Kucinich riles House GOP with plan to impeach Bush
Plans measure to impeach Bush Thursday, January 24, 2008Molly Kavanaugh and Sabrina EatonPlain Dealer Reporters

Cleveland Democratic Rep. Dennis Kucinich created a stink on the House of Representatives floor Wednesday when he announced he'll introduce a measure to impeach President Bush when Bush delivers his final State of the Union address Jan. 28.

"We already know the State of the Union," said Kucinich, whose earlier effort to impeach Vice President Dick Cheney has languished in the House Judiciary Committee because of opposition from Democratic leaders. "It's a lie."

Republicans objected to Kucinich's statements, and the congressman returned to the floor a few minutes later to withdraw his "offending words." Florida GOP Rep. Cliff Stearns called his remarks a "clear and egregious violation of House rules" and scolded Kucinich for ut tering "personal accusations" against Bush and Cheney.

The testy exchange came as Ku cinich launched a bid to raise money for his congres sional re-election campaign, urging voters in the 10th congressional district to send him donations of $100 or more so he can return for a seventh term.

"Right now, I'm under attack by corporate interests, most of them from the city of Cleveland, who have an agenda that has nothing to do with the people of my community, nor with most people in this country," Kucinich says in a video posted on his congressional campaign Web site.

The timing of the video is not coincidental, said Khaled Salehi, campaign manager for Cleveland Councilman Joe Cimperman, one of four Democrats trying to unseat Kucinich.

On Wednesday Cimperman began airing a 30-second ad on local stations blasting Kucinich for missing votes in Congress and ignoring the district while he campaigns for president.

The ad, titled "Quitting Time," will be aired multiple times during network news shows and on cable stations, Salehi said.

Kucinich has missed 139 votes (11.6 percent) during the current Congress, including key votes on predatory lending and veterans health care, according to a database of congressional votes compiled by washingtonpost.com.

Kucinich's video makes an indirect reference to Cimperman's ad.

"Already, television commercials are flooding the Cleveland airwaves with a message that is designed to try to knock me out of office," Kucinich says in the video.

"I've served with honor and dignity in the United States House of Representatives. I've led the effort against the war and for peace and for fair trade and for a not-for-profit health-care system, and now I need you to make sure that I can continue this work."

Meanwhile, Kucinich's wife, Elizabeth, continued stumping in California for his presidential campaign. According to a report from the Santa Cruz Sentinel, the congressman is scheduled to be in California Friday to attend the Santa Cruz County Democratic Party's annual fund-raising dinner.