For those who were wondering, Rep. Dennis Kucinich confirmed at Tuesday night's debate that yes, he has, in fact, seen an unidentified flying object.
Tim Russert asked the question:
"Shirley MacLaine writes in her new book that you sighted a UFO over her home in Washington state," Russert said, "that you found the encounter extremely moving, that it was a triangular craft, silent and hovering, that you "felt a connection to your heart and heard directions in your mind."
Kucinich said yes, all of that was true.
And he defended it as a solid policy position. More Americans have seen UFO's, Kucinich quipped, than approve of Bush's presidency. He deadpanned that he plans to open campaign offices in Roswell, New Mexico.
Moderator Tim Russert helpfully noted that 14 percent of Americans report having seen a UFO.
"Thank you," Kucinich said, nodding at the ackowledgment that he is not alone.
But the exchange led to a serious crush of questions for Kucinich in the post-debate spin room.
Reporters sought details: When exactly did Kucinich see this UFO?
"Twenty-five years ago," he said, sounding perturbed. "More than 25 years ago."
What did it look like? Where was it?
"I'm not going to go into the details," Kucinich said. "That's not why I'm running for president."
He did confirm the incident took place, however, and then turned the tables on the reporters asking the questions, suggesting some were "hyperventilating" over the subject of extraterrestrial sightings. "It really says more about them than it does about me," he said.
Kucinich then sought out a Washington Post reporter an upbraided her for failing to ask more substantive questions on health care policy and Iraq.
What he did not know was that a short distance away, his UFO issue was, well, taking off in an interview with Gov. Bill Richardson, who during an appearing on MSNBC with Chris Matthews demanded faster declassifying of documents pertaining to Roswell and UFO sightings.
But Richardon stopped short of saying there is a government alien coverup.
Any UFOs Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton would like to discuss? After the debate, she was left only to explain her murky view on illegal aliens -- undocumented workers, the down-to-earth kind -- who under a new proposal might get driving licenses in New York. She did not make her position clear on Tuesday night, drawing fire from her rivals.
--Anne E. Kornblut