Dennis Kucinich is a phenomenal human being.

The scrappy Ohio Congressman and two-time Democratic presidential hopeful has 35 different reasons for the impeachment George W. Bush.

Atop his list of impeachable offenses is “Article I: Creating a secret propaganda campaign to manufacture a false case for war against Iraq.”

Determined to see Bush thrown out of the White House, Kucinich took to the House floor a 35-count impeachment resolution against the President on Monday, the most thorough and powerful such case made to date.

He outlined a litany of high crimes and misdemeanors and showed without a shadow of a doubt that George W. Bush deserves to be impeached.

Dennis Kucinich made clear that Bush has violated his oath of office and his Constitutional duty that the laws be “faithfully executed.”

Kucinich and others argue that Bush and Dick Cheney lied to Congress and America about Iraq (up to 935 times, some believe), thus committing crimes against this nation and facing a laundry list of clearly defined impeachment grounds.

The rest of Congress may not have the spine to back him up, but Dennis Kucinich is still going after George W. Bush out of pure principle.

As of this posting, 4,100 Americans are dead and a staggering 500,000 (at least) Iraqis have also died as a result of the Iraq war.

If these travesties have occurred as a result of lies and deceit, as Scott McClellan corroborates in his new book, then Kucinich isn’t merely posturing. He is pushing for something just - and something few have the balls to stand for.

Say what you will about the 61-year-old political oddball - he is nothing if not honest, refreshingly courageous and principled.

While it’s easier to take such stands when your seat is safe and you have no chance of winning the presidency, Dennis Kucinich deserves our respect.

Congressman Dennis Kucinich (D-Ohio) has formally abandoned his wildly unrealistic second bid for the presidency, having raised anemic sums of cash and garnered next to no grassroots support.

With his announcement, all that remains is for the obligatory SINISTER RED X OF DEATH to be affixed to Kucinich’s face on the Time magazine graphic below. You’re slacking, Time!

Just a few observations here:

• Horse race-style campaign coverage is all good, but can’t there be a denotation for White House bids that are technically in progress, but were DOA from the second they were announced?

(We’re not naming names, we swear, Mike Gravel)

• The campaign of Dennis Kucinich is most notable for that reason - he was never taken seriously, and thus, was unabashed in his rhetoric on the Patriot Act, the Iraq war, the impeachment of Dick Cheney and more. Funny what you can get away with when there’s no way you have to run against a Republican later.

(Right, Al Gore?)

Who’s in to win, and who’s in without a snowball’s chance in hell? The 2008 election is a year and a half away, but the race is in full effect, and the After W staff has once again handicapped the Democratic field (previous rankings in parentheses)…

1. Hillary Rodham Clinton, New York Senator (1)

The Hillary Clinton money machine rolls on, methodically stockpiling both operatives and cash. The endorsement of Tom Vilsack will help her in Iowa, although the fact that he never polled well there in the first place is a telling sign. The clear frontrunner handled the “Hillary 1984” video about as well as one could (she didn’t have its creator offed… yet).

2. Barack Obama, Illinois senator (2)

The usual pattern is that an upstart candidate like Barack Obama gets the Messiah treatment from the media, only to be torn apart once he becomes a true contender. The media’s obsession with Clinton has buffered Barack Obama somewhat, but he isn’t trending all that positively either. Could the luster be wearing off? Ever so slightly?

3. John Edwards, former North Carolina Senator (4)

Making good progress connecting with people, seemingly offering more substance than his chief competition. Polls show him leading in Iowa where he needs a win, and making up ground in New Hampshire as well. The story of his wife, Elizabeth, battling cancer only showcased his family as a true team, despite some pundits’ cries for them to call the campaign off.

4. Al Gore, former Vice President of the United States (3)

Still within striking distance at a moment’s notice, but with Al Gore, one gets the impression he’s using the possibility of entering the race as a means of garnering attention and leverage in his ongoing battle against global warming. He’s too smart not to exploit this, and if it is his primary motivation, we still laud every moment of his efforts.

5. Bill Richardson, New Mexico Governor (5)

This isn’t the NCAA Tournament. When the media is calling you a sleeper, that’s generally not a good sign. There’s no doubt he’d compete well against anyone in the GOP field, but Bill needs to pick it up, and quick.

6. Chris Dodd, Connecticut Senator (6)

A distinguished, affable fellow - one with the best hair in politics, no less - who really classes up the race. It won’t get Chris Dodd many votes against the heavyweights ahead of him, but his presence is a boost for the party.

7. Joe Biden, Delaware Senator (9)

The good news: Joe Biden is the big mover and shaker this time around, having leapfrogged two candidates! The bad news: look down who he jumped. Oh well.

The Senate passing its Iraq war resolution nonetheless means Biden’s stock rises. He has no chance, but it’s a start.

8. Dennis Kucinich, Ohio Congressman (7)

Not seeing the same kind of support as he did last time around. Which is too bad, because even that wasn’t all that much.

9. Mike Gravel, former Alaska Senator (8)

Our dark-horse pick to take over the 7th spot next time. Watch.

FINISHED/UNRANKED: Al Sharpton, Tom Vilsack, Evan Bayh, Wesley Clark, John Kerry.

Who’s hot? Who’s not? Who’s going down faster than Monic- nevermind. Sure, the 2008 election is is more than a year and a half away. We all know full well that the race is underway and getting testy. That said, every week, the After W staff will handicap the Democratic field…

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

1. Hillary Rodham Clinton, New York Senator

Can the juggernaut be stopped? With a huge fundraising edge and the world’s top political consultant by her side - for free, 24/7/365 - it will take something major to knock Hillary Rodham Clinton out of the top spot.

Follow her for a week and see how she operates. She’s a killer on the campaign trail, instantly ready to rebut anything her top opponent, Barack Obama, does.

It’s classic procedure from a classic, procedural campaign that will be really, really hard to stop.

In our view, the Democratic campaign will be more like a coronation unless the country gets really bored, or one man steps up - and not the person immediately below Hillary Clinton on this list. More on that later.

2. Barack Obama, Illinois senator

The big crowds keep coming, but we’re still skeptical. Barack Obama supporters are genuinely curious about him, even if his rock star status enables him to do superbly in polling without really saying much. He’s an inspiring figure, without a doubt, and the money he raises is nothing to sneeze at. But really, does this guy have any real business being in a race against Nos. 1 and 3 on this list?

3. Al Gore, former Vice President of the United States

Yes, he’s third on our list despite the fact that, you know, he’s not in the race. That’s saying something. Moreover, if there are more events like the Academy Awards, where the Goracle enjoyed staggering amounts of free, overwhelmingly positive media, he’ll move up to #2. Without running.

In one press conference, which some insiders believe is coming, Gore could knock Obama and/or John Edwards out. James Carville believes Al Gore will run because the Clintons know that if he does, preliminary interest in Obama ultimately translates into solidarity with Gore.

And when the Ragin’ Cajun speaks, we listen.

Plus, does anyone doubt his ability to raise money, with the growing number of famous friends and policy wonks who’d throw their support behind him in about two seconds? He’s off to a slow start in the race to $100 million, but he can definitely make up ground fast enough to have a shot.

Here’s hoping. For now, keep an eye on his waistline - some insiders believe if Gore plans on entering the race, the environmentalist will slim down to fightin’ weight (a la the newly-svelte Bill Richardson, below).

4. John Edwards, former North Carolina senator

He’s a solid #3 among candidates that are actually running. The 2004 V.P. nominee has some of the most progressive ideas out there (a health care overhaul that might actually fly) and is one of the most engaging people on Earth. His “two Americas” stump speech and belief in government’s “moral obligation” to help the less fortunate give John Edwards lasting credibility and style points from the left.

Yet he’s been more or less invisible for a few weeks now. Ann Coulter uttering a gay slur about him could be the best thing that’s happened to Edwards in that it got him some positive PR. Prior to that, it was his weak foreign policy record earning the headlines.

5. Bill Richardson, New Mexico Governor

Favorable press coverage in Western states, a solid Nevada forum appearance that impressed many insiders, a major New Mexico fundraising event and his status as the race’s only active governor keep Richardson afloat in a race that has already finished (officially or otherwise) candidates with much better name recognition.

A couple of early mishaps and black marks haven’t appeared to quell his slow, but steady momentum. He’s got a great resume and is pretty likable, too. The question is, will Bill Richardson last long enough for America to discover this?

6. Christopher Dodd, Connecticut Senator

The Hartford Courant reports that his fundraising efforts have been steady, and he’s reiterated his interest in running several times. No one doubts Christopher Dodd is a devoted public servant with a strong record on most core issues. What’s in doubt is whether he’s merely angling for the V.P. nod.

7. Dennis Kucinich, Ohio Congressman

The quirky FDR Democrat stands by his convictions, that’s for sure. But unlike 2004, everyone hates the Iraq war now, so he’s lost his favorite talking point.

He has no chance. At all. This is common knowledge. But just the same, Dennis reportedly set an ambitious goal of raising $50 million for his campaign in 2007, and even it he doesn’t get a quarter of the way there, Kucinich may be the last candidate in the field to concede.

8. Mike Gravel, former Alaska Senator

Unfortunately, Gravel’s last name isn’t pronounced like it’s spelled (it’s Grav-ELL), which would seem fitting for the hardened, 72-year-old Alaskan.

IHere’s Gravel’s campaign in a nutshell, since we guarantee you know nothing about him. The linchpin of his outsider candidacy is his support for direct democracy, as well as a national sales tax, the abolition of the IRS, withdrawal from Iraq right now, a single-payer national health care system, and term limits.

Hey, at least he’s got some ideas (often considered a key to success in politics) and hasn’t made ridiculous comments about one of the frontrunners. For that, he edges out Joe Biden (see below)!

9. Joe Biden, Delaware Senator

We have to give Joe Biden credit for persevering through the first few days of his campaign, when his chances were officially shot to hell. For a recap, see our post about Biden’s bumbling announcement day.

In any case, he’s starting to emerge after laying low awhile. The full damage of his announcement debacle should be fully realized as soon as Biden learns he can’t raise anywhere near the cash of Christopher Dodd. And Chris Dodd is running sixth in our Democratic rankings right now. Just saying.

FINISHED/UNRANKED: Al Sharpton, Tom Vilsack, Evan Bayh, Wesley Clark, John Kerry.