by Evie Stone

Two-time Presidential candidate OH Rep. Dennis Kucinich gave a fiery speech to the Democrats in Denver this evening, railing against the Bush Administration and repeating the energetic refrain, "Wake Up, America!"

Kucinich spoke in his trademark strident style, verging on conspiracy theory without quite crossing the line. The crowd ate up his Bush-bashing rhetoric:

Now, this administration can tap our phones; they can't tap our creative spirit. They can open our mail, but they can't open economic opportunities. They can track our every move, but they lost track of the economy while the cost of food, gasoline and electricity skyrockets.

Kucinich, a netroots favorite who never registered substantially in the polls, falls to the left of mainstream Democrats on most issues. He has introduced articles of impeachment against both President Bush and Vice President Cheney on the House Floor, arguing that they misled the country on the Iraq threat during the run-up to the war.

His speech tonight was a bonanza of populism, with little mention of Barack Obama; the single nod to the 2008 Democratic ticket came almost as an afterthought during his blazing conclusion, which he delivered with so much energy that he actually jumped up and down as he said it:

Up with the rights of workers! Up with wages! Up with fair trade! Up with creating millions of good-paying jobs, rebuilding our bridges, our water system, our sewer system, our port! Up with creating millions of sustainable energy jobs to lower the cost of energy, lower carbon mission and protect the environment! Up with health care for all! Up with education for all! Up with homeownership! Up with guaranteed retirement benefits! Up with peace! Up with prosperity! Up with the Democratic Party! Up with Obama-Biden!

Wake up, America! Wake up, America! Wake up, America!

The speech did not mention UFOs.