Kucinich is done.

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CLEVELAND (AP) — Democrat Dennis Kucinich is abandoning his second, long-shot bid for the White House as he faces a tough fight to hold onto his other job — U.S. congressman.

In an interview with Cleveland's Plain Dealer, the six-term House member said he was quitting the race and would make a formal announcement on Friday.

"I will be announcing that I'm transiting out of the presidential campaign," Kucinich said. "I'm making that announcement tomorrow about a new direction."

Kucinich has received little support in his presidential bid; he got 1 percent of the vote in the New Hampshire primary and was shut out in the Iowa caucuses. He did have a devoted following.

Kucinich, 61, is facing four challengers in the Democratic congressional primary March 4, and earlier this week he made an urgent appeal on his Web site for funds for his re-election. Rival Joe Cimperman has been critical of Kucinich for focusing too much time outside of his district while campaigning for president.

His decision comes a month after his youngest brother, Perry Kucinich, was found dead.

Kucinich said he will 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 bid. He said he was entering the race again because the Democratic Party wasn't pushing hard enough to end the Iraq war.

Once dubbed the "boy mayor" of Cleveland, he made an unpopular decision to refuse to sell a publicly owned utility that pushed the city into default and drove him from office.

After the city's financial troubles, the mayor faced death threats, and was forced to wear a bulletproof vest when he threw out the first ball at a Cleveland Indians game. He barely survived a recall vote.

But he lost his bid for re-election as mayor of Cleveland in 1978 to Republican George Voinovich, who went on to become governor and then U.S. senator. His life and his political career were derailed. Kucinich spent more than a decade trying to get back into politics — traveling around the country and then working as a teacher, consultant and television news reporter.

In 1994, Kucinich was elected state senator and he then won a seat in Congress in 1996. His once unpopular stand against the sale of the municipal electric system was praised as courageous. In 1998, the Cleveland City Council issued him a commendation for having the foresight to refuse to sell it.

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I supported Kucinich during his run leading up to the 04 race when I was old enough to vote for the first time. He was the first politician I felt was genuinely honest. I knew he never really stood much of a chance, but ideologically he was a political hero to me. In the end I had to vote for Kerry simply with the hopes of stopping Bush, sadly to no avail.

I don't know if I'm voting this time around... but if I do, I'll most likely go with Obama.

Goodbye Dennis. Your presidential dreams may fade away, but your messages will not be forgotten.

Bummer...

Remember when there was a recall vote for him when he was Mayor of Cleveland. He got replaced.

I guess I shall remove his bumper sticker from my car.

Merryland is a rad state

Its too bad, I don't agree with many of his view, but I always root for the underdog. Plus he was friend of my preferred canidate Ron Paul.

Even though he's officially out, he's still getting my vote.

He's the only one this year I actually give two damns about.

Damn, I was going to vote for him.

I'm gonna write in Bill Cosby for the democratic primairies

Bummer.

Who knows?
There's always the possibility Dennis Kucinich may get a Cabinet appointment,
give or take the right presidential candidate.

How does that sound?

Where's Ralph Nader when you need him?

Who wants that egotistical jerk {meaning Nader} running for president again?

Not me!

Claiming to have seen an alien spacecraft is pretty much political suicide... although he really didn't have much of a chance before he said that... I blame the bowtie...