The petty controversy: The same day President Obama proposed tackling "frivolous" lawsuits, The Cleveland Plain Dealer reported that Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-OH) is suing a Congressional cafeteria over a "dangerous sandwich." The suit alleges that the vegetarian wrap, which he ate in August 2008, was "unwholesome and unfit for human consumption" because of the "dangerous substances" hidden inside — namely, an olive pit. Kucinich is seeking $150,000 for the "serious and permanent dental and oral injuries" and "significant pain, suffering, and loss of enjoyment" he suffered from biting down on the perilous wrap. (Watch an MSNBC report about the lawsuit)
The reaction: "Who bites down on a sandwich so hard that dental damage would result?" asks Doug Mataconis in Outside the Beltway. Sadly, a man who "thought he was fit to be president," says Doug Powers in Michelle Malkin's blog. Seriously, "how can you take on terrorists if a BLT kicks your ass? Bush almost choked to death on a pretzel but he didn't sue Mister Salty." Personally, says Ezra Klein in The Washington Post, "I take Dennis Kucinich's word that the unpitted olive... really has caused him a lot of dental damage," and even pain. "But can $150,000 possibly be worth the bad publicity he's going to get from filing a lawsuit over an olive pit?"
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
