Dennis Backs Off On Impeachment

Dennis Backs Off On Impeachment

Dennis Kucinich is toning down his much-ballyhooed "principles" now that he's given up on the White House and is fighting just to keep his job:

After promising last week that he'd mark President Bush's final "State of the Union" speech today by introducing articles of impeachment against Bush, Cleveland Democratic Rep. Dennis Kucinich announced he's postponing the effort.

Kucinich said he met with members of the House Judiciary Committee after making last week's impeachment pledge on the House of Representatives floor, and came away "hopeful there will be an inquiry by the Judiciary Committee."

"I will give them the opportunity to proceed before introducing articles of impeachment," Kucinich said in a statement issued by his office. The House Judiciary Committee's spokeswoman did not respond to The Plain Dealer's request for comment.

Maybe this has something to do with the Plain Dealer's endorsement of Joe Cimperman, his main opponent in the March 10 congressional primary. It's loaded with killer lines:

"There's a fine line between believing you are right and being self-righteous."

"Despite his good intentions, Dennis Kucinich has not gotten results, and probably cannot."

"Kucinich carries little influence in Congress or among the Democrats who run it."

"Understanding problems and solving them are not the same thing. Fervor does not equal effectiveness."

"He insists that if he had not been in this year's race, no one would have been talking about the war in Iraq, health care or trade policy. What hubris."