Congress Gets Measure To Ease Marijuana Laws: Cheech And Chong Announce Comeback Tour

CINCINNATI (TDB) -- It's like true. U.S. Rep. Barney Frank, the Massachusetts Democrat, has filed House Resolution 5843, to lift federal criminal penalties for Americans carrying less than 100 grams of pot for personal use. Cheech and Chong, the comedy team who made millions with the movie "Up in Smoke" about the stoner culture, now say they are reuniting for a 22-city comedy tour that begins in September. Their press release is available here. Cheech and Chong said they may visit more cities. So far, no sites in Ohio are booked. But the tour does hit Indianapolis on Sept. 19, Detroit on Sept. 20, Minneapolis on Oct. 25 and Chicago on Nov. 11.

Frank's bill has seven co-sponsors. Ron Paul, the Texas congressman whose Republican presidential campaign is inactive, is among the bill's public supporters. None are from Ohio. But U.S. Rep. Dennis Kucinich, D-10 Cleveland, has been a supporter of easing marijuana laws. Not long ago, Kucinich issued this statement:

"Most marijuana users do so responsibly, in a safe, recreational context. These people lead normal, productive lives--pursuing careers, raising families, and participating in civic life. In addition, marijuana has proven benefits in the treatment of numerous diseases, such as providing a valuable means of pain management for terminally ill patients. In either of these contexts, there is no rational justification for criminally enforced prohibitions. These unnecessary arrests and incarcerations serve only to crowd prisons, backlog the judicial system, and distract law enforcement officials from pursuing terrorists and other violent criminals."

At the moment, the official Cheech and Chong website is selling what it describes as legal highs and herbs.

Top 10 Goofy Congressional Resolutions: Jean Schmidt's 'Watermelon Month' Is No. 2 In National Ranking

TOLEDO (TDB) -- For some reason, Dennis Kucinich's effort to impeach President Bush didn't make the cut. But Jean Schmidt's effort to honor the watermelon is on the list of the top 10 Congressional resolutions (sarcasm alert) of the 110th Congress. The list was compiled by Taxpayers for Common Sense. Republicans and Democrats alike sponsored and signed on to some pretty silly measures, and you can click onto the list to see who put their names on the resolutions:

1. S.RES.440: A resolution recognizing soil as an essential natural resource, and soils professionals as playing a critical role in managing our Nation's soil resources.
2. S.RES.262: A resolution designating July 2007 as "National Watermelon Month".
3. H.RES.216: Congratulating the men's volleyball team of the University of California, Irvine, for winning the 2007 NCAA Division I Men's Volleyball National Championship.
4. S.RES.180: A resolution recognizing the 70th anniversary of the Idaho Potato Commission and designating May 2007 as "Idaho Potato Month".
5. H.RES.630: Congratulating the Warner Robins Little League Baseball Team from Warner Robins, Georgia, on winning the 2007 Little League World Series Championship.
6. H.RES.970: Expressing support for designation of June 30 as "National Corvette Day".
7. H.RES.1050: Recognizing Pittsfield, Massachusetts, as being home to the earliest known reference to the word "baseball" in the United States as well as being the birthplace of college baseball.
8. H.RES.89: Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that a day should be established as Dutch-American Friendship Day to celebrate the historic ties of the United States and the Netherlands.
9. H.RES.892: Expressing support for designation of a "National Funeral Director and Mortician Recognition Day".
10. H.RES.483: Recognizing the 63rd Anniversary of Big Bend National Park, established on June 12, 1944.

H/T Michigan Liberal, which seems to think that Congress ought to have better things to do these days.

OH-10 GOP Jim Trakas: Kucinich Foe Wants Guard And Reserves Off The Front Lines

CLEVELAND (TDB) -- Jim Trakas, a former state representative and ex-chair of the Cuyahoga County Republican Party, says national guard and reservists should be pulled from serving in combat zones. The proposal appears on his campaign Web site for Ohio's 10th Congressional District seat, which covers Cleveland's west side, along with the city's western suburbs. Trakas is running against Democratic U.S. Rep. Dennis Kucinich, a fierce opponent of the War in Iraq who has filed an House impeachment measure against Vice President Dick Cheney. Trakas steers clear of the blame game, "We are there now, it doesn't matter how we got there." Trakas says the U.S. needs to "defeat the terrorists," but the war should be fought by regulars not reservists:

"Keep the National Guard and Reserves out of harm's way. Our Guardsmen and Reservists can easily rotate into non-hostile theatres of operations, such as Europe and Asia where America has bases, but are not involved in conflict. Let the Regular Armed Forces fight, they are better trained and equipped, and let the patriots in the Guard and Reserves serve their country out of the combat zone."

Oops!!! At The New York Times, Kucinich Briefly Became Republican

CINCINNATI (TDB) -- A correction has appeared: "Because of an editing error, an article in some editions on Saturday about a ruling giving absentee voters in New Jersey the right to cast another ballot if their candidate quit the race misidentified, in some copies, the political affiliation of two candidates who dropped out. Representative Dennis Kucinich of Ohio and Gov. Bill Richardson of New Mexico are Democrats."

H/T Regret the Error, which said the misidentification could make Kucinich's head explode.

A Terse Summary Of The Candidates So Far: Courtesy Of Ohiosphere's Clark Street

CINCINNATI (TDB) -- Clark Street's short guide to the 2008 candidates is wickedly satirical:

CLINTON: Is the applause meter on?
ROMNEY: Thanks to the Internet, my positions are now available in real time.
KUCINICH: We shall overcome, and we shall do it with drum circles.

There is wit aimed at all -- those still in and those now out this Super Tuesday morning. And Clark Street's Westender should be headed to Leno's side -- or perhaps get a grotto in the Will Rogers Hall of Fame -- as the creator of such pungently humorous prose.

Kucinich Quits The Presidential Race; Plain Dealer Scores The Scoop

The Cleveland Democrat never was a contender. Mark Naymik at The Plain Dealer's politics desk broke the story. Dennis Kucinich faces serious opposition in OH-10, the congressional district he represents on Cleveland's East Side.

[UPDATE: 6:54 PM -- Jeff Coryell at Ohio Daily Blog offers analysis about the impact on OH-10 and Kucinich's reelection campaign: "A couple of quick reactions. Pundits have been saying that Kucinich is in real trouble on winning re-election to Congress, but this news is the biggest proof yet. He wouldn't drop out of the presidential race if he wasn't nervous about keeping his seat.

"Kucinich's national following is small but very loyal. He polled better in several states than candidates regarded as higher-profile, like Sens. Biden and Dodd. So, where will his 3% to 5% share of the voters turn? I'm thinking Edwards, as the one with the strongest populist progressive message. Will it change the dynamics of the race? Um ... no . Does this help Kucinich keep his seat? Absolutely. Slamming Kucinich for ignoring his district while running for president has been the lynch-pin of the Palmer and Cimperman campaigns to date. They must retool. And, the fact that there are multiple challengers to divide the vote will help, along with Kucinich giving the congressional race his undivided attention.

"Don't expect Kucinich to disappear from the national political arena completely. I bet he will still be making appearances on the cable news shows to talk about the presidential race. He may be out of the race, but he is still a controversial figure with lots of entertainment value (which is what the cable channels are all about), and he still has all the motivation in the world to speak out."]

America's 20 Most Annoying Liberals: Ohio's Sen. Sherrod Brown Doesn't Make The List

CINCINNATI (TDB) -- Geraldo Rivera makes the Top 12? Dennis Kucinich rates only an honorable mention? And Sherrod Brown is nowhere to be found? Maybe Kucinich should forget about running for president and try to get a cable show. Right Wing News is out with the list of libs who get under its skin.

Too Hot For NYT And Wash Post? Here's The Rejected Cheney Impeachment Op-Ed

CINCINNATI (TDB) -- Three House Democrats serving on the Judiciary Committee prepared this Op-Ed piece that calls for hearings on the the impeachment of Vice President Dick Cheney. Newspapers refused to print it. Co-author U.S. Rep. Robert Wexler, FL-19, now has it posted on his official House Web site. His writing partners are Reps. Louis Gutierrez of Illinois, and Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin.

Wexler agrees with the impeachment measure's prime sponsor, Cleveland U.S. Rep. Dennis Kucinich, that Congress has an institutional obligation to study allegations that Cheney steered the U.S. into the Iraq War, harmed national security and violated civil liberties. The impeachment resolution has been languishing in the House Judiciary Committee since early November.

The Op-Ed is seven paragraphs long and hardly seems inflammatory. Its last paragraph says Cheney's critics should be given a chance to make their case:

"Holding hearings would put the evidence on the table, and the evidence -- not politics -- should determine the outcome. Even if the hearings do not lead to removal from office, putting these grievous abuses on the record is important for the sake of history. For an administration that has consistently skirted the Constitution and asserted that it is above the law, it is imperative for Congress to make clear that we do not accept this dangerous precedent. Our Founding Fathers provided Congress the power of impeachment for just this reason, and we must now at least considering using it."

Here is the complete text of the Kucinich resolution on impeaching Cheney. Booman Tribune has more about the Op-Ed and the paper's that wouldn't print it.

Ohio's Kucinich Holds 10th Spot On The Web: Huckabee's Hits Soar To 2nd Place

CINCINNATI (TDB) -- GOP presidential candidate Mike Huckabee's campaign Web site now is getting 36.12% of all the hits tracked in the Republican field, a surge that puts him a tad behind Ron Paul's Internet juggernaut. The former Arkansas governor -- whose poll numbers are in a steep climb -- has also taken off like a rocket in cyber space. Of the 16 campaign Web sites maintained by the Democratic and Republican candidates, Huckabee gets nearly a fourth of all traffic, making him No. 2 overall and right behind Paul. The candidate whose site seems to have tanked: Fred Thompson.

Here are the top four sites across the entire field: Paul, 24.22%; Huckabee, 23.62%; Obama, 12.28%, Clinton, 8.7%. Cleveland U.S. Rep. Dennis Kucinich is No. 10 on the list at 2.52%. The least looked at Web site belongs to Sen. Chris Dodd.

The data is compiled by Hitwise, a commercial online intelligence service. It has been monitoring the presidential Web sites and charting their popularity since at least September. The company is a unit of Experian, the credit bureau. It says it has patented methodology that captures online usage, search and behavior of Internet users and can analyze online trends.

The Huckabee campaign is elated that its Web site is attracting heavier traffic as the January 3 Iowa caucuses approach. It put out the numbers on the campaign blog two days ago, and also said that this week has produced record numbers of hits.

Ohio's Kucinich Wrongly Tells Iowa Debate: My State's Founding Documents Were In German

COLUMBUS (TDB) -- During the NPR-sponsored Democratic presidential debate in Iowa today, U.S. Rep. Dennis Kucinich claimed Ohio's original "founding documents" were written in German. But that is not true. The 26-page Ohio Constitution adopted in 1802 as the state entered the Union is handwritten in English. A copy is preserved at the Ohio Historical Society in Columbus, and you can actually see it online by clicking the Ohio.gov link above.

The other founding document is Thomas Worthington's draft of the Enabling Act, which was submitted to Congress, adopted, and signed by President Thomas Jefferson on April 30, 1802. It set the boundaries of the new state named Ohio and said it would be considered an equal of all others upon admission to the Union. Again, the handwritten document has been preserved. You can see it for yourself at at the link -- along with some background information from the Ohio Historical Society about the politics behind the statehood movement. Jeffersonians wanted Ohio for its presidential electoral votes; the competing Federalist Party wanted it carved into two separate states, figuring that some of the frontier territory contained supporters. The Jeffersonians prevailed.

Kucinich, D-10, was answering a question about immigration and the use of English at the Des Moines debate when he said Ohio's original statehood materials were written in the German language. He said that while serving as a state legislator he had fought and defeated efforts to make English the official language in Ohio. He said the bill was rejected "when I pointed out our state's founding documents were in German."

While that is not precisely correct, there is no doubt that German was widely spoken and used in Ohio during the 19th Century and up until the U.S. entered World War I in April 1917. After war was declared on Germany, street names were anglicized, schools were prohibited from teaching German, and meetings where German was spoken were broken up by the police.

The NPR Web site has the debate and a photo of the debaters (the photo accompanies this blog post, thanks NPR). You can hear streaming audio, and if my watch was correct Kucinich made his German comment around an hour and 51 minutes into the debate.

OH-05: NRCC Attacks Weirauch As Ally of Kucinich And Michael Moore

BOWLING GREEN, Ohio -- The National Republican Congressional Committee rips OH-05 Democratic candidate Robin Weirauch as an extreme liberal who "supports taxpayer-funded, government-run healthcare for illegal immigrants." The proof offered is a May 2006 press release issued by the theater and stage employees union, IATSE.

According to the NRCC -- the fundraising and electioneering arm of House Republicans -- Weirauch endorsed H.R. 676 in 2006 while the measure was pending in a previous Congress. The bill did not go anywhere and died in the GOP controlled House under former Speaker Dennis Hastert. Cleveland Democrat Dennis Kucinich and Toledo's Marcy Kaptur were cosponsors. The bill was a proposal to guarantee health care coverage to every America. Another version of the bill has been introduced this year and it has been endorsed Michael Moore, the movie director, author and political activist. The GOP says it is evidence that Weirauch holds "far-left positions."

Obama Stirs The Pot: Says He's Open To Authorizing Medical Marijuana

CINCINNATNI (TDB) -- Illinois Sen. Barack Obama admits he's inhaled. He's been honest enough to say inhaling is really "the point" of experimenting with marijuana in the first place. Now the Democratic presidential candidate also says he is open to the idea of approving marijuana use for medical purposes -- provided there is solid evidence it can alleviate pain.

Obama made his remarks in Audubon, Ia., on Sunday, and was careful to say he did not support legalizing pot. Surprisingly, his comments have not yet received much attention from the Main Stream Media.

But Douglas Burns, writing in the Iowa Independent blog, reports that a member of the public this week questioned Obama about his views on marijuana. The senator said he had tried it and wished he hadn't. He also said he could not understand why Bill Clinton famously said he had puffed on a joint but did not inhale. "The point was to inhale. That was the point," Obama said.

On medical marijuana, in response to the questioner, Obama said his mother died at age 53 from cancer. He said that medical protocols might be developed to allow those Americans who are terminally ill or in serious pain to use the drug to ease their suffering. He did not see any reason to ban marijuana from medical use if strict rules controlling access were applied.

"My attitude is, if the science and the doctors suggest that the best palliative care and the way to relieve pain and suffering is medical marijuana, then that's something I'm open to because there's no difference between that and morphine when it comes to just giving people relief from pain. But I want to do it under strict guidelines. I want it prescribed in the same way that other painkillers or palliative drugs are prescribed."

He seemed to deliver a straightforward message -- some narcotics are already being used as prescription painkillers. If there is a place for marijuana among them, then use it, too.

That's an acknowledgement many politicians refuse to make. In Ohio, State Sen. Bob Hagan, a Youngstown-area Democrat, introduced a measure last year to legalize medical marijuana that never made it out of a legislative committee. There is more about the Ohio medical marijuana campaign here. And Cleveland U.S. Rep. Dennis Kucinich has been a longtime proponent of easing the ban on medical marijuana. During his 2004 presidential campaign, Kucinich said he would sign an executive order allowing use of the drug. He hasn't changed his mind this year, either.

Kucinich's Fellow Traveler: Impeachment Book Author Also Saw A UFO

CINCINNATI (TDB) -- Dave Lindorff is coauthor of The Case For Impeachment, a 288-page book that lays out his grounds for removing President Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney from office. Lindorff, a writer and journalist from Philadelphia, disclosed today on Democrats.com that he, too, has witnessed a UFO. He says the fact that Cleveland U.S. Rep. Dennis Kucinich, D-10 Ohio, claims to have encountered an unidentified flying object years ago should not stop people from taking Kucinich -- who wants to impeach Cheney -- seriously as a presidential candidate. Lindorff is a Kucinich supporter, obviously.

Lindorff reports he saw the UFO sometime in 1970 in Connecticut. He described it as a small, shiny object. His account is here.

"The sun was glinting off of it, making it especially bright. It caught my attention because it was flying much faster than a commercial jet, and was leaving no contrail. There was no apparent shape to it. That is, I couldn't see wings or a tail, but it was pretty far off.

"I was just speculating as to whether it might be a supersonic military jet when suddenly the thing made an abrupt right angle turn, way beyond the capabilities of any airplane -- and so fast that anyone sitting inside it would have been killed by the G-forces -- and then shot straight up into the sky, much faster than before, and just disappeared."

[Snip]

"So does that preclude me from being taken seriously if I write about plans to restore the draft, or about the impeachable crimes of the Bush/Cheney administration? Of course not."

[Snip]

"And I feel much more comfortable voting for someone for president who admits to having seen a UFO like I have, than for someone who says god talks to him, or who says she won't preclude dropping a nuclear weapon on Afghanistan, and who cannot commit to having all US troops out of Iraq five years from now."

Kucinich Wins DFA Internet Poll: Hires Van For White House Move

CINCINNATI (TDB) -- The Cleveland congressman did finish first in the Democracy For America poll. He's hailing the results this evening as showing he's is atop the Democratic presidential pack in Iowa and New Hampshire.

OH-10 Dem Candidate Rosemary Palmer: Says Impeaching Cheney Is Waste Of Time

CLEVELAND (TDB) -- Democrat Rosemary Palmer, who lost a son in Iraq and hopes to end U.S. Rep. Dennis Kucinich's run as a Cleveland-area congressman, says the House has wasted time debating Kucinich's resolution to impeach Vice President Dick Cheney. She says President Bush and Cheney already are the "lamest of ducks." Palmer's son, Marine Lance Cpl. Edward "Augie" Schroeder, died in August 2005. She is opposed to the war but sees the impeachment effort as a sideshow to more pressing issues.

Her campaign bio is here and the full-text of her statement describing the impeachment effort as senseless is as follows:

"The idea of impeaching those responsible for an unnecessary war is certainly enticing, especially for those of us who have lost loved ones in Iraq. Impeachment would serve as retribution to those who have led the United States into a quagmire that has cost the lives of perhaps half a million people. But as a Gold Star Mother, I believe it is a waste of time.

"Any move to impeach the Vice President or President at this late stage of their term is an exercise in futility. The Bush Administration is the lamest of ducks. We know it and, no doubt, they know it too. But more important, impeachment would waste the time needed to address the challenges facing the United States and the 10th Congressional District.

"I believe that the American people want Congress to spend its energies on economic development, job creation, education and the environment. I believe the American people want Congress to work on solving the crisis in health insurance coverage, education and public infrastructure. And I believe the American people expect Congress to get our troops out of Iraq.

"Our country is in dire need of solutions to extremely pressing problems. We have people out of work, out of health insurance, losing pensions, losing homes, and, worst of all, losing hope. It is important that Congress act to achieve a better tomorrow rather than reproach the mistakes of yesterday.

"It is time to see the Bush Administration for what it is – running out of time and into the history books. It is time to get to work reinventing Cleveland. It is time to give hope back to the citizens of Northeast Ohio."

Fresh Poll Results: Bush 31%, UFOs and Ghosts 34%, Witches 19%

CINCINNATI (TDB) -- Thanks to a poll by The Associated Press and Ipsos we now know that Americans who believe in flying saucers and ghosts outnumber those who think President George W. Bush is doing a good job. Spooky, isn't it? The details are here. Still, there is some good news for Vice President Dick Cheney -- only 19% accept the idea of spells and witchcraft.

Meanwhile, U.S. Rep. Dennis Kucinich, OH-10, is reported to have seen a UFO while smelling the roses in Shirley MacLaine's yard. But the Cleveland Democrat's presidential campaign is running at about 1 percent in the national polls, so he's trailing both Bush and E.T.'s buddies. Maybe it's time for Kucinich to fold and call home . . .

Latest From Kucinich: I Will Ban U.S. Oil Companies From Iraq

CINCINNATI (TDB) -- The news comes via After Downing Street, the blog for an anti-war organization that wants to impeach President Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney. It quotes Cleveland Congressman Dennis Kucinich, D-10, pledging to introduce legislation that forbids U.S.-based oil companies from taking over Iraq's oilfields. Kucinich is a Democratic presidential candidate with scant support in the polls, but he is one of the loudest critics of the war.

"This Congress failed to prohibit oil companies from taking advantage of the U.S. invasion. I intend to close this major loophole by introducing legislation to prohibit U.S. oil companies from gaining financial interests or financial control of Iraq's oil resources."

Kucinich has protested Hunt Oil Company's deal with Iraq's Kurds. His statement said he sent a Sept. 18 letter to Secretary of State Rice "urging an immediate investigation into Hunt Oil Company's recent production sharing agreement for petroleum exploration with Kurdistan."

Kucinch Bails From Michigan Primary: Mum On Ohio Plans

CINCINNATI (TDB) -- U.S. Rep. Dennis Kucinich, the Cleveland Democrat on a hopeless quest for his party's 2008 White House nomination, says he wants to be removed from Michigan's presidential primary ballot. He still seems to be running in 49 other states.

Kucinich said he withdrew in order to support New Hampshire, Nevada and South Carolina, states that have early primaries approved by the Democratic National Committee. Kucinich did not mention that he doesn't seem to have significant support in Michigan, so his request to be removed from the ballot won't really effect the presidential race.

His press release is here. The Kucinich campaign said:

"We support the grassroots nature of the New Hampshire, small-scale primary, and we support the diversity efforts that Chairman (Howard) Dean and the DNC instituted last year, when they added Nevada and South Carolina to the window in January 2008. We are obviously committed to New Hampshire's historic role."

Ohio Dem Straw Poll Results: Obama Tops Hillary

CINCINNATI (TDB) -- Sen. Barack Obama cruised to a solid victory in the first presidential straw poll sponsored by a Democratic organization in Ohio. He received 36% of the vote in the non-binding beauty contest last night sponsored by the Hamilton County Democratic Party. The ballots were counted by optical-scan voting machines operated by volunteers from the county's board of election. Sen. Hillary Clinton finished second with 24% and John Edwards was third with 22%.

[UPDATE: 7:50 AM edt -- Here's another straw poll story from this morning's Cincinnati Enquirer. It is by the newspaper's veteran political writer Howard Wilkinson, who crossed paths a few times with The Bellwether at the event last night. In his report today, Wilkinson didn't seem to think much of Obama's showing. And he didn't seem to capture the enthusiasm of the straw poll process.]

Critics could dismiss the straw poll as unscientific, and they would be correct to a point. But the top tier of the Democratic field finished as the top tier, just as they do in the national polls except for one significant difference -- Clinton was not on top.

There were 285 ballots cast in a theater in a city neighborhood where the county Democratic organization held a rally for its City Council candidates. All the party's announced 2008 candidates were listed on the ballot. Al Gore, the party's 2000 nominee, was not included in the straw poll because he says he in not running, said Party Chair Tim Burke.

Here are the numbers and percentage for each candidate:

1. Barack Obama, D-Ill. -- 102 votes, 36%.

2. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y. -- 69 votes, 24%.

3. John Edwards, D-N.C. -- 64 votes, 22.4%.

4. Dennis Kucinich, D-OH. -- 17 votes, 6%.

5. Bill Richardson, D-N.M. -- 16 votes, 6%.

6. Joe Biden, D-DEL. -- 13 votes, 5%.

7. Chris Dodd, D-Conn. -- 4 votes, 2%.

8. Mike Gravel, D-Alaska -- 0.

The straw poll results run counter to scientific sampling by Quinnipiac University, which found earlier this month that Clinton was supported by 44% of Ohio Democrats sampled. Her lead put her far ahead of Obama at 15%. Edwards had 11% and the rest of the field, including Kucinich, was in single digits. National polls in the last three weeks also show Clinton with a huge lead, ranging from 18 to 20 points over Obama. Pollster Scott Rasmussen's survey of 750 likely voters Sept. 5-8 found Clinton supported by 43% of Democrats, and he has already declared her the default victor on the party's presidential primaries before a single vote has been cast.

Paul DeMarco, a Cincinnati lawyer who is organizing for the Obama campaign in Ohio, said the straw poll signals that the Hillary Clinton juggernaut may be overrated.

"We had a sense we would do very well. It doesn't take anything to turn out Barack supporters. It's like selling ice in the desert. This is important for us because it shows that his accessible campaign is working. He's been in Hamilton County four times, and anybody who wanted to see him could get in to see him and hear what he had to say. So that has generated tremendous energy. We think he's got appeal, and this shows that people will come out and vote for Barack Obama. Sure it's an important win. It may be a straw poll, but I'm really, really elated. "

Ohio's Kucinich Promoted: Now A U.S. Senator Says Syria's Baath Party News Service

CLEVELAND (TDB) -- It's Sen. Kucinich. That's what the state-run news agency SANA is telling the Arab world after the Ohio congressman spent about two-hours in Damascus with strongman Bashar al-Assad, where the Syrians claim he took a moment to bash U.S. ally Israel.

The Syrian Arab News Agency report repeatedly elevates the Cleveland Democrat's title, a misnomer that makes Kucinich appear a more important international visitor than he really is. The state-run new service also reported that Kucinich's comments reflected poorly upon Israel.

"The US Senator expressed deep concern and pain over results of Israeli aggression on Lebanon which left destruction that hit houses, mosques and charches and led to killing on civilians, most them children and women."

For the record, Kucinich is a member of the U.S. House who represents the west side of Cleveland and a handful suburbs. He is running for president, but doesn't really have any chance of winning.