Kucinich Votes ‘No’ on Obama Budget

Almost lost in the shuffle of today’s news about the polarized votes approving President Obama’s budget is the fact that former presidential candidate and UFO spotter Rep. Dennis Kucinich was among the 20 House Dems who voted against the budget.

Asked to explain, Kucinich replied:

This budget is a statement of principles for the upcoming year, and I cannot accept it in its entirety. I will not vote for a budget that ties military spending to the operational funding of our government. This year, the budget includes $130 billion for war funding. The Washington Post reports today another 10,000 troops may be sent to Afghanistan, bringing our total number of troops there to as much as 78,000 by 2010 –- a more than 100% increase from today’s troop levels. This budget is a plan that authorizes the expansion of the war. I simply cannot endorse a budget or a plan that sends more of our brave men and women to Afghanistan, a conflict which has the potential to become this generation’s Vietnam.

I don’t think I’m alone in believing Kucinich is operating without a full deck of cards, but one thing you gotta give him: He’s consistent.