Kucinich drops out of race for president

Faces tough fight to stay in Congress

Dennis Kucinich said he will announce his decision today.

CLEVELAND - 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 - US 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 today.

"I will be announcing that I'm transiting out of the presidential campaign," Kucinich said. He said he will not endorse another Democrat in the primary.

He 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.

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

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. He proposed a Department of Peace, backed government-run universal healthcare, and supported gay marriage. He also pushed for impeachment of Vice President Dick Cheney.

At a debate last October, Kucinich delivered one of the night's lighter moments when he confirmed seeing an unidentified flying object at the Washington state home of actress Shirley MacLaine. With a smile, he said he would open a campaign office in Roswell, N.M., the site of a 1947 incident that many people believe was a UFO crash.

Kucinich married British citizen Elizabeth Harper, in 2005, ensuring that his 2008 campaign would have one dramatic difference from his first campaign. Kucinich told New Hampshire audiences during the 2004 race that he was seeking a mate. Women then vied for a date with him during a contest.