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Wed 7 Mar, 2012 09:31 am
In Ohio, Kaptur Beats Kucinich; Schmidt Upset By Wenstrup
March 7, 2012
by Frank James - NPR
The race between Rep. Marcy Kaptur and Rep. Dennis Kucinich, two veteran Ohio Democrats who were redistricted into the same congressional district, ended badly for Kucinich, who lost to his fellow House Democrat.
Meanwhile, the House Republican Conference will lose Rep. Jean Schmidt, who was defeated by Brad Wenstrup, a podiatrist and Iraq War veteran, in an upset.
Kucinich's defeat represents the end of a remarkable political career, at least for the time being, which started when he was elected to the Cleveland City Council at age 23.
He later became the youngest mayor of a major U.S. city when he was elected Cleveland's chief executive in 1977 — only to be turned out of office two years later by voters in the financially strapped city. So Kucinich has seen political defeat before.
One of the House's most liberal members, Kucinich, in his eighth term, raised his national profile with presidential races in 2004 and 2008 during which he was a passionate critic of the Bush administration's war on terrorism and the Iraq War, among other issues.
But he also was known for marrying a woman who was 31 years his junior. And in 2011 he became the butt of jokes when he filed a lawsuit against the House cafeteria over an olive pit he said damaged a tooth.
Schmidt, in her third term, didn't have Kucinich's high profile. One time she did make news was when, on the House floor, she told the late Rep. John Murtha — who opposed the Iraq War — that Marines don't "cut and run." She apparently didn't realize that Murtha, a Pennsylvania Democrat, was a Marine veteran. That caused a stir.
She also made headlines in 2008 when she was injured after being hit by a car while out for a run.
Wenstrup, who defeated Schmidt in Tuesday's Republican primary, had the support of Tea Party activists. Schmidt also was one of a dozen incumbents of both parties targeted by a superPAC called Campaign for Primary Accountability.
Holy cow!
Joe(one of the good ones gone)Nation
@Joe Nation,
Can you hear Bob "Dyslexia" yelling at the SOB's who removed his favorite Democrat?
BBB
@BumbleBeeBoogie,
Often, I could tell when Bob was spoofing us, and when he was serious. This was not one of those issues.
@roger,
I know, because he and Diane always voted for Kucinich.
BBB
@BumbleBeeBoogie,
So the push the republican party so far right that they will never get elected... The tea party is the pet rock of the republicans, and if it comes time to sink or swim, the'll lose their rock...
@Fido,
I think you better wake up and smell the roses. Liberal is a dirty word in todays U.S. and conservative is chosen of God. Things are going to have to get a lot worse before the common citizen is going to wake up to the screwing the 1% is giving us. And I am including the democratic 1% many of whom arnt liberal and are in congress.
Heh, I met Kucinich. I am somewhat for him but have thought his wife is nutso (sorry, opinion only). We were dining at a Polish restaurant in Santa Monica, restaurant not very busy, and there was us and them on the late side of an evening, guys at a table in the next room. Harvey, our friend, never shy, said hi to them as they were leaving and Kucinich came over and talked with us for a while.
I think he'll bounce back in some way.
@ossobuco,
I'd like to see him run for the Senate.
You could probably count members of congress who actually understand money policy issues on the fingers of one hand and Dennis Kucinich was one of those, and he was one of the few people who were right about neocon and NATO activities in the Balkans. There are only a tiny handful of dems it would bother me to lose and this was one of them.
@Butrflynet,
After Hillery I wanted to see him run for president.
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