Dennis The Menace

Howard Dean is soaking up most of the limelight as myopic Stalinist dwarf #1 among Democratic presidential hopefuls. He has a rival, who is his idealogical equal: Dennis Kucinich.

It has always struck me that if you drew a Hitler moustache on Dennis, he'd really look a lot like Hitler. The only other politician who comes close in this exercise is Rudy Gulliani. Fittingly, Dennis is much more the socialist than Rudy is.

Back in Cleveland yet again this weekend, I was amused to see a Cleveland Plain Dealer article by Michael Heaton. He used to have a column called 'the Minister of Culture' which led me to call him the 'Sinister Vulture'. Now he writes politics, thereby demonstrating the contempt the Pee Dee has for politics.

Heaton argues that it would be great to have Kucinich as president, no matter his politics, because he'd be great for getting attention on Cleveland. No, actually, that's why he was voted to the House of Representatives, where he'd be there for Clevelanders. As President, he is supposed to act on behalf of all Americans.

But people should know Dennis' past. He took a bad situation in Cleveland and made it infinitely worse, turning a Republican's deficits into his City's default in the late 70's, relaunching all of the Cleveland jokes that became the rage when the Cuyahoga River caught fire in the late 60's. Any time any faltering comedian needed a quick cheap laff, the word 'Cleveland' was uttered and the guffaws followed. One cannot help but think that history would repeat itself in every way if Dennis were to become President, and that the words, 'the United States of America' would be spoken to the same result worldwide as the word 'Cleveland' once was, thanks so much to him. Fortunately for this fading Republic, Kucinich hasn't a prayer.

People should look at his policies. They are socialist in nature, anti-trade; anti-technology... at least as far as private technology goes. He's pro-NASA, which is to say, socialized technology; and generally a meddler in a walks of commerce, such as agriculture, banking, insurance, housing, transportation, and a host of others.

Heaton argued that if Kucinich was in the White House, Clevelanders would have his ear. When I lived on East 59th Street and Dennis was my Rep, I could never get his ear, despite my calls and letters. My letters to him got form replies that showed that he, via his staff, had no real interest in or understanding of my positions or concerns. That is a subject that I can go on about at length, and will another day.

Kucinich has bragged that his White House would be a 'worker's white house'. Ha! He's never worked a day of honest labor in his life, beginning in politics at the age of 21. Touch his hands some time and search in vain for a callous.