June 04, 2003

HORSEFEATHERS NOMINEE FOR THE 'GOOD MORNING STARSHINE' AWARD: DENNIS KUCINICH

        Horsefeathers has argued elsewhere that liberalism was once a body of serious ideas; from John Stuart Mill to Lionel Trilling, it appealed to the mind as well as the heart, utilizing reason to convince and persuade. At some point in the 1960's it veered towards irrationalism, celebrating emotion over intellect and dismissing intellectual debate in favor of attitude. A good contemporary example is the shared, self-flattering conviction that George Bush is an idiot, therefore it is not necessary to seriously engage in a debate of ideas. Denis Kucinich, more than most candidates for President, is the perfect embodiment of the new dumbed down liberalism that takes itself to be so, so smart--moronic banality leavened by new age yearnings.

        First the idiocy:
"Tell me, Mr. Bush, where are those weapons of mass destruction? I've seen those weapons, and I'll tell you where they are. Joblessness is a weapon of mass destruction. Poverty is a weapon of mass destruction. Hopelessness is a weapon of mass destruction. Let's bring back hope in America. Let's bring back jobs in America. Let's bring back workers' rights in America! Thank you."

And the New Age cant: "Kucinich took his message to Santa Cruz, Calif., this week, headlining a rally called "Imagine America" with lifestyle guru Marianne Williamson and healthy living author John Robbins, a political donor who, like Kucinich, is a strict vegetarian. Robbins also is national co-chair of Kucinich's campaign. .. .At a peace conference in Dubrovnik, Croatia, last year, Kucinich was more specific about his beliefs. He spoke about how the Eagle Nebula, a star-forming region that is 7,000 light years from Earth, reminds him of the relationship between stardust and the human spirit.

"The energy of the stars becomes us. We become the energy of the stars. Stardust and spirit unite and we begin: One with the universe," Kucinich said..."

        "Kucinich...is close friends with actress Shirley MacLaine, who is the godmother of his daughter. It was MacLaine who first introduced Kucinich to Griscom, whom MacLaine wrote about in her best-selling book, "Dancing in the Light." Griscom founded The Light Institute and Nizhoni School For Global Consciousness, both located in Galisteo, N.M., to teach people how to connect with their inner self, partially by helping them to remember their past lives. Kucinich donated $3,000 in speaking fees earned last year to Griscom's school, campaign finance reports showed.

        "He's a visionary and a statesman, and I am a visionary, so we've always gotten along," Griscom said. "