Kucinich takes high road, Democracy fails

Nutshell: Dennis Kucinich refused (rightfully) to sign a party loyalty oath. To be specific, he crossed out the loyalty oath part and went on about his business. A judge determined that Kucinich can not be on the March 4 ballot. Kucinich appealed and it was overturned. The overturn was appealed and went to the Supreme Court. Yesterday, the Supreme Court said they wouldn’t hear the appeal. The reason: The deadline to print the ballots is nigh.

Kucinich fulfilled all the requirements to run in Texas except that he wouldn’t sign an oath to “fully support” the party’s eventual nominee. Kucinich, a U.S. representative from Ohio, crossed out the oath when he submitted his paperwork.

Kucinich did not want to be bound to support a Democratic candidate who does not oppose the war in Iraq or support Kucinich’s belief in “not using the war as an instrument of foreign policy,” his lawyer has said. (Star-Telegram)

Ain’t that some shit?

Here we have a man who is standing up for his rights and his principles and a friggin’ judge said, “Screw that…we’ll have the election we want to have. I’m not even going to listen to your principled ass.”

You know what this means though? Let’s forget Kucinich for a moment…this means that our other Democratic candidates did sign that loyalty oath. What’s with Texans and their loyalty oaths anyway? Here’s the text of the loyalty oath:

(b) File an application for a place on the presidential primary ballot in accordance with he same Election Code provisions applicable to a candidate for the United States Senate, including submission of an appropriate petition subject to the limitations of Section 191.002 of the Texas Election Code or payment of the same filing fee. The oath on the application of a presidential candidate shall be:

“I, ______________ of __________________, __________ County/Parish, _____________, being a candidate for the Office of President of the United States, swear that I will support and defend the constitution and laws of the United States. I further swear that I will fully support the Democratic nominee for President whoever that shall be.”

Now, Mr. Principled logically concludes that since the other 3 candidates are not actively trying to end the war, then he would have to support a candidate who supports an illegal war. Kucinich can not and will not do that.

Therefore, principles lose out to printing deadlines and Democracy loses out the most.

To make matters worse, go wallowing on conservative blogs and these people are tsk-tsking over there. Never mind that some of the same people vehemently support having to sign loyalty oaths to see the President of the United States speak. Now, they’re just up in arms that Democrats have loyalty oaths.

And our candidates signed them.