The chairman is the highest officer of an organized group such as a board, committee, or deliberative assembly. The person holding the office is typically elected or appointed by the members of the group. The chairman presides over meetings of the assembled group and conducts its business in an orderly fashion. When the group is not in session, the officer's duties often include acting as its head, its representative to the outside world and its spokesperson.

Terminology[link]

Other terms sometimes used for the office and its holder include ''presiding officer'', ''president'', ''moderator'', ''chair'', and ''convenor''. The chairman of a parliamentary chamber is often called the ''speaker''. Though ''chairwoman'' is sometimes used as a female counterpart to ''chairman'', the terms ''chair'' and ''chairperson'' are sometimes used to avoid gendered titles altogether. The National Association of Parliamentarians does not approve using "chairperson". In the United States, the presiding officer of the "lower" house of a legislative body, such as the House of Representatives, is frequently titled the ''Speaker'', while the "upper" house, such as the Senate, is commonly chaired by a ''President''.

A ''vice-chairman'' (or ''deputy chairman''), subordinate to the chairman, is sometimes chosen to assist the chairman and to serve as chairman in the absence of the chairman, or when a motion involving the chairman is being discussed. In the absence of the chairman and vice chairman, groups sometimes elect a ''chairman pro tempore'' to fill the role for a single meeting.

The word ''chair'' can refer to the place from which the holder of the office presides, whether on a chair, at a lectern, or elsewhere. During meetings, the person presiding is said to be “in the chair”, the person is also referred to as “the chair.” Parliamentary procedure requires that members address the “chair” rather than the “chairman,” or by using a person's name. This is one of many customs intended to maintain the presiding officer's impartiality and insuring an objective and impersonal approach.

Riddick's Rules of Procedure, among others, claim an etymology of ''chairman'' as derived from the Latin ''manus'', or "hand", and use this to claim gender-neutrality for the word. Some etymologists consider this to be incorrect, and many dictionaries claim that the word is from "chair" (a seat or office of authority) and "man", a person.

Public corporations[link]

Among public corporations, there are generally two types of chairmen, executive and non-executive. The executive chairman also serves as an executive of the company, usually the chief executive officer (CEO), although it can exist as a separate position. The non-executive chairman holds no executive position with the company, and is usually an outsider with no other current or previous ties to it.

The non-executive Chairman's duties are typically limited to matters directly related to the board, such as:

Chairing the meetings of the board.

Organizing and coordinating the board's activities, such as by setting its annual agenda.

Reviewing and evaluating the performance of the CEO and the other board members.

Many U.S. companies have an executive chairman, and this method of organization is sometimes called the American model. Having a non-executive chair is common in the United Kingdom and Canada, and is sometimes called the British model. Expert opinion is rather evenly divided over which is the preferable model overall.

Companies with both an executive chairman and a CEO include Ford, HSBC, Google, and HP.

See also[link]

Board of Directors

European company law

Executive director

German company law

Non-executive director

Parliamentary procedure in the corporate world

UK company law

US corporate law

Notes[link]

References[link]

Category:Management occupations Category:Parliamentary procedure Category:Political neologisms

cs:Ředitel de:Vorsitzender fa:رییس هیئت مدیره ko:주석 (호칭) id:Ketua it:Presidente del consiglio di amministrazione lt:Pirmininkas ml:അദ്ധ്യക്ഷൻ nl:Voorzitter ja:会長 no:Styreleder nn:Styreleiar ru:Председатель (должность) simple:Chairperson fi:Puheenjohtaja sv:Ordförande vi:Chủ tịch yi:יושב ראש zh-yue:主席 zh:主席

Birthname	Elizabeth Herring
Office	Special Advisor for the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau
President	Barack Obama
Term start	September 17, 2010
Term end	August 1, 2011
Predecessor	Position established
Successor	Raj Date
Office2	Chairperson of the Congressional Oversight Panel
Deputy2	Damon Silvers
Term start2	November 25, 2008
Term end2	November 15, 2010
Predecessor2	Position established
Successor2	Ted Kaufman
Birth date	June 22, 1949
Birth place	Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, U.S.
Alma mater	University of HoustonRutgers University, Newark
Party	Democratic Party(1995–present)
Otherparty	Republican Party(Before 1995)
Religion	Methodist
Spouse	Jim Warren (1968–1978)Bruce Mann (1980–present)
Children	AmeliaAlexander
Website	Harvard biographyCampaign website }}

Elizabeth Warren (born June 22, 1949) is an American bankruptcy law expert, policy advocate, Harvard Law School professor, and Democratic Party candidate in the 2012 United States Senate election in Massachusetts. She has written several academic and popular books concerning the American economy and personal finance. She contributed to the oversight of the 2008 U.S. bailout program, and also led the conception and establishment of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

Born in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, Warren attended The George Washington University and the University of Houston. She received a J.D. from Rutgers School of Law–Newark in 1976. Warren taught law at several universities and was listed by the Association of American Law Schools as a minority law professor throughout the 1980s and 1990s. In the wake of the U.S. financial crisis, Warren served as chair of the Congressional Oversight Panel created to oversee the Troubled Assets Relief Program in 2008. She later served as Assistant to the President and Special Advisor to the Secretary of the Treasury for the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau under U.S. President Barack Obama.

Early life and education[link]

Elizabeth Herring was born June 22, 1949, in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, to working class parents Pauline (née Reed) and Donald Jones Herring. She was the Herrings' fourth child, with three older brothers. When Warren was twelve, her father, a janitor, had a heart attack, which led to a pay cut, medical bills, and eventually the loss of their car. Her mother answered phones at Sears and Warren worked as a waitress.

At Northwest Classen High School she was named "Oklahoma's top high-school debater". She received a debate-team scholarship to George Washington University at the age of 16. Initially aspiring to be a teacher, she left GWU after two years to marry her high-school boyfriend Jim Warren. She moved to Houston to be with her husband, who was a NASA engineer. There she enrolled in the University of Houston where she graduated in 1970 with a degree in speech pathology and audiology. She taught children with disabilities for a year in a public school. However, she had not taken the required education courses to get a teaching certificate (she previously taught under an "emergency certificate"). After taking several graduate education courses, she decided she no longer wanted to pursue education as a career. She and her husband moved to New Jersey and since she was pregnant with their first child, she decided to stay at home for a few years.

After making a decision to study law, Warren enrolled at the Rutgers School of Law–Newark, where she served as an editor of the ''Rutgers Law Review'', and was a summer associate at Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft's. Shortly before her graduation in 1976, she became pregnant with her second child and she worked from home, writing wills and doing real estate closings.

She and Jim had two children before divorcing in 1978: Amelia Warren Tyagi, with whom Elizabeth would later coauthor two books and several articles, and a son, Alexander Warren. Today they have three grandchildren. In 1980, Warren married Bruce Mann, also a Harvard law professor. She cites Methodist founder John Wesley as an inspiration.

Academic career[link]

Throughout the 1980s and 1990s she taught law at several universities throughout the country, while researching bankruptcy and middle-class personal finance. In 1978 Congress had passed a law that made it easier for companies and individuals to declare bankruptcy and Warren decided "to set out to prove they were all a bunch of cheaters... I was going to expose these people who were taking advantage of the rest of us". However, she instead found that the vast majority of those in bankruptcy courts were from hardworking middle-class families: people who had lost their jobs or had family breakups or illnesses that had wiped out their savings. "It changed my vision," she said.

According to her CV, she taught at the Rutgers School of Law–Newark (1977–78), the University of Houston Law Center (1978–83), the University of Michigan (visiting, 1985), and the University of Texas School of Law (1981–87). She also worked as a research associate at the University of Texas at Austin (1983–87). She joined the University of Pennsylvania Law School in 1987, where she became the William A Schnader Professor of Commercial Law in 1990. She joined Harvard Law School in 1992 as the Robert Braucher Visiting Professor of Commercial Law, and began a permanent position as the Leo Gottlieb Professor of Law in 1995.

In 1995 Warren was asked to advise the National Bankruptcy Review Commission. She helped to draft the commission's report and then spent several years opposing legislation meant to severely restrict the right of consumers to file for bankruptcy. Warren and others opposing the legislation were not successful and in 2005 the Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act of 2005 was passed by Congress.

Warren appeared in the documentary film ''Maxed Out'' in 2006, has appeared several times on ''Dr. Phil'' to talk about money and families, has been a guest on ''The Daily Show'', is interviewed frequently on cable news networks, appears in Michael Moore's ''Capitalism: A Love Story'', has appeared on the ''Charlie Rose'' talk show, and has appeared on the ''Real Time With Bill Maher'' talk show. She has also appeared on the PBS show ''NOW''.

From November 2006 to November 2010, Warren was a member of the FDIC Advisory Committee on Economic Inclusion, which advises the FDIC "on important initiatives focused on expanding access to banking services by underserved populations". She is a member of the National Bankruptcy Conference, an independent organization which advises the U.S. Congress on bankruptcy law. She is a former Vice-President of the American Law Institute and a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. From 2005 to 2008, Warren and her law students wrote a blog called Warren Reports, part of Josh Marshall's TPMCafe.

Popular works[link]

In addition to writing more than 100 scholarly articles and six academic books, Warren has written several best-selling books, including ''All Your Worth: The Ultimate Lifetime Money Plan'', coauthored with her daughter, Amelia Tyagi.

Warren and Tyagi also wrote ''The Two-Income Trap: Why Middle-Class Mothers and Fathers Are Going Broke''. Warren and Tyagi point out that a fully employed worker today earns less inflation-adjusted income than a fully employed worker did 30 years ago. To increase their income, families have sent a second parent into the workforce. Although families spend less today on clothing, appliances, and other consumption, the costs of core expenses such as mortgages, health care, transportation, and child care have increased dramatically. The result is that even with two-income earners, families are no longer able to save and have incurred greater and greater debt.

In an article in ''The New York Times'', Jeff Madrick said of Warren's book:

}}

In an article in ''Time'' magazine by Maryanna Murray Buechner, "Parent Trap" (subtitled "Want to go bust? Have a kid. Educate same. Why the middle class never had it so bad"), Buechner said of Warren's book:

}}

In 2005, David Himmelstein and Warren published a study on bankruptcy and medical bills, which said that half of all families filing for bankruptcy did so in the aftermath of a serious medical problem. The finding was particularly noteworthy because 75 percent of families who fit that description had medical insurance. This study was widely cited in academic studies and policy debates, though some have challenged the study's methods and offered alternative interpretations of the data.

TARP oversight[link]

On November 14, 2008, Warren was appointed by United States Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid to chair the five-member Congressional Oversight Panel created to oversee the implementation of the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act. The Panel releases monthly oversight reports that evaluate the government bailout and related programs. The Panel's monthly reports under Warren's leadership covered foreclosure mitigation, consumer and small business lending, commercial real estate, AIG, bank stress tests, the impact of the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) on the financial markets, government guarantees, the automotive industry, and many other topics. The Panel has also released special reports on financial regulatory reform and farm loans. For each report, Warren released a video on the Congressional Oversight Panel's website explaining key findings.

In an interview at ''Newsweek'', Warren commented, "To restore some basic sanity to the financial system, we need two central changes: fix broken consumer-credit markets and end guarantees for the big players that threaten our entire economic system."

On July 29, 2011, she left her role with the agency to return to academic life at Harvard Law School. Her departing address indicated how she first became involved: a middle class that has been squeezed and business models built on tricks and trapsare deeply personal to me, and they always will be.}}

Consumer Financial Protection Bureau[link]

Warren has long advocated for the creation of a new Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, a watchdog agency designed to "make basic financial practices such as taking out a mortgage or loan more clear and transparent while ferreting out unfair lending practices," according to CNN. In an interview with the Huffington Post, Warren said "My first choice is a strong consumer agency. My second choice is no agency at all and plenty of blood and teeth left on the floor". Through Warren's efforts, the bureau was established by the Dodd–Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act signed into law by Obama in July 2010. For the first year after the bill's signing, Warren worked on implementation of the bureau as a Special Assistant to the President in anticipation of the agency's formal opening. While liberal groups and consumer advocacy groups pushed for Obama to nominate Warren as the agency's permanent director, Warren was strongly opposed by financial institutions which had criticized Warren as overly aggressive in pursuing regulations, and by the Republican members of Congress. Furthermore, she did not have the strong support of the Obama administration, particularly Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner. In July 2011, Obama instead announced the nomination of former Ohio Attorney General Richard Cordray as the bureau's director, subject to Congressional approval. However, in December his nomination was blocked by a Republican-led filibuster in the Senate. Until a director is confirmed, the agency will not gain the full measure of its powers. It can supervise the compliance of banks with existing laws, but the Dodd-Frank financial legislation dictates that it cannot supervise other financial companies or write new rules. On 4 January 2012, President Obama named Ohio Attorney General Richard Cordray the Bureau's Director in a recess appointment.

2012 US Senate run[link]

On September 14, 2011, Warren declared that she intended to run for the Democratic nomination for the 2012 election in Massachusetts for the United States Senate seat currently held by incumbent Scott Brown. On September 21, a video of Warren explaining the rationale of her economic policy received attention on the Internet.

Cherokee self-identification controversy[link]

Warren listed herself as a minority in the Association of American Law Schools directory of law professors, from 1986 to 1995. The Brown campaign, the Native American Rights Fund, and a group of more than 150 Cherokees organized by Cherokee genealogist and activist David Cornsilk have questioned her motives for the claim and its propriety. The group, “Cherokees Demand Truth from Elizabeth Warren”, plans a protest at the Massachusetts Democratic Convention on June 2, 2012.

Genealogist Chris Child at the New England Historic Genealogical Society researched Warren's claimed native ancestry but found nothing conclusive. According to Child, “Once you go back further than 150 years the records are more complicated to go through,” and it may take weeks to months to make a determination. Warren said that she had heard family stories about her Cherokee ancestors her entire life and had hoped it would create opportunities to meet people like her (even though the directory does not specify which minority professors belong to). But according to Warren, such opportunities never materialized and she eventually "stopped checking it off".

A month after the controversy began the ''Boston Globe'' discovered documents indicating that the Harvard University Law School had reported employing a Native American professor to the U.S. government in the years immediately before and after Warren left Harvard for a stint at the University of Pennsylvania. The most recent diversity census, for 2011, still shows one Native American professor. The census says that “Race/Ethnicity designations are from self-report data”. Warren, who does not meet the federal diversity definition of "Native American," admitted providing the information that she was a Native American to University of Pennsylvania and Harvard faculty in conversations after she was hired but denied that "there was [any] reporting for this". The Washington Post observed that she had "turned what could have been a small problem into a major story" by the way she had handled the issue.

According to a Suffolk University/7NEWS (WHDH-Boston) poll of 600 likely voters on May 20-22, 2012 there was 72 percent awareness of the controversy. 69 percent said Warren’s Native American heritage listing was not a significant story and 27 percent said it was.

Recognition[link]

Since about 2009, Warren has been recognized by several institutions as a major political figure. In 2009, the ''Boston Globe'' named her the Bostonian of the Year, and the Women's Bar Association of Massachusetts honored her with the Lelia J. Robinson Award. She was named one of ''Time Magazine'''s 100 Most Influential People in the World in 2009 and 2010. The ''National Law Journal'' has repeatedly named Warren as one of the Fifty Most Influential Women Attorneys in America, and in 2010 they honored her as one of the 40 most influential attorneys of the decade.

Warren has been recognized for her dynamic teaching style. In 2009, Warren became the first professor in Harvard's history to win the law school's teaching award twice. The Sacks-Freund Teaching Award was voted on by the graduating class in honor of "her teaching ability, openness to student concerns, and contributions to student life at Harvard." Warren also has won awards from her students at the University of Pennsylvania, the University of Michigan, and the University of Houston Law Center. She delivered the commencement address at the Rutgers School of Law–Newark in May 2011, where she was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Laws degree and was conferred membership into the Order of the Coif.

Publications[link]

;Selected articles "The Vanishing Middle Class". In

;Books (with Teresa A. Sullivan and Jay Westbrook) (with Teresa A. Sullivan and Jay Westbrook) (with Amelia Warren Tyagi) (with Amelia Warren Tyagi) (with Lynn M. LoPucki, Daniel Keating, Ronald Mann, and Normal Goldenberg) (with Jay Westbrook) (with Lynn M. LoPucki)

See also[link]

Social class in the United States

Notes[link]

References[link]

External links[link]

Elizabeth Warren U.S. Senate campaign website

Elizabeth Warren at Harvard Law School

*Bibliography

Elizabeth Warren collected news and commentary at ''Salon.com''

Financial information at OpenSecrets.org

;Interviews and articles

Generation, Gap, and interview with Elizabeth Warrn in ''Guernica Magazine''

Elizabeth Warren: a tough sheriff in finance's Wild West, ''The Daily Telegraph''

Warren Winning Means You Won't Sell It If You Can't Explain It, Bloomberg

In fight over credit rules, she wields a plan, ''Boston Globe''

Bank Buster, Mother Jones

The Debt Crusader: Inspired by Dr. Phil, Harvard's Elizabeth Warren has gone to D.C. to change the way America borrows, Newsweek

Elizabeth Warren on the Economy, NOW on PBS

Video: Elizabeth Warren, New Yorker, Nov. 16, 2009

Interview with Yahoo! Finance, Oct. 16, 2009

Voices of Power Video: Elizabeth Warren, Washington Post, Oct. 8, 2009

Interview with Elizabeth Warren from Frontline

Elizabeth Warren on NPR link to full interview for show of May 8, 2009

UCTV programs with Elizabeth Warren

*The Coming Collapse of the Middle Class: Higher Risks, Lower Rewards, and a Shrinking Safety Net

*Conversations with History: Law, Politics, and the Coming Collapse of the Middle Class with Elizabeth Warren

Warren says Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is Obama's "Strongest Financial Reform" – video report by ''Democracy Now!''

|- |- |-

Category:1949 births Category:Living people Category:American academics Category:American Methodists Category:American economics writers Category:American female lawyers Category:American finance and investment writers Category:Harvard Law School faculty Category:Massachusetts Democrats Category:Northwest Classen High School alumni Category:Obama Administration personnel Category:People from Oklahoma City, Oklahoma Category:Rutgers School of Law–Newark alumni Category:University of Houston alumni Category:University of Michigan faculty Category:University of Pennsylvania faculty

de:Elizabeth Warren es:Elizabeth Warren fr:Elizabeth Warren it:Elizabeth Warren no:Elizabeth Warren pl:Elizabeth Warren

Edo de Waart (born 1 June 1941, Amsterdam) is a Dutch conductor, and the Music Director of both the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra and the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra.

De Waart studied oboe, piano and conducting at the Sweelinck Conservatory, graduating in 1962. The following year, he was appointed associate principal oboe of the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra.

Orchestral conducting[link]

In 1964, at the age of 23, he won the Dimitri Mitropoulos Conducting Competition in New York. As part of his prize, he served for one year as assistant conductor to Leonard Bernstein at the New York Philharmonic. On his return to the Netherlands, he was appointed assistant conductor of the Concertgebouw Orchestra under Bernard Haitink.

In 1967, he was appointed conductor of both the Netherlands Wind Ensemble and Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra, and was the latter's music director from 1973 to 1979.

De Waart made his début at the San Francisco Symphony in 1975. A year later, he became principal guest conductor, and from 1977 to 1985 he was its music director. From 1986 to 1995, he was music director of the Minnesota Orchestra.

In 1989, de Waart returned to the Netherlands where he was appointed music director of the Netherlands Radio Philharmonic. He resigned from the post in 2004 and now he is the orchestra's conductor laureate.

De Waart became chief conductor and artistic adviser of the Sydney Symphony Orchestra in 1993. In early 1999, after two successful terms with the orchestra, including taking it on a very well received tour of the United States, he announced he would be leaving by the end of the year. The orchestra's management was fully engaged in the process of finding his replacement, when he realised he loved the job so much that he decided to stay on longer. He left the post in 2003. While in Sydney, he made no secret of his dislike of the acoustics of the Sydney Opera House Concert Hall, the orchestra's home. He said ".. if there is no clear intention to do something to improve the hall, then we really seriously have to look at another venue".

In 2004, de Waart became artistic director and chief conductor of the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra. In November 2007, de Waart and the Hong Kong Philharmonic agreed on a contract extension of his tenure to 2012.

On January 3, 2008, de Waart was named the sixth music director of the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, and took up the post in September 2009. In March 2008, the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra announced that de Waart is scheduled to become an Artistic Partner with the orchestra in the 2010-2011 season.

De Waart has been a guest conductor with the major orchestras throughout the world including the Berlin Philharmonic, Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra, Philharmonia, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, Boston Symphony Orchestra, Cleveland Orchestra, Los Angeles Philharmonic and Chicago Symphony Orchestra.

On March 10, 2010, de Waart announced that he would step down from the post of Chief Conductor and Artistic Director of Hong Kong Philharmonic after the 2011-2012 season. A few weeks after that, on April 2, the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra announced that de Waart received a contract extension with that organization through the 2016-2017 season. Also in April 2010, the Royal Flemish Philharmonic (deFilharmonie) announced de Waart had signed a contract to become its Chief Conductor for six seasons from the 2012-2013 season.

Opera[link]

De Waart has also been a frequent conductor of opera. De Waart made his first conducting appearance at the Santa Fe Opera (SFO) in 1971, in a production of ''The Flying Dutchman''.

He debuted at the Houston Grand Opera in 1975, the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden in 1976, and the Bayreuth Festspielhaus in 1979. From 1970, he conducted the DNO frequently. In 1980, he directed a ''Ring'' cycle at the San Francisco Opera.

In March 2002, de Waart announced his departure in 2004 as chief conductor of the Netherlands Opera (DNO), a position he filled since 1999. In giving his reason for leaving, de Waart mentioned his desire to spend time with his two small children. However, de Waart also mentioned in an interview with the newspaper ''Trouw'' his disagreement with the conceptual staging of ''Lohengrin '' by DNO director Pierre Audi and the planned ''Madame Butterfly'' of Robert Wilson. De Waart said he missed "humanity" and "emotion in the direction."

In July 2007, the Santa Fe Opera named de Waart their chief conductor, effective 1 October 2007. His initial contract was for 4 years. However, in November 2008, SFO announced that de Waart would vacate the position before the end of his contract, no earlier than the end of the 2009 season. de Waart cited health and family reasons for this decision.

In recent seasons, he has conducted a new production of ''Der Rosenkavalier'' for Opéra Bastille, ''The Magic Flute'' and ''Figaro'' for the Metropolitan Opera and ''Katya Kabanová'', ''Werther'', ''Peter Grimes'', ''The Makropulos Affair'', ''Madama Butterfly'', ''Fidelio'', ''Les Troyens'' in Amsterdam. Other recent productions include ''Boris Godunov'' for the Grand Théâtre de Genève, ''Figaro'' for the Salzburg Festival and ''Beatrice et Benedict'' for Santa Fe Opera. In Sydney, he led concert performances of Richard Wagner's Ring cycle, a project which started in 1995 and culminated in performances of ''Götterdämmerung'' as part of the 2000 Sydney Olympic Arts Festival. He also conducted opera-in-concert performances of Richard Strauss' ''Salome'' and ''Elektra'' with the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra, to critical acclaim.

Repertoire[link]

An avid promoter of contemporary music, de Waart led premieres of works by John Adams, whose opera ''Nixon in China'' he has recorded; Steve Reich, whose ''Variations for Winds, Strings and Keyboards'' he has recorded; and others in San Francisco.

Recordings[link]

Edo de Waart's recording catalogue is extensive, encompassing recordings with the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra, Netherlands Radio Philharmonic, Sydney Symphony Orchestra, Minnesota Orchestra, and San Francisco Symphony.

Honours[link]

Edo de Waart was awarded the Australian Centenary Medal in 2001, "for service to Australian society and the advancement of music".

In May 2005, he was appointed an Honorary Officer of the Order of Australia, "for service to Australia, particularly as Chief Conductor and Artistic Director of the Sydney Symphony Orchestra".

Moreover, he is a knight in the Order of the Netherlands Lion.

Personal life[link]

De Waart maintains two residences, an apartment in Hong Kong and a house in Middleton, Wisconsin, hometown of his (sixth) wife, Rebecca Dopp, whom he married in 1999. De Waart and Dopp have two children: a son, Sebastiaan, and a daughter, Olivia. The family left Hong Kong to accommodate the asthma of their young son.

References[link]

External links[link]

Video Edo de Waart conducting in Milwaukee at the MSO

Harrison Parrott Agency biography of Edo de Waart

Category:1941 births Category:Living people Category:Dutch classical musicians Category:Dutch conductors (music) Category:Dutch oboists Category:People from Amsterdam Category:Alumni of the Conservatorium van Amsterdam Category:Players of the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra Category:Honorary Officers of the Order of Australia Category:Knights of the Order of the Netherlands Lion Category:Conductors (music) awarded knighthoods Category:Recipients of the Centenary Medal

ca:Edo de Waart de:Edo de Waart fr:Edo de Waart it:Edo de Waart he:אדו דה וארט nl:Edo de Waart ja:エド・デ・ワールト fi:Edo de Waart zh-yue:艾度迪華特 zh:艾度·迪華特

name	General Johnson
background	solo_singer
birth name	General Norman Johnson
birth date	May 23, 1941
Birth place	Norfolk, Virginia, United States
death date	October 13, 2010
Death place	Atlanta, Georgia, United States
origin	Huntersville, Virginia
instrument	Vocals
occupation	Singer songwriter, record producer
years active	1961–2010
associated acts	Chairmen of the Board, The Showmen
website	http://www.chairmenoftheboard.com/
notable instruments	}}

General Norman Johnson (May 23, 1941 – October 13, 2010) was the frontman of Chairmen of the Board and an American rhythm and blues songwriter and record producer.

Biography[link]

Johnson made an early start in music when he began singing in his church choir at the age of six. His recording debut came six years later on Atlantic Records, who waxed his group the Humdingers, although the tracks remain unreleased. In 1961, and following a change in name to The Showmen, Johnson and the group issued via Minit Records the single "It Will Stand." The track was a chart hit in both 1961 and 1964. Although The Showmen recorded other offerings for Minit and Swan, including such hits as "39-21-46", they split up in 1968.

Johnson attempted an abortive solo career before joining the then new Invictus label in Detroit, Michigan. Steered by Holland-Dozier-Holland, Johnson recruited Danny Woods (ex-The Showmen), Harrison Kennedy, and Eddie Curtis and created Chairmen of the Board. Their debut single, "Give Me Just a Little More Time", rose to #3 in the US ''Billboard'' R&B; chart in 1970. Further hits included "(You've Got Me) Dangling on a String" and "Everything's Tuesday."

Johnson commenced a career as songwriter with "Pay to the Piper," becoming a modest success for Chairmen of the Board. Other songs he penned were successful when recorded by other musicians. These included the Grammy Award winning "Patches" for Clarence Carter (Jerry Reed also recorded a country music cover version). Invictus Records labelmates Honey Cone recorded the Johnson penned tracks "Want Ads", "Stick Up," and "One Monkey Don't Stop No Show." Also Johnson wrote "Bring the Boys Home", for Freda Payne.

Chairmen of the Board's popularity diminshed in the middle of the 1970s, although Johnson and Woods remained together re-billed as the Chairmen. Johnson tried a solo career again in 1979, and his debut solo album on Arista Records was a modest success. He teamed up again with Woods in the following decade, making a living on the beach music circuit. In 1993, having lost little of his distinctive vocal style, Johnson released another album, ''What Goes Around Comes Around'', recorded with Woods.

In recognition of the contribution that Johnson has made to American popular music, the Virginia General Assembly designated June 9, 2001 as General Johnson Day in Virginia.

Johnson died on October 13, 2010, in suburban Atlanta, Georgia. His obituary in ''The New York Times'' reported that his family attributed his death to complications of lung cancer. Other obituaries did not mention lung cancer but did note that he was recovering from recent knee surgery.

Discography[link]

''General Johnson - Arista Records LP, AL 4082, 1976

See also[link]

List of people from Hampton Roads

References[link]

External links[link]

[ Chairmen of the Board biography] at Allmusic website [ General Johnson biography] at Allmusic website

General Johnson interview by Pete Lewis, 'Blues & Soul' August 1987 (reprinted December 2010)

An interview with General at Soul Express

Category:1941 births Category:2010 deaths Category:American male singers Category:American rhythm and blues musicians Category:American gospel singers Category:American singer-songwriters Category:Songwriters from Virginia Category:American record producers Category:Grammy Award winners Category:Musicians from Virginia Category:People from Norfolk, Virginia Category:Deaths from lung cancer Category:Cancer deaths in Georgia (U.S. state)

cs:General Johnson pt:General Norman Johnson

birthname	Dennis John Kucinich
state	Ohio
district	10th
term start	January 3, 1997
predecessor	Martin Hoke
state senate2	Ohio
state2	Ohio
district2	23rd
term start2	January 3, 1995
term end2	January 2, 1997
preceded2	Anthony Sinagra
succeeded2	Patrick Sweeney
order3	53rd
office3	Mayor of Cleveland
term start3	January 26, 1978
term end3	November 6, 1979
predecessor3	Ralph J. Perk
successor3	George Voinovich
birth date	October 08, 1946
birth place	Cleveland, Ohio
nationality	American
party	Democratic Party
spouse	Helen Kucinich (divorced)Sandra Lee McCarthy (1977–1986, divorced)Elizabeth Kucinich (2005–present)
children	Jackie Kucinich
alma mater	Cleveland State UniversityCase Western Reserve University
religion	Roman Catholic
residence	Cleveland
website	}}

Dennis John Kucinich (; born October 8, 1946) is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 1997. He was furthermore a candidate for the Democratic nomination for President of the United States in the 2004 and 2008 presidential elections.

The district includes most of western Cleveland as well as suburbs such as Parma and Lakewood. He is a member of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce.

From 1977 to 1979, Kucinich served as the 53rd mayor of Cleveland, Ohio, a tumultuous term in which he survived a recall election and was successful in a battle against selling the municipal electric utility before being defeated for reelection by George Voinovich.

Through his various governmental positions and campaigns, Kucinich has attracted attention for consistently delivering "the strongest liberal" perspective. This perspective has been shown by his actions, such as bringing articles of impeachment against President George W. Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney, and being the only Democratic candidate in the 2008 election to have voted against invading Iraq, although eventual nominee Barack Obama had also opposed the Iraq War at the time it was started, even though he had not been in Congress at the time.

Due to redistricting by the Republican-controlled state legislature following the 2010 state elections, Ohio's 9th congressional district absorbed part of Cuyahoga County, abolishing Kucinich's district and pitting him against 9th district incumbent Marcy Kaptur in the 2012 Democratic primary, which he lost.

Personal life [link]

Kucinich was born in Cleveland, Ohio, on October 8, 1946, as the eldest of the seven children of Frank and Virginia Kucinich. His father, a truck driver, was of Croat ancestry; his Irish American mother was a homemaker. Growing up, his family moved 21 times and Dennis was often charged with the responsibility of finding apartments they could afford.

He attended Cleveland State University from 1967 to 1970. In 1973, he graduated from Case Western Reserve University with both a Bachelor and a Master of Arts degree in speech and communication. Kucinich was baptized a Roman Catholic. Kucinich married Sandra Lee McCarthy in 1977; they had a daughter named Jackie in 1981 and divorced in 1986. He married his third wife, Elizabeth Harper, a British citizen, on August 21, 2005. The two met while Harper was working as an assistant for the Chicago-based American Monetary Institute, which brought her to Kucinich's House of Representatives office for a meeting.

Dennis was raised with four brothers, Larry, Frank, Gary and Perry; and two sisters, Theresa and Beth Ann. On December 19, 2007, Perry Kucinich, the youngest brother, was found dead in his apartment. On November 11, 2008, his youngest sister, Beth Ann Kucinich, also died.

Early career [link]

Kucinich's political career began early. After running unsuccessfully in 1967, Kucinich was elected to the Cleveland City Council in 1969 at the age of twenty-three. In 1972, Kucinich ran for a seat in the United States House of Representatives, losing narrowly to incumbent Republican William E. Minshall, Jr. After Minshall's retirement in 1974 Kucinich sought the seat again, this time failing to get the Democratic nomination, which instead went to Ronald M. Mottl. Kucinich ran as an Independent candidate in the general election, placing third with about 30% of the vote. In 1975, Kucinich became clerk of the municipal court in Cleveland and served in that position for two years.

Cleveland mayoralty [link]

Kucinich was elected Mayor of Cleveland in 1977 and served in that position until 1979. At thirty-one years of age, he was the youngest mayor of a major city in the United States, earning him the nickname "the boy mayor of Cleveland". Kucinich's tenure as mayor is often regarded as one of the most tumultuous in Cleveland's history. After Kucinich refused to sell Muni Light, Cleveland's publicly owned electric utility, the Cleveland mafia put out a hit on Kucinich. A hit man from Maryland planned to shoot him in the head during the Columbus Day Parade, but the plot fell apart when Kucinich was hospitalized and missed the event. When the city fell into default shortly thereafter, the mafia leaders called off the contract killer.

Specifically, it was the Cleveland Trust Company that suddenly required all of the city's debts be paid in full, which forced the city into default, after news of Kucinich's refusal to sell the city utility. For years, these debts were routinely rolled over, pending future payment, until Kucinich's announcement was made public. In 1998 the Cleveland City Council honored him for having had the "courage and foresight" to stand up to the banks, which saved the city an estimated $195 million between 1985 and 1995.

Post-mayoralty [link]

After losing his re-election bid for Mayor to George Voinovich in 1979, Kucinich initially kept a low profile in Cleveland politics. He criticized a tax referendum proposed by Voinovich in 1980, which voters eventually approved. He also struggled to find employment and moved to Los Angeles, California, where he stayed with a friend, actress Shirley MacLaine. During the next three years, Kucinich worked as a radio talk-show host, lecturer, and consultant. It was a difficult period for Kucinich financially. Without a steady paycheck, Kucinich fell behind in his mortgage payments, nearly lost his house in Cleveland, and ended up borrowing money from friends, including MacLaine, to keep it. On his 1982 income tax return, Kucinich reported an income of $38. When discussing this period, Kucinich stated, "When I was growing up in Cleveland, my early experience conditioned me to hang in there and not to quit... It's one thing to experience that as a child, but when you have to as an adult, it has a way to remind you how difficult things can be. You understand what people go through."

In 1982, Kucinich moved back to Cleveland and ran for Secretary of State; however, he lost the Democratic primary to Sherrod Brown. In 1983, Kucinich won a special election to fill the seat of a Cleveland city councilman who had died. His brother, Gary Kucinich, was also a councilman at the time.

In 1985, there was some speculation that Kucinich might run for mayor again. Instead, his brother Gary ran against (and lost to) the incumbent Voinovich. Kucinich, meanwhile, gave up his council position to run for Governor of Ohio as an independent against Richard Celeste, but later withdrew from the race. After this, Kucinich, in his own words "on a quest for meaning," lived quietly in New Mexico until 1994, when he won a seat in the Ohio State Senate.

House of Representatives [link]

In 1996, Kucinich was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, representing the 10th district of Ohio. He defeated two-term Republican incumbent Martin Hoke by three percentage points. However, he has never faced another contest nearly that close, and has since been re-elected six times.

Committee assignments [link]

Committee on Education and the Workforce

* Subcommittee on Workforce Protections

* Subcommittee on Health, Employment, Labor, and Pensions

Committee on Oversight and Government Reform

* Subcommittee on Regulatory Affairs, Stimulus Oversight and Government Spending (Ranking Member)

Domestic policy voting record [link]

Kucinich helped introduce and is one of 93 cosponsors (as of Feb. 22, 2010) in the House of Representatives of the United States National Health Care Act or HR 676 proposed by Rep. John Conyers in 2003, which provides for a universal single-payer public health-insurance plan.

In 2008, Kucinich introduced articles of impeachment in the House of Representatives against President George W. Bush for the invasion and occupation of Iraq.

Although his voting record is not always in line with that of the Democratic Party, on March 17, 2010, after being courted by President Barack Obama, his wife and others, he reluctantly agreed to vote with his colleagues for the Healthcare Bill without a public option component.

Kucinich voted against the USA PATRIOT Act, against the Military Commissions Act of 2006, and was one of six who voted against the Violent Radicalization and Homegrown Terrorism Act. He also voted for authorizing and directing the Committee on the Judiciary to investigate whether sufficient grounds existed for the impeachment of Bill Clinton.

Kucinich criticized the flag-burning amendment and voted against the impeachment of President Bill Clinton. His congressional voting record has leaned strongly toward a pro-life stance, although he noted that he has never supported a constitutional amendment prohibiting abortion altogether. In 2003, however, he began describing himself as pro-choice and said he had shifted away from his earlier position on the issue. Press releases have indicated that he is pro-choice and supports ending the abstinence-only policy of sex education and increasing the use of contraception to make abortion "less necessary" over time. His voting record since 2003 has reflected mixed ratings from abortion rights groups.

He has criticized Diebold Election Systems (now Premier Election Solutions) for promoting voting machines that fail to leave a traceable paper trail. He was one of the thirty-one who voted in the House to not count the electoral votes from Ohio in the United States presidential election, 2004.

Foreign policy record [link]

Kucinich has criticized the foreign policy of President Bush, including the 2003 invasion of Iraq and what he perceives as growing American hostility towards Iran. He has always voted against funding it. In 2005, he voted against the Iran Freedom and Support Act, calling it a "stepping stone to war". He also signed a letter of solidarity with Hugo Chávez in Venezuela in 2004.

He advocates the abolition of all nuclear weapons, calling on the United States to be the leader in multilateral disarmament. Kucinich has also strongly opposed space-based weapons and has sponsored legislation, HR 2977, banning the deployment and use of space-based weapons.

Kucinich advocates US withdrawal from the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) because, in his view, it causes the loss of more American jobs than it creates, and does not provide adequate protections for worker rights and safety and environmental safeguards. He is against the Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA) for the same reason.

Kucinich is also in favor of increased dialog with Iran in order to avoid a militaristic confrontation at all costs. He expressed such sentiments at an American Iranian Council conference in New Brunswick, New Jersey which included Chuck Hagel, Javad Zarif, Nicholas Kristof, and Anders Liden to discuss Iranian-American relations, and potential ways to increase dialog in order to avoid conflict.

He believes the US should move aggressively to reduce emissions that cause climate change due to global warming and should ratify the Kyoto Protocol, a major international agreement signed by over 160 countries to reduce the amount of greenhouse gases emitted by each signatory.

Kucinich and Ron Paul are the only two congressional representatives who voted against the Rothman-Kirk Resolution, which calls on the United Nations to charge Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad with violating the genocide convention of the United Nations Charter based on statements that he has made. Kucinich defended his vote by saying that Ahmadinejad's statements could be translated to mean that he wants a regime change in Israel, not death to its people and supporters, and that the resolution is an attempt to beat "the war drum to build support for a US attack on Iran." In October 2009, Kucinich and Ron Paul were the only two congressional representatives to vote against H.Res.175 condemning the government of Iran for “state-sponsored persecution of its Bahá’í minority and its continued violation of the International Covenants on Human Rights.”

On January 9, 2009, Kucinich was one of the dissenters in a 390-5 vote with 22 abstentions for a resolution recognizing Israel's "right to defend itself [against Hamas rocket attacks]" and reaffirming the U.S.'s support for Israel. The other 4 "no" votes were Gwen Moore of Wisconsin, Maxine Waters of California, Nick Rahall of West Virginia, and Ron Paul of Texas.

Kucinich is the only congressional representative to vote against the symbolic "9/11 Commemoration" resolution. In a press statement he defended his vote by saying that the bill did not make reference to "the lies that took us into Iraq, the lies that keep us there, the lies that are being used to set the stage for war against Iran and the lies that have undermined our basic civil liberties here at home."

In a visit to the rest of the Middle East in September 2007, Kucinich said he did not visit Iraq because "I feel the United States is engaging in an illegal occupation." Kucinich was criticized for his visit to Syria and praise of the President Bashar al-Assad on Syria's national TV. He praised Syria for taking in Iraqi refugees. "What most people are not aware of is that Syria has taken in more than 1.5 million Iraqi refugees," Kucinich said. "The Syrian government has actually shown a lot of compassion in keeping its doors open, and being a host for so many refugees."

Despite Kucinich's committed opposition to the war in Iraq, in the days after the September 11, 2001 attacks he did vote to authorize President Bush broad war making powers, the Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Terrorists. The Authorization was used by the Bush Administration in its justification for suspension of ''habeas corpus'' in the Guantanamo Bay detention camp and its wiretapping of American citizens under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. Kucinich voted along with 419 of his House colleagues in favor of this resolution, while only one Congresswoman opposed, Representative Barbara Lee.

In March 2010, the House rejected a Kucinich resolution regarding the War in Afghanistan by a vote of 356-65. The resolution would have required the Obama administration to withdraw all American troops from Afghanistan by the end of the year. Kucinich reportedly based the resolution on the War Powers Resolution of 1973.

In March 2011, Kucinich criticized the Obama administration's decision to participate in the UN intervention in Libya without Congressional authorization. He also called it an "indisputable fact" that President Obama's decision is an impeachable offense since he believes the U.S. Constitution "does not provide for the president to wage war any times he pleases," although he has not yet introduced a resolution to impeach Obama. In response, Libyan officials invited Kucinich to visit that country on a "peace mission", but he declined, stating that he "could not negotiate on behalf of the administration."

2004 Presidential campaign [link]

Kucinich was criticized during his 2004 campaign for changing his stance on the issue of abortion. His explanation was "I've always worked to make abortions less necessary, through sex education and birth control. But the direction that Congress has taken, increasingly, is to make it impossible for women to be able to have an abortion if they need to protect their health. So when I saw the direction taken, it finally came to the point where I understood that women will not be truly free unless they have the right to choose."

Ralph Nader praised Kucinich as "a genuine progressive", and most Greens were friendly to Kucinich's campaign, some going so far as to indicate that they would not have run against him had he won the Democratic nomination. However, Kucinich was unable to carry any states in the 2004 Democratic Primaries, and John Kerry eventually won the Democratic nomination at the Democratic National Convention.

Press coverage [link]

On December 10, 2003, the American Broadcasting Company (ABC) announced the removal of its correspondents from the campaigns of Kucinich, Carol Moseley Braun and Al Sharpton.

The announcement came one day after a Democratic presidential debate hosted by ABC News' Ted Koppel, in which Koppel asked whether the candidacies of Kucinich, Moseley Braun and Sharpton were merely "vanity campaigns", and Koppel and Kucinich exchanged uncomfortable dialog.

Kucinich, previously critical of the limited coverage given his campaign, characterized ABC's decision as an example of media companies' power to shape campaigns by choosing which candidates to cover and questioned its timing, coming immediately after the debate.

ABC News, while stating its commitment to give coverage to a wide range of candidates, argued that focusing more of its "finite resources" on those candidates most likely to win would best serve the public debate.

Polls and primaries [link]

In the 2004 Democratic presidential nomination race, national polls consistently showed Kucinich's support in single digits, but rising, especially as Howard Dean lost some support among peace activists for refusing to commit to cutting the Pentagon budget. Though he was not viewed as a viable contender by most, there were differing polls on Kucinich's popularity.

He placed second in MoveOn.org's primary, behind Dean. He also placed first in other polls, particularly Internet-based ones. This led many activists to believe that his showing in the primaries might be better than what Gallup polls had been saying. However, in the non-binding Washington, D.C. primary, Kucinich finished fourth (last out of candidates listed on the ballot), with only 8% of the vote. Support for Kucinich was most prevalent in the caucuses around the country.

In the Iowa caucuses, he finished fifth, receiving about 1% of the state delegates from Iowa; far below the 15% threshold for receiving national delegates. He performed similarly in the New Hampshire primary, placing sixth among the seven candidates with 1% of the vote. In the Mini-Tuesday primaries, he finished near the bottom in most states, with his best performance in New Mexico where he received less than 6% of the vote, and still no delegates. Kucinich's best showing in any Democratic contest was in the February 24 Hawaii caucus, in which he won 31% of caucus participants, coming in second place to Senator John Kerry of Massachusetts and winning Maui County, the only county won by Kucinich in either of his presidential campaigns. He also saw a double-digit showing in Maine on February 8, where he got 16% percent in that state's caucus.

On Super Tuesday, March 2, Kucinich gained another strong showing with the Minnesota caucus, where 17% of the ballots went to him. In his home state of Ohio, he gained 9% in the primary.

Kucinich campaigned heavily in Oregon, spending 30 days there during the two months leading up to the state's May 18 primary. He continued his campaign because "the future direction of the Democratic Party has not yet been determined" and chose to focus on Oregon "because of its progressive tradition and its pioneering spirit." He won 16% of the vote.

Even after Kerry won enough delegates to secure the nomination, Kucinich continued to campaign until just before the convention, citing an effort to help shape the agenda of the Democratic Party. He was the last candidate to end his campaign. He endorsed Kerry on July 22, four days before the start of the Democratic National Convention.

2008 Presidential campaign [link]

On December 11, 2006 in a speech delivered at Cleveland City Hall, Kucinich announced he would seek the nomination of the Democratic Party for President in 2008. His platform for 2008 included:

Creating a single-payer not-for-profit system of universal health care that provides full coverage for all Americans by passage of the United States National Health Care Act.

The immediate, phased withdrawal of all U.S. forces from Iraq; replacing them with an international security force.

Guaranteed quality education for all; including free pre-kindergarten and college for all who want it.

Immediate withdrawal from the World Trade Organization (WTO) and North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).

Immediate repeal of the USA PATRIOT Act.

Fostering a world of international cooperation.

Abolishing the death penalty.

Environmental renewal and clean energy.

Creating a moratorium on Genetically Modified Organism (GMO).

Implementation of H.R. 676, which integrates traditional medicine with complementary and alternative medicine (CAM).

Ban offshore drilling.

Halt all Biochemical Aerial Spraying of Pesticides and other toxins.

Preventing the privatization of social security.

Providing full social security benefits at age 65.

Creating a cabinet-level "Department of Peace"

Ratifying the ABM Treaty and the Kyoto Protocol.

Introducing reforms to bring about instant-runoff voting.

Protecting a woman's "right to choose" while decreasing the number of abortions performed in the U.S.

Lowering the voting age to 16

Ending the War on Drugs.

Legalizing same-sex marriage.

Strongly promoting workers' rights.

Ending the H-1B and L-1 visa Programs

Restoring rural communities and family farms.

Strengthening gun control.

Legalizing medicinal marijuana and decriminalizing non-medical possession.

Kucinich described his stance on the issues as mainstream.

Kucinich told his supporters in Iowa that if he did not appear on the second ballot in any caucus that they should back Barack Obama:

"I hope Iowans will caucus for me as their first choice ... because of my singular positions on the war, on health care and trade," Kucinich said. "But in those caucus locations where my support doesn't reach the necessary threshold, I strongly encourage all of my supporters to make Barack Obama their second choice."

At a debate of Democratic presidential candidates in Philadelphia on October 30, 2007, NBC's Tim Russert cited a passage from a book by Shirley MacLaine in which the author writes that Kucinich had seen a UFO from her home in Washington State. Russert asked if MacLaine's assertion was true. Kucinich confirmed and emphasized that he merely meant he had seen an ''unidentified'' flying object, just as former US president Jimmy Carter has. Russert then cited a statistic that 14% of Americans say they have witnessed a UFO.

On November 16, 2007, Larry Flynt hosted a fundraiser for Kucinich at the Los Angeles-based Hustler-LFP headquarters, attended by Kucinich and his wife, which has drawn criticism from Flynt's detractors. Attendees included such notables as Edward Norton, Woody Harrelson, Sean Penn, Robin Wright Penn, Melissa Etheridge, Tammy Etheridge, Stephen Stills, Kristen Stills, Frances Fisher, and Esai Morales. Campaign representatives declined to comment.

In December 2007, author Gore Vidal endorsed Kucinich for president.

Kucinich's 2008 presidential campaign was advised by a steering committee including Progressive Democrats of America (PDA) Founder Steve Cobble, long-time Kucinich press secretary Andy Junewicz, former RFK, McCarthy, Humphrey, McGovern and Carter political consultant Michael Carmichael, former Carter Fundraiser Marcus Brandon, Ani DiFranco Tour Manager Susan Alzner, West Point Graduate and former Army Captain Mike Klein, former Communications Director of Democrats Abroad Sharon Manitta and New Jersey-based political consultant Vin Gopal. The campaign was seen as a platform to push progressive issues into the Democratic Party, including a not-for-profit health care system, same-sex marriage, increasing the minimum wage, opposing capital punishment, and impeachment.

On Monday, January 7, 2008 actor Viggo Mortensen endorsed Kucinich's presidential campaign in New Hampshire. On Thursday, January 10, 2008, Kucinich asked for a New Hampshire recount based on discrepancies between the machine-counted ballots and the hand-counted ballots. He stated that he wanted to make sure "100% of the voters had 100% of their votes counted."

On Tuesday, January 15, 2008, Kucinich was "disinvited" from a Democratic presidential debate on MSNBC. A ruling that the debate could not go ahead without Kucinich was overturned on appeal. Kucinich later responded to the questions posed in the MSNBC debate in a show hosted by Democracy Now!

Kucinich dropped his bid for the Democratic nomination on Thursday, January 24, 2008, and did not endorse any other candidate. He later endorsed Barack Obama after he had won the nomination. On Friday, January 25, 2008, he made a formal announcement of the end of his campaign for president and his focus on reelection to Congress.

On August 27, 2008, he delivered a widely publicized speech at the Democratic National Convention.

Congressional campaigns [link]

Kucinich has always been reelected to Congress by sound margins in his strongly Democratic-leaning district. Kucinich has so far won primary challenges against him for the Democratic nomination convincingly.

2006[link]

Kucinich defeated another Democratic primary challenger by a wide margin and defeated Republican Mike Dovilla in the general election with 66% of the vote.

2008[link]

His opponents included Cleveland City Councilman Joe Cimperman and North Olmsted Mayor Thomas O'Grady. In February 2008 Kucinich raised around $50,000 compared to Cimperman's $228,000, but through a YouTube money raising campaign he managed to raise $700,000, surpassing Cimperman's $487,000.

Cimperman, who was endorsed by the Mayor of Cleveland and ''The Plain Dealer'', criticized Kucinich for focusing too much on campaigning for president and not on the district. Kucinich accused Cimperman of representing corporate and real estate interests. Cimperman described Kucinich as an absentee congressman who failed to pass any major legislative initiatives in his 12-year House career. In an interview, Cimperman said he was tired of Kucinich and Cleveland being joke fodder for late-night talk-show hosts, saying "It's time for him to go home." An ad paid for by Cimperman's campaign stated that Kucinich has missed over 300 votes, but by checking the ad's source, the actual number was 139. However, Kucinich is well known for his constituency service.

A report suggested that representatives of Nancy Pelosi and American Israel Public Affairs Committee would "guarantee" Kucinich's re-election if he dropped his bid to impeach Dick Cheney and George W. Bush, though Kucinich denies the meeting happened. It was also suggested that Kucinich's calls for universal health care and an immediate withdrawal from Iraq made him a thorn in the side of the Democrats' congressional leadership, as well as his refusal to pledge to support the eventual presidential nominee, which he later reconsidered.

Kucinich took part in a debate with the other primary challengers. Barbara Ferris criticized him for not bringing as much money back to the district as other area legislators and authoring just one bill that passed during his 12 years in Congress. Kucinich responded "It was a Republican Congress and there weren't many Democrats passing meaningful legislation during a Republican Congress."

Kucinich won the primary, receiving 68,156 votes out of 135,589 cast to beat Cimperman 52% to 33%.

Kucinich defeated former State Representative Jim Trakas in the November 4, 2008 general election with 153,357 votes, 56.8% of those cast.

2010[link]

Kucinich defeated Republican nominee Peter J. Corrigan and Libertarian nominee Jeff Goggins in the November 2, 2010 general election with 101,343 votes, 53.1% of those cast.

2012[link]

Redistricting by the Republican-controlled state legislature threw Kucinich into the same district as another Democratic incumbent, Marcy Kaptur. The two competed in the Democratic primary on March 6, 2012, but Kucinich lost after an increasingly-bitter campaign. Kucinich had been endorsed by another House member, Barney Frank of Massachusetts.

Political positions [link]

Based on his voting record in Congress, the American Conservative Union (ACU) gave Kucinich a conservative rating of 9.73%, and for 2008, the liberal Americans for Democratic Action (ADA) gave him a liberal rating of 95%.

Monetary reform [link]

In the aftermath of the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008, Kucinich has called for the Federal Reserve System to be put under control of U.S. Treasury. Additionally, banks shall no longer be allowed to create money, putting an end to fractional-reserve banking. He cites Stephen Zarlenga as the initiator of that proposal.

Plan for Iraq [link]

On January 8, 2007 Kucinich unveiled his comprehensive exit plan to bring the troops home and stabilize Iraq. His plan includes the following steps:

# Announce that the US will end the occupation, close the military bases, and withdraw. # Announce that existing funds will be used to bring the troops and the necessary equipment home. # Order a simultaneous return of all US contractors to the US and turn over the contracting work to the Iraqi government. # Convene a regional conference for developing a security and stabilization force for Iraq. # Prepare an international security peacekeeping force to replace US troops, who then return home. # Develop and fund a process of national reconciliation. # Restart programs for reconstruction and creating jobs for the Iraqi people. # Provide reparations for the damage that has been done to the lives of Iraqis. # Assure the political sovereignty of Iraq and ensure that their oil is not stolen. # Repair the Iraqi economy. # Guarantee economic sovereignty for Iraq. # Commence an international truth and reconciliation process, which establishes a policy of truth and reconciliation between the people of the US and Iraq.

Kucinich has criticized the Bush administration for supporting the People's Mujahedin of Iran terrorist group in Iraq and other insurgent groups that have attacked the Iranian state.

Space Preservation Act of 2001 [link]

Kucinich introduced the first Space Preservation Act, on October 2, 2001, with no cosponsors. The bill was designed to "preserve the cooperative, peaceful uses of space for the benefit of all humankind." The bill was referred to the House Science, the House Armed Services, and the House International Relations committees. The bill died in committee (April 9, 2002) because of an unfavorable executive comment received from the Department of Defense.

Impeachment proceedings against Dick Cheney [link]

On April 17, 2007, Kucinich sent a letter to his Democratic colleagues saying that he planned to file impeachment proceedings against Dick Cheney, then Vice President of the United States. Kucinich planned to introduce the impeachment articles on April 24, 2007, but in light of Cheney's visit to his doctor for an inspection of a blood clot, Kucinich decided to postpone the scheduled press conference "until the vice president's condition is clarified."

Kucinich held a press conference on the evening of April 24, 2007, revealing House Resolution 333 and the three articles of impeachment against Cheney. He charges Cheney with manipulating the evidence of Iraq's weapons program, deceiving the nation about Iraq's connection to al-Qaeda, and threatening aggression against Iran in violation of the United Nations charter. Kucinich opened his press conference by quoting from the Declaration of Independence, and stated: "I believe the Vice President's conduct of office has been destructive to the founding purposes of our nation. Today, I have introduced House Resolution 333, Articles of Impeachment Relating to Vice President Richard B. Cheney. I do so in defense of the rights of the American people to have a government that is honest and peaceful."

During the first Democratic Presidential debate at South Carolina State University, none of the other candidates' hands went up when the moderator, Brian Williams, asked if they would support Kucinich's plan to impeach Cheney. In response, Kucinich retrieved a pocket-sized copy of the U.S. Constitution from his coat and expressed the importance of protecting and defending constitutional principles.

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By January 29, 2008, 24 other Congressional representatives became cosponsors. Six of these were members of the House Judiciary Committee: Tammy Baldwin, Keith Ellison, Hank Johnson, Maxine Waters, Steve Cohen and Sheila Jackson-Lee. In addition, Congressman Robert Wexler, supported by Representatives Luis Gutierrez and Tammy Baldwin, began openly calling for impeachment hearings to begin.

Cheney impeachment articles introduced [link]

On November 6, 2007, Kucinich used special parliamentary procedure and moved for a vote on impeaching the Vice President. House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer and House Speaker Pelosi opposed the measure and stood by previous comments that, "impeachment is not on our agenda," and they initially moved to table the bill. When that attempt failed, Mr. Hoyer quickly moved to refer the bill to the House Judiciary Committee. That motion succeeded.

Opposition to H1B/L1 visa programs [link]

Kucinich has been a vocal opponent of the H1B and L1 visa programs. In an article on his campaign website, he states:

Plan to ban handguns [link]

In the aftermath of the Virginia Tech massacre in Blacksburg, Virginia, Kucinich proposed a plan that he says would address violence in America. Kucinich is currently drafting legislation that includes a ban on the purchase, sale, transfer, or possession of handguns by civilians.

The congressman has pushed for gun control, even as a city councilman. He kept a pistol in his house for a period in 1978 (under the recommendation of the police) when he was the target of a Mafia plot. He no longer keeps the pistol.

Support for reinstating the Fairness Doctrine [link]

Kucinich is also involved in efforts to bring back the Fairness Doctrine, requiring radio stations to give liberal and conservative points of view equal time, which he and other critics of talk radio argue is not presently the case. Fellow Democrat Maurice Hichney, Vermont's independent Senator Bernie Sanders, and others have joined him in this effort. Conservatives have criticized these plans, alleging that what they believe to be a liberal-dominated Hollywood, academia, new media, and mainstream media would not be subject to these regulations.

Animal welfare and rights [link]

Kucinich addresses the issue of factory farming in his policy encouraging independent, family-owned, and organic farming. This would help lead to "the meat that we consume coming from happy and healthy free-range animals," Kucinich states on his campaign website.

Kucinich is one of the few vegans in Congress. He has maintained a diet for many years that excludes animal products in accordance with his conviction that "all life on our Earth [is] sacred."

Free Market Drug Act [link]

Kucinich believes that the prices for patented drugs are unreasonably high, and that patent monopolies have created a restricted, unfree drug market. "Simply put, if drug manufacturers were operating in a free market like most other businesses in the US, drug prices would be significantly lower." On September 29, 2004, he introduced H.R. 5155, the ''Free Market Drug Act''; a system where the National Institutes of Health would fund research, thus disconnecting the manufacturing of drugs from research and increasing competition among private manufacturers.

Energy policy [link]

As mayor of Cleveland in the 1970s, Kucinich favored the city's existing ''Municipal Light System'' and opposed construction of the Davis-Besse Nuclear Power Plant and Perry Nuclear Power Plant on Lake Erie. Kucinich opposed a planned regional radioactive waste dump, and has long advocated renewable energy and efficient energy use.

In 2010 Kucinich stated that new nuclear reactors are not cost-effective, and that they are a slow way of meeting electricity needs as it takes five or six years for new reactors to come on line. He also said that new nuclear reactors are a risky way to meet electricity needs.

Attempts to impeach George W. Bush [link]

On June 10, 2008, Kucinich introduced 35 articles of impeachment against President George W. Bush on the floor of the House of Representatives. On June 11, the resolution was referred to the House Judiciary Committee.

Calling it "a sworn duty" of Congress to act, co-sponsor Robert Wexler stated: "President Bush deliberately created a massive propaganda campaign to sell the war in Iraq to the American people and the charges detailed in this impeachment resolution indicate an unprecedented abuse of executive power."

On July 10, 2008, Kucinich introduced an additional article of impeachment accusing Bush of misleading Congress into war.

On July 14, 2008 Kucinich introduced a new resolution of impeachment against George W. Bush, charging him with manufacturing evidence to sway public opinion in favor of the war in Iraq. This resolution was also sent to the judiciary committee.

Democratic leaders Steny Hoyer and Nancy Pelosi opposed the impeachment efforts. None of them ever progressed to a full House vote.

Youth rights [link]

In a Democratic debate during the 2008 Presidential Election, Kucinich and Mike Gravel were the only two candidates who favored lowering the legal drinking age to 18 as it is in the vast majority of the world. Kucinich further said that the voting age should be lowered to 16.

Military intervention in Libya[link]

Kucinich objected to the 2011 military intervention in Libya missile strikes and questioned whether they weren't impeachable offenses. Kucinich also questioned why Democratic leaders didn’t object when President Barack Obama told them of his plan for US participation in enforcing the Libyan no-fly zone. He said Obama's action in Libya was "a grave decision that cannot be made by the president alone", and stated that failing to first seek approval of Congress was in violation of the Constitution.

On August 31, Al Jazeera reported that a document had been found in the headquarters of the Libyan intelligence agency which according to the author appears to be a summary of a conversation between Kucinich and an intermediary for Saif al-Islam Gaddafi in which the congressman asked for informations about the anti-Gaddafi National Transitional Council (NTC), possible links of it to al-Qaeda and corruption evidences, to lobby US lawmakers to put an end to NATO airstrikes and suspend their support for the NTC. It also listed information necessary to defend Saif al-Islam against International Criminal Court war crimes charges. Kucinich defended himself in a message to ''The Atlantic Wire'', saying that the document in question is simply a summary of Kucinich's public positions on the Libyan campaign by a Libyan bureaucrat who never consulted with Kucinich himself. ''"Al Jazeera found a document written by a Libyan bureaucrat to other Libyan bureaucrats. All it proves is that the Libyans were reading the Washington Post... Any implication I was doing anything other than trying to bring an end to an unauthorised war is fiction."''

Electoral history [link]

Recognition [link]

In 2003, Kucinich was the recipient of the Gandhi Peace Award, an annual award bestowed by the Religious Society of Friends-affiliated organization Promoting Enduring Peace.

After Kucinich lost to Marcy Kaptur in the 2012 Democratic primary, Rep. Keith Ellison (D-Minn.) said of Kucinich, "At the end of the day, we’re really going to miss Dennis. Dennis is a transformative leader. He stood up and spoke eloquently, passionately about Iraq, Afghanistan, Iran. He was a consistent voice for peace... He almost didn’t vote for the health care bill because it wasn’t good enough."

See also [link]

2008 Democratic Party presidential primaries

2008 Democratic presidential candidates

United States presidential election, 2008

List of United States Representatives from Ohio

Kucinich Resolution

References [link]

External links [link]

Congressman Dennis Kucinich ''official U.S. House site''

Re-Elect Congressman Kucinich ''official campaign site''

The Peace Alliance

Campaigns Wikia - Dennis Kucinich

Dennis Kucinich Interview at PR.com, November 17, 2008

Pictures of Helen Kucinich with Dennis Kucinich

Category:Anti-corporate activists Category:American environmentalists Category:American people of Croatian descent Category:American people of Irish descent Category:American vegans Category:Case Western Reserve University alumni Category:Cleveland City Council members Category:Cleveland State University alumni Category:Drug policy reform activists Category:Mayors of Cleveland, Ohio Category:Members of the United States House of Representatives from Ohio Category:Ohio Democrats Category:Ohio State Senators Category:People from Cleveland, Ohio Category:United States presidential candidates, 2004 Category:United States presidential candidates, 2008 Category:Youth rights individuals Category:1946 births Category:Living people

Category:Recipients of the Order of the Cross of Terra Mariana, 2nd Class

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