  Cell Phones, Supermodels and PUD <> I was ushered by Dennis Kucinich’s bodyguard and six or seven attendants into an unmarked white van outside of KBCS radio in Bellevue, Washington.
It was February 4. If I had been imagining this interview on one of those monstrous presidential buses, I was quickly divested of the notion. This would be the Kucinich Experience: substance over style. This was the poor man’s candidate running a poor man’s campaign.
Actually, I found it rather refreshing. I entered the van and sat next to the congressman. He was on his cell phone: “Did you see the supermodel I was on with? They had a woman who was the sports illustrated cover girl. No, the swimsuit issue. I had the chance to meet her. She’s from Czechoslovakia.” Then to me: “I’ll be off in a second.” He is the only bachelor on the campaign trail, I reminded myself.
What did I expect his private conversations to sound like? As his talk shifted from supermodels to Ricin, I fuddled with my seatbelt. The two ends weren’t snapping together. Noticing my trouble, he reached over and tried to help me. Is everyone all buckled in? the driver asked. Mine’s broken, I said meekly. Was this an interview with a presidential candidate or a family vacation? I felt very disoriented. “I love this part of the country,” Kucinich said suddenly after hanging up.
“There is something about the Pacific Northwest that I really connect to. This region speaks to me. The thing about Oregon is people there are free spirited and they really strive to keep a balance with nature, which is something really important to me.” His cell phone rang again; it played a presidential marching tune. I knew my interview would only be as long as the trip to the next radio station in Seattle. I prayed for traffic.
Kucinich was nearly a resident of Eugene. In 1982 he was one of two finalists for a general manager position at the Emerald public utility district in Springfield. But the other guy got the position and Kucinich went back to Cleveland, where he had been mayor, to look for a job. “I hope to get to Eugene again soon,” he said. “I know it is one of the centers of progressive politics in America. It is a great community.” “Well, let’s get to some of these questions I have here,” I said. “Sure, go for it,” he said. 
