Dennis Kucinich's progressive voice in the Democratic presidential debates was effectively silenced by mega-corporations, now his Congressional bid is being similarly attacked.

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This year marks Dennis Kucinich’s 40th year of involvement in civic life. He has served as a member of the Cleveland City Council, as Clerk of the Cleveland Municipal Courts, as Mayor of the City of Cleveland, as Ohio State Senator and is now in his 6th term as United States Congressman. In two presidential campaigns, he successfully kept progressive issues in the limelight.

Kucinich’s voice in the Democratic presidential debates was effectively silenced by mega-corporations, many with links to the industrial war machine. Highly questionable and possibly illegal methods were used to exclude his message from several debates, resulting in his forced absence from the presidential race.

Now his Congressional re-election bid is being similarly attacked. The intensity is increasing as the March 4th primary gets closer.

One of opponent, Joe Cimperman’s, television ads states, “on (Kucinich’s) watch we’ve lost 38,000 jobs”, cleverly inferring that it was the Congressman’s fault.

Kucinich responds,  “the downtown Cleveland business establishments is paying hundreds of thousands of dollars, perhaps even a million dollars or more, to attack me in a way that is unprincipaled … I’ve been the national spokesperson challenging NAFTA.  I brought it up in all of the debates. I’ve been able to point out that we have lost millions of jobs in America because of NAFTA. Of course, in Cleveland, in a period of about 10 years, we’ve lost 38,000 jobs or more. And so, one of the TV ads attacking me—ads that are paid for by the Cleveland corporate establishment—blames me for the losses of the 38,000 jobs that are attributed to NAFTA. This is a ‘swiftboat’ type attack.”

Union leader, Harriet Applegate, says Kucinich “saved our steel industry,” and that  “everyone knows that Cleveland has lost thousands of jobs because of NAFTA. Now Joe Cimperman wants to blame Congressman Kucinich. Nothing could be further from the truth. Dennis Kucinich has worked tirelessly for working people and that is why labor supports him. He is the strongest opponent of NAFTA in Congress.”

In fact, Kucinich directly saved 1560 jobs, created 3700 supporting jobs, and had an economic effect of $400 million annually, according to his campaign.

During his long career, Kucinich notes that he has been “standing up for working men and women (and) standing up for jobs in this country.”

Kucinich's record of service shows that he is fiercely dedicated to his city, his community, and the American people. His stated goals of “rebuilding our strategic industrial base so that the  maintenance of steel/automotive/ aerospace is seen as vital to our national economic security … a not-for-profit health care system …  (and moving) towards a works green administration, where sustainability becomes the hallmark of our economy (and) where we turn our government into an engine of sustainability,” comprise an American vision that will benefit all of her citizens.

Clevelander, Roy Scheffler says, “I want to thank Congressman Kucinich for his tireless efforts, his hard work in keeping jobs in Cleveland, rebuilding this community and holding a future for the people and the children of this town.”

Bruce Bostick, 30-year steel worker from Cleveland, notes, “when they were going to close the steel mill in Cleveland, everybody said it was a done deal, and you couldn’t do anything. But Dennis got everyone together and we saved the steel mill. And we’ve got manufacturing in Cleveland because of Dennis, because Dennis has the courage to stand up and organize people. … when they started that war, its a war over lies, it’s costing us our entire economy, Dennis stood with us and Dennis spoke the truth.”

Jay Westbrook of the Cleveland City Council confirms “how important it is to have Dennis Kucinich for us in the U.S. Congress.”

Not only Cleveland, but the entire country, benefits from the balance provided by Kucinich’s strong and persistent Congressional voice for progressive values.

www.kucinich.us

Message from Dennis explaining what's going on.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=us1GQI70h7U

The Cimperman ad referenced in article.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KiN4aTid7Fs

Ten television ads featuring real people explaining in their own words why they support Dennis and why this election is so important.

http://www.youtube.com/electdennis 

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.