Progressive Democrats of Illinois: [PDI] Fwd: LA TIMES: "Is Dennis Kucinich an Endangered Species?"

All,

Dennis Kucinich is one of the very few "people's representatives" left
in Congress. As explained below he needs help in order to keep his
vulnerable seat. If you can help, even in a small way, please do so. If
not. . .

Please forward to persons who are in a position to help Dennis. Links below.

-------- Original Message --------

Dennis Kucinich - www.Kucinich.us

LA TIMES: "Is Dennis Kucinich an Endangered Species?"

Dear Friends,

The headline from the LA Times says it all.

Any *contributions* <http://kucinich.us/contribute> ($10, $25, $50) we
receive today will go towards a TV buy.

I would really appreciate it if you could forward this request for help,
plus the article to your own list. Please ask people to go to
http://kucinich.us/contribute to provide the assistance we need to win.
And we will win - with your help.

Thanks for your constant support.

Thank you, as ever.
Dennis

------------------------------------------------------------------------

LA TIMES

*/NATION - POLITICAL COMMENTARY FROM ANDREW MALCOLM/*

*Is Tuesday looking so bad that even Dennis Kucinich is an endangered
species?*
October 29, 2010 | 2:36 am . latimesblogs.latimes.com
<http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/washington/2010/10/dennis-kucinich-dennis-kucinich.html>

Ohio Democratic Rep. Dennis Kucinich is a tough little guy who has
bounced up and back from numerous family and political adversities in
his 64 years.

He's lived in the family car; shined shoes; been a court clerk, a young
Cleveland city councilman, a victorious, obstreperous big-city mayor, a
defeated, obstreperous big-city mayor; and, since the Clinton landslide
of 1996, an obstreperous House member from Ohio's 10th congressional
district.

But for how long?

Now seeking his eighth term, the liberal Kucinich is up against a
competitive Republican opponent this time (Peter Corrigan, an area
businessman) in a depressed city in a depressed state in a depressing
year for Democrats.

You may have read a little something here or there about how bad
election day is supposed to be for President Obama's party, even in
Ohio, which Obama won, 51% to 47%, in 2008 after losing the primary
there to Hillary Clinton, 53% to 45%.

Obama hasn't visited Ohio as often as he golfs. But he's been there
enough to know that the continuing high unemployment rate (10%) in the
crucial battleground state is helping to....

...hold virtually all Democrats behind in statewide races there
<http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?llr=9uu6zlcab&et=1103846073326&s=49865&e=001qjGp6AG11u26GXvmeMd1PWIZp_vuzq6bzjxmZeiE3OE_Vt42GWh2sPIK7vNhGBJxpMf2UF6_D_2ITYEppQ7LAeYZp6iP9sp8uaTdnBujHu01sDwBwKh9bIJNSk0WQjHWqHiUSkpT6v8=>,
including governor (incumbent Democrat Ted Strickland vs Republican
ex-Rep. John Kasich , who's had numerous GOP heavyweights pitch in
including Sarah Palin, Chris Christie, Tim Pawlenty and Haley Barbour)
and senator (the GOP's ex-Rep. Rob Portman, who's dominating Lieut. Gov.
Lee Fisherfor George Voinivich's open seat). (As for Ohio's import,
Republicans have not won the presidency without the state in 102 years.)

Obama will return to Cleveland yet again this Sunday as part of his
last-minute rhetorical carpet-bombing. See, "Why is nobody listening to
Obama?
<http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?llr=9uu6zlcab&et=1103846073326&s=49865&e=001qjGp6AG11u1wAbkfZGNoNRNTtH9-Gl2k2c53LXNrcGNXQCkozO7GZXPeqLVxzHjkV6aqFgVLiErBtgGE_Mb0TOpbrpJ8pyldU5URa4BHDJXHnOXoku96D4jqhgUH_iZ0kfvG5ELEPI0YwKaP2yOwG3mHFa6WJXwgIXP2_ibPClQFw7CAA1o-yqS3dTO4_UkR>"
But he probably won't repeat the mistake he made on "The Daily Show."
The Democrat paid a sincere compliment to his economic team. But even
that sympathetic audience laughed.

(Severe Weather Alert: If the GOP's election successes trickle down to
state legislative races in the Buckeye state and elsewhere, Republicans
will be drawing the new legislative districts from the 2010 Census that
will shape political representation nationally for the next decade.)

Now, it seems even Kucinich's once-safe local House seat could be among
the projected 50-or-60 changing political posteriors when the next
Congress convenes come January, making Nancy Pelosi a new former House
speaker and turning Ohioan John Boehner into a new former non-Speaker.

A private poll reported earlier this month
<http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?llr=9uu6zlcab&et=1103846073326&s=49865&e=001qjGp6AG11u3VCnTm-xaU1V_f6P3zpl8VKFlCh1jdZvaTY5VuF0OSjUn9vMghz1VTjs_frFuaCMt777CO6AplZFVG_MH-H9CsHnwJad3H7iJUyBamq0K0V_RdfOd6Pt5KC4PRJ8qsjrM2O0XtB8TsA9D_ps12yHbjYHqNcnywBw0=>
by the Weekly Standard's William Kristol indicated that Kucinich held
only a 4-point lead in a district that he used to own with winning
percentages in the 70s. Then, RealClearPolitcs' Sean Trende
<http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?llr=9uu6zlcab&et=1103846073326&s=49865&e=001qjGp6AG11u0QoABzs981CuzKPsOGRKdlBqtbzoXdEa4YIZ6jppM9XUJvWKrb9IUBgjO9V5pVxtqyNU4KdA4CrReGqLkHQwq7u7jYFbhVGSgwrRNZnda8-69xWijEy8M22n8BzwMSr7-RSZnd7u4RqN6pPStxLqni6KuP_RpKSIrR-PfPjm5yzLYjjIylZtD7TRar8GH3uAA=>
waded in with his expert outlook. Even in Obama's big year of 2008,
Kucinich's support waned to 57%.

With Kucinich's preposterous past presidential runs, his proposal for a
federal Department of Peace, the non-recovery Recovery Summer and his
sidling up to Obama to vote on healthcare may come back to haunt him now
as seeming silliness in the face of real economic issues pressing in on
Cleveland's West Side families.

Now that the 2010 midterm campaign is nearly over, everyone is trying to
collect last-minute money, Barack and Michelle and Joe, even John
McCain, who doesn't need it to ensure another Senate term. Kucinich's
Thursday money plea seemed particularly plaintive: "Why You May Want to
Contribute Now."

"I cannot take this election for granted," Kucinich said. "We need
immediate help to raise the funds to spend for last-minute media buys to
make sure there is no question about the outcome. Please send a
contribution."

-- Andrew Malcolm

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