Krazy Kucinich Traded to Washington State for a Lunatic to Be Named Later?

If you ever needed proof that congressmen don't really live in the districts they represent but in fact become citizens of Washington D.C., here it is:

It may sound like a crazy rumor, but Ohio's Democratic Congressman Dennis Kucinich may really be thinking about running for Congress in Washington state — possibly in the yet-to-be drawn new 10th District.

As noted by Eli Sanders at the Stranger, there is talk among high-level political sources about why Kucinich, the fiery liberal-vegan-sometimes-presidential-candidate has been spending time recently in Washington state.

I thought this was nuts when I first heard about it today, but have since talked to a reputable source who says there may be something to the chatter.

A call to Kucinich's office this afternoon did not put the rumor to rest.

Kucinich's press secretary, Nathan White, sent along this statement:

"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. The Daily Show interview is instructive of this sentiment.

So, there's not another soul in the entire new 10th district who would know more about what that area needs then some carpetbagger from Ohio? That's a pretty sad statement about the residents of Washington State.

This really shows that for congressmen it doesn't matter what the state and district is that's shown on the office door, their home is Washington D.C. and they quickly become a creature of that town that wouldn't even be recognized by folks in their district.

Dems Calling for Impeachment of Obama Over Libyan Missile Strikes

At least they're consistent:

Dennis Kucinich wants Obama impeached over his Libya missile strikes. As the US military yesterday fired off dozens and dozens of Tomahawk missiles in an effort to destroy Libya’s air-defense systems, certain Democrats were using their time to explore other options. Specifically, during a Democrat Caucus conference call held yesterday afternoon, Dennis Kucinich was exploring how to get Barack Obama impeached. The conference call featured some of the most committed anti-war Democrats, and besides Kucinich, Maxine Water, Sheila Jackson Lee, Jerrold Nadler, and Mike Capuano were also participants. As a group, these Democrats are bitter about Obama’s refusal to first consult with the US Congress before ordering military action, and also about the constitutionality of the missile strikes.

Kucinich also tried for years to get Bush impeached over Iraq, even though Bush actually got congressional approval in 2002 for his actions.

Congressional Hearings Should Be About Hearing Testimony and Not Hearing Congressmen Blather

Rep. Darrell Issa is changing the way his committee holds hearings, and it's not making talkative Democrats, who love hearing the sound of their own voices, happy (from the Daily Caller):

Issa cuts the crap, offends grandstanders -- "Rep. Darrell Issa’s first Oversight Committee hearing on bailouts and the foreclosure crisis started with a bout over procedure," reports ABC. "At the start of the hearing, chairman Rep. Darrell Issa announced the committee members would waive their opening statements and instead would have seven days to place them into the record." Rep. Dennis Kucinich, who wants to make olives illegal, and Rep. Elijah Cummings immediately got their panties in a twist. “I’ve been in the Congress for 14 years, and I’ve never - it’s just unprecedented that the ranking member not be permitted to give an opening statement,” Kucinich said from atop a pile of phone books. But Issa made clear that the most important part of a testimonial hearing is the testimonies. "I recognize that tradition is we hold the members, the witnesses here for sometimes an hour through opening statements," Issa said. "That is a tradition that I intend to break.”

Kucinich doesn't get to pontificate! That's gotta just about kill him.

Go have a sandwich, Dennis, but watch out for the dastardly olive pits.

Assault With a Deadly Olive Pit

Your Congress at work:

Rep. Dennis Kucinich has sued a U.S. House of Representatives cafeteria for selling him a sandwich wrap that caused dental damage when he bit into a pitted olive, according to a Jan. 3 lawsuit filed in Superior Court for the District of Columbia.

The Cleveland Democratic congressman's lawsuit seeks $150,000 in damages from companies that operate the Longworth House Office Building's cafeteria.

It says he bought the suspicious sandwich wrap "on or about April 17, 2008," and eating it caused "permanent dental and oral injuries requiring multiple surgical and dental procedures."

"Said sandwich wrap was unwholesome and unfit for human consumption in that it was presented to contain pitted olives, yet unknown to plaintiff, contained an unpitted olive or olives which plaintiff did not reasonably expect to be in the food prepared for him, and could not visually detect prior to consumption," the lawsuit said.

I thought Congress had a Cadillac health care plan that should have paid for all that?

Personally, I think he's just trying to raise some funds for his 2012 Presidential campaign.

Dennis Kucinich Has a Price - a Ride on Air Force One

Who knew that Dennis Kucinich was such a cheap date? All it took was a ride on Air Force One to flip his vote from "no" to "yes" on Obamacare. Perhaps Obama would be better served by spending the day giving rides to other recalcitrant congressmen rather than doing yet another public rally.

It's clear that Kucinich was afraid of the lefties who have been blasting him for not supporting Obamacare, and he wanted his moment in the sun which he got with today's presser. It's the first time anyone's paid attention to something Kucinich said in a long time.

Matthew Philbin on Facebook writes this:

Wonder if Kucinich got the little Airforce 1 pilot wings. Maybe the toy 747. "If you promise to vote yes, you can visit the cockpit."

Something for Congress to Aspire to

And it's just a short walk from the Capitol:

No known ghosts -- but the Historic Congressional Cemetery is home to a number of storied Americans, including Abraham Lincoln's most famous photographer; one of the conspirators who was hanged for Lincoln's assassination; the original twentieth-century G-Man; and the composer who gave the "Monte Python" gang their start.

Not too shabby for the graveyard long overshadowed by its more famous cousin across the river, in Arlington.

Tucked away in Southeast Washington, a short walk from the Capitol Building, the Congressional Cemetery began as the burying ground for the local parish of Christ Church, and welcomed its first souls in 1807. For decades, the cemetery served as the capital's sole place of burial for members of Congress. In all, nineteen senators and seventy-one members of the House of Representatives lie here.

And the good news is there's room for plenty more.

Maker of Famous Obama "Joker" Image a Kucinich Supporter

Top of the Ticket has the details:

When cryptic posters portraying President Obama as the Joker from "Batman" began popping up around Los Angeles and other cities, the question many asked was, Who is behind the image?
Was it an ultra-conservative grassroots group or a disgruntled street artist going against the grain?

Nope, it turns out, just a 20-year-old college student from Chicago.

Bored during his winter school break, Firas Alkhateeb, a senior history major at the University of Illinois, crafted the picture of Obama with the recognizable clown makeup using Adobe's Photoshop software.

Alkhateeb had been tinkering with the program to improve the looks of photos he had taken on his clunky Kodak camera. The Joker project was his grandest undertaking yet. Using a tutorial he'd found online about how to "Jokerize" portraits, he downloaded the October 23 Time Magazine cover of Obama and began digitally painting over it.

Four or five hours later, he happily had his product.

On Jan. 18, Alkhateeb uploaded the image to photo-sharing site Flickr (shown at right). Over the next two months, he amassed just a couple thousand hits, he said.

Then the counter exploded after a still-anonymous rogue famously found his image, digitally removed the references to Time Magazine, captioned the picture with the word "socialism" and hung printed copies around L.A., making headlines.

So, what are the politics of this guy?

"After Obama was elected, you had all of these people who basically saw him as the second coming of Christ," Alkhateeb said. "From my perspective, there wasn't much substance to him."

"I abstained from voting in November," he wrote in an e-mail. "Living in Illinois, my vote means close to nothing as there was no chance Obama would not win the state." If he had to choose a politician to support, Alkhateeb said, it would be Ohio Democratic Rep. Dennis Kucinich.

Kucinich??

The California Gubernatoral Race in a Nutshell

Former Speaker and San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown handicaps the governor's race:

Speaking at the Commonwealth Club on Thursday, I was asked for my thumbnail assessment of next year's Democratic gubernatorial primary.

Here it is: Gavin Newsom is trying to position himself as the new Barack Obama and his main rival, Attorney General Jerry Brown, as old John McCain.

Jerry is trying to position himself as Barack Obama as well, and Newsom as the new Sarah Palin.

In reality both of them are Dennis Kucinich...wacko lefties.

Lost in Washington - The Impeachment Hearing

Democrats made the mistake of scheduling Dennis Kucinich's impeachment resolution hearing on the same day the Obamessiah was being given a French kiss by Nicolas Sarkozy in Paris. Consequently, nobody is paying attention to the hearing, which is just as well.

WASHINGTON — Rep. Dennis Kucinich's quest to impeach President Bush is getting an official airing in the House Judiciary Committee on Friday.

The Ohio congressman's single impeachment article is not expected to move forward, but critics of the Bush administration were taking the opportunity in a House Judiciary Committee hearing to push for removing the president from office.
The hearing began shortly after 10 a.m. ET, and it didn't take long for the call to impeach Bush to bring an applause line, if not to wade through political statements on each side of the aisle.

Rep. Robert Wexler, D-Fla., said the administration has committed "serious abuses, that if proven, would certainly constitute high crimes." Therefore, "The most appropriate response to this unprecedented behavior is to hold hearings for impeachment."

The line drew hoots of approval from some members of the audience, which drew a warning to the audience from Committee Chairman John Conyers, D-Mich.

"Let's restrain ourselves, please," Conyers said.

Despite several mentions early of the "I" word, Conyers explained to the audience it was not, technically, an impeachment hearing "to the regret of many." He said the House would have to vote for an impeachment inquiry to begin, a test not met by the July 15 vote to send Kucinich's impeachment resolution to the Judiciary Committee.

The Republicans on the committee are throughly enjoying themselves:

The top-ranked Republican on the committee, Lamar Smith of Texas, dismissed the hearing as a waste of time.

Likening the hearing to "an anger management class," Smith said, "Nothing is going to come out of this hearing with regard to impeachment. ... That's because there is no evidence to support impeachment.

He said the partisan tone of the hearing was probably one of the reasons congressional approval ratings are at historic lows, recently below 10 percent. "That makes President Bush's approval rating of 32 percent look pretty good," Smith said.

Cracking a joke at his Democratic colleagues' expense, Rep. Dan Lungren, R-Calif., belittled the hearing, saying, "Maybe what we're here for is impeachment light' " -- a "never, never land" where Democrats lay out their accusations, but don't follow up on impeachment.

Rep. Mike Pence, R-Ind., tried to argue against the point of the hearing on a legal point.

"The framers (of the Constitution) did not intend impeachment as a political device," Pence said, adding that he believed the president has "consistently put the American people's need before his own."

It's a real moonbat festival in the House of Representatives.

Spaceman Kucinich Gets His Hearing

Looks like the House version of a kangaroo court will be in session soon:

WASHINGTON — Rep. Dennis Kucinich's single impeachment article will get a committee hearing — but not on removing President Bush from office.

The House on Tuesday voted 238-180 to send his article of impeachment — for Bush's reasoning for taking the country to war in Iraq — to the Judiciary Committee, which buried Kucinich's previous effort.

This time, the panel will open hearings. But House Democratic leaders emphatically said the proceedings will not be about Bush's impeachment, a first step in the Constitution's process of a removing a president from office.

Instead, the panel will conduct an election-year review — possibly televised — of anything Democrats consider to be Bush's abuse of power. Kucinich, D-Ohio, is likely to testify. But so will several scholars and administration critics, Democrats said.

The hearing is a modest gesture by House Democratic leaders to members like Kucinich who insist that Bush's reasons for going to war meet the standard for impeachment. Kucinich had said that if his impeachment article is tabled he would just propose another one.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., has made clear since she ascended to that post that there would be no impeachment proceedings. But that didn't stop Kucinich from introducing 35 articles of impeachment, spending four hours in June reading them on the House floor and demanding hearings. The House summarily dispatched them for burial to the Judiciary Committee.

Kucinich came back with a single article, which was read into the record Tuesday. As it did with the others, the House referred it to the panel, chaired by Rep. John Conyers, D-Mich.

But this time, Pelosi said with a conspicuous lack of enthusiasm, that it would see some committee action.

Democratic aides said the hearing could take place as soon as next week.

This ought to be quite the spectacle.

Pelosi Gives the Moonbats a Chance to Shine

Rep. Dennis Kucinich is going to offer another in a long line of impeachment resolutions against President Bush, and this time San Fran Nan is going to give the congressional moonbats a shot in the limelight:

Kucinich is expected to offer a "privileged resolution" this afternoon calling on the House to look at whether President Bush should be removed from office for lying to Congress and the American public when he sought congressional approval back in 2002 for taking military action to invade Iraq and overthrow Saddam Hussein.

Pelosi has said previously that impeachment "was off the table," so her comments this morning were surprising, and clearly signaled a new willingness to entertain the idea of ousting Bush, although no one in the Democratic leadership believes that is likely since the president has only six months left in this term.

"This is a Judiciary Committee matter, and I believe we will see some attention being paid to it by the Judiciary Committee," Pelosi told reporters. "Not necessarily taking up the articles of impeachment because that would have to be approved on the floor, but to have some hearings on the subject."

Pelosi added: "My expectation is that there will be some review of that in the committee."

Oh pullleeeeeaaaazzze let them have hearings. That would just be so incredibly entertaining, and more importantly, it would give lots of opportunities for Obama to be challenged on whether or not he agrees with statements made during the hearings. It would also give America a chance to see the lefties in action and to contemplate a country in which both the executive and legislative branches of government are run by those folks.

CNN's Cafferty Calls for Impeachment

You just knew that when the Supremes blew the Gitmo decision that it would get the lefties all worked up. Jack Cafferty of CNN has decided that it's a good time to encourage Congress to take up Dennis Kucinich's impeachment resolution:

The House of Representatives has voted to send an impeachment resolution against President Bush to committee – where it’s likely to die.

Congressman Dennis Kucinich introduced the 35 articles of impeachment this week. Most of the resolution focuses on the Iraq war but also charges the president with illegally detaining both U.S. citizens and foreign captives, condoning torture and mishandling the response to Hurricane Katrina.

But Congress doesn’t want to hear it. They voted largely along party lines – 255 to 166 – to send the resolution to the House Judiciary Committee. This is exactly what happened to Kucinich’s impeachment articles against Vice President Cheney last year. Congress sent that resolution to this same committee in November. So far, no action has been taken. Congress continues to refuse to exercise its constitutional responsibility of oversight of the executive branch of government.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi long ago made it known that impeachment is “off the table.” This is a joke. We have a president who has abused the power of his office over and over again. It’s what got the Democrats elected to the majority in Congress in 2006. Now it’s election time again, and every member of the House is up for re-election in November. The Democrats are probably worried what it will look like to many voters if they spend time on impeachment.

Which is why Republicans voted yesterday to bring Kucinich’s resolution up for debate immediately – to make the Democrats look silly for focusing on this instead of gas prices, the economy, etc.

Here’s my question to you:What does it mean when Congress refuses to even consider 35 articles of impeachment against President Bush?

Here's the answer that I posted on the CNN website (assuming the moderator allows it):

Because with only seven months to go in the Bush administration impeachment would be seen for what it is - revenge, not justice. There isn’t time for the investigations that would be required to even pretend it was a fair hearing. It’s a pipe dream of the left that they will be able to “get” Bush and Cheney. They won’t.

The beauty of this whole situation is the lefties will go nuts demanding impeachment, the Dem leadership won't dare touch it thus sending the lefties into further paroxysms of mouth-foaming. It's almost like a perpetual motion machine.

UPDATE: I guess my comment didn't fit CNN's "mad lefty" template and wasn't approved. Imagine my surprise.

Dennis Kucinich Wants Dick Cheney to be President

Just months after offering articles of impeachment against Vice President Dick Cheney, Dem Rep. Dennis Kucinich has completely changed his opinion of the controversial VP. Kucinich now wants him to be president:

(The Politico) Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-Ohio) introduced 35 articles of impeachment against President Bush on Monday night, reading the resolution into the Congressional Record.

Kucinich, who unsuccessfully sought the Democratic presidential nomination this year, unveiled a litany of alleged illegal and improper acts by Bush, including war crimes.

Kucinich has introduced a similar impeachment resolution against Vice President Cheney. That resolution was referred to the House Judiciary Committee, which has taken no action on the measure. Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and other top House Democratic leaders have stated that there will be no consideration of impeachment proceedings against Bush, calling the idea "off the table."

Of course, the impeachment of President Bush will give us President Cheney, and maybe Cheney could be drafted at the convention to run against his cousin Barack in November? He'd be a lot better than McCain.

Spaceman Quits the Presidential Race

Over on the wacky left end of the political spectrum, Rep. Dennis Kucinich is abandoning his doomed presidential campaign:

CLEVELAND (AP) - Democratic presidential candidate Dennis Kucinich is abandoning his second bid for the White House. In an interview with Cleveland's Plain Dealer, the six-term congressman said he was quitting the race and would make a formal announcement on Friday.

"I will be announcing that I'm transiting out of the presidential campaign," Kucinich said. "I'm making that announcement tomorrow about a new direction."

Kucinich, who was elected to the House in 1996, faces a tough race for re-election.

Kucinich, 61, was making his second bid for his party's nomination; he sought the nod in 2004. He registers in low single digits in polls and has raised little money for what is considered another long-shot run. Kucinich, who is known for his liberal views, has attracted a devoted following.

Speaking of spacemen, the Paul Bearers have been busy. Over on the far right side of the spectrum these signs suddenly showed up overnight all over Mission Viejo:
I finally have proof that there are aliens among us.

Kucinich Throws Support to Obama

Part of the caucus process in Iowa is not only picking your first choice candidate, but picking a second choice if there's not enough support for your first pick. Dennis "Spaceman" Kucinich has asked his supporters to give their second choice to Barack Obama:

DES MOINES, Iowa (CNN) — Dennis Kucinich urged supporters Tuesday to make Barack Obama their second choice in the Iowa caucuses, an unexpected boost in the closing days of this wide open race for the Democratic presidential nomination.
Kucinich told backers to vote for him on the first ballot Thursday, but instructed them to support Obama if he did not reach the 15 percent threshold needed to be viable in the caucuses.

Both Kucinich supporters said okay.

"Spaceman" Kucinich Backers Want to Boycott Pizza Hut

It doesn't take much to set off the wacky left these days:

A new Pizza Hut ad (see YouTube video at left) that uses slices of presidential debate commentary to tout a cut-rate pizza deal has angered backers of Cleveland Democratic Rep. Dennis Kucinich.

"Are people seeing lower prices now?" the announcer in the ad asks before cutting to a debate segment where Kucinich says: "More people in this country have seen UFOs."

When the vegan congressman disappears from the screen, his image is replaced by meat-covered pizzas.

Operators of several websites that admire the Cleveland congressmen are urging readers to complain to Pizza Hut. They're not mad about Kucinich being linked to pepperoni despite his meat aversion, or being linked to chain pizza despite his anti-corporate rhetoric. It's the UFO reference that's given them indigestion.

"I am going to encourage all Kucinich supporters to boycott your restaurant until you change your "debate" advertising," wrote the operator of a website called Dandelionsalad. "That was a low blow to a viable, electable presidential candidate. Consider the word OUT! I also think Pizza Hut should publicly apologize to the Congressman!"

It's a clever ad. Next weekend I'll be making my annual visit to the Rockport Gospel Music Festival in Rockport, TX, and on Sunday night we usually hit the local Pizza Hut for dinner. This year I'm going to order an extra pie in honor of this ad. Well done, Pizza Hut!