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Dennis Kucinich to Drop '08 Presidential Bid
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ShareJanuary 24, 2008 4:16 PM
ABC News' Jennifer Duck Reports: Presidential dark horse Rep. Dennis Kucinich, D-Ohio, will announce at a news conference tomorrow in Cleveland that he is dropping out of the presidential race, ABC News has confirmed.
Since announcing his intention to seek the White House, Kucinich has trailed badly behind his Democratic rivals, raised little money, and was recently shut out of Democratic debates because of his long shot status.
Kucinich is expected to announce that he is foregoing his presidential aspirations to focus on his congressional seat, that may be in jeopardy.
"I want to continue to serve in Congress," Kucinich said, reports his hometown Cleveland Plain Dealer newspaper which first reported Kucinich's plans to drop out.
Kucinich, who made an unsuccessful bid for the White House in 2004, has run on his longtime opposition to the war in Iraq, and advocated the creation of a federal "Department of Peace."
He garnered some media attention during the campaign when he questioned President George W. Bush's mental health and said he had seen a UFO.
"I did,''' Kucinich said at a Democratic debate in 2007. "It's unidentified. I saw something.''
In a discussion with editors of the Philadelphia Inquirer newspaper, Kucinich suggested Bush's comments about Iran and World War III suggest he needs "care."
"You cannot be a president of the United States who's wanton in his expression of violence," Kucinich said. "There's a lot of people who need care. He might be one of them. If there isn't something wrong with him, then there's something wrong with us. This, to me, is a very serious question."
News about the former Cleveland mayor's candidacy was overshadowed by news about his much younger second-wife, Elizabeth Kucinich, who he married in August, 2005.
Elizabeth Kucinich, a native of England, is thirty years younger than her husband.
After losing badly in the New Hampshire primary, Kucinich demanded a recount because of electronic voting machine problems in the Myrtle Beach area. He spent $27,000, won a 40 percent recount, but it earned him all of 32 changed votes, with Sen. Barack Obama drawing 18 votes closer to Sen. Hillary Clinton, the N.H. primary winner.
At age 31, Kucinich was in the national spotlight in when he became "the Boy Mayor" of Cleveland and the youngest person ever elected to lead a major American city in 1977.
The former Cleveland mayor has been an Ohio congressman since 1997, but is facing challenges from local politicians who charge that Kucinich's quest for the White House, and his failed effort to impeach Vice President Cheney have left the people of his district neglected.
In an "urgent personal appeal" Wednesday to his campaign supporters sent out by e-mail and released on YouTube, Kucinich said, "Right now I'm under attack by corporate interests, most of them from the city of Cleveland, who have an agenda that has nothing to do with the people of my community, nor with most people in this country."
"And so what I'm asking you to do is to help me stay in Congress, so that I can continue to represent the people of my community, the state of Ohio and the United States of America," he said.
January 24, 2008 in Huckabee, Mike, Tancredo, Tom | Permalink | User Comments (25)
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Who will he endorse???????????? And how did the NH recount go?
Posted by: ROB | Jan 24, 2008 4:32:06 PM
He told the Cleveland newspaper that he wasn't endorsing anyone. However, he did tell his supporters in Iowa to vote Obama for second choice.
Posted by: Cat | Jan 24, 2008 4:51:03 PM
Thanks Dennis and know that the truth is what sets you far above most of the clowns in the republican party and a couple of the DEMS as well. The day is drawing near when truth rushes forth and you only have to see the MAINSCREAMS like abc who can not publish the story about BUSHCOS 935 lies to war because of the horror it represents. ABC's handlers and most of the MAINSCREAMS will find themselves looking in from a distance someday and that day closes quickly. Doubt me on that MAINSCREAM pariahs...
Posted by: daddyblue | Jan 24, 2008 4:56:50 PM
This explains all that UFO action in Texas recently - they've come for one of their own.
Posted by: Chas | Jan 24, 2008 7:05:27 PM
just like richardson - you guys wrote more about him when he quit than you did the entire time he was on the campaign trail! shame on you! with an equal amount of coverage, someone other clinton or obama may get some followers!
Posted by: valerie | Jan 24, 2008 7:21:29 PM
Exactly--Now the media actually writes a story on Kucinich. Seems like the media picks our presidents by choosing which ones to cover. The whole thing is crooked, kind of like college football or Michael Vick or any of these other celebrity morons who get coverage only to keep our attention away from important things, like Iraq, the Health Care Crisis, or the fact they send our jobs overseas. Thanks media! Pretty soon we'll all be in the gutter I'm afraid...
Posted by: Jim | Jan 24, 2008 7:34:56 PM
The American Public isn't ready for change this election. They want a continuation of the status quo. The media bias helps make sure we stay on that path.
Posted by: steve | Jan 24, 2008 7:41:21 PM
If only Kucinich had gotten this kind of attention 6 months ago!!
And it's "has run," not "has ran."
Posted by: Marie | Jan 24, 2008 8:04:24 PM
Dennis is really the candidate I want. But I know with no help from big business, he will have a snowball in hell's chance to get through to the benighted American voters who do not really know their own self-interest.
If I was very rich, I would have helped him to win but with my puny resources, I have to settle for the lesser evil of the cooperation-supported candidate.
I wish Dennis and his gorgeous wife well because they are the real patriots of America.
Posted by: american | Jan 24, 2008 8:28:10 PM
Congressman Kucinich is an honest official. Rare in Washington D C. His District would be wise to re elect him. We need the truth to be told.
He won't give in to corporate interests.
Posted by: ed | Jan 24, 2008 8:37:31 PM
Dennis is the best. It's a real loss. The issues he brought up about many things are critical to our country including his Nevada lawsuit to be included in the debate. His no-nonsense style is so refreshing.
Posted by: voter | Jan 24, 2008 8:47:44 PM
Hi Kucinich supporters
I am so sorry to hear about Kucinich droping out...
Now as you all know Kucinich is Ron Pauls friend You all need to please conster Voting for Ron Paul...
Thanks
Lisa
Posted by: Lisa | Jan 24, 2008 10:30:25 PM
In an ideal world people vote for folks like Ron Paul and Dennis Kucinich.
The saying went in congress that if you saw a bill that was 433-2, you knew that the two congressmen against the bill were Kucinich and Paul.
Its a shame that our rubber stamp congress votes for bills just because they're scared a no vote might be used against them later in the election.
Lets hope in the next presidential election cycle the democrats will be confident enough to put Kucinich as top billing rather than a CFR globalist like Hillary or Obama.
Posted by: Rick Cain | Jan 25, 2008 12:53:45 AM
THIS GREAT MAN HAD THEE BEST HEALTHCARE PLAN EVER THOUGHT UP (& HE WAS THE ONE WHO THOUGHT IT UP, AND IN DETAIL)...WHEREAS, THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN NO UNETHICAL PROFITS MADE, THEREFORE, NOT ONLY HELPING EVERYONE HAVE ACCESS TO DECENT HEALTHCARE, BUT ALSO HELPING OUR ECONOMY EXPONENTIALLY (SINCE, WHEN MORE PEOPLE ARE HEALTHIER, MORE PEOPLE WILL GO TO WORK, & WORK MORE)!!!!! ALSO, HE WAS NEVER FOR BIG GOVERNMENT (AS MOST PEOPLE ASSUMED), HE WAS FOR A MORE EFFICIENT GOVERNMENT!!!!! ANOTHER THING, FOR THOSE WHO ALWAYS "DISSED" HIM FOR HAVING SEEN A UFO...(MY SIMPLE RECOMMENDATION), TRY KEEPING UP W/SCIENTIFIC NEWS, BECAUSE SCIENTISTS HAVE RECENTLY DISCOVERED ANOTHER SOLAR SYSTEM, VERY SIMILAR TO OURS, WHEREAS THEY BELIEVE, ONE OF THOSE PLANETS MAY HAVE LIFE, NOT TO MENTION, THEY ALSO BELIEVE THAT ONE OF THE MOONS OF SATURN MAY ALSO HAVE LIFE...IN FACT, THESE SCIENTISTS ADDED THAT, W/THE EMERGENCE OF NEWER TECHNOLOGY, THEY ARE SURE OF FINDING LIFE ELSEWHERE!!!!!!! LASTLY, HOW ARROGANT (NOT TO MENTION, IGNORANT) YOU ARE, TO THINK THAT WE ARE DEFINITELY THE ONLY FORM OF LIFE IN THIS WHOLE UNIVERSE!!!!!!!! LASTLY, DENNIS ADMITTING THIS, WAS JUST ONE EXAMPLE OF HIS HONESTY AND HIS COURAGE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Posted by: endcorruptionNOW | Jan 25, 2008 1:47:29 AM
endcorruptionNOW: DITTO!!! This election is SUCCESSFULLY BEING MANIPULATED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Posted by: GULLIBLEvotersRUINEDit4allOFus | Jan 25, 2008 2:29:30 AM
Dennis had my vote all the way. He was a good candidate with ideas that were really going the right direction.
The way he was pushed aside by the media was reprehensible and has really caused me to lose serious faith in the efficacy of our democracy. We are in a poor state.
I really wish Dennis well and I'm keeping his bumperstickers on my cars out of principle.
Dear media, screw you.
Posted by: John Guelcher | Jan 25, 2008 3:10:56 AM
Even RON PAUL does NOT GIVE A DAMN about healthcare for the MIDDLECLASS, so STOP COMPARING HIM TO DENNIS KUCINICH! DENNIS WAS AND WILL ALWAYS BE THE BEST MAN WHO EVER RAN FOR PRESIDENT! PLEASE, DENNIS, RUN AGAIN IN 2012!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Posted by: politicsage | Jan 25, 2008 8:57:49 AM
"endcorruption"'s posts ARE RIGHT ON!!!! PLEASE TRULY UNDERSTAND WHAT THOSE POSTS ARE SAYING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Posted by: krubino | Jan 25, 2008 9:02:10 AM
In addition to everything stated above, DENNIS was THE ONLY ONE who answered EACH & EVERY question on "10questions" (a website organized to have WE, THE PEOPLE ask OUR OWN, UNBIASED questions to ALL OF THE CANDIDATES)...& HE was ALSO, THE ONLY ONE who answered them by the FIRST DEADLINE AND IN FULL DETAIL!!! THIS MAN WAS THE REAL DEAL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Posted by: Euberdude | Jan 25, 2008 9:10:40 AM
HOW CAN THIS COUNTRY ALLOW THIS MAN TO PULL OUT OF THIS CRUCIAL RACE????????????????????????????????????
Posted by: jcamron | Jan 25, 2008 9:19:15 AM
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