Capitalism has put democracy in trouble, because capitalism has tried to persuade us that being a private consumer is enough. That a citizen is nothing more than a consumer. [Benjamin Barber, Consumed: How Markets Corrupt Children, Infantilize Adults, and Swallow Citizens Whole, New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 2007]
Dennis Kucinich 30%
Hillary Rodham Clinton 27%
Barack Obama 14%
John R. Edwards 12%
Bill Richardson 9%
Joe Biden 9%
Asked about the Democratic Party's poll results, Kucinich volunteer Andrea Miller said what she's been saying for months: "Dennis can win. We just have to vote for him."
I watched and I saw things that I have to admit made me re-think what it is about this country that could make it great. I don't know if it ever truly was as great as Kucinich seems to think it was. I don't even know if he believes it once was so great, but I do know that he thinks it can be great. Not out of some chauvinistic need to be the best, but out of a strong belief that the constitution is a secular document of the highest order that must be obeyed and fulfilled. He is serious about his oath of office that charges him with the duty to defend and protect the constitution. He does not joke about this or use it as a campaign slogan or as a position to give him traction. In fact, his belief in the constitution as a document that takes us to our highest level is what makes him see how we need to behave as moral and legal people in the world. He does not practice Orwellian doublespeak. By defending the constitution he has put his campaign on the line by going after the impeachment of the vice president for lying to this country in order to take us into a war, among many other impeachable offenses listed in the articles of impeachment.
--Deborah Emin, "Civics Lessons for Dummies Like Me or How I Chased After Candidate Kucinich," HuffingtonPost.com, 2007.12.04
Kucinich is far behind in the polls, with the state's primary fast approaching. Just like he was in 2003, when ABC's Ted Koppel, moderating a debate, peppered Kucinich over his decision to remain in the race, without much money or big-name endorsements.
He didn't drop out then, and he won't now.
Instead, he's touring New Hampshire, spreading his liberal views, saying the Bush administration lied about the war in Iraq and calling for the impeachment of Vice President Dick Cheney.
There's no flip flopping. No pretense about who he is. And no hesitation or fumbling of words when an issue arises. He speaks from the heart, and that makes things easier to articulate.
"Health care is a right, education is a right," Kucinich told the crowd. "It shouldn't be based on the ability to pay. It should be something a democratic society provides for its people."
He's a walking balancing act, one part flower child and one part courageous fighter who will answer any question, anytime, from anyone.
He'd work to dismantle all nuclear weapons worldwide, yet he'll go on Fox News' The O'Reilly Factor, hosted by conservative fireball Bill O'Reilly. Other democratic candidates wouldn't touch O'Reilly with a 10-foot pole.
"I don't agree with him on many things," Kucinich said. "But if you want to be president of the United States, you have to be able to talk to Bill O'Reilly. You have to be able to submit to the O'Reilly test. If you can't do that, how are you going to meet with these other leaders of the world? There's a lot of people out there that you don't agree with" [Ray Duckler, "Kucinich Not Short on Confidence," Concord Monitor, 2007.11.21].
A top intelligence official says it is time people in the United States changed their definition of privacy.Privacy no longer can mean anonymity, says Donald Kerr, a deputy director of national intelligence. Instead, it should mean that government and businesses properly safeguards people's private communications and financial information.
Kerr's comments come as Congress is taking a second look at the Foreign Surveillance Intelligence Act. [Pamela Hess, AP, "Definition Changing for People's Privacy," Yahoo News, 2007.11.11]
