Kucinich sidelined

Among the many things that distinguishes Democrat Dennis Kucinich from your run-of-the-mill presidential candidate is his diet: the Ohio House member is a strict vegan. His fundraising events often are notable for their vegan-only offerings. But even a careful monitoring of what one eats cannot insulate the body from dangers, especially when you're a candidate traipsing hither and yon.

Kucinich is in a Cleveland area hospital suffering from the severe effects of apparent food poisoning, his campaign reported. He became ill late Sunday night while traveling from Cleveland, his home base, to Ft. Lauderdale for a campaign appearance.

Despite suffering "severe gastrointestinal symptoms consistent with food poisoning," he went ahead and gave a Monday morning speech to the International Longshoremen's Association national convention, his campaign said. But he then returned to Cleveland and was hospitalized.

Best to address those "get better" cards to his Washington office or his campaign headquarters. His aides say the name and location of the hospital he's in are not being disclosed out of deference to other patients and to prevent any disruption to hospital operation.

-- Don Frederick