November 15, 2007
Posted: November 15th, 2007 10:03 PM ET

Rep. Kucinich distinguished himself from the rest of the Democratic field when it came to the Patriot Act.

(CNN) - When debate moderator Wolf Blitzer told Rep. Dennis Kucinich of Ohio, that he was the only person at the Democratic debate who had a chance to vote on the Patriot Act and voted agaist it, Kucinich said, "That's because I read it."

Outlining the votes that some of his fellow Democratic candidates cast and then later changed position on, Kucinich went on to say, "Imagine what it will be like to have a president of the United States who's right the first time. Just imagine."

Kucinich's allegations prompted New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson to later tell Kucinich to stop including him with the other candidates when criticizing votes they had made.

"By the way, Dennis, stop including me in all these votes," Richardson said. "I'm a governor, I'm in New Mexico. I'm not in Washington."

– CNN Political Producer Xuan Thai

Filed under: Dennis Kucinich


Tom Dedham, Mass   November 19th, 2007 8:48 am ET

What rights have you PERSONALLY lost there Sophie?

I am just just curious to how your rights are being hindered, do tell.

Sophie, Dallas TX   November 16th, 2007 8:01 pm ET

Thats pretty awesome that he didn't vote for that piece of crap because it had degraded our rights as Americans.

Nick NY NY   November 16th, 2007 7:20 pm ET

Look folks... when you stand 3'8"... it doesn't take much to have a spine.

Now if Dennis could somehow fix his goofy elfin appearance (see photo above of him describing his UFO experience)... he could possibly be viewed as a REAL candidate.

Until then... oompa oompa oopa-dee-doo

Kate, Aurora CO   November 16th, 2007 2:46 pm ET

So Kucinich has read the Patriot Act? Has he bothered to read the Federal laws on immigration? If he did then he would see in fact our laws state a person who enters our country bypassing the immigration process is in fact an ILLEGAL alien, not "undocumented" but ILLEGAL. This man is a clown. He should just fade back into the sunset with his 12 year old wife.

Peter T. Han, M.D. Alhambra , California   November 16th, 2007 1:46 pm ET

I like Senator Dennis kucinich, what-ever he said about our President, the world, our nation and our people and other politics are correct, I will vote for him if he will be nominated. A beliver of him of California on 11/16/2007

Ryan Indianapolis   November 16th, 2007 12:28 pm ET

This guy really does not care about the security of the american public,,,,the patriot act is there to protect our citizens and this traitor makes out like our government is doing it for evil reasons...A vote for Kucinich is a vote for another Terrorist attack....

Ryan, New York, NY   November 16th, 2007 11:28 am ET

I liked how Blitzer said during one of the questions that he was going to get answers from everyone on stage, then skipped Kuchinich. When Kuchinich pointed it out and said "What about me?" he said "You'll get your chance later," and continued on with John Roberts question. How can you state that you're going to take answers from everyone on stage and ignore one of them, even when it's been pointed out?

While I'm not a Kuchinich supporter, I do think that he has made some very valid points and the complete disrespect shown to him during this debate was apalling. He has to whine and complain just to get heard because your moderators ignore him, and by that time many people have already tuned out because he's being whiney?

Dennis Gray, Spring Valley, New York   November 16th, 2007 10:57 am ET

All I can say is people need to listen more to Rep Kucinich. He is talking the truth if anyone out there will listen. He was dead on with the Patriot Act and other serious issues that the Federal government including many in Congress have overlooked or just blatently didn't care about. I'm sure he is correct when he stated many didn't read it. I'm glad Biden was angered over the comment. Maybe more talk like this will underscore the serious failures in the Congress (Democrats and Republicans). Experience means nothing if it accomplishes nothing beneficial. Kucinich spoke the truth during this debate and won my support. Obama was a distant second, but he will likely be the one to stand up against the Old Washington politics of those like Sen. Clinton, Biden and Dodd

RealityKing   November 16th, 2007 10:56 am ET

If the winner of a debate is the person who puts forth the most thoughtful, complete and logical answers, then Dennis Kucinich won the dem debate lastnight..

JB Hull, IA   November 16th, 2007 10:24 am ET

Dennis Kucinich is only a "fringe candidate" because every media story you have ever read about him labels him as such. If every democrat who said "I love Dennis, but he could never win" would actually VOTE for the candidate they actually like, then Dennis would be the nominee. I know few democrats who don't admire him. But people are convinced that in our world of corporate media, their opinion doesn't really matter anymore. It does. If you like Kucinich, ACTUALLY GET OUT THERE AND VOTE FOR HIM!!!

Jack, Fort Myers, FL   November 16th, 2007 8:38 am ET

Kucinich margianilizes himself. His fervor and intelligence clearly distinguish him. But his vision, goals, and ideals for America are pure pie-in-the-sky. We can't hug our enemies into submission, nor will we be able to guarantee our diplomacy will be effective against some enemies. The #1 job of Commander-In-Chief is defending the United States and perhaps sending Americans to fight and die. I believe his "organs" would shrivel and he'd drool from the mouth and fail us with helpless inaction if ever faced with those kind of decisions.

Willy, Chesapeake, VA   November 16th, 2007 8:10 am ET

I wish this goof ball would move to Michigan. He gives the Buckeye state a bad name.

Max, Boston, MA   November 16th, 2007 6:52 am ET

Kucinich, above all, was robbed of equal air time. I feel for his supporters. But to his credit, he made some one-liners that major news outlets would have gone crazy for if he was a so-called "top tier candidate".

He easily got the two sharpest lines of the night:
"That's because I read it."
"Wouldn't it be nice to have a president who is right the first time?"

His line to Edwards: "Now, you're a trial lawyer, you knew better." went over my head until he clarified with, "Product liability".

Kucinich certainly was clever in this debate.

Anonymous, Yorktown, VA   November 16th, 2007 6:48 am ET

As a Republican, I don't agree with him on many issues, but I certainly respect the man. I believe he says what he feels and has the conviction to stand firm on his beliefs. Much more than what can be said for some of his opponents in the primary who will say WHATEVER it takes to get a vote. Refreshing to see a politician with a spine.

Bob, Winter Park, FL   November 16th, 2007 5:21 am ET

He got extended applause several times, and yet he is treated like nobody cares about his positions.

America cares.

America NEEDS Kucinich - the Democrat with a spine.

Ginger Lee, Northern Utah   November 16th, 2007 1:30 am ET

I agree w/ Richardson. It's as cheap attack.
Now, I'm a liberal, but even I recognize when things are impossible and improbable, and that's all that Kucinich stands for. He's too polarizing to be president, and he promises too much unrealistically.

Alan de la Motte   November 16th, 2007 1:16 am ET

All the issues brought up during the debate tonight are irrelevant without a constitution that is revered and defended at all cost. It is indeed futile to discuss how to redecorate the room on the second floor when the foundation of the house has been destroyed by a tsunami wave of deception and illegal acts of elected officials while nobody in Congress is willing to lift a finger to deal with the root causes.

When the House leader and the Congress choose to allow the President and Vice-President and their cronies to get away with using the gravest of deceptions to justify a war/occupation and other activities that are illegal, unwarranted and murderous and they refuse, for whatever lame excuse, to pursue a public debate relative to the issue of impeachment, then, every member of Congress must be viewed as a de-facto out-of-control renegade, equally culpable for the crimes committed against the constitution and we the people.

If elected officials are not held to the highest standards of ethics, service, and justice and are forced to uphold their oath of office but are instead allowed to get away with personal agendas that damage the very fabric of this democratic nation, then nothing else matters because the foundation will have been reduced to shifting sand.

In what way will addressing any issue benefit us if elected officials can willy-nilly violate the rule of law to pursue personal agendas that are dear a few?

It is time to stop all such cock-fight debates that do little else but inflate egos and propagate the grand illusion of deception. Who cares about what Mrs. Clinton thinks about particular issues when the house is falling apart and nobody, except David Kucinich and Ron Paul have the guts and the courage to fearlessly tackle head on?

It may be one of these moments in history when we the people need to start a massive recall campaign of Congressmen and Congresswomen, starting with the leader of the House. If the American people fail to act now and continue to tolerate politics-as-usual, then God help us all because it will be the beginning of the end. The longer we wait, the greater will be the fall.

This is indeed a strange and unprecedented season in America. People everywhere are angry as they have never been before. Soon their anger will start to demand action and accountability. Every corrupt or spineless politician who does not uphold his oath of office will be caught in the backlash of this great tidal wave and it will be the best testimony America can have to regain the goodwill it has totally lost on the world scene.

Joe Q Public, Name the State USA   November 16th, 2007 12:30 am ET

Clinton and Bush...Does CNN and the American Public have another card to play? ARE YOU TIRED OF THIS YET?

Mike, Cleveland, OH   November 16th, 2007 12:11 am ET

I like Dennis, as a person, but he will never transcend his "fringe candidate" status, sadly.
This is not meant to be offensive, please accept my apologies in advance, if offended.

I laughed watching Dennis on TV, he looked like a Jewish Yoda. The picture on the blog looks like he is describing the UFO landing.

Sue, Midland, MI   November 16th, 2007 12:10 am ET

Go Dennis! You put impeachment where it belongs, back ON the table, and the news outlets ignore what the majority of America sees as inevitable-the ousting of this criminal administration. We're behind you!

Brendan, Allentown, NJ   November 16th, 2007 12:00 am ET

This is deplorable. Not enough air time is given to Kucinich, and every bigwig at CNN knows it. He made the right choice to vote against the PATRIOT Act where other candidates failed. But CNN will soon drop him like Gravel.

John, Jacksonville FL   November 15th, 2007 11:53 pm ET

Kucinich and others (both parties) are always sold short for air time in answering as they are not in the top three of mundane polls. It would be nice to see a bit of equality for all candidates to have EQUAL speaking time and their microphones shut off after the alloted times. FYI: SNL will have a field day with the photo of Kucinich above and his being a Vegan.

Kevin Gosztola Mishawaka, IN   November 15th, 2007 11:48 pm ET

Every candidate tonight wanted to be Dennis Kucinich. Did you hear all the things each candidate said that contradicted their track records in Congress and as governor? They were using what he has said in previous debates so they could get a jump on him before he had a chance to make the points he wished to make. Lucky for them CNN limits the debate so that the majority is filled with questions and answers from Hillary and Barack. Otherwise, they might have had to listen to Dennis teach them that they can try to borrow his stances but they haven't a clue what they are talking about because they are articulating ideas they don't fully support so they can get votes from the American people.

You can't pretend to be Dennis Kucinich. No Politician Can.

Strength Through Peace!

LA,Ohio   November 15th, 2007 11:42 pm ET

We would like to hear more from Rep. Kucinich on CNN. Give him equal time to speak, and let the public, not the media, choose the candidate.

Nick, Eden Praire MN   November 15th, 2007 11:27 pm ET

I was very disappointed during the debate about the lack of respect given to Dennis Kucinich. He was rarely asked questions and cut off sooner than other candidates, despite getting a lot of cheers for his impeach Bush and pull our troops of immediately comments. At the very least you could've asked other candidates their thoughts on those issues. Instead you decided to focus on storylines of Hillary vs the boys rather than truly let the people learn about all the candidates. And you wonder why people are distrustful of big media.

Mari Titusville FL   November 15th, 2007 11:21 pm ET

Another disappointing debate with Clinton/Obama grandstanding. Why can’t we have equality? I would like to hear more from Rep. Kucinich. I will not be voting for Clinton or Obama. I want an end to war and health care without profit for insurance companies. I see a potential for greatness in Kucinich that is lacking in the other candidates, I would like to learn more about him. Are we doomed to another failed election with the media selecting our candidates? Can’t the media present the facts without slanted opinions?

Mari, Titusville FL   November 15th, 2007 11:20 pm ET

Another disappointing debate with Clinton/Obama grandstanding. Why can’t we have equality? I would like to hear more from Rep. Kucinich. I will not be voting for Clinton or Obama. I want an end to war and health care without profit for insurance companies. I see a potential for greatness in Kucinich that is lacking in the other candidates, I would like to learn more about him. Are we doomed to another failed election with the media selecting our candidates? Can’t the media present the facts without slanted opinions?

Dave Peter, Las Vegas, NV   November 15th, 2007 11:12 pm ET

CNN showed what all other corporate media have shown during all the coverage of candidates and media sponsored debates, the media have made their decision and what the media decides is what America will have to live with. CNN obviously stacked the audience with DLCers/Clinton supporters and joins a long string of corporate types to marginalize Dennis Kucinich the only candidate who stands up for working class Americans, who stands for an immediate end to the war in Iraq, who stands against NAFTA, the WTO and other free trade agreements which sell out working Americans for corporate profits.

Ben Richter   November 15th, 2007 11:12 pm ET

Dennis Kucinich was given the least speaking time of all the candidates, yet he still managed to distinguish himself as the best of them. He should be our next president.

Pam Holt Los Angeles, CA   November 15th, 2007 11:08 pm ET

Kucinich is clearly far superior to the other candidates, but corporate-run CNN wants to pick our President for us and tries to ignore him as much as possible.

He is a President we have all been waiting for: a peaceful people's President that is smart, honest and can't be bought. HE'S A DREAM COME TRUE!!!!

CNN, Wolf Blitzer, Anderson Cooper, etc: I urge you all to get behind Dennis Kucinich if you care at all about your country. The rest really aren't that different from Bush until election time comes around, then they start acting like they believe the opposite of how they voted. We need a President that actually reads what he votes for, and then votes the right way.

KUCINICH: ~Strength Through Peace!~

Bryce, Seattle, WA   November 15th, 2007 11:05 pm ET

Kucinich is clearly the best and brightest of any of the candidates and is continually left in the shadows of these debates. I despise this process. Pose a question to the candidates and let each of them talk. You can not pick and choose a president.

Brenda Lowe   November 15th, 2007 10:54 pm ET

It's clear that Kucinich isn't on top of what is what. Joe Biden seems to be on top of every issue that's been presented in these debates. What really bothers me is that he is like the paver and all the candidates use his bricks to climb over him. He has made more since, has not waivered on any of his answers and stopped the "Mud slinging" single handedly between Clinton, Obama and Edwards. Why isn't he getting the reviews he deserves. I have listened to this man and he knows what's going on. I personally would vote for him and have Hillary as the Vice President.

Brian Rawling, Manchester, NH   November 15th, 2007 10:52 pm ET

This is why I am supporting Dennis Kucinich for president. He DID make the right decisions the first time, and he's continuing to do so now, rather than avoiding every single question like Hillary Clinton.

jt, chicago, IL   November 15th, 2007 10:38 pm ET

why can't we hear more from Dennis Kucinich? He makes great points, he has compelling ideas on how to improve various aspects of our lives and government. Why can't we give this candidate the time and forum he deserves.

Don Seattle, WA.   November 15th, 2007 10:37 pm ET

You forgot the most defining moment in this debate, "Impeach Now" that Dennis Kucinich stayed repeatedly and clearly. CNN, whether you like it or not, this is news and bigs news that needs to be reported.

benay blend, albuquerque, new mexico   November 15th, 2007 10:30 pm ET

Kucinich was the only candidate to me that answered in a honest, clear fashion, but he was not only not given air time but treated in a rude fashion when he did answer. Why is that? Because he talks about issues, including impeachement, rather than playing politician? Its time for the people to chose a candidate, not the media.

Anonymous   November 15th, 2007 10:27 pm ET

I have lost respect for CNN. They are just as guilty as every other media outlet who censors Kucinich. Look at how many questions he got asked compared to the other candidates. And even when he was asked a question, they constantly cut him off. But they would dare not cut off Clinton or Obama.

Chris, Pensacola FL   November 15th, 2007 10:21 pm ET

It's too bad for him really. He is a smart guy and probably will get more reward in heaven than the other front runners, but as long as evil runs the media (I'm serious about that) people like him will be put down.

Anonymous   November 15th, 2007 10:12 pm ET

CNN is a joke. They clearly tried to marginalize Kucinich. CNN = Hilary Clinton cheerleaders.

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