Dennis Kucinich has announced his candidacy for Congress in OH-7. With the slim majority in Congress, Dennis will be uniquely positioned as an independent in the House, able to stand for the interests of real people and negotiate in a way that others can't.

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Dennis Kucinich has announced his candidacy for Congress in OH-7. With the slim majority in Congress, Dennis will be uniquely positioned as an independent in the House, able to stand for the interests of real people and negotiate in a way that others can't.

STATEMENT OF DENNIS J. KUCINICH, Independent Candidate for Congress, OH-7. Member of the U.S. House of Representatives (1997-2013) January 24, 2024

The Bible teaches us that "a House Divided against itself, cannot stand." (Mark 3:25). Abraham Lincoln warned, almost one hundred and sixty-six years ago about the dangers of political polarization, how it could collapse our nation.

Washington, D.C. today is a House Divided by partisanship, by special interest groups and by war. Sharp divisions are seen within the parties and between the political parties, often producing gridlock which is damaging to our national security.

Members on both sides of the aisle are engaged in partisanship so bitter and so divisive that the American people are losing faith in their government. Partisan battles are diverting attention from the needs of the people. Service to our nation must be superior to service to a political party.

Matters of great economic importance to the American people, war, inflation, the deficit, the cost of food, shelter, energy, housing, child care, education, and retirement security are affecting every family.

The people's economic concerns, national and border security will be the focus of our campaign and of my work in Congress.

I am announcing my candidacy for the United States House of Representatives from Ohio's 7th District, as an Independent, because I am uniquely able to reach in and to help to heal the partisan divide, to bring people together and to help reestablish the sense of. unity which is the essence of who we are as the UNITED States.

The 7th District is familiar territory. I represented over 20 Cuyahoga County communities in this district for 16 years, constituting approximately 45% of the present district. Except this time, only my name will be on the ballot, no label, just Dennis J. Kucinich. I have a bond of trust with the voters which goes far beyond party labels.

Throughout those years, I formed a working relationship with each and every community, without regard to partisanship. And, as a result, we were able to achieve great things, saving Cleveland's steel mill, saving a community hospital, diverting potentially dangerous rail traffic away from heavily populated areas, saving Defense Finance jobs, protecting the NASA-Glenn Research Center, and more.

There are generations of people who live in the 7th congressional district, in Cuyahoga County and beyond, whose lives were helped by my political independence and by the service-conscious work of my congressional staff.

The moment is crucial. America is at the threshold of a wide war in the Middle East. We have a $34 trillion budget deficit which portends approaching fiscal ruin for our nation. My experience in rooting out waste, fraud and abuse will help protect the U.S. Treasury. My experience in protecting America from foreign entanglements is crucial.

Many of you will remember that in the wake of 9/11, I warned against venturing into war against Iraq. Had the Administration and Congress listened then, America would have saved the lives of thousands of our service men and women, spared the lives of a. million Iraqis, prevented the waste of over $3 trillion and slowed its involvement in further wars in Afghanistan, Libya and Syria.

I have demonstrated proven foresight in matters of international affairs as well as the domestic economy, which I will bring back to Congress to help both Democrats and Republicans alike to think anew about America's challenges.

Now, more than ever, America needs in Congress persons of experience and integrity, good will and political independence, to guide our nation through these difficult times.

In a closely divided Congress, as an Independent, my vote will become pivotal, the 7th District of Ohio will become one of the most important districts, and members of both parties will become well aware of the needs and priorities of my constituents.

I have the experience, the energy, the knowledge, the temperament and the willingness to serve my community and our nation, once again, to help heal the divisions in our nation by thoughtfully engaging individual members across the political spectrum, on a daily basis, as I did in the past.

I look forward meeting once again the people in northern Ohio, young and old, to visit them in their homes and neighborhoods, in cities, suburbs and rural areas, in farms and factories, in their places of work and worship, where they meet and play, and go to school. This is a people's campaign, so I ask for your involvement. Please go to www.kucinich.com to see how you can help.

My public service has been an active expression of the tradition of government of the people, by the people and for the people. I believe that trust in the goodness of the American people is key in restoring people's faith in government and sets us on the path to unity. People know I can be trusted to stand up for their interests. God Bless the United States of America.

Thank you.

Authors Website: http://www.OceanViewArts.com

Authors Bio:

Meryl Ann Butler is an artist, author, educator and OpedNews Managing Editor who has been actively engaged in utilizing the arts as stepping-stones toward joy-filled wellbeing since she was a hippie. She began writing for OpEdNews in Feb, 2004. She became a Senior Editor in August 2012 and Managing Editor in January, 2013. In June, 2015, the combined views on her articles, diaries and quick link contributions topped one million. She was particularly happy that her article about Bree Newsome removing the Confederate flag was the one that put her past the million mark.

Her art in a wide variety of media can be seen on her YouTube video, "Visionary Artist Meryl Ann Butler on Creativity and Joy" at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UcGs2r_66QE

A NYC native, her response to 9-11 was to pen an invitation to healing through creativity, entitled, "90-Minute Quilts: 15+ Projects You Can Stitch in an Afternoon" (Krause 2006), which is a bestseller in the craft field. The sequel, MORE 90-Minute Quilts: 20+ Quick and Easy Projects With Triangles and Squares was released in April, 2011. Her popular video, How to Stitch a Quilt in 90 Minutes with Meryl Ann Butler can be seen at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PrShGOQaJQ8

She has been active in a number of international, arts-related projects as a citizen diplomat, and was arts advisor to Baltimore's CIUSSR (Center for Improving US-Soviet Relations), 1987-89. She made two trips to the former USSR in 1987 and 1988 to speak to artists, craftpeople and fashion designers on the topic of utilizing the arts as a tool for global wellbeing. She created the historical "First US-Soviet Children's Peace Quilt Exchange Project" in 1987-88, which was the first time a reciprocal quilt was given to the US from the former USSR.

Her artwork is in collections across the globe.

Meryl Ann is a founding member of The Labyrinth Society and has been building labyrinths since 1992. She publishes an annual article about the topic on OpEdNews on World Labyrinth Day, the first Saturday in May.

OpEdNews Senior Editor Joan Brunwasser interviewed Meryl Ann in "Beyond Surviving: How to Thrive in Challenging Times" at https://www.opednews.com/articles/Beyond-Surviving--How-to-by-Joan-Brunwasser-Anxiety_Appreciation_Coronavirus_Creativity-200318-988.html

Find out more about Meryl Ann's artistic life in "OEN Managing Ed, Meryl Ann Butler, Featured on the Other Side of the Byline" at https://www.opednews.com/Quicklink/OEN-Managing-Ed-Meryl-Ann-in-Life_Arts-Artistic_Artists_Quilt-170917-615.html

On Feb 11, 2017, Senior Editor Joan Brunwasser interviewed Meryl Ann in Pink Power: Sister March, Norfolk, VA at http://www.opednews.com/articles/Pink-Power-Sister-March--by-Joan-Brunwasser-Pussy-Hats-170212-681.html

"Creativity and Healing: The Work of Meryl Ann Butler" by Burl Hall is at
http://www.opednews.com/articles/Creativity-and-Healing--T-by-Burl-Hall-130414-18.html

Burl and Merry Hall interviewed Meryl Ann on their BlogTalk radio show, "Envision This," at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/envision-this/2013/04/11/meryl-ann-butler-art-as-a-medicine-for-the-soul

Archived articles www.opednews.com/author/author1820.html
Older archived articles, from before May 2005 are here.