Where's Dennis?

Where's Dennis?

Dennis Kucinich was a frequent Iowa presence in late 2003 and early 2004, but this cycle he's rarely been in the state. Most of his appearances have been at debates or multi-candidate "cattle call" events, with a solo appearance or two scheduled nearby such as his rally last weekend before the Heartland and Brown and Black forums.

Kucinich has gone on record grumbling about Iowa, telling CNN:

"[The party] has done the people of Iowa a disservice by trying to rig the debate," Kucinich said. "I have some concerns about the process here. It's more insular than many other states." Asked what he meant by his claim that the state's Democratic party has "rigged the debate," Kucinich responded, "I'm not going to say anything else about it.

Kucinich and his supporters seemed particularly miffed that he was not invited to the November Jefferson Jackson Dinner or the Tom Harkin Steak Fry in September. Party and Harkin staff said this was because Kucinich was not running an active Iowa campaign.

This cycle, Kucinich has been focusing more on New Hampshire, where he recently concluded a ten day campaign trip.

Recently Kucinich raised the possibility of a ticket with libertarian Republican Ron Paul, who has become a fundraising phenomenon in the last month. A Kucinich-Paul administration could bring people together “to balance the energies in this country,” Kucinich told his hometown paper the Cleveland Plain Dealer. A Paul spokesperson immediately shot down the idea. "Dr. Paul and Rep. Kucinich are friends and there is a lot of mutual respect," said Paul communications director Jesse Benton. "They have worked, and will continue to work, together on ending the war and protecting civil liberties. However, Ron wants to substantially cut the size and scope of the federal government. There are too many differences on issues such as taxes and spending to think a joint ticket would be possible."

Speaking of Kucinich's hometown, the congressman is seeking re-election while he also runs for president. He faces four challengers in the March 4 congressional primary. The latest challenger is Cleveland City Councilman Joe Cimperman. "Dennis Kucinich is a good man, but he's a man out of touch. Out of touch with the values of his people, more concerned with ... running for the Presidency than [representing] his own district."

"Having two office holders in the March 4 primary will likely split any anti-Kucinich vote, making it difficult for either one to knock off Kucinich, who won re-election in 2006 with 76 percent of the primary vote," writes the Plain Dealer The district has been mostly in Democratic hands for decades. Democrat Mary Rose Oakar, one of the top offenders in the 1992 House Bank check bouncing scandal, lost to Republican Martin Hoke in 1992. Hoke held on in the 1994 Republican landslide, but lost to Kucinich in 1996.