Kucinich Should Show Leadership, Not Vengeance

The idea of impeaching those responsible for an unnecessary war is certainly enticing, especially for those of us who have lost loved ones in Iraq. Impeachment would serve as retribution to those who have led the United States into a quagmire that has cost the lives of perhaps half a million people.

But as a Gold Star Mother, I believe it is a waste of time. And I also believe Dennis Kucinich is wrong to use the issue to draw attention to himself and his Presidential campaign.

Any move to impeach the Vice President or President at this late stage of their term is vengeance. The Bush Administration is the lamest of ducks. We know it and, no doubt, they know it too.

But more important, impeachment would waste the time needed to address the challenges facing the United States and Ohio's 10th Congressional District. If Dennis Kucinich truly believed that impeachment was the only way to solve the nation's problems, he should have been working years ago to convince a majority of the members of Congress to take swift action. Instead, Kucinich waited until now and opted to "go it alone," bypassing Speaker Pelosi and the party leadership. It is symptomatic of the troubles Dennis has had sharing the stage or the spotlight. Unfortunately for Dennis, it is hard to claim a leadership role when few will follow.

I think the American people expected the Democratic Congress to lead on the issues they feel most immediately impact their families and our future.

I think the American people want Congress to spend its energies on economic development and job creation.

I think the American people want Congress to work on solving the crisis in health insurance coverage.

I think the American people want Congress to provide incentives for developing new sources of energy to wean us off dependence on foreign oil and to begin cleaning the air we breathe.

I think the American people want Congress to fix our educational system so we teach children instead of the next test.

And I think the American people expect Congress to get our troops out of Iraq, to spend money at home fixing our infrastructure, and to lessen our foreign debt.

We have many more pressing problems than impeaching a lame duck vice president, no matter how good that would feel.

We have people out of work, out of health insurance, losing pensions, losing homes, and, worst of all, losing hope.

Americans expect the Democratic Congress to roll up their sleeves and get to work, not play Republican-like, partisan games. Dennis' strongest supporters may believe this exercise is showing voters that the Democratic Party has a backbone. I disagree. I believe it is precisely this type of action which could cost us our shot at the White House in 2008. As an Ohioan with dozens of critical swing precincts in my district, nothing concerns me more than the thought of an openly partisan, highly polarizing politician trying to convince swing voters that impeachment was the most important item on the agenda.

This is no time for vengeance. It is time to see the Bush Administration for what it is - running out of time and into the history books.

This is a time for real leadership - the type I plan to provide when elected to serve in Dennis Kucinich's place this coming year. It is a leadership style that recognizes common ground, works for immediate benefits, and stays focused on achieving the possible - not the partisan.

Rosemary Palmer is the Democratic challenger to Congressman Dennis Kucinich in Ohio's Tenth Congressional District. Their primary is March 4th, 2008.
http://www.rosemarypalmerforcongress.com

Comments

[Antipodean]

Again one of the terribly rare Kucinich pieces in the HuffPost is critical of him. Yet again there is an almost complete disconnect between the perspective of the columnist and a landslide of coherent, polite but often understandably angry commentators.

Like the rest of the MSM, HuffPost should expect the preselected "Mainstream" Democrat candidate to be equally as out of touch with voters as it's candidate-related articles are, and undoubtedly destined to lose against almost any likely Republican nominee(as targeted polls already predict). One has to assume this will matter to the Democratic party and Huffpost, and is therefore a monumentally tragic political mistake.

[HearNoWeasel]

Mrs. Palmer, I am very sorry for your loss and respect you for not wanting to pursue vengeance as a strategy.

Since you're using this site to publicize your platform, I hope you read people's comments and actually take note of them. For most, impeaching Cheney has nothing to do with vengeance. It's about

1) preventing further catastrophic decisions from Mr. Cheney's office,
2) halting the erosion of the Constitution before it becomes a convenient precedence for the next Executive,
3) redeeming this nation in the eyes of its people and the world by holding our leaders accountable for their well-documented transgressions.

You are wrong to speak of a "lame duck" administration. The President and VP are as powerful now as they've ever been, not only thanks to powers they've assigned themselves without Congress challenging them on it, but also because of the most obvious of facts: they are getting everything they want.

They manipulate the agenda, keeping Congress busy by obstructing or vetoing bills, calling them soft on terror and, ridiculously, "spend-thrifts." Congress obliges them by using the same unsuccessful legislative tools over and over and thus being very busy and achieving little. Yes, the topics you mention are important, but they aren't getting done and will not get done BECAUSE of this Executive and their leverage over Congress. An impeachment hearing for Mr. Cheney is richly deserved and not at all a waste of time, whether it succeeds or not. A full hearing is the only tool left that can reduce the administration's overreaching influence and outright blackmail to gain back enough authority in Congress for effective "checks and balances."

What you hear expressed is not vengeance, but intense anger over leadership failure and tremendous support for a few individuals like Mr. Kucinch, who do exibit leadership.

[linkunlovr]

I watched the house session waiting for Kucinich to present his impeachment motion. They had 40 minutes of debate on a message of condolence for the fire in South Carolina that killed some college students; another 40o minutes spent on condolences for victims of a flood in Ohio, another 40 minutes of debate on congratulating the Boston Red Sox and more collossal wastes of time. Impeachment is not vengence anymore than prosecuting a rapist or murdered is. Its what civilized societies do when faced with grievous wrongs.
As to why Kucinich didn't present his motion earlier he tried but was prevented by the gutless leadership who are afraid of offending Bush and Cheney!What a disaster Pelosi and co. are. Kucinich for president!

[ljlyon]

Vengeance? Kucinich? It is the Bush administration who is practicing vengeance and there is no other administration that so richly deserves Impeachment. Yes, our country is in dire need of domestic attention. But, we also must stand together against these oil thirsty maniacal Neo-cons and hold them accountable. Again, Dennis is offering the only just solution for our countries ailments. As our Reps in congress are currently approving more Free Trade Agreements that are responsible for destroying our economy. Kucinich wants to Cancel NAFTA and the WTO. Kucinich wants to cancel No Child Left Behind. Kucinich wants to create a new infrastructure developing alternative energy. Kucinich never voted for this war and refuses to fund it. Kucinich wants to create a Department of Peace. He has foresight and reason, so dearly lacking in US politics these days. I can't see any reason not to vote for him. He has the most progressive platform and if we succumb to believing what the corporate media and big money donations want us to believe about our democratic process, that is: "I like that candidate but they'll never win". Then we will be cooperating with fascists. Because that is precisely what is becoming of our Democracy. The corporate control of our Democratic process. I choose the candidate that most represents my views and through the Primary vote a candidate is chosen. The corporate media should not make up our minds for us; by determining who they think are the "front runners". And if we buy into it, then we only have ourselves to blame for where we have arrived and what we have become. But, there is opportunity knocking at our progressive door, all we need do is collectively open it. This could very well be our last chance to do something really meaningful; to bring all the Nations in the world together in peace. What are we waiting for? The end of the world? Let's stop the mayhem now! If you want peace then you've got to support it. Come out in droves and vote your conscience. Vote Kucinich in the Primaries.

[realitytrumpsbull]

LIKELY story, lady, and a weak agenda, too,
I might add, if you're seriously running for
office, take a gander at the old comptroller
thingyjobber where the guy talks about 175k
burden per breathing citizen, that's 54 TRILLION
dollars, the point here is that there is
apparently so much fraud, rot, incompetence
and DEBT that you can make all the flowery
campaign speeches about fixing stuff you care
to, but no one's going to listen. Kucinich,
on the other hand, is about trying to can
the guy for cause. Maybe you should re-evaluate
your position on the impeachment issue, if
you have criticisms of this administration,
as I do, then you should understand and realize
that even in Bush's corporatocratic model,
when companies start going south it's typically
regarded as a direct reflection on the management whether or not they actually had
anything to do with the problems involved.
They get fired, let go, asked to leave,
whatever you do with CEO's, well some CEO's
have ended up in PRISON, but since we're
in this mode of privatizing everything,
Bush may as well be CEO, which might ALSO
be a point for you to ponder, running for
elected office and all etc.

Anyway, MY vote is for impeachment, should
you care to add your name, here's the link:
http://www.impeachbush.org

[skysage]

I respect this mother's opinion, but I feel she has overlooked the fact that these are war criminals Dennis is seeking to impeach. It is not about getting even. It is about standing up against criminal elements in our government and removing them. To let them stay in office is like saying, "Well, I got garbage right in the middle of my living room. I know it smells bad but it has been there so long I've sort of gotten used to it. I know I should remove it, but since I'm going to sell my house anyway, I will let the new owner take care of the problem." It is our responsibility and duty to stand up against this tyranny and stop it now. Regardless of whether Dennis is using this to support his presidency or not, he has exhibited the courage to start the process. For this, he should be commended. This is a far cry from what the other so-called democratic leaders have done.

[David19]

Personally, I find it sickening that this is the only way the media will cover Dennis Kucinich. Either this, or asking him a bogus question about UFOs during the debate.

Now, I'm not a Kucinich supporter, but I do respect him and believe that he should be given fair and equal time to get his message out during the debates.

A group of us have started a petition targeted at CNN in hopes that they will at least recognize that the way they are covering this election, and the debates in particular, is unethical. They're treating it as if it's a debate between the top tier with the rest of the candidates supplying conversation topics.

Please take a moment to support objective and ethical journalism, and if you could, pass it on to others who care.

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/Equal-Time-for-Candidates.

Will this petition change anything? Probably not. But that's no reason not to fight the good fight.

[ThomasDoubting]

As a proud supporter of Dennis Kucinich I was very happy with way my candidate showed leadership today. What could possibly be the reason for taking a chance that these bastards will launch an unprovoked attack on Iran, just as they did on Afghanistan and Iraq. They need to be stopped NOW! Whatever the Democrats want to do would be a lot easier when the Cheney regime is out of the picture. If Cheney does not cooperate, we may as well find out now, and not wait until they steal a third election. I believe that the Democrats do not want to give up the power that has been accumulated by this White House. Impeach the bastards now! All of them . Under Hillary we will have more of the same. I want a choice in this election. People will vote for a real Republican before they vote for a Republican-lite like Hillary. Vote for Dennis Kucinich for president. A FREE, universal, single-payer, not-for-profit, health care system......Medicare for All!

[ptarantino]

Kucinich is 100% correct in bringing this up.

I respect him greatly for his courage & so does a large portion of America.

Rosemary Palmer is way off the mark & is not helping America purge itself of it's main source of sickness.

[batguano]

This attack on dennis Kucinich is so full of falacies and myopic conclusions I hardly know where to start. The impeachment movement is NOT about "vengeance", it is about accountability for high crimes and misdemeanors, war crimes and treason. It is about trying to prevent further war, about restoring our Democracy and rule of law, about ending the rule of the super-rich and corrupt who wage war for profit. Your piece accuses Dennis of self serving motives, but his record speaks otherwise, and your divisive self-serving candidacy is NOT what will make us stronger, it is just what the Republicans/Neocons want; another compromiser who will focus on side issues, important though they be, and divert our vision. The "lame-duck" Bush regime is still capable of, and has been setting the stage for, war against Iran and possibly Syria, following the NeoCon/Israeli long planned subversion of our foreign policy for their ideological/political goals; for "war without end".
All of the admirable goals you list for our nation are fine, but the loss of our rule of law is paramount, and that means accountability for the Bush/neocon criminals. There are many quisling Dems who seek "compromise" with the criminal Bush regime but they further divide us and make the Bush&Co crimes only more long lasting and precedent setting; we do not need another.
You clearly do not see the Bush regime for what it is, has been and what they plan for the future. Your emphasis is one of weakness and sycophancy and ignores the real treason and loss of honor these last 7 years have brought to our nation. Your stated "leadership style" and attacks on Dennis are all the Bush/Neocons could wish for and are divisive and NOT in the best interests of our nation.

Here's some light reading to inform yourself.
http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Middle_East/EE09Ak01.html
http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Middle_East/EC20Ak07.html

[LeftRight]

So you're telling me that everything that this illegal admin has done doesn't deserve impeachment??? This man has broken every damn law this nation has throughout his life, too many of them as president. The VP is just as bad. Don't tell me that impeachment is vengence, impeachment is JUSTICE!!! When Pelosi informed the world that she would be giving bushco(tm) everything that he wanted by declaring that impeachment was "off the table", I felt more betrayed by my government than anything that they've ever done to me.


This is not about vengence, this is about leadership, and at least ONE of the candidates standing up and saying, even though they know it won't happen, "THAT'S ENOUGH!"

[SusanCLE]

HOLY CRAP! Listen to how high and mighty some of these comments are!

So, tell me...what has Dennis accomplished, exactly? He got the choir to stand up and say AMEN! A leader is someone who gets people to follow, in order to get the job DONE, and I don't see the other members of Congress swarming to embrace his position. Don't get me wrong, I'd LOVE to see these fuckers impeached and imprisoned. But it ain't gonna happen with this Congress, so quit dreaming and let's work on REAL stuff like winding down this war and saving the planet. Dennis is just grandstanding and it's not helping anything. We have life and death issues to deal with, and I don't know what kind of ugly extortion game is taking place inside the beltway, but obviously this Congress is pissing itself to avoid REALLY taking on the criminals in the executive branch. If Dennis wants to be all sound and fury, give him a talk show or something. Limbaugh needs the competition.

[SamEllison]

If we do not impeach Dick Cheney some other admin will use his "precedent" to accomplish the same things this admin is guilty of.
It ain't about drawing attention to ones self.
We can not allow this to happen again!

[TarryFaster]

Ms. Palmer,

Before you attempt to become active in the current political arena, perhaps you should at least seek to comprehend the vast depth of the problem that we (led by Dennis) are confronting:

http://www.sonic.net/~taryfast/destruction.html

[JudyGee]

The last time Kucinich brought up impeachment in congress, it was briefly recorded on CNN (a slow news day, no doubt). The response was laughter. Yeah, laughter. Impeachment of either one or both would mean so much to our future. For one thing, it would remind people that its still possible to save our democracy, that we do have a voice, and these politicians work for us.
It would also remind slugs, that we still value decency and honor and courage, such as displayed by Kucinich.
Perhaps, it would even give our presidential candidates something to think about. Primarily, that when they are sitting in the oval office, there is a citizen in the room.