Congressman Conyers Defends Kucinich And Asks NAACP To Judge Him On His Re

[Nambe]

Common Dreams

"While the absence of Congressman Dennis Kucinich at the 94th Annual NAACP Convention in Miami, Florida was regrettable, he should still be given an opportunity to present his presidential views to the delegates of the NAACP, and not be counted out of the race.

Congressman Kucinich, Chairman of the Progressive Caucus in the Congress, and one of the most exciting candidates seeking the Democratic presidential nomination, was missing because at the exact same time a critical vote concerning prescription drugs for seniors took place. Had the Congressman made the panel, he would have missed the vote. I can understand the frustration felt by the NAACP, not being able to question and hear Congressman Kucinich, but let us not forget that he has an exemplary record when dealing with issues facing the African American community. ---

Privatize bush It’s a Good Thing

[twilight]

1. one vote ... one vote ... DK's vote!

Had DK not been at the House for that vote, the thing would have been the 1st step towards privatization of Medicare!

Thank God he was there and not at the NAACP debate.

It was more important he'd be there to VOTE then be at yet another debate. He did make it to the Rainbow/PUSH one, I know that much!

Give the man a break. After Matthews today, I am very disgusted with the way Congressman Kucinich is being treated. NOT nice!!!

:kick:

[NewJerseyDem]

5. What vote?

On what vote was he the deciding vote on medicare? Wasn't this NAACP forum yesterday?

A few weeks ago a bill to start privatizing medicare PASSED by one vote, but both Kucinich and Gephardt wer there to oppose it and it wasn't during any forum since it was in the middle of the night.

[grania]

9. Kucinich Doing His Job

I thought it looked like a bit of the setup. The leaders of the HOR schedule these votes so Dennis Kucinich either has to miss a vote (bad) or miss the convention (bad). It makes me think that maybe the powers that be are afraid that Kucinich can put it together.

Representative Kucinich handled it correctly, and got himself some positive publicity, too.

[veganwitch]

2. he missed the convention

because he was doing his job. he hasnt missed a single vote since he started campaigning. cant say that for any of the other candidates currently holding office.

from http://www.kucinich.us/

Kucinich supporters have asked why the Congressman didn't attend the NAACP candidates' forum in Miami on Monday afternoon. He couldn't attend because the forum conflicted with his responsibilities as a voting member of Congress, and there were key Medicare votes late yesterday in the House.

.....


Yesterday afternoon, our campaign released this statement to the media: "Congressman Kucinich has the utmost respect for the NAACP, its leadership, its members and its mission. He regrets his absence from this afternoon's candidates' forum. His duties as a member of the United States House of Representatives required that he be in Washington today for votes. Important votes are scheduled on Medicare prescription drugs and agriculture spending. Congressman Kucinich strongly believes that it is wrong to campaign across the country on the issue of expanding healthcare coverage and then miss one of the most important healthcare votes in years."

oh how i love this man!!!!

[Desertrose]

3. How can they act this way when Kucinich is doing his job??

Isn't this what everyone complains about??? Senators/Representatives not actually being there to vote??

I think this is really unfair...to make such a condemnation without giving DK an opportunity to share his views simply because he was doing his job??

Why did they have it so far from DC if they wanted candidates to be available??

I like the fact that congressman Kucinich puts his job first...I like that a lot!!

This will be interesting to see how it plays out- I hope they reconsider....

peace
DR

[CMT]

4. thank you Rep. Conyers

DK was correct to be there for this vote. His record on race is a strong one. It is not like he skipped it so he could appear on Bill O' Reilly's show or something.

[IndianaGreen]

6. The same standard should apply to Lieberman and Gephardt

Candidates should be judged according to their public service record on the whole. This includes everything they have done, or failed to do. Widget counts of voting records are often misleading. For example, Evan Bayh voted against the Bush tax cuts. In reality Bayh voted for them! Bayh's vote gave the tax cut on dividends the 3-vote margin for passage of that provision. This was the tax provisions that the millionaires wanted, including Bayh. A couple of days later Bayh could vote against the entire tax bill because it was already assured of passage. A voting record of Bayh will show his vote against the bill, while failing to take notice of how Bayh whored himself to his monied masters of the tax cut on dividends provision.

As to the NAACP firestorm. Mfume is doing what he is supposed to do, put pressure on Democratic candidates to stop taking African-American voters for granted. His grandstanding is just that. We as voters must consider the entire record of the candidates. Lieberman and Gephardt have better liberal credentials than Kucinich.

All of the Democratic candidates are preferable to the current insane occupant of the White House.

[NewJerseyDem]

7. I think your wrong about Bayh

He voted against a Nickles Amendment on the dividends on May 15th. It passed anyone 50-50 with Cheney breaking the tie. Bayh did back the overall Senate tax cut and it passed 51-49 later on May 15th. Then, the senate version went to conference with the House and on May 23rd he voted against the the conference report which passed 50-50. His vote was never needed in the tax cut and the record shows that he supported the senate and opposed the conference.

[DemBones DemBones]

11. What the. . .???

Indiana Green wrote:

"Lieberman and Gephardt have better liberal credentials than Kucinich."

???? Indy, what are you :smoke: smoking tonight ??? :shrug:

An article yesterday said all three had 100% records on civil rights and I'm willing to give Lieberman and Gephardt credit for the good that they've done but more liberal than Kucinich? Don't think so!

[Dragonfly]

14. I'm in full agreement...

on your point that Kucinich has steadily evolved over the years to
become a giant liberal, able to dwell positively within many slices of the progressive spectrum.

However, my sense has been for well over a quarter-century that judicious utilization of the sacred herb results in deeper clarity, not impairment......... :~D

If I could teleport a doob to IG, I would........

[Catt03]

8. This makes me angry

I like Mfume and believe that he may have presidential qualities, but his rhetoric is a little off base with Kucinich. And I am a Dean supporter.

I appreciate Kucinich doing his job.

[loudsue]

13. I, personally, am TOTALLY put off by Mfume's leadership...

The NAACP, formerly my all-time FAVORITE organization of sanity in the post-Reagan world, has gone the way of the DLC under Mfume's leadership. Hell!! The head of the county NAACP in the small town I live in is REPUBLICAN!!, and works for the repug party here!

When I heard Mfume speak after the stollen Florida election, it made me wanna :puke:. He sounded like Lieberman. The other speakers at the forum were obviously pro-people vs. the established order, but Mfume was so impassionate....it was like he didn't give a holy damn that 90,000 African Americans in Florida had been put on an arbitary list that stole their basic freedom -- the right to vote.

The fact that he turned on Kucinich this way shows me the man is not fit to lead the NAACP at this critical time in our nation for the rights of minorities...or anybody but his own political supporters. Like I said....he's as DLC-acting as Lieberman. Kucinich has climbed mountains of legislation to protect the rights of African Americans. Mfume should be ashamed of himself...but he's too convinced of his own beauty to think he could do anything wrong.

As a member of NAACP for many, many years, I wish we had someone in his position that had some fire, some focus, and some "power-to-the-people" ATTITUDE behind them!

:kick:

[Eloriel]

10. DK has definitely had a pretty bad day

I understand and agree with the NAACP, but I also think that he should be cut more slack than the others for not being there because his excuse was job-related. They were important votes.

So, Mfume should give him a pass.

And I say that as a Dean supporter.

Eloriel

[Dragonfly]

15. Your title made me wonder if...

some monumental fiasco had ocurred re DK that I hadn't heard of as yet.

From where I stand and gaze upon the quickly evolving race, Cong. Kucinich seems to be having "better days" as each successive sun sets, then rises again.

This is a marathon, not a sprint. The excitement that is being generated from DK's campaign is a phenomenon that will increasingly be hard to suppress or keep hidden from the general populace.

Eloriel: Your nod to the noble path of fairness is duly noted.

[kainah]

12. Good!

Kucinich did not deserve that hit. He takes his responsibilities in the House seriously and he should. As a card-carrying member of the NAACP, as well as the ACLU, I disagreed with those statements.