Democrat Kucinich to drop presidential bid

Democrat Dennis J. Kucinich is abandoning his second longshot bid for the White House as he faces a tough fight to hold onto his current job -- U.S. congressman.

In an interview with Cleveland’s Plain Dealer, the six-term House member said Thursday he was quitting the presidential race and would make a formal announcement today.

“I will be announcing that I’m transitioning out of the presidential campaign,” Kucinich said. “I’m making that announcement tomorrow about a new direction.”

His campaign for the White House has a small, though devoted, following. He received 1% of the vote in the New Hampshire primary and was shut out of the Iowa caucuses for lack of support. His best finish was in Michigan, where New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton was the only major Democratic candidate on the ballot; his 4% was a distant third place behind Clinton and “uncommitted.”

Kucinich, 61, is facing four challengers in Ohio’s Democratic congressional primary March 4, and this week he made an urgent appeal on his website for funds for his reelection. Rival Joe Cimperman, a Cleveland city councilman, has been critical of Kucinich for focusing too much time outside of his district while campaigning for president.

Kucinich said he would not endorse another Democrat in the primary.

Kucinich brought the same sense of idealism to his second run for president as he did in his first, four years ago. He said he was entering the race again because the Democratic Party wasn’t pushing hard enough to end the Iraq war.

During his time in Congress, Kucinich has been one of its most outspoken liberals, opposing the North America Free Trade Agreement and marching in Seattle with people protesting the World Trade Organization.

As a presidential candidate, he proposed a Department of Peace, backed universal healthcare and supported gay marriage.