Dennis Kucinich in The Contenders

On Budget & Economy: As Cleveland mayor, first city to default since Depression

In 1978, in order to keep electricity rates low in his city, Kucinich refused to sell off Cleveland’s municipal power company, Muni Light, to a larger power company that was using all of its political and economic leverage to try to force a sale. Althoug Kucinich succeeded in his crusade against the larger power company, his victory came at a very high price. To hang on to Muni Light, Cleveland was forced to default on some of its bonds.

Because of this, under Kucinich’s tenure as mayor, Cleveland became the first American city to go into financial default since the Great Depression.

Due in large part to his temperament while in office, he placed seventh on an authoritative list of the ten worst big-city mayors since 1820. When reelection time came around in 1979, he was solidly defeated.

Source: The Contenders, by Laura Flanders, p.154-155 Nov 11, 2007

On Jobs: Put unemployed to work rebuilding infrastructure

Edwards would change the minimum wage to “at least $7.50 and hour.” He has a jobs program for the unemployed that sounds limited and vague. He would create a million “stepping stone jobs for workers who take responsibility” -- minimum wage jobs lasting up to twelve months, and in return, “workers must show up and work hard, stay off drugs, not commit any crimes, and pay child support.”

Dennis Kucinich, in contrast, wants to put people without jobs to work rebuilding America’s crumbling infrastructure--bridges, tunnels, roads--at a time when many politicians in both parties are desiring to sell them off; his program would put people of New Orleans to work rebuilding their own city and its water defenses.

Source: [Xref Edwards] The Contenders, by Laura Flanders, p. 137 Nov 11, 2007

On Principles & Values: Met wife Elizabeth when she lobbied him on monetary policy

Elizabeth Kucinich, the tongue-stud-wearing daughter of a lefty British family, stands six feet tall without heels and looks like a model. Their love story is quintessential Kucinich. He met her when she came to his office on Capitol Hill two years ago t discuss monetary policy as part of her job with the American Monetary Institute. At the time of their meeting, Elizabeth’s last name was Harper, and the signature line on her emails included a quotation from the film Kama Sutra.

Kucinich, who had been single for twenty years, and who, in 2003, had told a N.H. political forum that his perfect soulmate would be “fearless in her desire for peace in the world and for universal, single-payer healthcare,” found himself awestruck. After the meeting he phoned a friend and exclaimed that he’d met his future wife.

Elizabeth also had a love at first sight moment. She later told an interviewer for The Tampa Tribune that upon meeting Kucinich, “I felt such hope for America. It made my heart sing.”

Source: The Contenders, by Laura Flanders, p. 158-160 Nov 11, 2007

On Principles & Values: Ran for city council seat before he was old enough to vote

Kucinich made his first attempt at public office at age 20, filing a petition to run for a spot on the Cleveland City Council despite the fact that he couldn’t legally vote yet. That year, 1967, he was still a sophomore at Cleveland State University, studying toward a degree in communications.

Kucinich didn’t succeed in that first run for office, but just over 2 years later he did, joining the city council at the age of 23. If that span of 3 years shows the mark of an ambitious and unrelenting personality, it was only the beginning: Three years later, Kucinich ran for Congress.

He lost, but within two years the man who had defeated him retired. Kucinich then ran again for the seat. When he didn’t get the Democratic nomination, Kucinich ran as an independent.

He lost. Again. A few years passed, and then, readjusting his sights, Kucinich ran for mayor of Cleveland. Kucinich won, becoming, at age 31, the youngest big-city mayor in American history as the “Boy Mayor of Cleveland.”

Source: The Contenders, by Laura Flanders, p.153-154 Nov 11, 2007

On Principles & Values: Won House seat “Because he was right” as mayor

[After Cleveland went into default, over Muni Light, under his mayorship, Kucinich lost re-election]. In 1994, Kucinich’s stock was on the rise as the passage of time vindicated him: It turned out that Kucinich’s financial brinksmanship in the Muni Light affair had saved Cleveland citizens millions of dollars. In his run for the state senate his campaign posters featured a light bulb and the phrase, “Because he was right.” When he ran for Congress, in 1998, in a final bit of political absolution, Kucinich was honored by the Cleveland city council for “having the courage and foresight” to hang on to Muni Light despite paying the ultimate political price at the time.“

When Kucinich talks, today, as if he is convinced that he will be proven right eventually in every issue, and campaigns in New Hampshire and other battleground states as if ”Because he was right: Iraq edition“ will be a winning slogan at the presidential level, this experience can’t be far from his mind.

Source: The Contenders, by Laura Flanders, p.156-157 Nov 11, 2007

The above quotations are from The Contenders, by Laura Flanders, Dean Kuipers, James Ridgeway, Richard Goldstein, and Elizabeth Sanders, published Aug. 2007. Click here for main summary page. Click here for a profile of Dennis Kucinich. Click here for Dennis Kucinich on all issues.
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