Dennis
John Kucinich is an American politician, who as a member of Congress and a presidential
candidate, has been a leading voice for progressive politics and social values.
Dennis Kucinich came from a poor family, moving often and sometimes living in
their car between apartments, but at age 31, he became the youngest mayor of a
major city when he was elected as mayor of Cleveland. From the beginning of his
political career, Dennis Kucinich was not afraid to stand up for what he believed
in. He had run for mayor promising to keep Cleveland's utility company municipally
owned, despite the city's economic difficulties, and fought against a utility
giant that tried to gain control. At the time he left office in 1979, many questioned
his stand, and it seemed his political career was over. It was only years later
that it was discovered that his determination to prevent privatization of the
utility company had saved the city nearly $200 million, and people suggested Kucinich
re-enter politics. In
1994, he was elected as an Ohio state senator and in 1996 was elected to the US
House of Representatives. He has easily won re-election each term since then.
Dennis
Kucinich is a vegan and is a member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus. He
voted against the Patriot Act, and against authorizing the president to invade
Iraq, and has frequently spoken out to end the war. He has been a leading voice
for progressive issues, such as withdrawing from the WTO and NAFTA, abolishing
the death penalty, ratifying the Kyoto Protocol and the ABM Treaty, stronger gun
control and nearly every other progressive cause. He ran for president in 2004
as "The Peace Candidate," while in Congress he continued to push his
bill to establish a Cabinet level Department of Peace and strongly supports universal
health care for all Americans. In his bid for the 2008 election, he has continued
to advocate for progressive issues. In 2004, Dennis Kucinich received the Gandhi
Peace Award for his dedication to a more peaceful world.
