The 7-term congressman from Cleveland is making his second bid for president, finishing far back in the pack in 2004.

But now that opinions have turned against the war in Iraq, Kucinich, who voted against authorizing it in 2002 and against every bill since then to fund it, can say he was ahead of the curve.

What he can't say is that it's translated into success in the metrics that typically define a candidate's electability.

He still finishes far back in polls and he trails in fund raising.

But Kucinich likes to point out grassroots support matters more than big bank accounts.

For his entire political career, Kucinich has worked to be a figher for the common man.

The son of a father who drove a truck for a living, he entered politics early, winning a city council seat at 23 and becoming mayor of Cleveland in his early 30s.

His tenure there is perhaps most famous for the city's going into default to its creditors during his tenure. At the same time, he also fought to preserve the city-owned electrical utility.

Elected to Congress in 1996, he has opposed international trade agreements and argued against military strikes, both by President Bush and Democrat Bill Clinton.

He proposes creating a Department of Peace, a single-payer health system run by a non-profit and public financing of elections.

Kucinich also wants to remove U.S. troops from Iraq and replace them with a U.S-funded, United Nations peacekeeping force.

A longtime opponent of abortion, Kucinich changed his position before the 2004 campaign.

Biography: Quad-City Times | Photo: AP

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