Posted by Mark Naymik The announcement didn't generate much political buzz, nor should it have - for now. Palmer is an unknown. Her opponent is an icon who, despite being far more liberal than his district's voters, has earned a loyal following through his savvy local advocacy and by providing solid constituent services. Nonetheless, Palmer's decision is a considerable one, at least for her. It marks another campaign that is, in part, about the most painful experience of her life: the loss of her 23-year-old son, Lance Cpl. Edward "Augie" Schroeder II. He was one of the 14 men in the 3rd Battalion, 25th Marine Regiment, who were killed Aug. 3, 2005, by a roadside bomb in Iraq. Palmer and her husband, Paul Schroeder, a part-time professor, lived quietly until Marines walked up to their porch nearly two years ago. Since then, they have been outspoken critics of the war. Their anti-war position drew them closer to Kucinich, a nationally known peace activist. And Kucinich welcomed them, allowing Palmer's husband to speak against the war on his behalf to voters last fall. But Palmer and Schroeder no longer believe in Kucinich. They are upset by his bid for the White House - his second in three years - launched less than a month after he won re-election to the House last November. They are upset with what they believe is Kucinich's unrealistic demand for an immediate withdrawal from Iraq. (Palmer wants the troops home, but she does not believe an immediate U.S. pullout is practical.) They are upset by what they say is Kucinich's lack of standing among his Democratic peers, which has kept him from powerful committee assignments. "We need a representative willing to cooperate to find solutions, who knows that standing on principle does not mean standing in cement," she said during her announcement last Wednesday. Palmer knows that Kucinich has easily overcome such criticism before, and a Democratic pollster they paid to query district voters earlier this year found that voters still really like Kucinich, though a bit less than before. Palmer, who is working on a political science degree at the University of Akron, knows that she will need $1 million to $2 million to wage a serious campaign on the way to the March 2008 primary. She also knows that she can't run on the war issue alone. Her kickoff announcement stressed bread-and-butter issues - jobs, health care, trade. Palmer may never get the chance to debate those issues with Kucinich; he regularly refuses to debate congressional challengers. That's ironic, because Kucinich complains when other presidential candidates snub him. Publicly, Kucinich insists he's no long shot. But Palmer's husband says that in a phone conversation several months ago, Kucinich suggested he knows that his presidential bid is out of reach. According to Schroeder, who considered running for Congress before his wife decided to, Kucinich called when he heard about his possible challenge. "He was surprised and asked, 'Do you think I will win?' " Schroeder recalls. Schroeder took that as a request to just play along, because Kucinich would be back in the district soon. (Kucinich claims the conversation was misinterpreted.) Palmer and Schroeder aren't playing along. One tough question Palmer is likely to face as she campaigns is whether she is running on her son's death. "That's not the case," she said. "Our son gave us a platform. He always said, in a choice between the individual and the group, the needs of the group come first. So if we don't use this platform to make a difference . . . we will be letting him down." It's true that Palmer faces long odds. But she has a much better chance of winning the 10th District than Kucinich has of winning the White House. Naymik is The Plain Dealer's politics reporter.
on June 30, 2007, 8:07 pm
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With little fanfare, Rosemary Palmer made a big announce ment last week. Understated in a navy-blue dress, she stood behind a music stand in the front yard of her Cleveland home. There, near an empty bird bath and a tree planted to mark the birth of her son, the former teacher declared her intention to run for the congressional seat held by fellow Democrat Dennis Kucinich.
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