Dennis Kucinich, Congressman and Super Hero
by Sean Fenley, OpEd News.com

Dennis Kucinich, more than a congressman working for progressive change.

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Two time presidential candidate and long serving congressman of Ohio's tenth district, Dennis Kucinich, has an astounding and singular record of achievement and standing up for his principles in the U.S. House of Representatives. Most notably Kucinich has introduced impeachment articles against both George W. Bush and Dick Cheney, he voted against the Patriot Act, voted against the war in Iraq, voted against the unconstitutional Military Commissions Act, and also was one of three Democrats who voted against the Violent Radicalization and Homegrown Terrorism Act (which some have termed the Thought Crime Bill).

Kucinich has also drawn attention to issues that have been blacked out of the mainstream media, such as weapons in space, depleted uranium, and genetically modified food. And he's one of the few in congress who doesn't stand firmly and resolutely behind every action of Israel's. Of course, he's now run for president twice, on a platform that no Democratic nominee has come close to, since George McGovern (although his passion has not turned into votes, I think everyone would agree he's raised good issues). It should also be noted, that Kucinich is significantly braver than one would think a congressman from his district would be (he's not from San Francisco or Cambridge, MA).

Perhaps Kucinich is destined to become the Ralph Nader of the Democratic Party (a perennial also ran in presidential elections, but don't call him a spoiler for those who are inclined to do that, he endorsed Kerry in '04 and is currently supporting Barack Obama), but without him, the world, the Democratic Party and the Congress would certainly all be worse off for it. Some have called him a gatekeeper, who actually keeps good progressives in the Democratic Party (instead of working to build an alternative party or movement), but this is really nitpicking; because to complain that there is actually a legitimate progressive in the Democratic Party, doesn't make a whole lot of sense in my opinion (the Democratic Party is the problem and not the solution, but that doesn't mean it has to be).

Dennis Kucinich is more than a legislator and Congressman, he's a progressive super hero, doing the best he can to make the halls of Congress unsafe for those who would seek to violate the Constitution, despoil the environment, buy politicians' votes, redistribute wealth upward, and in general attempt to make America an aristocracy, rather than a democratic nation. Of course, all the malevolent forces I mentioned are currently succeeding quite nicely in Washington, but it's not because of, but rather in spite of Congressman Dennis Kucinich.