An angry Dennis
Kucinich lashed out at John Edwards on Friday, saying his
Democratic rival showed ''a consistent lack of integrity''
by suggesting fewer candidates should participate in
presidential forums and then trying to explain his
remark to reporters.
''This is a
serious matter and I'm calling him on it,'' said Kucinich,
an Ohio congressman, in a telephone interview Friday.
''Whispering, trying to rig an election, then denying
what's going on and making excuses. It all reflects a
consistent lack of integrity.''
Kucinich's
comments came after Edwards and Hillary Rodham Clinton were
overheard Thursday discussing the possibility of limiting
the number of participants in future presidential
forums.
In an exchange
captured on camera and open microphone by broadcasters
after an National Association for the Advancement of Colored
People forum in Detroit, Edwards approached Clinton
onstage and whispered in her ear.
''We should try
to have a more serious and a smaller group,'' Edwards
said, and Clinton agreed.
''Our guys should
talk,'' Clinton said, complaining the format had
''trivialized'' the discussion.
Kucinich, who
typically polls in the low single digits, clearly felt the
slight was directed at him. All eight Democratic contenders
took part in the program, including Barack Obama, Bill
Richardson, Chris Dodd, Joe Biden, Mike Gravel, and
Kucinich. But former senator Gravel has
not been invited to the upcoming LGBT-focused
debates being sponsored by the Human Rights Campaign
and the gay cable TV network Logo on August 9.
Both Edwards and
Clinton were asked about the exchange Friday and offered
different explanations.
In New Hampshire,
Clinton seemed to lay responsibility on Edwards.
''I think he has
some ideas about what he'd like to do,'' she said,
adding she liked participating in the forums.
For his part,
Edwards told reporters in Iowa that he wasn't in favor of
barring anyone from future gatherings. Rather, he said he
wanted to see them separated into two groups of four
each, chosen randomly.
''The result
would be that we would have a much more serious discussion
and people would actually be able to see what the
differences are between us,'' he said.
Kucinich called
Edwards's explanation ''disturbing'' and said he planned
to contact Edwards and Clinton immediately to demand an
apology.
''I accept their
offer to participate in a debate with just the two of
them,'' Kucinich said. ''John should be happy with this,
since he wants a small group.''
Kucinich's
bitterness toward Edwards was somewhat ironic, given the
boost he gave Edwards in Iowa when they were both
running for president in 2004.
That year
Kucinich, who is very popular with a small but ardent group
of liberal activists, asked his Iowa supporters to
back Edwards if they didn't meet voting thresholds in
any of the state's precincts. That effort increased
Edwards's final delegate count in the state, putting
Edwards within striking distance of winning the caucuses
that year. (Beth Fouhy, AP)
