Kucinich-General Petraeus: Tosses a 4th Quarter Hail Mary Pass

[slipslidingaway]

http://www.kucinich.house.gov/News/DocumentSingle.aspx?DocumentID=73501


Washington, Sep 10 - "In response to the House Armed Services and Foreign Affairs joint hearing with General Petraeus, Congressman Dennis Kucinich (D-OH) issued the following statement:

“This report to Congress represents a 4th quarter strategy to delay the inevitable. General Petraeus has been tasked with stalling Congress to keep the troops in the middle of a civil war.

“General Petraeus has failed to give Congress an independent assessment of the Iraq War. His statement sounds like the President’s talking points.

“Congress should not be mollified into accepting pre-surge troop levels. His talk of troop reductions is simply a dilatory tactic to mislead Congress. That is not progress, but a continuation of the failed strategy that has led us to our current predicament. The only worthy response is for Congress to demand the withdrawal of all troops.

“We do not have to fund the war. We must tell the President NO to any additional funding. No legislation is required. No vote is required. We have the money to bring the troops home. It does not require a vote. The only thing required is honesty, integrity and a willingness to end the war.”

[hootinholler]

1. K&R n/t

[slipslidingaway]

3. Thanks. n/t

[ourbluenation]

2. that tiny man has bigger balls them any of them. n/t

[slipslidingaway]

4. Yes, being small in stature can lead to being a tall man :) n/t

[katty]

24. he sure does!

[porphyrian]

5. This is why he has my vote right now. - n/t

[Richard Steele]

6. Kucinich- consistently everything a LEADER should be. recommended

[StarryNite]

23. Yes he is!

He will be getting my vote.

[superkia]

7. If I had 3 wishes, Kucinich would be president!

[flvegan]

8. Yeah, but lets not get behind him for the dem nomination.

Sure he talks the talk and walks the walk, but we, as Americans, owe it to ourselves to continue fucking over the people in the name of violence, lies and greed. Oh, and he's short.

:sarcasm: Just in case you didn't get it.

[puebloknot]

27. My father was short, too. He landed at Normandy on D-Day Plus One...

... marched all over Europe, took part in the Battle of the Bulge. He didn't know he was short!

I'm short, too, thanks to Dad. I've stood next to Dennis Kucinich, and I can tell you he's TALL, and he grows taller as you listen to him!

I'm glad my father didn't live to see how superficial the America he fought for has become!

[warren pease]

9. Somebody tell me again why this man is unelectable?

Other than the fact that the "unelectable" label has been pinned to his lapel by all the same people you wouldn't trust to mow your lawn for fear they'd steal the shrubs and fruit trees when you weren't looking. Those would be the same shitheel pundits -- pontificating white guys with dummied up pedigrees from places like the AEI, Heritage Foundation, Cato Institute, Hoover Institute and who write superficially penetrating analytical columns for the New York Times, Washington Post, Chicago Trib and so forth. They appear on the PBS News Hour, then take a cab to ABC or NBA or CBS or Fux and spout the same bullshit, this time unconstrained by the virtual civility of PBS. Then it's on to CNN for more bought and paid for opinion.

And when the subject comes up, each and every one of them deems DK "unelectable" because he's out of the mainstream, he's too short, his hair isn't perfect, he has no campaign war chest, he lacks Obama's "charisma" or Edwards hair stylist, and blah blah fucking blah.

Here's what he's concerned with:

Global climate change
BushCO's war on the environment
The phony war on "terra"
Stopping the attack on Iran
Ending stolen elections
Rehabilitating the US' international reputation
Corporate media consolidation and its role as white house cheerleaders
Vanishing Constitutional rights
Crumbling infrastructure
The decay of the public educational system
Mass murder and genocide in the Middle East
Torture in the American gulag
War in general and Iraq/Afghanistan specifically
BushCo corruption and cronyism
BushCo incompetence and malevolence
Ongoing wealth transfer from bottom to top

And just about every single thing -- from infrastructure to educational systems to veterans health care -- that has taken a dive thanks to BushCo's sociopathic nature, obsession with privatization and massive payouts to war contractors and petrochemical companies.

And here's what he's for and what his campaign is all about:

Reinstating Articles 1, 4, 5, 6, 7 & 8 of the Bill of Rights NOW
Using "inherent contempt" to deal with ignored subpoenas or serial liars NOW
Impeachment of Cheney, Bush et al NOW
Charging Rumsfeld, Rove and Gonzales with crimes ranging from perjury to treason NOW
Single-payer, universal-access health care NOW
Repealing the 1996 Telecom Act NOW
Guaranteeing Net Neutrality NOW
Building a broadband infrastructure for all Americans NOW (well, soon)
Getting serious about animal rights NOW
Curbing US imperialism NOW
Starving the pentagon NOW
Banning private armies on US soil NOW
Reinstating posse comitatus NOW
Reinstating Habeas Corpus NOW
Repealing the Patriot Act(s) and the Military Commissions Act NOW
Ending the drug war NOW

And some things that might take a bit longer:

Supporting unionization in the Walmart economy
Protecting women's right to choose
Ridding the federal benches of wingnut judges
Public financing of campaigns


So tell me again why this guy's unelectable. He's only unelectable if all the people who believe in most or all of the above vote for a far lesser candidate because they've been told he's unelectable.

This may be the only time in recent history when people who fully understand what mass media's all about these day, and what the agenda is of the paid pontificators who pollute the national discourse, discard their normal bullshit filter and go with the punditocracy.

Nobody has to, though. Rahm Emmanuel and the DLC aren't standing next to you in the voting booth. Hell, it's only a fight to the death between the idealism of democracy vs. totalitarian corporate lockstep. Why should anyone with the gall to call bullshit on the status quo defenders get any support?


wp

[Karenina]

12. Too many too stupid

to recognize what's in their best interests? :shrug:

[redqueen]

13. Cause they have a "D" by their name...

and SCOTUS!

SCOTUS!

*sigh*

[SkyIsGrey]

14. Because he.

Stands on its principles, is willing to listen to others, and isn't afraid to speak up when it needs to be done.

In other words he keeps rocking the boat.

[StarryNite]

21. Because "they" don't want him

to run against their neocons. We have got to stop letting "them" pick our candidates. "They" would like to see either Obama or Hillary as their opponent.

[Horse with no Name]

28. Simple answer.

He can't be controlled. The way the game is played, if Kucinich DID make it through to the WH, he would be killed off.
That's what rabid republicans do to honorable men.

[Beelzebud]

30. The same people told us John Kerry was "The most electable."

These were the same ones that told us "John Kerry is the most electable."

It's a shame so many rank-and-file dems just behave like a herd, and repeat that canard as if it's some sort of truth.

[monmouth]

10. I went to his website yesterday and signed up for the newsletter, etc.

He has a great website, lots of content, info, vids, etc. I'm liking him more and more everyday. The corporatistas scare me a little, now Oprah, Inc. along with Murdoch, Inc....
Leaves a bad taste in my mouth. C'mon Dennis, we're for ya!!

[redqueen]

11. Pair THAT statement with THIS:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x1777199

*sigh*

PLEASE vote for this man in the primaries.

[druidity33]

16. not only that

but i will be going DOOR TO DOOR in NH next month distributing leaflets on his POLICY standpoints.... just talking to folk about him and what the next Presidency will mean. We must not shortchange ourselves. Kooch is the ONLY ONE who can get things done!


Go DK!

[MisterHowdy]

15. recommended

big time.
Kucinich is the only real candidate for change.

[deacon]

17. 'delay the withdrawal 'till right before the elections' is what he said.

[robinlynne]

18. Yes! Honesty, integrity and a willingness to end the war!

I'm so in doubt between voting for Edwards and Kucinich. What a difficult choice.

[The Wielding Truth]

19. He has a lot of insight ,compassion,guts, and brilliance.

He has stayed true to us and he will work for us. He could be our next president. No reason he shouldn't.

Watch out for swift-boaters now that Kucinich is breaking through.

[lonestarnot]

20. Yes Dennis you are right! That is why I you have my vote!

[Individualist]

22. K&R

[StarryNite]

25. Who will you vote for?

I took this test last night and was 90% in agreement with Kucinich. It didn't surprise me one bit.

http://www.vajoe.com/candidate_calculator.html

[slipslidingaway]

26. Thanks for the K&R's and please see this post re the AFL-CIO

vote 2008 website.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=1777600&mesg_id=1777600

[txaslftist]

31. Paul, Gravel, Kucinich, Biden ... in that order.

What a fun little quiz. Totally verified what I been thinking, and my support for Ron Paul.

[redqueen]

32. So you're anti-choice, too? n/t

[txaslftist]

33. No. Prochoice.

I wasn't in 100% agreement with Ron Paul.

Abortion isn't a make or break issue for me. I think it should be safe, legal and rare. I also think it should be up to the states to make it so, not the federal government. I don't think Ron Paul is gonna outlaw abortion if Bush couldn't do it in 6 years, do you?

What I do think he'll do is get us out of the war. Unless you support Edwards, Kucinich or Gravel, you can't say that about your candidate.

[txaslftist]

35. My bad. I see you are a Kucinich fan.

Good on you. I like Dennis a lot.

He's considered "unelectable," of course. But then, so is Ron Paul.

Let's you and I keep tilting at windmills and driving the pundits nuts, shall we?

[redqueen]

37. No problem there! n/t

[lazyriver]

29. DK leading the way...again

[LSK]

34. Biden just said essentially the same thing

[madokie]

36. right on President Kuchinich

just playing but that does have a good ring to it huh

America could be so lucky as to have Dennis, imo