I like Dennis Kucinich. I think he is an invaluable part of the Progressive Caucus in the house. Early in the campaign for the 2008 Democratic nomination, I ranked the Democrats in the order of Edwards (oops), Kucinich, Clinton, and Obama. I loked Obama too, but I did not think he could overcome American racism. I sure called that wrong! Then Dennis had what I call his Ron Paul moment, a lapse that prevents me from ever supporting Dennis beyond his current role. Sadly, he just had another one.
In Dennis’ original Ron Paul moment, he endorsed Ron Paul as his potential running mate, solely because Paul opposed war. For Dennis to ignore Paul’s lifetime history of racism, both overt and covert, and his intent to completely undo the safety net for America’s most needy citizens showed me that he is not capable of seeing the landscape beyond his antiwar sentiment.
When Barack Obama decided to commit troops to protecting Libyan citizens, I decided to endorse the decision, but not without reservations. I respect the opinions that differ from mine, and do not believe that people that oppose that decision should stifle their views to support Obama, because he is our commander in chief. However, for Kucinich to suggest that Obama’s decision is an impeachable offense is over the top, a second Ron Paul moment. And to go on the Republican Ministry of Propaganda, to be interviewed by arch liar, Bill O’Reilly, is an unconscionable act on his part.
First, military action has been undertaken on multiple occasions by Presidents of both parties, but Congress has not declared war since 1941. The Constitutionality of such actions is a matter for legal scholars, but one cannot say that Obama did so without precedent. If Congress wants to demand that no military action be exercised by the Commander in Chief, in the absence of a formal declaration of war, they should replace the War Powers Resolution with legislation to that effect.
At the time that the Obama administration made the decision, after the UN Resolution, mandating action against Gaddafi, Congress was not in session, Obama did notify the leadership of both the House and the Senate. He gave the formal notification required on Sunday. Therefore he must withdraw US troops within 60 days in the absence of Congressional approval.
Obama may be right about the Constitutionality of his actions, because the action is based on the UN Charter, and the Constitution gives Treaties the power of law. And he may be wrong. I’ll leave that to those more knowledgeable than I, but under no circumstances does his action rise to the level of High Crimes and Misdemeanors required for impeachment.
In his effort to dramatize his view, Kucinich has played into the hands of Republicans. We will hear this echoed all the way to November 2012. Kucinich should publicly admit his folly and apologize.
I still remember how I felt in 1957, when the Soviets launches Sputnik. That made two things I knew about the Russians. They were evil, and they had just done something we (the good guys) couldn’t do. I felt scared. Life was simple then for a nine year old boy. I remember feeling comforted when Jack Kennedy promised we would beat the Russians to the moon. Today I am 62 and I feel scared again because our nation, once again is threatened. But if science gave us the answer to what we could do about the Soviets, perhaps science can give us the answer to what we can do about the Teabaggers.
I’m not saying that Jared Loughner was a Republican. I’m not saying that Sarah Palin, Glen Beck, Rush Limbaugh or any of the dozens of other Republican politicians and pundits that spread hatred and violence were in his mind at the time of his horrific crimes. Maybe they were, maybe they weren’t. If anyone knows, they aren’t talking for fear of creating problems in his criminal prosecution. Based on most of the professionals I have heard that are speculating on Loughner’s condition think he is schizophrenic or psycho effective (schizophrenia with bipolar disorder). People like this are especially susceptible to suggestion. While Loughner was probably not politically motivated, he was a sick fish swimming in a poisoned ocean. Most fish can withstand the poison, but not the sickest ones. While it is unquestionably Republican politicians and pundits that poisoned the ocean with their unrelenting promotion of hatred and violence, even they may not be the ones most responsible. In recent days I have been thinking about the legacy of Republican hatred from the past, and it hit me that hate and violence are usually not a grass roots thing. They are astro-turfed from the top down. Poisoning the ocean does not happen without the process being fertilized by lots and lots of money. That’s what happened in the 1960s. That’s what is happening today. I had not started to do the research needed to connect the dots when I found a video at 
While not stating a motive for the shootings, Pima County Sheriff Clarence Dupnik in Tucson used a nationally televised press conference to condemn the tone of political discourse in his state. He charged that public debate is now "vitriolic rhetoric," which has rendered Arizona "the mecca for prejudice and bigotry."
One of history’s most memorable quotes comes from President John F. Kennedy: “Ask not what your country can do for you. Ask what you can do for your country.” Across our nation, opportunities for service abound. Our infrastructure is crumbling. Our educational system struggles to stay ahead of the third world. More Americans lack health care than ever before. Homelessness has skyrocketed, and the list goes on. At a time of record unemployment, a significant portion of our national workforce can be mobilized to meet those needs. Therefore I propose a program of Universal Service to America. Here’s an overview of how it would work.