"I'm John Kerry and I'm reporting for duty."

That's the best intro they could come up with for this clown? The biggest speech of his life and he goes with not just a bad pun, but one that is basically a slap in the face to every anti-war Democrat that's being asked to hold their nose and pull the lever for him in November, as an icebreaker?

I really, really, REALLY despise this guy. So much so, he's even tainted my opinion of John Edwards. If he keeps doing that dorky little thumbs-up thing he does I'm going to reach through the TV and break one of them off.

I was particularly disheartened the night before to see so many of Kucinich's delegates bow to pressure and cast their votes for Kerry, attempting to prop up the offensive optical illusion of party unity. The story of the Minnesota delegates - all but one of whom ultimately gave their vote to Kerry - is both disappointing and telling:

Kucinich delegates feel voice wasn't heard

BOSTON -- Minnesota delegates for Ohio Rep. Dennis Kucinich suggested Thursday that they were misled into casting most of their nominating votes for John Kerry.

"I am feeling regretful," said Kucinich delegate Donna Cassutt, of Minneapolis. "We are committed to electing John Kerry ... but I was sent here to represent [Kucinich] people. It was not an easy decision."

Faith Kidder of Minneapolis, who helped coordinate the state Kucinich campaign, said she felt she was "strong-armed" into voting for Kerry.

"It's an example of the hierarchical, top-down administration of the Kerry campaign," she said. "I won't do anything on a campaign that treats people like this."

Nevertheless, Kidder and others said they would support the Kerry-Edwards ticket.

All but one of Minnesota's 86 delegates voted for Kerry when the roll call of states was taken Wednesday night.

The state contingent included nine delegates for Kucinich, representing the 17 percent of Minnesota caucusgoers who registered support for Kucinich on March 2.

The delegates originally planned to cast their votes for Kucinich, to express their reservations about Kerry and the party's platform regarding the Iraq war and other issues.

But Kucinich personally urged them to support Kerry, and they said they were told by other members of the delegation that because Kucinich's name was not going to be placed in nomination, a vote for him would be recorded merely as "present." They said that they assumed that the information had been passed to the Minnesota delegation by convention and Kerry campaign officials.

The Kucinich delegates decided to switch to Kerry, especially after party officials promised to mention peace when Minnesota's turn came to cast its votes.

But they were disappointed by the statement, read by delegation leader and former Vice President Walter Mondale, which said "peace can only be achieved through strength and wisdom."

And the lone Minnesota vote for Kucinich, cast by Charley Underwood of Minneapolis, went down as just that -- a vote for Kucinich -- contrary to what the delegates said they had been told.

If the election were today, I swear I'd be tempted to pull the lever for Bush out of spite! Better to have your enemy fully exposed than to risk being lulled to sleep by a wolf in sheep's clothing.