Pick any five patriotic words, run them through the blender, and see if you can come up with something better than this:

Dennis Kucinich came to Asheville Sunday to promote his book and candidacy. Well, no. According to the press coverage, he came, “to attend his friend Ani DiFranco’s concert at the Civic Center and to share his message of peace and return to democracy.” Reportedly 250 people came out to Malaprops, THE alternative bookstore downtown, to see him.

The event opened with an “Impeach Cheney” chant. Reporter Andre Rodriguez said Kucinich said, “When I put forth those articles of impeachment, it wasn’t simply about a statement about the fact that Mr. Cheney lied to take us into war. He did. But it is because our nation deserves public officials at the highest level to ascribe [direct object missing] to the high standards that are in this constitution.”

Then, Andre Rodriguez said Justin Charlebois, who flew in from LA with his boyfriend for the event, said, “As a gay male, when he says he supports gay rights and equal rights, that’s reassuring to have a candidate say that blatantly. Everything that he’s doing is just everything that I’d want a president to do.”

Today is the day we celebrate Veteran’s Day. People died to protect the freedoms nobody seems to want anymore, anyway.