"In 1978 I was setting at the table complaining to my wife about the state of politics in Montana.  She said something that I'm sure she has regretted many times since.  She said I had no right to complain because I had never become involved in the political system.  I assured her that I was registered to vote and never missed voting in an election.  She reminded me that there was a big difference between voting and working in the process. I must admit this conversation had a very large impact on my approach to the way I viewed politics from that day on.

My dislike for the sitting governor caused me to become involved in supporting and working for the Lt. governor.  We were able to pull off a tremendous upset in the primary and then elect our candidate as governor in the Nov. election.

In this race I was one of the key supporters and a true insider on my first attempt at working in the political process.  I was directly responsible for the largest section of the state and raised the majority of the campaign funds.  It was a very heady time for a novice politician.

After winning the governor's race I was giving a lot of thought to the representation we were receiving from our member of congress.  In a prolonged discussion with my wife she agreed with me that I should oppose him in the next election.  It was a significant step for a political novice to take against an entrenched incumbent.

In a campaign that lasted for a full year I provided a platform of clean air, clean water, and clean food. Although I was outspent ten to one I lost by only four percent.  Many people told me that if I ran again in the future with the name recognition I had achieved I could prevail in a statewide race.  My wife told me if I decided to run again I would need to find a new wife.  She meant more to me than any elected office.

The year I spent running for congress was one of the greatest experiences of my life.  I learned that the common folks are the heart and soul of this nation and they deserve better candidates.

Up to this time there has been only one presidential candidate who stood for the policies I strongly supported and that was in 1968.  He was assassinated before I ever had a chance to vote for him.  In all of the following elections I was forced to vote for the lesser of two evils.  I was to the point where I thought I would never have the opportunity to completely connect with a person running for President of the United States.

Now, in 2003, there is a large group of aspiring folks running against a popular incumbent and, according to the popular press, none of them stand a snowballs chance in the furnace of unsetting him.  I'm unhappy with the direction of our country and I have to remind myself the advice my wife gave me years ago.  I should not complain unless I was willing to get involved.  I took a close look at the candidates.  To my surprise I found one that was almost a mirror image of the strong views I held about the future of America.

I had worked with and known Dennis Kucinich for many years and always found him to be a man of his word. But that was a far cry from having the policies to lead the most powerful nation in the world.  I started researching what ideas Dennis was proposing and all of a sudden I had, for the first time since 1968, I found a candidate that I was truly excited about.

I'm committed to supporting a candidate who sees a future that allows our children and grandchildren a chance to survive on planet earth, rather then a candidate who rolls over to large special interests for campaign contributions.  I'm willing to commit my time and energy to a candidate who stands for what I believe rather than accepting one that says what needs to be said to win an election at the expense of our future.

I think there are millions of Americans who have given up on the political process.  If we can energize this segment of the voting public, Dennis Kucinich will be the next President of the United States. I'm pleased to be working for a candidate I believe in and I hope you will also take a close look and find the one that fits your view of the future and get involved before it's too late."

--- Howard Lyman, 09/05/03

Info about Rep. Dennis Kucinich & his campaign

Pictures of Howard and Dennis