Dennis comes from Ohio's 10th District, a community of many immigrant peoples.

FICTION: Republicans say "Kucinich voted against prescription drugs benefits for seniors."

FACT: Dennis took on Big Pharma. Dennis voted against the notorious Medicare Part D which passed by a single vote and took cost controls off the big drug companies. He voted against giving them multi-billion dollar windfall profits.

FACT: Dennis Takes on the Insurance Companies. Dennis is the author of the MEDS Act which would provide senior citizens with a full prescription drug benefit, cost-free under Medicare. Dennis is also the co-author and the driving force nationally for HR 676, Medicare for All. It is a single-payer system that covers all medically necessary services for all Americans.

Currently, $2.4 trillion is spent each year for "health care." But 1 out of every 3 dollars ($800 billion annually) goes for the activities of the private insurance 'industry' such as corporate profits, stock options, executive salaries, advertising, marketing, cost of paperwork, etc.), rather than actual health care services. Dennis' bill, drafted with Congressman John Conyers, reallocates that wasted $800 billion to pay for medical care and services for people who need them.

These lies against Dennis on immigration and health care are coming from the very same person who, as chairman of the GOP in Ohio's largest county, collaborated with Ohio Secretary of State Ken Blackwell to suppress the Democratic vote in 2004, which enabled George Bush to win Ohio and the election! Now he is trying to suppress votes for Dennis by manipulating voters with a campaign of lies and smears.

Please contribute as generously as you can by going to www.Kucinich.us/contribute and help Dennis respond to these attacks.

You can also contribute by phone by calling our office toll free at (877) 933-6647.

Or, you can Or, you can mail a check with a completed contribution form.

Re-Elect Congressman Kucinich Committee
P.O. Box 110475
Cleveland, OH 44111

Thank you.

The Re-Elect Congressman Dennis Kucinich Committee
www.Kucinich.us
216-252-9000 877-933-6647

Save the date:

Sunday, October 12, 2008, Olmsted Twp - Annual Volunteer Picnic with Dennis and Elizabeth Kucinich and "Days of Our Lives" star Deidre Hall.

Wednesday, October 22, 2008, Cleveland - An evening with Dennis and Award winning musician and activist Melissa Etheridge.

Republican Claims Million $ War Chest Against Kucinich

Dennis Kucinich - www.Kucinich.us

Republican Claims Million $ War Chest Against Kucinich

Dear Friends,

A few days ago, Republican Party operatives circulated literature in the neighborhoods of Cleveland claiming that my Republican opponent, the former GOP county chairman, "will have a million dollar war chest" to try to defeat me in November. That's an outcome that Republican party leaders boast will show "how the mighty Cuyahoga County GOP slew the dragon of liberalism in 2008."

I need your help now to withstand this corporate neo-conservative onslaught.

The same people who raised almost a million dollars to try to defeat me in the primary election are at it again in the general election. And these are exactly the same people who devised and directed the blatant voter suppression activities in 2004 that led to George Bush's victory in Ohio. That's when my opponent acknowledged to the New York Times that he was personally assembling an army of specially trained recruits to challenge "The organized left's efforts to, quote unquote, register voters - I call them ringers" and even challenge mentally disabled voters at the polls!

The Republican candidate attacks me for saying George Bush should be impeached and for calling for a withdrawal from Iraq. He stands with the insurance companies on health care, the pharmaceutical companies on Medicare prescription drugs, the oil and coal companies on energy, the defense contractors on national security, and the neo-conservative wing on a host of social issues.

It is true that I have led the effort for impeachment. I believe our very nation is at risk from a President and Vice President who have virtually shredded the Constitution. I have put forth three impeachment proposals to defend our civil liberties and our national honor. And, as you know, six years ago I led the effort to try to stop the Bush Administration from starting a war against Iraq.

I want to return to Congress to continue my work for peace, for a not-for-profit health care system, for jobs for all, for education for all, and for sustainable energy systems. I want to restore our Constitutional rights!

At this moment, it is not be possible to withstand a million dollar attack by these neo-conservatives. I need your help. Please contribute at www.kucinich.us now.

Or send a check to:

Re-Elect Congressman Kucinich Committee
PO Box 110475
Cleveland, OH 44111

Or call (216) 252-9000; toll free, (877) 933-6647

I need your help. Thank you for your continued support.


Dennis J Kucinich
www.Kucinich.us
216-252-9000 877-933-6647
please sign the petition

please contribute now

Paid for by the Re-Elect Congressman Kucinich Committee

PO Box 110475 | Cleveland | OH | 44111 | 216-252-9000

DIGG!

September 10th Is the Petition Deadline!

Send a history-making message to Congress:

1,000,000 signatures for impeachment

On September 10, 2008, we want to deliver ONE MILLION signatures to
Congress urging them to exercise their Constitutional authority and mandate to
hold this President - and all future Presidents - accountable.

Please sign NOW! And ask everyone you know to sign.
The power to change the world is in your hands!

Dennis Kucinich - Wake up America, Sign up America!

DIGG! http://digg.com/politics/Dennis_Kucinich_Needs_Yor_Help

A video that everyone should watch!
Dennis Kucinich - Wake up America, Sign up America!

Dennis Kucinich addresses impeachment at PDA event

Kucinich "Wake Up" call ignites Democratic Convention

It's been described as "electrifying" … "passionate" … "fiery"… "stirring"… "the most lively performance yet at this year's Democratic National Convention" and one that "caused delegates to jump out of their seats, wave their arms in the air and shout."

Congressman Dennis Kucinich's speech Tuesday night at the Democratic National Convention – "Wake Up America" – had the delegates on their feet, roaring with approval. Even the usually dismissive media correspondents and commentators couldn't avoid taking grudging notice of the man they work so hard to ignore.

But, most importantly, if Dennis represents what you believe, it's crucial that you support his re-election campaign as generously as you can contribute and ask everyone you know to do the same. Only with your support will his voice continue to be heard. And only with your support, will your voice continue to be represented.

Contribute at kucinich.us

Dennis's Speech at the convention

Dennis Kucinich's speech transcript for the convention

(He will speak sometime between 6pm EST and 8pm EST)

It's Election Day 2008. We Democrats are giving America a wake-up call. Wake up, America. In 2001, the oil companies, the war contractors and the neo-con artists seized the economy and have added 4 trillion dollars of unproductive spending to the national debt. We now pay four times more for defense, three times more for gasoline and home heating oil and twice what we paid for health care.


Millions of Americans have lost their jobs, their homes, their health care, their pensions. Trillions of dollars for an unnecessary war paid with borrowed money. Tens of billions of dollars in cash and weapons disappeared into thin air, at the cost of the lives of our troops and innocent Iraqis, while all the president's oilmen are maneuvering to grab Iraq's oil.


Borrowed money to bomb bridges in Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan. No money to rebuild bridges in America. Money to start a hot war with Iran. Now we have another cold war with Russia, while the American economy has become a game of Russian roulette.


If there was an Olympics for misleading, mismanaging and misappropriating, this administration would take the gold. World records for violations of national and international laws. They want another four-year term to continue to alienate our allies, spend our children's inheritance and hollow out our economy.


We can't afford another Republican administration. Wake up, America. The insurance companies took over health care. Wake up, America. The pharmaceutical companies took over drug pricing.


Wake up, America. The speculators took over Wall Street. Wake up, America. They want to take your Social Security. Wake up, America. Multinational corporations took over our trade policies, factories are closing, good paying jobs lost.


Wake up, America. We went into Iraq for oil. The oil companies want more. War against Iran will mean $10-a-gallon gasoline. The oil administration wants to drill more, into your wallet. Wake up, America. Weapons contractors want more. An Iran war will cost 5 to 10 trillion dollars.


This administration can tap our phones. They can't tap our creative spirit. They can open our mail. They can't open economic opportunities. They can track our every move. They lost track of the economy while the cost of food, gasoline and electricity skyrockets. They skillfully played our post-9/11 fears and allowed the few to profit at the expense of the many. Every day we get the color orange, while the oil companies, the insurance companies, the speculators, the war contractors get the color green.


Wake up, America. This is not a call for you to take a new direction from right to left. This is call for you to go from down to up. Up with the rights of workers. Up with wages. Up with fair trade. Up with creating millions of good paying jobs, rebuilding our bridges, ports and water systems. Up with creating millions of sustainable energy jobs to lower the cost of energy, lower carbon emissions and protect the environment.


Up with health care for all. Up with education for all. Up with home ownership. Up with guaranteed retirement benefits. Up with peace. Up with prosperity. Up with the Democratic Party. Up with Obama-Biden.


Wake up, America. Wake up, America. Wake up, America.

Dennis Reports From The Convention

Dennis Reports From The Convention

URGENT! 17 DAYS left for SIGNATURE DRIVE for the OFFICIAL Kucinich IMPEACHMENT Petition!

I received this email from Mr. Kucinich at about 1 A.M. Tuesday Morning.

URGENT 17 DAYS left for SIGNATURE DRIVE for the
OFFICIAL Kucinich IMPEACHMENT Petition

Please continue to encourage your friends and family to sign the Official Kucinich Impeachment Petition, remember, aim to deliver 1 million signatures to the Speaker of the House on September 10: The Day Before the World Changed, A Day to Change the World!

Embed this link - http://kucinich.us - into your emails, your social network pages, etc and ask as many of your friends and family as possible to sign up.

At the beginning of the month I delivered 100,000 signatures to Speaker Pelosi.

We have 17 days to collect 900,000 more signatures! Your efforts can really make a difference! We still have time to take a stand for the Constitution and for integrity in government. Spread the word about this petition and ensure that future Administrations do not learn from this Administration and try to get away the illegal activities the current Administration believes it has already got away with!

We can hold this administration accountable for its offenses. Your engaging your with your friends and neighbors on this important matter of Democratic governance, to sign the petition, will demonstrate you’re your determination to stand up for the our, its people and our Constitution!

Dennis Kucinich

Kucinich on August 24th in Denver

Climate Change (YouTube Video From 2007)

An interesting look at climate change.

Dennis Kucinich Saved Cleveland's Muny Light

A look at how Dennis saved Muny Light.

Kucinich in 'NYT' this coming Sunday warns of Iran attack

In an interview to be published in The New York Times this Sunday, Rep. Dennis Kusinich continues to make the case for impeachment – especially amid the Russia/Georgia crisis – as well as arguing for Democrats to come together to back Obama.

Asked why he continues calling for impeachment, Kucinich responds, "This president is capable of taking us into war, in October, on the eve of an election, to try to change the outcome of the election...

"The events in Georgia are a premonition...of an attack on Iran. When Georgia moved against South Ossetia as the Olympics are starting, the Bush administration begins its own Olympics – the war Olympics."


Read more: Daily Kos

Kucinich/Conyers health care plan gets attention

House Bill HR 676 IH

HR 676 is sponsored by Congressman John Conyers, Dennis Kucinich and several others. The bill would provide for a single payer medical system. Introduced in 2003, the bill now has 91 cosponsors. It is currently in the House Energy and Commerce's Subcommittee on Health.

The bill, called the “United State Health Insurance Act” and sometimes referred to as “Improved Medicare for All Act”, covers all residents residing in the United States and territories. After filling out a form that shall not be longer than two pages, individuals will receive a card with a unique number that is different than their social security number.

Read the whole story here.

According to MSNBC Poll Voters Want Bush Impeached.

The poll results state out of 715,082 responses 89% believed President Bush's actions justify impeachment.
They chose the following answer.
-Yes, between the secret spying, the deceptions leading to war and more, there is plenty to justify putting him on trial.
believe President Bush's actions justify impeachment.

Check Out the poll here here.

*Sign The Petition By Going To*
kucinich.us


Or By Clicking On This Button!

OpEdNews: "The Urgency of Impeachment"

OpEdNews: "The Urgency of Impeachment"
by Jeeni Criscenzo

In the process of editing blogs for a book on the birth of the Progressive Movement, I’ve come to the sobering realization that all the marches, demonstrations, forums and protests I’ve written about in the past five years have failed to change anything of consequence. It’s as if no one ever warned, “If you attack Iraq, it will be a catastrophe.” It’s as if no one ever marched a million-strong, year after year, against the ongoing funding of the occupation of Iraq; as if no one ever contacted their congressperson or senator to voice their opposition to warrant-less wiretapping, torture, rendition or off-shore drilling; as if no one ever wrote against imprisoning Sami al Arian, denying habeas corpus to the Gtimo prisoners, or the shredding of our Constitution. It’s as if scientists never proved humans are causing global warming and no one ever called for universal, single-payer healthcare. And most upsetting of all, it’s as if all the Democratic candidates we worked so hard to get elected in Congress, have no idea why they were elected.

Even on a local level, I see the same issues I worked against when I was campaigning three years ago, still being fought – the Sunrise Powerlink, the LEAPS project, the Robertson’s Concrete Plant, the granite quarry in Temecula. I’m sure you have similar issues wherever you live, and have run up against the same brick wall...

Read more here.

No More Blood For Oil (from 2007)

A Million Man Electronic March on Congress

From today's OpEdNews:

Diary Entry by Dan K

What can we hope to accomplish? Kucinich sets the mark.

Dennis Kucinich has set a high mark calling for one million signatures to be delivered to the Judiciary Committee and Congress on Sept 10th. I only called for 200,000 myself, but as often happens, I didn't think big enough.

What kind of message can we send to America by reaching a million signatures? Will it really get him impeached? Probably not and that is why most won't sign it I'm sure. they'll say,"What would it accomplish? Nothing." Well, I think it can accomplish quite a bit actually. And the potential to do more is always there.

A Million signatures would be quite newsworthy I believe. I mean, 900,000 signatures in under a month to go with the 100,000 already delivered would be difficult to go unnoticed. With some momentum on that news, we could get the accountability issue into the debates. I for one wouldn't mind watching the candidates sweat a bit as they try to run from the issue.

The signatures would be delivered on the anniversary of Donald Rumsfeld's announcement of $2.3 TRILLION dollars, wandering aimlessly around the DoD. For those residing in the United States of Amnesia see here.

With the right wing sheeple and their sideshow...

Read the rest here.

Iraq (Video From 2007)

An interesting video from 2007 about Dennis Kucinich's stand against the war in Iraq 2002-2004

Breaking: Conyers Calls Committee Back from Summer Recess to Investigate Suskind Allegations

From OpEdNews:

"The 110th Congress isn’t over. We’re starting our work, and then we’re doing it in a period where the Congress is in recess. I’m calling everybody back." -- John Conyers on DemocracyNow, Aug.14,2008

House Judiciary Chairman John Conyers has taken the highly unusual step of calling his committee back from summer recess in order to investigate allegations by Ron Suskind that the Bush administration forged a letter to buttress the links made between Saddam and 9/11, and Saddam and WMD. The congressional Authorization for the Use of Force Against Iraq, the ""War Resolution" which, as far short as it fell of a congressional declaration of war, gave the invasion its constitutional legal cover, and gave Bush the authorization to invade only after he had certified to congress the existence of these two critical links. If Saddam had nothing to do with 9/11, and if he did not possess WMD, the war was off.

The Authorization for the Use of Force stipulated:

Conyers' reconvening of his committee was the result of enormous public pressure, most poignantly that coming from military families wanting to know why their loved ones are dead. Despite the exquisite, shining clockwork political operation now in place at the Executive Branch, working hand in glove with the media spin machine, it's still not that easy to get 4100 Americans killed over lies. Bush knew Americans would not subject their troops to such an uncertain fiasco over 17 violated UN resolutions, or Saddam's brutal but by no means unique human rights record. If we attacked every country which violated UN resolutions, we'd be bombing Tel Aviv.

So Bush lied.

What is needed now is a full-court press by the public, especially those citizens up until now silent, to transform the Suskind investigation into true impeachment hearings. Public pressure, and only public pressure, resulted in the stunning but buried hearings of July 25, 2008. On that day only 17 out of hundreds of citizens from across the country who packed the hallway outside the Judiciary chambers were allowed into the room. As people chanted "Shame!" it was explained by Judiciary staff that the rest of the seats were taken by the media. The joke turned out to be on you, the public. Media packed the room, but not one American newspaper, not one network news station, reported the dramatic six-hour testimony which outlined some of the most serious charges which can be made against a U.S. president.

This country is now learning what many already know: that democracy is not given. It is demanded. Few politicians are interested in your right to freedom from search and seizure without a warrant, or your right to a jury trial even if George Bush thinks you are an "enemy combatant." They already belong to a class of the powerful who will merit special consideration. Some, with good reason, may argue that we already have a two-tier system of justice, for the rich, and for the poor. But like the movie says, you ain't seen nothing yet.

Read the rest here.

Willie Nelson with Congressman Kucinich (From 2004)

Ani Difranco talks about Kucinich

I found a cool video from 2004 with Ani Difranco talking about Kucinich.

IMPEACH BUSH NOW!

Please Sign Kucinich’s Petition to Impeach Bush/Cheney

Dear Friends,

On August 1st, I delivered to Speaker Nancy Pelosi; a petition bearing the names of over 100,000 Americans that, like us, feel that the President must be held accountable for abusing executive power and disregarding his Constitutional obligations.

Your voices have been heard and your support continues to send a powerful message to lawmakers. That is why I call on you again to help us in a new effort to deliver 1 Million signatures to Speaker Pelosi on September 10, 2008.

Together we can:

* Urge real Congressional action to hold President Bush accountable now
* Reinstate the authority of our Constitution
* Document crimes committed by President Bush for historical account
* Facilitate post-Administration law enforcement and prosecution
* Reset the standard for the incoming and future administrations
* Demand justice for the over 3,000 who died on 9/11and whose deaths were tragically exploited to take us into an illegal war in Iraq
* Demand justice for the estimated 30,324 U.S. military personnel who have been injured/wounded
* Demand justice for the estimated 4,138 U.S. military personnel who have been killed or died
* Demand justice for the 1 Million innocent Iraqis who have died*
* Avert another illegitimate looming war – this time against Iran

We need your active participation to deliver 1 Million signatures to Congress by September 10, 2008.

Please give at least ten of your friends the opportunity to stand up for our country - the way you and I have, by inviting them to sign the impeachment petition online at www.Kucinich.us. Send your friends an email invitation to sign the petition by clicking here.

Together we can make September 10, the day before the world changed, a day we change the world!

http://kucinich.us

Kucinich submits 100,000 signatures, Let's Make it 200,000.

Call to all citizens to exercise their rights and duties to hold elected officials accountable.sign the petition at *http://kucinich.us*

read more | digg story

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yUuhKJYFUfg

If you haven't heard by now, evidence of complicit forgery was authorized by the white house to support the case of an Iraq/Al-Qaeda connection. What more can possibly be next? Can this finally be the last straw or do we have to wait for a darkened filtered interview with "Mr. X" who confesses he helped wire the Trade Center. Since that isn't going to happen, let's not wait to find out. Go ahead, go to www.kucinich.us and sign the official impeachment petition. You know you want to. Let your voice be heard, you'll feel better after you do, I know I did. Another 100,000 signatures before September would be a statement from the American people on a grand scale. We can still prevent him from pardoning all his cronies and immunizing them from justice. Lets take our country back.

Pass this along. If you decide to sign, bring along just one more person, a family member, friend, or colleague. Post the link to the petition on your blogs, etters to editor, anywhere you can be heard. We can do it America. We still have a voice!

Congress to 'Review' Charges CIA Prepared Forged Iraq, 9/11 Letter

The House Judiciary Committee will “review” allegations contained in a book published last week by Pulitzer Prize winning journalist Ron Suskind that the Bush administration in late 2006 ordered the CIA to prepare a forged letter showing a link between Iraq, al-Qaeda and 9/11 to justify the U.S. invasion and ignored credible intelligence reports that Iraq did not have weapons of mass destruction.

continued at http://www.pubrecord.org/politics/252.html?task=view

Kucinich: Eliminate Medicare Part D drug program

Former presidential hopeful Dennis Kucinich (D-OH) last week introduced legislation that would get rid of the Medicare Part D drug program.

Under H.R. 6800, the Medicare Drugs for Seniors Act, Medicare beneficiaries could purchase drugs from approved foreign countries where drugs are significantly cheaper. The bill would also permit Medicare to negotiate drug price reductions with the pharmaceutical industry. Kucinich also advocates the elimination of co-pays, premiums and deductibles for Medicare beneficiaries.

Privatized drug plans under Medicare Part D have been given their chance and failed, Kucinich believes. He and his camp cite a recent report that finds that drugs cost up to 30% more under the privatized Part D than they do under the government administered Medicaid program (McKnight's 7/28).

We did it!

MTV Think Video: Rally for Peace - Kucinich Speaks out against Bush

USPS cuts impede ‘We Deliver’ promise

Due to the intervention of Cleveland Congressman Dennis Kucinich, the post office has agreed not to close retail operations employing about 20 workers at the airport.

New Book Says Bush Committed Impeachable Offense

An explosive new book by a Pulitzer Prize winning journalist alleges President George W. Bush committed an impeachable offense by ordering the CIA to create a forged document showing a link between Saddam Hussein and the terrorist organization al-Qaeda to create a "false pretense" for war.

One Week Later: Kucinich, Judiciary, Franks and the Whitehouse Silent

One week after the House Judiciary Committee hearings on the "Imperial Presidency," where many congressional members and expert witnesses called out for the immediate impeachment of President George Bush, none of the offices of three of the congressional major players in the hearings, Dennis Kucinich (D-OH), John Conyers (D-MI), or Trent Franks (R-AZ) has issued any public statements on the results or public response.

Kucinich inspires peace rally in Cleveland

Congressman Dennis Kucinich, featured speaker at a peace rally in downtown Cleveland, urges the wildly receptive crowd to "Stand up for what's right about America." Support health care, jobs, home ownership, education, civil liberties, and the Constitution, he urged. Continue to oppose the war in Iraq and the threatened war against Iran.

Federal Judge: WH Aides Must Testify; Pelosi: What Bush Crimes?

The Brad Blog did a piece on how Nancy Pelosi went on The View and said that Impeachment would be "a different story" if someone could present the President's crimes (shortly before quickly shifting the audience's attention to crowd-pleasing issues like equal pay). The article features the video in which the clip from The View is featured, and Kucinich's rebuttal.

Impeachment Petition Deadline Midnight Wednesday July, 30th

UPDATE: The deadline has been extended indefinitely (8/1).

Dennis Needs YOUR help NOW!-sign the petition at kucinich.us-spread the word in any way YOU can!-Get at least 10 of your friends to do the same.-The Deadline is Wednesday July, 30th at *MIDNIGHT*

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Randi Rhodes Show today at 4:28 pm EDT

Today Dennis Kucinich will be on the Randi Rhodes Show.

Randi Rhodes Show NOVA M Radio Network today at 4:28 pm EDT

link: Nova M Radio - The Home of Randi Rhodes & Mike Malloy

Randi Rhodes, 3-6pm ET

Impeachment Petition Deadline Midnight Wednesday July 30th

Dear Friends,

Because of your vigilance and support for democracy, last Friday was a day of singular importance in Washington. The House Judiciary Committee met to discuss the Bush Administration's abuse of executive power and for the first time the case for Impeachment was discussed in front of a Congressional committee, in depth, at length and with authority.

Twenty members of the Judiciary Committee attended the six-hour hearing, during which twelve witnesses, including myself and four members of Congress testified. In this hearing I called for the Impeachment of the President for misrepresenting a case for war.

This week I will present members of Congress with Impeachment petitions submitted by those of you who have signed the on-line impeachment form.

I need your help. In the next few days we must redouble our efforts to get more signatures on the online petition at kucinich.us. I'm asking each of you to please contact at least ten of your friends to go to www.Kucinich.us now and sign the Impeachment petition that will be delivered by me. Wednesday night is the deadline.

Please send out an email to all your friends and family, post this link, http://kucinich.us to your blogs and make this effort count as this is the only petition that I will deliver.

Sign the petition. Thank you so very much.

Signature - Dennis J Kucinich

Dennis

Paid for by the Re-Elect Congressman Kucinich Committee

PO Box 110475 | Cleveland | OH | 44111 | 216-252-9000

Thanks to you, impeachment will be heard Friday



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x0LBZq_3yNU&feature=user

Case for Impeachment hearing will re-air 8pm on C-span for 6 hours

Friday's hearing in the House Judiciary Committee that focused on executive power and the possibility of impeachment of President George W. Bush will re-air 8PM on C-span. It lasted 6 hours.

The hearing was brought about when former Democratic presidential candidate Dennis Kucinich, D-Ohio, brought impeachment charges against Bush.
http://afterdowningstreet.org/hearingday

At 10 a.m. on Friday July 25th, the House Judiciary Committee held a preliminary hearing on the topic of impeachment, with a presentation by Congressman Dennis Kucinich. This is not yet a true impeachment hearing, but it is our opportunity to push for one, and it represents a tremendous victory after years of effort by millions of Americans who want to keep the Constitution alive.

You can watch it on your computer with this link to c-span

http://www.cspan.org/ Limits of Executive Power Today The hearing is partly based on a single article of impeachment Kucinich brought against Pres. Bush, and on alleged misconduct and unlawful expansion of executive power. Aired on C-SPAN at 10am (ET) and re-aired at 8pm.

Kucinich Testifies Before HJC for Bush Impeachment

Dennis Kucinich will present evidence to the House Judiciary Committee

Tomorrow, Friday July 25th, Dennis Kucinich will present evidence to the House Judiciary Committee on the abuse of power of the Bush Administration so Congress can decide whether to investigate impeachable offenses. Unless they know that the American people want this investigation, it's possible that nothing will happen. If you believe that this Administration must be held accountable, please sign and invite your friends to sign the online petition at www.Kucinich.us

Thanks to you, impeachment will be heard Friday

Impeachment Begins: Be on Capitol Hill on Friday July 25th